far red LED for flower initiator?

turnip brain

Active Member
The way things are going, I'd like to make a flower initiator to use outdoors. The growing season is short here, and it would be great to kick start outdoor flowering to avoid having the mamas freeze. I'd need to start with it right around AUG 1.

I'd like to make a rail of about 30 watts of far red. If/when i convert to LED and/or induction indoors. I'd use this same initiator fixture indoors.

What are the best choices in emitters right now for 730nm?

Thanks
 

turnip brain

Active Member
Thanks, yeah found those with google search. Hoping there are good 3w-5w chips for DIY. would rather find name brand rather than "exotic" or unknown Chinese brands. Do they exist?
 

captainmorgan

Well-Known Member
Be careful about picking a 730 nm LED.I called the first two companies I linked and they both told me there is quality issues with a lot of 730 nm chips,maybe something with that particular spectrum.The unit I have is a multi chip setup and the buildmyled is singles and they both warned me about quality.Just a heads up,not sure if it's true or if they were giving me a sales pitch but it seems odd they both mentioned it.That's why I went with a pre-built for the warranty instead of a DIY.
 

turnip brain

Active Member
Be careful about picking a 730 nm LED.I called the first two companies I linked and they both told me there is quality issues with a lot of 730 nm chips,maybe something with that particular spectrum.The unit I have is a multi chip setup and the buildmyled is singles and they both warned me about quality.Just a heads up,not sure if it's true or if they were giving me a sales pitch but it seems odd they both mentioned it.That's why I went with a pre-built for the warranty instead of a DIY.
That sounds slightly fishy. I'll keep it in mind though.
 

SnotBoogie

Well-Known Member
I dont think a far red pontoon is going to work if the sun is still shining when your Pfr phase is over, dude.
 

SnotBoogie

Well-Known Member
Yeah, sorry what i meant was that you still wouldn't have 12 hours dark, but then i remembered not everyone lives at the same Long as me for starters. :dunce:
 

turnip brain

Active Member
The info I have read says that the initiators fool the plants into thinking the night is two hours longer, so starting at about 14 hours of daylight outdoors would be at about the resulting 12hr night threshold.

I admit it is experimental, but I have gotten myself in a little bit of a crunch. I kind of messed up timing for several grows in succession. One indoors is taking forever to finish, I think it's about at one more week. Then I'll move three plants indoors under these lights which leaves two mongo plants outdoors into September. By the time first frost arrives I hope the newer run indoors will be finished and I can move the big outdoor mamas under the lights to finally finish, but it would be awesome if they were accelerated up to that point.

With all these grows in succession, I should have enough to last into next summer as a minimum.
 

turnip brain

Active Member
I built a 300W panel from Cree WW and NW and he'll be supplementing with a 60W Halogen with uber-red, far red. Super cheap

http://www.bulbamerica.com/ge-60w-120v-a19-reveal-halogen-2.html?mr:referralID=0e54e6ef-e570-11e2-a969-001b2166c2c0

View attachment 2731885
Thanks rrog,

i actually replied to your thread on this, but with further thought I question the amount of red in that graph relative to the 730ish range. Seems 620-660 or so could be antagonistic to 730nm run at dark. Could work great, I dunno.
 

brotherjericho

Well-Known Member
Thanks, yeah found those with google search. Hoping there are good 3w-5w chips for DIY. would rather find name brand rather than "exotic" or unknown Chinese brands. Do they exist?
Actually, discounting the Chinese chips, what's wrong with using the exotic brand (probably Chinese too)? I don't think the idea is to blast them with as much high efficiency far red as possible, just enough for the plant to sense through its leaves. Those exotics would be cheap enough, and would provide only far red.
 

Fonzarelli

Active Member
I'm using LedEngin 735nm LEDs in my LED veg/flower light. I'm getting some major growth excelleration from using them. Flower will be next. I don't think it's worth the time and effort trying to shorten the night cycle doing the far red blast at night, but I like to stay natural so........not saying it won't work, but it is so easy to do 12/12 and that's how you know how many days you have left for a particular strain and what not.
 

Fonzarelli

Active Member
I built a 300W panel from Cree WW and NW and he'll be supplementing with a 60W Halogen with uber-red, far red. Super cheap

http://www.bulbamerica.com/ge-60w-120v-a19-reveal-halogen-2.html?mr:referralID=0e54e6ef-e570-11e2-a969-001b2166c2c0

View attachment 2731885
Also super HOT! I tried using the Reveal Halogen Incs at 100w and they were more trouble than they were worth. I never saw an increase in anything. I believe they have more green and yellow wavelengths than is good, but if they work for you than ya can't complain I guess.

I am now using them over my kitchen table and in the bathroom because they have good color rendition for an every day light. They put out a lot of heat.
 

Rrog

Well-Known Member
The heat is the big issue, no doubt. Clearly they have the red, and less IR than an incandescent:
Screen Shot 2013-07-02 at 9.02.48 PM.jpg

There are a fair number of growers using some red supplement. Others use that Halogen, but the heat is sure a problem to be looked after.
 
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