DIY LED grow lights experiences

[Lemon Sour]

Really excited to hear you had success with rebel stars. That's what I want to use for my panel =]

Same here, do you have a panel started yet? What blues are you going to use with the luxeon reds? I had no luck with the 460nm blue from LedEngin. I think 460nm is not deep enough to counteract the deep red. I'm no expert, but that's what my educated instinct tells me. hehe

I really thought it would be cool to use 10w ledengin emitters so I did, but now that I had shit results with them I think it's safe to say that color blend is much more important than power! I'm still trying to figure out why people stick to 450nm for their only blue wavelength when all the photocharts show 430nm for the A peak and 453 for the B peak.

I'm still trying to figure out why there are so many different photosynthesis charts. Some say 439 for A, some say 430, some say 460 for blue some say 470 and some even say 453 for chlorophyll B. So which is it?

What are the wavelengths that people are having the best results with for chlorophyll A and B combined. I know it's still a guessing game, but with all the do it yourselfers in here that have had amazing herb grown under leds, it seems like a few of you may have a general consensus? Thanks ahead for any insight ye may bring to the table.

 

[jubiare]

It's a good point in a way. Use whites so you play with the blue range a bit?

But what you want anyway is a wider range monochromatic blue, peaks here or there shouldn't make such a drastic difference?

Or you'll have to experiment yourself I am afraid!

In my little experience with arrays with different config here and there I have to be honest I don't notice any such differences.. Maybe also because I play with wide angle diodes.. I don't know!

The that the graphics differ one an other tells you how much you have to find out for yourself really!

But in general, what seems to happen where, for es Chinese made panels have two diff blue 430 - 450 ... They seem to do better that the sole 450?

Mind they might have that narrower band, so that makes sense!

Have you thought of whites?

 

[Lemon Sour]

It's a good point in a way. Use whites so you play with the blue range a bit?

But what you want anyway is a wider range monochromatic blue, peaks here or there shouldn't make such a drastic difference?

Or you'll have to experiment yourself I am afraid!

In my little experience with arrays with different config here and there I have to be honest I don't notice any such differences.. Maybe also because I play with wide angle diodes.. I don't know!

The that the graphics differ one an other tells you how much you have to find out for yourself really!

But in general, what seems to happen where, for es Chinese made panels have two diff blue 430 - 450 ... They seem to do better that the sole 450?

Mind they might have that narrower band, so that makes sense!

Have you thought of whites?

I have been using some whites in a few blends. But they don't have the deep blue I'm looking for. Trying the Luxeons when they come. I also found out today that my soil is running acidic. Ran a ph test on the soil and it was coming in at 5.5 using water at 7. I've been using 6.5 for water so that means my roots have been sitting at ph 5 since the beginning. Today I watered with 7.5 and saturated them to try and balance the ph back to normal. Might be contributing to the non-growing.

 

[SupraSPL]

but the SP novas had a big soldering issue, so now the 660nm channel is not enough reliable, so i use this lamp only for veg.
here is the driver box, with different channel selection and dimmable drivers (knna's SOCC)

Great thread, thanks for sharing your DIY LED builds. I had the same trouble with the SPNova 660nm but I was still using the surviving half of them up until about 2 days ago. They are finally replaced by Luxeon ES 660s.

I still have a bunch of KNNAs adjustable drivers which I love and a few from other manufacturers to compare. The power factor on most of them is low at ~.6 including the meanwells, but they are getting 85-87% efficiency which is almost as good as HPS digital ballasts at 90%. I havent tried the inventronics ones yet. They are more expensive but I will at least get one to see how it compares. What drivers can you get over there?

 

[green surfer]

Oh! I don't know why, i stoped receiving topics notifications! and I discover today that this topics are alive!!!

Thanks Supra. Knna's drivers are SOCC i think, here they are http://www.socc.com.tw, yes they are good drivers, I'm still using them on my veg lamp.

Inventronics are really nice, as Recom or Harvard, but all these brands are a bit pricey. I have two lamps with 88-89% driver efficiency. When the driver is at full load you get the highest efficiency, and especially when the input is 240V. I think at 110V the efficiency is generally lower with universal input drivers.

I'm starting a new test with a new lamp, here is it, total power consumption is 63W, fan power is 2,5W, leds power is 53W, so 53/60,5=0,876 efficiency, but the driver is not at full load, 38V/string, the full load should be 48V. The driver is an HARVARD CLQ2700S, 2X48V 350/700mA switchable.

