What makes quantum boards superior to LED grow lights?
What Is A Quantum Board?
The term “quantum board” was first introduced by Horticulture Lighting Group (HLG for short), a relatively new supplier of LED grow lights. It referred to a new style of light where a large number of small LED diodes are affixed to a flat board.
The diodes are arranged in rows that are run in parallel configurations by a high-powered constant current driver. There are now many different boards available from multiple manufacturers, with varying configurations.
Differences Between Quantum Boards And LED grow lights
While they are based on the same principle and they both use LEDs with an all-white color spectrum, the difference in scale makes them very different light sources. These are the main differences between the two.
Light Spread
The first major difference is in the way the light fills the coverage area. A COB is a single point of powerful light, that then emanates outward from that point. This means it has further to travel to reach the outside of the coverage area than it does the middle.
A quantum board is large and has diodes spread out across the entire surface area. That means that the light travels more directly to the canopy across a larger area, not just dead center.
The result is a much more even light spread for quantum boards. COBs give you a ton of intensity in the middle of the coverage area, but it drops off more toward the outside than a quantum board light.
Canopy Penetration
This is the flip side of the previous difference. Because the COB is such a powerful beam of light, it naturally penetrates deeper below the canopy, at least in the middle of the coverage area. Toward the outside, that penetration power diminishes considerably. Quantum boards get great penetration, too, just not as good as a COB (in the middle anyway).
Heat Management
Because COBs are such a powerful source of light, with many tiny diodes crammed onto a small surface area, they naturally emit a lot of heat. Single COBs can be cooled by heat sinks alone, but fixtures with multiple COBs need to have fans.
Quantum boards are always passively cooled. Usually this is done with a simple aluminum board, but sometimes a heatsink is used instead.
The fixtures as a whole still emit about the same amount of heat as other LED fixtures, including COBs, but because the individual diodes are spread out, passive cooling is enough to keep them from overheating.
- Better canopy penetration
- Smaller size
- More flexible (easier to arrange a single COB fixture in different positions)
Advantages Of Quantum Boards
- Better light spread
- Easier heat management
- Can hang closer to canopy
Why To Get Quantum Board LEDs?
We recommend quantum boards, if you want a more even light spread. They are also the better choice if you have limited vertical space, since you can hang them closer to the plants.
The main advantages for QBs are:
- Thermal management is much simpler. The board can be mounted to a thin piece of aluminum with no active cooling and the diodes stay nice and cool.
- More uniform spread of light. Compared to a COB that blasts all of its light from a surface 1″ in diameter, these boards are producing even light over the span of a foot.
- Greater efficiency. At 50 watts, these boards are getting 180+ lumens per watt. Highly efficient COBs like the Cree CXB3590 average 160–170 lumens per watt at 50W.
Which QBs To Get?
The best known (and most expensive) manufacturer is HLG, who introduced the first quantum boards to the market. Since then, many other brands have started making them. The following are the best.
- Crazy farmer is designed with a special color, Tiffany blue, which can gain you a visual feast from led grow light market.
- LED chip brand are Samsung lm301h and Epistar 660nm.
- Dimmable & Full spectrum & Pre-assembled.
- Waterproof cord and waterproof cover to protect the board.
- Reliable passive cooled design, 4mm thickness plate.
- 5 years Warranty for Meanwell driver, 1 Year Warranty for board.
- Reliable passivecooled design (no cooling fans required)
- Dimmable high-efficiency Meanwell driver
- High quality original diodes from famous brands
- Prolonged and thickened heatsink
- Full spectrum mixing the most vital extra wavelength 660nm 730nm 395nm for both veg and flower
- Adding high quality driver box makes it safer
- Separate IR, UV switches designed for all growth stages
ENHANCE LIGHT REFLECTION
Reflective aluminum hood helps to improve the light efficiency, scientifically engineered to keep the balance of PAR output and coverage area. Extremely bright, ideal for all kinds of indoor plants at all growth stages especially veg and flower.
SILENT INDOOR GROWING
Innovative fanless design and no need to worry about heat dissipation. Liberates you and your plants from noise whether in sleep or activity time. Helps your plants become healthy and thrived in such a quiet environment and you can enjoy the bumper harvest!
FREELY ADJUST BRIGHTNESS
With dimmable feature, the light can be started with low power and gradually increase. Just remove the silicone plug on the top and adjust dimming with a precision flat head screwdriver. It can be used to program VEG and BLOOM brightness individually.
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