a mongo frog
Well-Known Member
I miss the Amare grower we had here. Pretty sure he got canceled for some reason.
LED was the future
- Thread starter Rahz
- Start date
rkymtnman
Well-Known Member
somebody build a 6 strip led light in a tight circle and i'd love to try a stadium grow with led. like 36" strips.
OneHitDone
Well-Known Member
Yes, brands are irrelevant, I though we were talking about spectral compositions?
Boatguy
Well-Known Member
I thought we were talkin about growin pot?
Rahz
Well-Known Member
The grow you've pointed out seems to have done some things right but it's not exactly scientific or presented as such. Spectral analysis of each lamp along with some method to insure equal amounts of radiation would help. If proper equipment is cited, you have to trust the grower to provide accurate data. When brands are involved that tends to create some doubt. One can appreciate the effort without claiming it's be all end all "science is settled" type stuff.
I have a $400 par meter. It's a really nice unit that accurately measures 400-700nm. It would be useless for testing efficacy of far red or UV via adjusting two different lamps to the same PPFD.
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a mongo frog
Well-Known Member
Remember when led was supposed to be the future? Good times!!!
Rahz
Well-Known Member
I'm not anti UV or far red. Regarding branded grows, there is brand involved and it's not all about spectrum. Brand involvement is kind of shady. One thing I noticed and mentioned, if a 400-700 par meter was used to calibrate both lamps one of them is delivering more photons since they're not going to have the same output -400 and +700.
For myself it might be worthwhile to play with the plant white and blurple CXM22s. All I would have to do is install them into pre-existing lamps and run them against white CXM22s at same wattage/current. Doing this alone would be useful obviously if the horticultural cobs were better but to get to the actual spectral efficiency I would need to either A- get a more expensive par meter or B- adjust the current as needed to insure same photon count based on the technical data. That would be useful for satisfying curiosity but it still wouldn't tell me what the ideal spectrum was, what percentage of far red and UV were optimal. It would only prove one is better than another. It wouldn't represent the best spectrum, just a better one.
It is possible for someone to build a more scientific rig and over time hone in the various frequency zones to the ideal. Perhaps it's already been done by a private company but that would be proprietary information. A college could build it and conduct the necessary studies. An individual could build it with time effort and money if they really wanted to.
So like I said I appreciate the anecdotal evidence and suppose all things considered it does move the art forward but it's also good to be critical of results and question the details.
For myself it might be worthwhile to play with the plant white and blurple CXM22s. All I would have to do is install them into pre-existing lamps and run them against white CXM22s at same wattage/current. Doing this alone would be useful obviously if the horticultural cobs were better but to get to the actual spectral efficiency I would need to either A- get a more expensive par meter or B- adjust the current as needed to insure same photon count based on the technical data. That would be useful for satisfying curiosity but it still wouldn't tell me what the ideal spectrum was, what percentage of far red and UV were optimal. It would only prove one is better than another. It wouldn't represent the best spectrum, just a better one.
It is possible for someone to build a more scientific rig and over time hone in the various frequency zones to the ideal. Perhaps it's already been done by a private company but that would be proprietary information. A college could build it and conduct the necessary studies. An individual could build it with time effort and money if they really wanted to.
So like I said I appreciate the anecdotal evidence and suppose all things considered it does move the art forward but it's also good to be critical of results and question the details.
OneHitDone
Well-Known Member
It also adds quite a bit to the relevance of a broader spectrum led when multiple growers testing such report back things such as "improves plant health in veg", "less or no purple stems", "less plastic plant look", "shorter veg time than any other led in the room", etc etc.
A lot of this has been tested out by many growers but the data sheet nazi's continue to bash real world observations and experiences of growers just because they can't articulate the subtleties into scientific terms
OneHitDone
Well-Known Member
If your too dense to acknowledge the effect spectrum has on cannabis I'm sure your growing mids at best
Rahz
Well-Known Member
Okay. So everyone is buying broad spectrum, making decisions on branded show grows or other anecdotal advice, and nobody knows the exact ratios to produce the most well rounded spectrum. All these lights with different spectrums and wattages, which to choose?It also adds quite a bit to the relevance of a broader spectrum led when multiple growers testing such report back things such as "improves plant health in veg", "less or no purple stems", "less plastic plant look", "shorter veg time than any other led in the room", etc etc.
A lot of this has been tested out by many growers but the data sheet nazi's continue to bash real world observations and experiences of growers just because they can't articulate the subtleties into scientific terms
It seems like bro science and brand fest. And I suppose we all dabble in bro-science in this hobby to a certain degree. Over time that type of anecdotal evidence probably will affect the average spectrum used in a positive way, but isn't it right to question the information put out there? If you see potential issues that might affect a comparison in an unfair way, shouldn't it be pointed out? Isn't it reasonable to ask/question what the best spectrum is? Especially if someone want's to build their own?
I suppose there is still much to learn. And I know not everyone likes building lamps. I've probably built over 400 by now. Being a datasheet nazi is very useful when designing lamps.
OneHitDone
Well-Known Member
xtsho
Well-Known Member
I prefer Fords but I'd proudly drive a Yugo if it got me from point A to point B.
You don't have to buy a Lamborghini to drive down the street and you don't need an LED to grow weed.
Boatguy
Well-Known Member
Still throwing stones i see.If your too dense to acknowledge the effect spectrum has on cannabis I'm sure your growing mids at best
I dont think the thread title had anything to do with spectrum, but continue on with your opinions.