The engines 7 leds pcbs, with oslons SSL80 and cree XTE warm white 7B R2, 2 xte/1royal blue 2U/2x625JS/2x6602T (couldn't find 3T ). The grow tent is a darkroom 40, 40x40cm (16inch/16inch), exhaust fan is a 12VDC 12cm at 7,5V, 2-2,5W. So 330W/m2 of leds. Total power for this grow 65W all included.

The plant is a Next Generation Seeds Grapegod, an LSTed mother plant, very good and powerfull weed. I would probably have a better yield with other strains and SOG style, with many small plants, but I prefer one plant for security reasons, and because I LOVE TO SMOKE THIS GRAPEGOD!!! .
Soil is Canna Pro +, nutrients are AN organic range, iguana juice, F1 H2 piranha voodoo juice tarantula and the only not organic product B52. 11liter pot, but actually she is still in 3l.

pics:
View attachment 2525175View attachment 2525177View attachment 2525178

 

[Lemon Sour]

Oh! I don't know why, i stoped receiving topics notifications! and I discover today that this topics are alive!!!

Thanks Supra. Knna's drivers are SOCC i think, here they are http://www.socc.com.tw, yes they are good drivers, I'm still using them on my veg lamp.

Inventronics are really nice, as Recom or Harvard, but all these brands are a bit pricey. I have two lamps with 88-89% driver efficiency. When the driver is at full load you get the highest efficiency, and especially when the input is 240V. I think at 110V the efficiency is generally lower with universal input drivers.

I'm starting a new test with a new lamp, here is it, total power consumption is 63W, fan power is 2,5W, leds power is 53W, so 53/60,5=0,876 efficiency, but the driver is not at full load, 38V/string, the full load should be 48V. The driver is an HARVARD CLQ2700S, 2X48V 350/700mA switchable.

The engines 7 leds pcbs, with oslons SSL80 and cree XTE warm white 7B R2, 2 xte/1royal blue 2U/2x625JS/2x6602T (couldn't find 3T ). The grow tent is a darkroom 40, 40x40cm (16inch/16inch), exhaust fan is a 12VDC 12cm at 7,5V, 2-2,5W. So 330W/m2 of leds. Total power for this grow 65W all included.

The plant is a Next Generation Seeds Grapegod, an LSTed mother plant, very good and powerfull weed. I would probably have a better yield with other strains and SOG style, with many small plants, but I prefer one plant for security reasons, and because I LOVE TO SMOKE THIS GRAPEGOD!!! .
Soil is Canna Pro +, nutrients are AN organic range, iguana juice, F1 H2 piranha voodoo juice tarantula and the only not organic product B52. 11liter pot, but actually she is still in 3l.

pics:
View attachment 2525175View attachment 2525177View attachment 2525178View attachment 2525180

That looks like a very similar color spectrum to your veg lamps. Will be interesting to see if the added blue takes away or adds to bud density. I still think your PWN2/red/deepred has been the best performer, but you would know best. Always wanted to try some grapegod.

 

[green surfer]

Hey LS,

update, the GG after one week of 12/12, the tent is too small now! buds will start to grow now, the thinks will be more interesting

 

[PetFlora]

I love following along DIY led threads. Not having the mad skillz, I decided to get a vanity fixture and play with 5000K + 3000K screw bulbs.

Here's are couple shots of my 2 mo old F1 BrandX from seed. I went 100% WW (3000K) about a month ago along with upping to 45w. One is pushing 10", the taller pushing 12". Will flip by Friday, but possibly tomorrow. If interested,crop by my thread. FYI, they look pale, but in natural light they are normal green

View attachment 2544750View attachment 2544751View attachment 2544752

 

[Lemon Sour]

Hey LS,

update, the GG after one week of 12/12, the tent is too small now! buds will start to grow now, the thinks will be more interesting

View attachment 2544545View attachment 2544546

Sure is a pretty color, but the leaves aren't reaching towards the light like your NW/RED/DR lights made them do. Will be interesting to see the gram/watt difference. My guess is these buds will be a lot less dense.

 

[green surfer]

Sure is a pretty color, but the leaves aren't reaching towards the light like your NW/RED/DR lights made them do. Will be interesting to see the gram/watt difference. My guess is these buds will be a lot less dense.

it is very hard to say that these buds will be less dense, this is related to the strain and to the plant too, and GG has very dense buds. I don't think so, I gess that yield will be improved with this new lamp. We will see!

• but the leaves aren't reaching towards the light like your NW/RED/DR lights made them do​
  
  
  
  

really? this is maybe because she was just watered, take a look at her today!

 

[jubiare]

Yes looking promising surfer! Keep on surfing!

 

[Lemon Sour]

it is very hard to say that these buds will be less dense, this is related to the strain and to the plant too, and GG has very dense buds. I don't think so, I gess that yield will be improved with this new lamp. We will see!



really? this is maybe because she was just watered, take a look at her today!
View attachment 2547641View attachment 2547642

Not trying to be a pessimistic here. When I look at your Criticals that you had under the pcb7 engines x 4 that consisted of 3 PWN2 and 3 Deep Red, and 1 Red each, after I think it was 1 week the leaves were reaching up to the light like I've never seen and they also looked healthier/happier. Not saying that what you are doing now is the wrong thing, but it was also you who advised not to use any pure blue leds when using a white led and I'm starting to think you are right about that.

It's great to see all the different light colors people are trying and I'm glad you are recording what has happened. I am extremely interested in what you will find in this next trial. I just don't think there is enough PAR light in the orange/green/cyan/red or whatever and more blue/deep red than necessary. I think the blue/deep red/ far red needs to be balanced out with the PAR cyan/green/orange light that people used to thing was useless. Anyway, great work, keep it up brotha!

 

[green surfer]

Thanks Jubiare!

• but it was also you who advised not to use any pure blue leds when using a white led and I'm starting to think you are right about that.​
  
  
  
  

Yes, but with coolwhites or neutral whites, the amount of blue is enough so you don't need blue leds. But with 3000K warmwhite, the amount of blue is very low.

Take a look at the XTE spectrum, as you can see, the warmer the white led, the smaller the blue wavelength peak:



And i believe that blue light is necessary, even for flowering stage. Blue is usefull for photosynthesis and it will increase the leafs temperature and it will favor the plant perspiration.

So with 3000K warmwhite, it is very probably better to use a few blue leds.

Here is the grapegod today, after 2 weeks of 12/12:

 

[PetFlora]

Blue is important. The questions are
1.how much is too much and
2.how little is too little

It appears 5% is sufficient, but that could be strain related

PROBABLY no more than 10% in veg

I was using 5000K during veg, and 3000K (total of 50w) but since plants were fattening up and stretching I added in my ufo 90 (R/B), cause I own it, but could have simply bought more 3000K screw bulbs

3000K has more blue than 2700s

 

[Lemon Sour]

Thanks Jubiare!



Yes, but with coolwhites or neutral whites, the amount of blue is enough so you don't need blue leds. But with 3000K warmwhite, the amount of blue is very low.

Take a look at the XTE spectrum, as you can see, the warmer the white led, the smaller the blue wavelength peak:

View attachment 2557394

And i believe that blue light is necessary, even for flowering stage. Blue is usefull for photosynthesis and it will increase the leafs temperature and it will favor the plant perspiration.

So with 3000K warmwhite, it is very probably better to use a few blue leds.

Here is the grapegod today, after 2 weeks of 12/12:

View attachment 2557395View attachment 2557396View attachment 2557397View attachment 2557398View attachment 2557399

I liked the looks of the other ones better still. Have any new updated photos yet?

 

[SupraSPL]

KNNA once recommended 15-20% blue for flowering. XTE warm whites have about 10% of their output in the blue range. For my flowering lamp I added deep blues to raise the blue output to about 18%. So far so good.

A few years ago I tried a lamp with only cool white, red and deep red. I ended up adding the deep blues back in and eventually scrapped the cool whites for warm whites once the XTE became available.

 

[Lemon Sour]

I now have a huge inventory of leds, drivers, fans and heatsinks in my workshop. I haven't been able to get to any of my led projects recently because the current grow I'm doing is consuming all of my available time up. I've been drooling over the other led projects going on here in the forums. Can't wait to get back to it. I have a few new ideas that should be the bomb for growing. Looking at the "full-spectrum" idea again and thinking it's the only way to go. Thanks for sharing all the led grow experiences you guys, keep it up.

 

[green surfer]

hey all,

update pics, today the GG has 25 days of 12/12



5 weeks left to go...


(here the GG 5 days ago)

 

[green surfer]

UP, 41 days of 12/12

 

[PetFlora]

Thanks for the update, thought this was dead thread

I added a bunch of extenders, which hang from a vanity fixture resting on the fan side of my ufo 90 (R/B 8:1). From these I have mostly 6.5w WW household bulbs with globes removed. 2 days ago, I replaced one with a 50w Reptile Intense Spot for added DR/FR

Plant is from a new breeder, BrandX. It's the same one in my 2/27 post. She is now 39", top ~ 12" cola, lower has very strong branches in a christmas tree shape