LED Grow lighting strips for your wire rack nursery or hydroponics!

prusaprinters

<p>Need to start your garden from seed indoors or provide lighting for your DIY hydroponics?  This modular LED light strip system can be customized for your growing needs.  Print file includes:</p><ul><li>24cm LED strip (8mm) holders with end adapter, venting, 3 screw holes, and lens interface</li><li>Light Mount connectors (connects light mount strips together)</li><li>Wire Rack interface hooks</li><li>Optional end cap for cleaner look</li><li>Printable lens covers, full and half length</li><li><i>All the above can be printed with a 0.6mm nozzle or smaller</i></li></ul><p>In addition to the printable parts above, you will need the following parts for mounting and LED lighting (or equivalents):</p><ul><li>Digikey:<ul><li>LED strip lighting (or any LED strip lighting 8mm wide, full spectrum / 4200K; may be sold by the length or as a reel; Digikey sells both; 33 units == 1 meter; a typical shelf of 4x 72cm would be 96 units) - <a href="https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/inspired-led-llc/12V-UB-PW-12M/1647-1026-1-ND/5866505,">https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/inspired-led-llc/12V-UB-PW-12M/1647-1026-1-ND/5866505</a></li><li>Power Splitter x4 (1 per PSU) - <a href="https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/tensility-international-corp/10-02739/839-1474-ND/8753164">https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/tensility-international-corp/10-02739/839-1474-ND/8753164</a></li></ul></li><li>Amazon:<ul><li>LED strip power connectors -  <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DM7F8O0?psc=1&amp;ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details">Amazon.com: LightingWill 10pcs/Pack Strip to DC Female Plug Solderless Snap Down 2Pin Conductor LED Strip Connector for Quick Splitter Connection of 8mm Wide 3528 2835 Single Color Flex LED Strips: Home Improvement</a></li><li>2mm self-tapping screws - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PRM9433/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s01?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1">Amazon.com: newlng 2MM Small Screws Phillips Flat Head Cross Self Tapping Tiny Screw Cabinet Electronic Accessories Screw Multifunctional DIY Micro Woodworking Mini Screw Set Gold Black Silver 1600pcs: Industrial &amp; Scientific</a></li></ul></li></ul><p>Assembly Instructions:</p><ul><li>For a single LED light strip (I used 4 strips per shelf):<ul><li>Determine length of the LED strip desired (in multiples of 24cm).  Examples below (I used 72cm for my wire racks):<ul><li>48cm light strip: X = 2</li><li>72cm light strip: X = 3</li><li>96cm light strip: X = 4</li><li>122cm light strip: X = 5</li></ul></li><li>Print X LED_LightMount units  </li><li>Print X-1 LED_LM_Connector2 units</li><li>Print X-1 LED_LM_LensCover using transparent filament</li><li>Print 2 LED_LM_LensCoverHalf using transparent filament</li><li>For mounting to a wire rack, print X*3 LED_LM_WireRackInterface units</li><li>Optionally print 1 LED_LM_Cap</li></ul></li><li>Assembly (LED light strip)<ul><li>Take X Light Mount units and X-1 connectors, sliding each connector into the end of a Light Mount.  Note that one side of the Light Mount has a lip that should be matched with the sides of the other Light Mount it is joined to</li><li>Mounting:<ul><li>If mounting to a wire rack, use 2x6mm screws to attach Wire Rack Interface hooks.  Make sure they are all facing the same direction to be able to hang on a wire rack.  IMPORTANT: before continuing to the next step, MAKE SURE you can successfully hang the light strip; you may find you need to remove a couple of the Wire Rack Interface hooks (I used a 3-1-3 combination for my 72cm light strips)</li><li>If mounting to a shelf use 2x6mm screws (3 per Light Mount) to screw in directly to shelf being mounted to.  In this configuration, make sure lip on Light Mounts are facing outward (to shield direct light)</li></ul></li><li>After mounts are in place, slide a strip of LEDs into one of the ends, noting the polarity on the LED strips -- this polarity needs to match the polarity of the LED strip lights connector depending on which end you mount this connector to</li><li>BEFORE cutting the LED strip, make sure there is enough to go the length of the LED strip, with a little bit sticking out to attach the LED strip lights connector</li><li>Slide on the full-length Lens covers one by one.  Each full-length lens cover should straddle two Light Mount units to provide strength/stability of the light strip.       Once done, slide the 2 half-length Lens Covers, one on each end</li><li>Optional: slide on LED_LM_Cap on the light strip end opposite of the LED strip lights connector</li><li>If mounting to a wire rack, hang the light strip to the wire rack at this time.  You can optionally use zip ties to further secure the light strips (hooks support these, but I haven't tested them)</li><li>Attach power supply to LED strip lights connector barrel plug</li></ul></li></ul><p>Powering LED light strips</p><p>I had built my own power supply units using the parts below from Digikey, but do not purchase these unless you are experienced with line voltage circuits (which can result in injury or death if not handled properly):</p><ul><li>Power Supply Unit (PSU) for LED lighting (1 per 4x 72cm strips, to light a single shelf) - <a href="https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/mean-well-usa-inc/APV-35-12/1866-1159-ND/7702610">https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/mean-well-usa-inc/APV-35-12/1866-1159-ND/7702610</a></li><li>Connector plugs (1 per light strip / 4 per shelf) - <a href="https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/tensility-international-corp/55-00051/839-1441-ND/8626992">https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/tensility-international-corp/55-00051/839-1441-ND/8626992</a></li><li>Connector Plug tool (1 needed for connector plugs above)  - <a href="https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/tensility-international-corp/55-00096/839-1444-ND/8626995">https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/tensility-international-corp/55-00096/839-1444-ND/8626995</a></li><li>Power plug (NEMA 1-15P for USA) 3m length (1 per PSU): <a href="https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/tensility-international-corp/11-00018/839-1181-ND/3900575">https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/tensility-international-corp/11-00018/839-1181-ND/3900575</a></li></ul><p>The barrel power plug (5.5mm x 2.1mm) is very common and you can power LEDs from multiple wall adapters and optional power splitters so long as you make sure they are rated to supply more power than the LED light strips need.</p>