PopAndSonGrows
Well-Known Member
You kinda mirrored my comment but via that reflective shit people put on their walls.
That's my point. I prefer Fords too actually, only because I own one and can afford it. Why have a Yugo light when I'm already in the Ford Fiesta ST category of affordability? --more intense, much better ride, more features, but sure it ain't no Lambo, that's fine.
OldMedUser
Well-Known Member
With our power costing almost 30¢/kwh now I'd love to get me some decent LED grow lights but I doubt I would live long enough to recoup the initial costs in power savings. I'm mostly flowering in a 5x5' space in a larger grow room and would be looking at over $1000Can to cover that area that I can do with a 600W Hortilux SHPS on my Light Rail 4.0. The room is down in my underground utility basement which stays cool even in late summer so I need the heat and would be losing any power saving advantage adding heat while the lights are on. I do have a 1000W but really don't need it for this using the rail.
For vegging I have a small COB light with 5 diodes that pulls 200W from the wall and a DIY unit that uses 11 - 9W LED bulbs with the globes popped off and takes both of them to cover the whole 2x4x5'h grow tent in the spare bedroom.
My camera has a manual white balance so I can calibrate it in seconds to get good pics under any light.
Before
After. Day 7 of 12/12
I got 3 slightly used 600W digitals with Hortilux bulbs and open reflectors for $60 each a few years ago. My first digitals after almost 20 years using 400 and 1000W magnetic ballasts. I use the size that covers the grow and the 600s filled a gap.
For vegging I have a small COB light with 5 diodes that pulls 200W from the wall and a DIY unit that uses 11 - 9W LED bulbs with the globes popped off and takes both of them to cover the whole 2x4x5'h grow tent in the spare bedroom.
My camera has a manual white balance so I can calibrate it in seconds to get good pics under any light.
Before
After. Day 7 of 12/12
I got 3 slightly used 600W digitals with Hortilux bulbs and open reflectors for $60 each a few years ago. My first digitals after almost 20 years using 400 and 1000W magnetic ballasts. I use the size that covers the grow and the 600s filled a gap.
evergreengardener
Well-Known Member
thats a damn high kwh rate where you at? Hawaii? mine is something like 13cents a kwh last i checked and i thought that was highWith our power costing almost 30¢/kwh now I'd love to get me some decent LED grow lights but I doubt I would live long enough to recoup the initial costs in power savings. I'm mostly flowering in a 5x5' space in a larger grow room and would be looking at over $1000Can to cover that area that I can do with a 600W Hortilux SHPS on my Light Rail 4.0. The room is down in my underground utility basement which stays cool even in late summer so I need the heat and would be losing any power saving advantage adding heat while the lights are on. I do have a 1000W but really don't need it for this using the rail.
For vegging I have a small COB light with 5 diodes that pulls 200W from the wall and a DIY unit that uses 11 - 9W LED bulbs with the globes popped off and takes both of them to cover the whole 2x4x5'h grow tent in the spare bedroom.
My camera has a manual white balance so I can calibrate it in seconds to get good pics under any light.
Before
View attachment 5120616
After. Day 7 of 12/12
View attachment 5120617
I got 3 slightly used 600W digitals with Hortilux bulbs and open reflectors for $60 each a few years ago. My first digitals after almost 20 years using 400 and 1000W magnetic ballasts. I use the size that covers the grow and the 600s filled a gap.
Boatguy
Well-Known Member
I was thinking the same thing.
Rate: (Monthly)
- $0.1660 per KWH for first 100 KWH per month
- $0.1451 per KWH for all excess KWH per month.
Minimum Rate: $6.00 per month.
Prompt Payment Discount: Twenty percent (20%) discount will be allowed on the above rates, if payment is received within fift een (15) days after the bill is rendered. The bill is considered as being rendered fifteen (15) days prior to the discount date. Discount will not be allowed when arrears are due.
OldMedUser
Well-Known Member
I'm in northern Alberta the energy province so it should be cheaper but all the suppliers are owned by US companies since King Ralph deregulated power 20 some odd years ago. There's actually an investigation on how they built a billion dollars worth of infrastructure to sell cheap power to the US and have been making us pay for it ever since so they can give cheaper rates to their US customers. Rat bastards!
The coal fired plants are all having to switch to gas so we have to pay for that too. And we have a useless conservative gov't that is nickle and dimeing us to death while enriching their corporate buddies but you know how that works I bet.
I'll be growing more autos outside this year so can just do my breeding thing indoors over the winter and cut back on power use. Got so many strains I want to grow before the seeds age out tho so will probably still use as much.
OldMedUser
Well-Known Member
Is that your total bill? We have 2 parts where one is the actual cost of the power which was only 9.9¢/kwh but I got notice it's going up to 12.9 now. The 2nd part is things like distribution charge and transmission charge which are the largest.
Last months bill is for $412. I used 1394kw at 9.9 for a total of $138 so $274 is non-power charges. A couple are fixed minimums so even if you cut your power off at the meter you would be paying over $60 for zero power use. I calculate the price at 28.3¢/kwh the month before and now it's going up again. Shopping for a new supplier but there are lots and they may have a lower power rate tehy ding you on the rest so not a lot of difference. Can you say 'price fixing'? I knew you could. (Said in the voice of Mr. Rogers)