# C.O.B LED panels



## frankgrimes (May 10, 2015)

thought i would start a thread to give info on c.o.b panels and what C.O.B actually means. 

here's a simple article explaining what they are all about. 

http://www.prophotonix.com/resources/Technical-Overviews/about-chip-on-board.aspx

  "COB LED means chip on board LED, it&#8217;s one of bare chip technologies, which interconnect bare chip to substrate by conductive or non-conductive adhesive, and then wire bonding to achieve its electrical connection. COB package is attach number of chips directly to the substrate, then packaged together by silica gel, epoxy resin or other materials, the yellow part is phosphor."

where as surface mounted LED's or "SMD LED" is an abbreviation for Surface-Mount-Device Light-Emitting Diode. An SMD LED Module is a type of LED module that uses Surface-mount technology (SMT) to mount LED chips on printed circuit boards (PCB).

also now there are new technologies know as "modular designs" which are basically a number of  diode clusters  placed into a unit that are easily replaceable should anything go wrong during a grow. 


basically non modular panels are the most likely to have a fault that will hinder your grow. if one of the LED's on this type of panel goes out it will more than likely cause a group around it to go out as well. if this happens you will have the option to either finish your grow with partial wattage or send the light back to have it repaired but that definitely wont be good for your plants. and also surface mounted LED's can face this same problem but most likely  only one chip will go out rather than a bunch around it. the types of LED grow lights people should be looking to buy are modular designs  that have parts that are easily replaceable as then down the line when something goes wrong you wont be running into big headaches. then you can think of your light as a long term investment that can be upgraded in the future rather than something that gets worn out once and is no longer of good use. 



an example of a C.O.B panel would be the mars sun series from mars hydro:

http://www.mars-hydro.com/led-grow-light/sun-series

an example of  a surface mounted LED's is hydro grows SOL models (although they incorporate a modular design as well) :

https://www.hydrogrowled.com/Sol-1-45W-85W-LED-Grow-Light-(G4)-P188C59.aspx


and an example of modular design would be the GSX series from Grow Standard LED:

http://www.growstandardled.com/collections/gs-x-series/products/gs-x300


any further relevant  info anyone wants to contrbute you are more than welcome!


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## P Jammers (May 10, 2015)

Seems like a lot of trouble to go to and post the links to COB and Surface mounted lights and then link them backwards. 

Are you the owner, or just a sales guy from GSX?


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## frankgrimes (May 10, 2015)

hello PJ! hahaha! no i just had a tiff with another member about what a cob is was trying to make a point. the guys at grow standard offered me a good deal to mention them in the forums as well so i figured i would keep my word!


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## frankgrimes (May 10, 2015)

heres another decent article on the topic as well:


http://www.digikey.com/en/articles/techzone/2014/mar/the-rise-of-chip-on-board-led-modules


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## The Hemp Goddess (May 10, 2015)

P Jammers said:


> Seems like a lot of trouble to go to and post the links to COB and Surface mounted lights and then link them backwards.
> 
> Are you the owner, or just a sales guy from GSX?


 
PJ, you saying that the Mars II are the surface mounted lights and the SOL is the cob lighting?


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## Dr. Green Fang (May 10, 2015)

The Hemp Goddess said:


> PJ, you saying that the Mars II are the surface mounted lights and the SOL is the cob lighting?



This is the COB light








:rofl: 

I know I know, so corny. 


:rofl: :rofl:


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## frankgrimes (May 10, 2015)

hahahaah! that is amazing


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## frankgrimes (May 10, 2015)

new study shows actual corn on the cob lighting beats out HPS and LED! make way for the future friends


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## frankgrimes (May 10, 2015)

is there anyone on here using SOL lights ATM? ive long wanted to see how they perform but im a bit scared of them and how the diodes will react to long time use with the higher heat output.


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## Dr. Green Fang (May 10, 2015)

No Frank, the Mars II (ones you listed) are not COB. The Sun Series from Mars is COB :aok: 

http://www.mars-hydro.com/led-grow-light/sun-series

I own the Mars II 400w series... 8 of the fixtures.


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## Locked (May 10, 2015)

So by your thinking/definition would you consider this a COB LED fixture?  http://www.topledgrowlight.com/reflector-led-grow-light-144x3w.html#.VU_vTzHi4vo

Because what you keep describing as COB is not COB.  I have the above fixture and it is not a COB fixture at all and it has many single led's placed on a single large board but it's not a COB light. It is not modular like my other Custom LED light but it is not COB either.


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## frankgrimes (May 10, 2015)

Hamster Lewis said:


> So by your thinking/definition would you consider this a COB LED fixture?  http://www.topledgrowlight.com/reflector-led-grow-light-144x3w.html#.VU_vTzHi4vo
> 
> Because what you keep describing as COB is not COB.  I have the above fixture and it is not a COB fixture at all and it has many single led's placed on a single large board but it's not a COB light. It is not modular like my other Custom LED light but it is not COB either.




its quite possible the light you linked is a cob its hard to tell when they have reflectors. my definition of a cob is a panel with multiple single diodes(chips) on (on) a large MCPCB(board) (COB) and as far as im concerned thats exactly what the mars2 has no?  but maybe ive got it wrong here im more than open to what other people have to say.


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## Locked (May 10, 2015)

http://www.lednews.org/what-cob-led-chip-on-board-definition/


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## P Jammers (May 10, 2015)

If you go tot this link http://www.mars-hydro.com/ and look at the description it's pretty clear what their COB light is, and their other lights are. 
Top right.


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## Locked (May 10, 2015)

frankgrimes said:


> alright, just a quick couple question for ya then. do your mars2 panels have module clusters that can be replaced? do they have single mounted chips on top of single heatsink fixtures that are then seperated into groups? or does your panel have many single led's placed  on a single large MCPCB?



This is a COB light http://www.mars-hydro.com/led-grow-light/sun-series


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## Joe420Camel (May 10, 2015)

.


http://www.cob-led.com/COB-LED-Advantage-Chip-on-board.html

http://www.lednews.org/what-cob-led-chip-on-board-definition/


:48:


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## Locked (May 10, 2015)

Frank it looks like you are a little confused on what COB lighting is and isn't.  If there is One person who I trust with knowing his stuff on LED Tech it is PJ.


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## MR1 (May 11, 2015)

More about knowing definitions, than anything . Gotta be pretty brain dead not to able to tell the difference. This led stuff isn't rocket science.


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## frankgrimes (May 11, 2015)

well this is why we are here fellas , looks as though i did have my definitions mixed up and i apologize for putting up mixed info. 

MR1 and hamster lewis - in particular i would like to extend my apologies you were right and i was wrong did not want to come off as a prick or anything havn't been on these old forums in years i know its an easy thing to do.


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## MR1 (May 11, 2015)

:joint:


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## frankgrimes (May 11, 2015)

went back and did a bit of editing as not to confuse any new comers as well.


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## frankgrimes (May 11, 2015)

and i forgot DR. green fang my apologies to you as well sir!


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## Dr. Green Fang (May 11, 2015)

Oh hey, no worries mate! As long as you right yourself, and we right others with misinformation, all is gravy! No harm no foul, and you learned something :aok: 

Cheers Frank


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## P Jammers (May 11, 2015)

Another thing to keep in mind is that typical COB LED's have an array of colors and won't use just a single color on a board.

Glad to see you have made the correction. 

Now that is out of the way I am curious why you came here and bumped just about every thread on the topic and say to be careful of this and that? Pretty sure you were telling people to stay away from COB lights.

Are you now saying people should stay away from single diode LED lights that run in series?

While that "used" to be the case, a lot of lights now are designed to keep running if you are to lose a single diode so while that tid nit of info may be relevant on some older tech, it's becoming old news.

In other news my first all COB LED with my tech was shipped this AM. 
:dancing:


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## giggy (May 11, 2015)

folks are kicking as with diy cobs everywhere. if i was to build my light which i did not, it would have been bridgelux vero 18's or cree cxa's.


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## frankgrimes (May 12, 2015)

P Jammers said:


> Another thing to keep in mind is that typical COB LED's have an array of colors and won't use just a single color on a board.
> 
> Glad to see you have made the correction.
> 
> ...



hey PJ, initially i was just trying to point out that modular panels are the way to go because of their obvious advantages. 

 no no not saying to stay away from lights in series just good to have the option of swapping out a cluster compared to doing some soldering yourself or sending the panel back to be fixed. 

 A new panel you say? you had the specs made custom for yourself? would love to hear more!


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## P Jammers (May 12, 2015)

frankgrimes said:


> A new panel you say? you had the specs made custom for yourself? would love to hear more!



Not much to share TBH. I have designed and engineered 3 lights now in the last 4 years. I have used the same array each time and am looking to step up the game a lil on this new COB light. 

By using a COB lights in veg now, I was able to cut my original LED power even further which I am hopeful will work in flower as well.


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