kovidkough
Well-Known Member
yea yea stubborn ol HID usere...I'm still waiting for a board I can afford that is going to replace the 600s and not be old tech a year after purchase
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kovidkough
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2/4 now its coco and 100 perlite, hoping the transplant makes them happy
kovidkough
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PJ Diaz
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Bro a DIY rig of HLG QB96's is hella cheap, and gives out more photons for less wattage than HPS. I'm a somewhat recent convert to LED a year ago, having previously grown with HID for a decade. I do still use my HPS (along with my LED) for two months out of the year, because honestly the best thing about HPS is the heat they put out when it's cold. I don't think in an attic space you are gonna have issues with cold at all. In fact I think if anything you will have issues with heat. You could put together a rig of QB96's for a bit over $1k, which will put out more photons than your 1800watts of HID, but using less electricity (not even accounting for cooling savings). Even if QB96's go out of style next year (they have never been in style anyway), you will still have lights which produce a LOT more photons than your HPS lights.
Right now, I have both LED and HPS running side by side, so I'm certainly not a HPS hater..
kovidkough
Well-Known Member
I believe you, your not the first to try to convert me. I'm sure LED is superior in many ways, that design looks exactly like what I'd want to do. a 600w on its own doesn't give out much heat, never have to much of a heat issue even running at night (8pm-8am) just need the dehuey badly in my basement in the summer, hopefully the attic being so large I will have a minor impact on the temps. idk who knows maybe one day il take the plunge. for now I just lurk led grows Nd see what's the best options for mid to expensive. I'd be happy spending 500, not sure about 1k
ÒÒlegilizeitÒÒ
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Hey if you get a good harvest, and you're happy, that's really what its about
kovidkough
Well-Known Member
tried and true. I mean I started with burples in a 2x2
so I have a sour taste for LEDS. once I got my 600w compared to my viparspectra I about tossed that thing into the trash,jk I gave it to my brother in law so he could dabble in the arts
kovidkough
Well-Known Member
I went from burple to mars to HID, I dunno I figured the market is so saturated everything is hype over quality, but I could just be ignorant not to techy with par meter and ability to really monitor it. everything is for headstash and /or watching the ol lady get high af. either way I'm happy and expanding things slowly
ÒÒlegilizeitÒÒ
Well-Known Member
Once you pick up a real LED though you won't regret it.
I very excited to see what I pull with my 750w of SF
In hindsight I might have bought a different brand off the batt, but SF does do a really good job
The stuff you find in construction is crazy
Usually beer cans in the walls
Sometimes pornos slid behind some some ductwork or a bong in the attic lol
kovidkough
Well-Known Member
ÒÒlegilizeitÒÒ
Well-Known Member
I go by a lot of the youtube reviews and 3rd party testing
Some are biased, some base their YouTube reputation on not being.
Shane from migro is smart, he does a lot of good par tests, and other lighting tests.
You should also make sure you listened through all of bruce bugbees videos on apogee instruments page. Not specific to LEDs, but still a lot of good stuff.
kovidkough
Well-Known Member
yea I love Bruce, smart guy, seen all those videos, some twice. I'm considering supplemental co2 if heat is something I'll have the advantage with, since il have automatic feeding now thanks to friendly folks here I can irrigate my coco regularly, but baby steps. I think I lurked ur build just used way basic pump and made my own O rings with 1/4 in tubing from my manifold I have 4 feeding rings prepped but the manifold can hold 8
kovidkough
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kovidkough
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next step is building a way to collect run off and send it to a condensate pump and into a collection bucket, hopefully a 5gal res won't be difficult to maintain, will be way easier then my battery operated peice of shit.
PJ Diaz
Well-Known Member
I hear you about the blurple thing, it soured my taste for LED years back too.
My grow light progression has gone something like this: CFL => 400w HPS => 600w HPS => 400w CMH => back to 600w HPS => crappy blurples => back to 600w HPS => crappy COB + crappy blurples => back to 600w HPS => HLG QB96 LEDs (10 warmer months of year) // 400w HPS + QB96's (2 cold months of year)
I only need the HPS for the cold months these days. It's pretty amazing how much the HPS heats up the plant's leaves with the IR compared to HPS, even tho the environmental heat isn't that much different. Heat rises, so I'm betting that it's gonna be much warmer in your attic vs the basement.
PJ Diaz
Well-Known Member
I tried something similar once, and it didn't quite work out, but now I can't remember exactly why. I think it had something to do with the leak holes not being pressure compensating. Nowadays I just use regular pressure compensating drip emitters, and use "T's" to put 2 to 4 emitters per pot. That works well for coco because of how well coco wicks moisture, but might not work as well for pure perlite.
kovidkough
Well-Known Member
yea im hoping since my room will only occupy 10% of the square footage up there that there is hardly much effect on the heat issue. I'm planning to go outdoors for summers and only run 1 600 in peak summer hours with supplemental LED, HLG is pricey but im seeing solid results, but I'm not opposed to Alibaba builds If it'll save me money but won't at the expense of light quality. much more research to do
kovidkough
Well-Known Member
I'm going back to coco, had fun with perlite but meh, just thinking coco is superior
kovidkough
Well-Known Member
the other 2 in veg still need transplant but I'm moving faster then my plants. trying to keep them stuffed in the 2x2 as long as possible before I get them under the HIDs, simply to cold in flower room even with both lights running, then again it's an unfinished basement and I have tarps for walls so heat loss is incredibly fast
PJ Diaz
Well-Known Member
A DIY build of QB96's isn't pricey compared to other less expensive brands, and putting them together is pretty easy. You could always start with a pair of them plus a driver for a couple hundred and see what you think.