Display/Grow Cabinet Build and Progress Thread.

High folks.

While a Solexx greenhouse in the backyard is planned for the future, in order to begin collecting again I opted for a simple, attractive, non-automated solution for display in the house. The plan is to do it right and eventually make it a "bring in" cabinet for orchids in bloom.

The cabinet is this one from IKEA: FABRIKÖR Glass-door cabinet - gray - IKEA

It is carbon steel, powder coated.

The angled inner track is perfect for mounting CREE XM-L2 high power LEDs. Ten of them, each mounted on an LED groupbuy die. Pointed from front to back. Each will be driven at 1 amp using a Meanwell LDD-1000H LED driver and a 48 volt, 5.2 amp Meanwell power supply.

http://www.cree.com/led-components/products/xlamp-leds-discrete/xlamp-xm-l2
Mean Well LDD-1000HW dimmable driver
Solderless CREE XM-L2 White
250w 48v 5.2A DC Power Supply

Where the LEDs will be mounted must be sanded to bare metal to allow the frame to act as a heat sink. Since it is carbon steel, not stainless or aluminum, using conformal coating after mounting the LEDs will protect any bare spots from rust and the LED leads from moisture/condensation.

LEDs will be mounted using Bergquist thermal pads:
BERGQUIST Thermal Adhesive 20mm Star - 10 Pack

For now, I am going to play with simplicity and modern, inert/live materials. Hand watering, net pots, Epiweb Synthic, and live moss.

I'm contemplating glueing Hygrolon to the back glass

 

Hi naoki!
I have seen the Q, and I appreciate the info, but I already had most of the XM-L2s laying around from a different project that didn't pan out. I like their color and spectrum and I like being able to stick them where ever I want on the dies. I don't mind a little thermostat wire. I THINK I was one of the first (or the first posting about it... 2010) persons using the high powered emitters on orchids, I bloomed cuthbertsonii, B. tentaculiferum, etc. with their previous generation XP-Gs, so I'm a Cree fanboy at this point.

The conformal coating is something used for PCBs that will be used in difficult applications, a lot of people flying drones have recently discovered the stuff. It's not really waterproofing per se, but it is an insurance policy (e.g., "my drone landed in a pond!", "I flew through rain!"). If I were going to be automatic misting with it, I would definitely brace for failure (that's my DO AT YOUR OWN RISK disclaimer). LED die are pretty simple for this purpose. The chip is already coated after mounting, and only the four contact leads are available to short out. Here is the silicone stuff (brush-on) I will be using: https://www.amazon.com/MG-Chemicals-Silicone-Conformal-Coating/dp/B004SPJOKK

1. The LDDs have built-in PWM dimming ready to wire to a PWM control voltage source. Which is some nerdy, awesome stuff. Something I was planning on using in the previous LED project and may still used in the future.
2. The LDDs are 97% efficient DC to DC at least.
3. The Meanwell supply is >80% AC/DC per specifications, but still overkill, but, you guessed it, I already had it for a much larger wattage project.

 

Cree XM-L2 cool whites (~6400k) integrated into the frame. Will be ten in total. Powder coat taken down to bare metal, mounted with Bergquist pads. Steel frame acts as a heat sink.



Driving at 1000 mA, testing heat removal of the frame.



Four out of ten lit. Should I add some wide optics to the emitters to reduce spillover?

 

Calvin, right now just hand watering carefully and paying attention to the plants. It'll be a play-it-by-ear situation. I may put a boot/mudroom base in the bottom, so we'll see.

 

PAR in micromol m^2-1 s-1 at the back of the enclosure.

 

All cleaned up, Dusk Synthic in the pots, seeded with Dusk moss mix. First few residents in place.




Bulbophyllum woelfliae: