LED Without LEDs -My First T5 Grow

Fonzarelli

Active Member
Well the point of this thread is/was an alternative to more expensive lighting, whether it's cost to neutralize heat of HIDs, or high cost of equivalent LED watts. That said, the cost of leds is coming down and DIYers are cutting a path through the manufacturers BS as to which spectrums for v/b
This is obviously a joke in price, but check this out. Leds are so friggin cool. They're like magic, no lamp, no element, pure magic.
http://www.lightinguniverse.com/bay-lighting/think-pure-light-tpl-hb150-150w-high-power-led-high-bay_g1265938.html?isku=9425541&linkloc=cataLogProductItemsImage
 

Fonzarelli

Active Member
Since a few growers here have tried the UVL Super Actinic, I thought I would post the SPD for it, along with the SPD of the Coral Wave to show how they compare. It sure is interesting how the company slightly alters the SPD on their packaging to make it look "prettier" or whatever. These SPDs I am doing are extremely accurate. Here also, is a SPD I did of a 400w HPS Hortilux and one of the 660nm UVL to show how accurate my readings are. You can see the slight difference in the line on my SPD reading. The little "sawtooth" edges are due to noise in the reading.

I also posted the SPD of the Veg spectrum I'm using right now. It has 2 x UVL 660nm and 2 x TrueLumen 460nm. Also I am posting the SPD for the TrueLumen 460nm(for you Poly) since the company won't give us the REAL SPD.

UVL Super Actinic

Coral Wave

HPS 400w Hortilux

UVL 660nm(my reading)

UVL660nm + TrueLumen 460nm

TrueLumen 460nm
 

Fonzarelli

Active Member
I get big dense buds under my t5 even denser than my 1000 watt. Thats due to IR. You keep changing bulbs with out doing a full run with just one set up. only change bulbs once every batch (2-3 months). Not every few days. Otherwise you can't judge which bulbs did what. Experimenting takes time just like breeding strains. That takes 2 years minimum to back cross 2 strains.
I know you think that you are right about IR, but I am starting to doubt you. Notice how there is NO IR < 800nm in the Hortilux HPS, yet it has been said here a number of times that HPS has all this IR in it which causes the stretch. The IR that comes from HPS is pure heat. That's what IR is anyway.

Now you are saying it causes bud density, which just can't be true. IR is pretty much just heat. Now, if you are actually talking about the 730nm wavelength which does the Pf>Pfr conversion, that is actually considered "far-red" NOT IR. So, yes, 730nm light MAY be one of the causes for bud density, but do take note that there is ABSOLUTELY ZERO 730nm in an HPS spectrum, yet HPS lamps are known for creating dense buds. Far-Red and IR are not the same thing. Any wavelength past 730nm has very very little effect on flowering, ESPECIALLY IR.

You also tried to blame me for posting false SPD's awhile ago which you never fessed up to the public that you were wrong. I forgive you for that, but c'mon, let's get the facts straight here.

I didn't invest in a $2000 SPD maker for nothing. I really wanted to get all this b.s. cleared up so that we could actually come up with REAL FACTS about spectrum, T5's, wavelength, etc.

I now know that the stretch is due to the extreme red/blue ratio in the HPS. It's like 20:1 Red to Blue in a HPS. It's either that or it's due to the abundance of yellow wavelength.
 

Fonzarelli

Active Member
i tried to tell id throw him 20$s.... i want to see more of these graphs really i want you to test for UV from HQI halide with the glass removed or a thin layer of borosilicate between the light and plants.
I don't know what a HQI halide is. Do want me to buy a new MH to test it for you? LOL Sorry, but I won't be doing that. You are welcome to come over and bring yours. We can test it that way.

I'm totally broke after buying this spectro thing. The only thing I will be paying for now is electricity.

Something to think about; It has been noted through my own observation that green wavelengths have been able to take on the responsibilities of both blue and red wavelengths. Green light is known to effect cryptochromes in plants which is the same thing that blue light does(the movement of plants towards light).

Green light has also been found to be more effective at driving photosynthesis(generally red light's responsibility) in the presence of strong white light where the red light levels have reached saturation for the plant. Therefore, it is quite possible to safely assume that green light(being the wavelength right in the middle of red and blue) has the ability to take on the responsibilities of both blue and red.

THEREFORE, it may be safe to also conclude that the actual RED/BLUE ratio of an HPS may be less than 20:1 due to the abundance of green light in there. This is just an observation, not the answer. Any opinions? Facts? Any comments(approriate) are welcome.
 

hyroot

Well-Known Member
Where do you get that IR causes stretching? Its a fact that IR can control density. Somewhere in this thread I posted link to Texas A&M study on infrared lighting and the effects on plants. Cannabis is in one of the studies. The green light thing, prof, posted studies from oxford university about that early on in this thread. try reading this thread from the beginning. Im refering to 730nm - 780nm IR. Like what the coral wave has. the hortilux has low intensity of IR going from 700nm to 800nm.
 

Fonzarelli

Active Member
Where do you get that IR causes stretching? Its a fact that IR can control density. Somewhere in this thread I posted link to Texas A&M study on infrared lighting and the effects on plants. Cannabis is in one of the studies. The green light thing, prof, posted studies from oxford university about that early on in this thread. try reading this thread from the beginning. Im refering to 730nm - 780nm IR. Like what the coral wave has. the hortilux has low intensity of IR going from 700nm to 800nm.
I've read through the thread many times over already so I guess that would be me already trying. There is a lot of misinformation in the thread so it would be nice to clear it up(for progression sake).

The stretch of IR is shown in some other study/s. The basis is when a plant is in the shade, IR is the majority of light that is sensed by the plant and causes the stretch. I don't totally agree with it though. It's been discussed in this thread a few times as well. Should be easy enough to find.

Either way I highly doubt IR does much of anything to plants other than make them heat up. Like I said before, light beyond 730nm has very little quantum yield value.

Also, HPS causes major stretch in pretty much every variety of Cannabis. I am willing to bet the stretch is due to the heavy abundance of yellow light and the fact that HPS are pretty much emitting only yellow light and very little blue.

What is the link to the IR Cannabis Study by A&M? That would be a good read. Didn't know Texas even cared about Cannabis. LOL You still get shot for trespassing there.
 

PetFlora

Well-Known Member
Once again...

This chart suggests that providing 740 after lights out (amount of time depends on size of grow) will make the plant think it is getting more light and will continue to grow.




Note 10/14 for flower


 

polyarcturus

Well-Known Member
I don't know what a HQI halide is. Do want me to buy a new MH to test it for you? LOL Sorry, but I won't be doing that. You are welcome to come over and bring yours. We can test it that way.

I'm totally broke after buying this spectro thing. The only thing I will be paying for now is electricity.

Something to think about; It has been noted through my own observation that green wavelengths have been able to take on the responsibilities of both blue and red wavelengths. Green light is known to effect cryptochromes in plants which is the same thing that blue light does(the movement of plants towards light).

Green light has also been found to be more effective at driving photosynthesis(generally red light's responsibility) in the presence of strong white light where the red light levels have reached saturation for the plant. Therefore, it is quite possible to safely assume that green light(being the wavelength right in the middle of red and blue) has the ability to take on the responsibilities of both blue and red.

THEREFORE, it may be safe to also conclude that the actual RED/BLUE ratio of an HPS may be less than 20:1 due to the abundance of green light in there. This is just an observation, not the answer. Any opinions? Facts? Any comments(approriate) are welcome.
i would be willing to provide the research matierials give me time i will have to collect them.

HQI halide= double ended halide often used over aquariums, but a single ended MH bulb with the outer envelope removed inside a cooltube would be the same thing. i have that, but im not gonna go sending off my cool tube and halide ballast. what i can do is build or buy a fixture off CL for cheap get a double ended bulb and a piece of borosilicate glass to send.

all together should cost me about a hundred and well worth it.... if i see the results i want.

ill see what i can do this is something ive been wanting to do for a long time.

lol come over? hmmm i dont know if thats possible, im out here with "The Bungles"
 

Dr.J20

Well-Known Member
Once again...

This chart suggests that providing 740 after lights out (amount of time depends on size of grow) will make the plant think it is getting more light and will continue to grow.




Note 10/14 for flower


so, forgive me, i'm a little baked but after looking at this chart, would 10/14 from seed work paradoxically better than 12/12 with the 740 hit for a period after lights out?
 

Fonzarelli

Active Member
Once again...

This chart suggests that providing 740 after lights out (amount of time depends on size of grow) will make the plant think it is getting more light and will continue to grow.
LOL, you don't need to post this for me. I'm well aware of this chart and I know it's for real. 740 IS NOT IR light though. It is FAR-RED. 740nm is STILL WITHIN THE VISIBLE SPECTRUM.

IR is NOT WITHIN THE VISIBLE SPECTRUM.

Do we really need to consult wiki? hehe
 

Fonzarelli

Active Member
HQI halide= double ended halide often used over aquariums, but a single ended MH bulb with the outer envelope removed inside a cooltube would be the same thing. i have that, but im not gonna go sending off my cool tube and halide ballast. what i can do is build or buy a fixture off CL for cheap get a double ended bulb and a piece of borosilicate glass to send.
What is so special about boro glass? I thought all mogul lamps already had boro glass around them. Is this not true? Anyway, I already have plenty of 75mm boro tubing sitting around because I do torchwork.

Are you just trying to minimize the amount of glass used between the light source and the canopy by using the DE lamps?

So I was wrong, I am quite familiar with double ended MH aquarium lamps. It just didn't ring the bell when I read your post right away. I guess I was over tired. LOL

So is the glass that is used in HQI lamps made of pure quartz? AFAIK ALL glass filters out the majority of UVb rays doesn't it?

PM if you need to.
 

Fonzarelli

Active Member
OK, it seems that IR and UV are being carelessly confused here. IR is the "red" range beyond visible light, "higher" up on the spectrum, past 700 nm. UV is at the other end, less than 400nm, it is "purple". IR is nothing but heat, and really doesn't do anything for your plants. UV is of course a different story, and there are as many theories on UV and plants as their are different nutrients available. UV-A is relatively safe and can be used without a ton of precautions, however, it is always advisable to use eye protection (sunglasses) and skin protection (gloves, long sleeved shirt), when exposed to this type of light. UV-B and UV-C are much more harmful and should not be messed with whatsoever!
 

polyarcturus

Well-Known Member
OK, it seems that IR and UV are being carelessly confused here. IR is the "red" range beyond visible light, "higher" up on the spectrum, past 700 nm. UV is at the other end, less than 400nm, it is "purple". IR is nothing but heat, and really doesn't do anything for your plants. UV is of course a different story, and there are as many theories on UV and plants as their are different nutrients available. UV-A is relatively safe and can be used without a ton of precautions, however, it is always advisable to use eye protection (sunglasses) and skin protection (gloves, long sleeved shirt), when exposed to this type of light. UV-B and UV-C are much more harmful and should not be messed with whatsoever!
please enlighten me ;)
 

Fonzarelli

Active Member
OK, it seems that IR and UV are being carelessly confused here. IR is the "red" range beyond visible light, "higher" up on the spectrum, past 700 nm. UV is at the other end, less than 400nm, it is "purple". IR is nothing but heat, and really doesn't do anything for your plants. UV is of course a different story, and there are as many theories on UV and plants as their are different nutrients available. UV-A is relatively safe and can be used without a ton of precautions, however, it is always advisable to use eye protection (sunglasses) and skin protection (gloves, long sleeved shirt), when exposed to this type of light. UV-B and UV-C are much more harmful and should not be messed with whatsoever!
700nm is not IR. Note the chart I posted a little while ago. IR is what is beyond 750nm. The visible Red range is 620-750. The Latin word "Infra" translates to "beyond." Infra-red therefore refers to the wavelengths beyond 750nm. And no, it does nothing for plants.

UVb at 280nm I believe is the exact nanometer responsible for creating Vitamin D in our skin. In lettuce, it is responsible for creating certain pigments to form as a defense mechanism to protect against the harmful rays. That pigment is healthy for us and also contains terpenes. Full of flavor and color.

As far as weed goes, it's perhaps usable as well, but I tend to believe what I've been told and read that anything below 470nm blue has a similar action, maybe to a lesser extent, however, but still can be used to build terpenes and THC.

I wouldn't disregard the use of UVb only because it can be harmful. I would just be VERY careful with how much is used. I don't think it fits in the category "the more the merrier." I would tend to think with powerful UVb rays, less is more.
 

Fonzarelli

Active Member
My vision is starting to get fucked up a little from all the pure blue lights *actinic* that we are using. Starting to see a black dot in the center of my vision(not floaters), more like cataract or macular degeneration. Fuckin great huh. Even though these are T5's and they seem quite weak to the eye, they are not. Blue light is very harmful to the eyes because it is very powerful. This has happened pretty fast, as I've only been using these pure blues for about a year altogether.

Probably the same reason plants respond to blue light like UVb as well, the light is powerful when it's blue. ANYWAY, USE YOUR SUNGLASSES WITH T5'S ALSO, NOT JUST MH AND HPS AND UVB AND ALL THAT OTHER SHIT. REMEMBER, T5'S WOULD EMIT 180NM UVC LIGHT IF IT WASN'T FOR THE PHOSPHOR COATING.

Damn, makes me wish I woulda made the switch to LEDs a long ass time ago. Learn from my mistakes, don't fuck your up your vision like I did.
 
Top