The Perfect Led Grow Light / Lite

[Buzzer777]

No of course the perfect LED doesn’t exist. The sun is the only perfect light source and no artificial light will really stack up against it. However, we can still make incredibly effective LED units that will provide us with the results we desire. So far the Fluence bar lights are the best I have seen and that has me leaning toward using those types of light as the best options, but the pannel lights are fantastic too, and ultimately a bar light is a pannel but thinner allowing for a bit more variability in how to set up the light. But to me more than the configuration of the diodes is the spectrum. I would want a truly full spectrum light, a unit that has diodes of all colors, yes that includes yellow and green as well as infrared and ultraviolet light.

Adjustability in light cycles and intensity would be controlled from an external source, but I would love to have a program that would allow setting the light cycles to mimic the actual light cycles outdoors. It would be great to put in a program that allowed me to mimic the light cycle in Hawaii or British Colombia or any other locale possible.

Look here..This is my next adventure!
https://store.arduino.cc/usa/

 

[MIMedGrower]

University of Michigan is doing extensive diode testing on crops.

Just one quick searched link fer ya

http://www.canr.msu.edu/news/choosing_the_right_leds_to_regulate_flowering

 

[Smoking Gun]

Look here..This is my next adventure!
https://store.arduino.cc/usa/

That’s awesome, what are you looking to do with that? I saw in the starter kit the final project was a master controller to control all the other devices it made, which feels like it’s has so much more potential. Sometimes the problem with controllers is that they can be rigid in their programming, for example timers can be set for different hours each day but it will always follow that pattern on a weekly basis. But with computer control it allows for greater variability in the programming.

In a former life I used to be a theater technician and programming lighting boards is what initially gave me the idea about long term light cycles. Very often with stage lighting it is all about making the lights feel like they are mimicking natural light but with very artificial sources and controls. This seems to make a lot of sense when applied to growing, we tend to run our plants under 2 lighting cycles but maybe we are missing something with not having continuously changing light periods.

 

[Buzzer777]

That’s awesome, what are you looking to do with that? I saw in the starter kit the final project was a master controller to control all the other devices it made, which feels like it’s has so much more potential. Sometimes the problem with controllers is that they can be rigid in their programming, for example timers can be set for different hours each day but it will always follow that pattern on a weekly basis. But with computer control it allows for greater variability in the programming.

Like you..I want to simulate light patterns in nature..Not sure if it does anything, but it sounds like a fun project..Rapidled also sells controllers etc like this.

 

[Smoking Gun]

Like you..I want to simulate light patterns in nature..Not sure if it does anything, but it sounds like a fun project..Rapidled also sells controllers etc like this.

Wow, just saw that Bluefish unit, that does basically seem to be what we are both desiring to do. It may be something I invest in in the future.

 

[FutureGrower]

Like you..I want to simulate light patterns in nature..Not sure if it does anything, but it sounds like a fun project..Rapidled also sells controllers etc like this.

This will be a future investment for me. Right now I'm just using a potentiometer but I really want a reef controller. Both for the on off cycle to warm up and cool down between starts and ends of light cycles, but also because it's cool lol!

 

[Buzzer777]

This will be a future investment for me. Right now I'm just using a potentiometer but I really want a reef controller. Both for the on off cycle to warm up and cool down between starts and ends of light cycles, but also because it's cool lol!

It is cool, but think about this..I have seen a few manufacturers (Kind and high end Solarstorm I think)that have these things built in..(also an import Hiparago or something)..If they really helped someone else would offer them built in to their own products..Just sayin.......

My lighting is primarily QB based (dimmable) and a few of my drivers are B type, so if I wanted to, I am 25% there already.

 

[FutureGrower]

It is cool, but think about this..I have seen a few manufacturers (Kind and high end Solarstorm I think)that have these things built in..(also an import Hiparago or something)..If they really helped someone else would offer them built in to their own products..Just sayin.......

My lighting is primarily QB based (dimmable) and a few of my drivers are B type, so if I wanted to, I am 25% there already.

Yeah like I said the cool factor outweighs its practicality factor for the plants lol but I still want it haha!

 

[GeneticGiant]

I have always had the same issues with L.E.D lights but recently I tried a cheap off-brand called BloomSpect *not sure if im allowed to post a link so i'll let you search for it on amazon yourself.
So far they are doing great. They run cool enough to hover a good 5 inches away from the canopy and they can be daisy chained. So far im very impressed with the quality of them for the price. I got two 300w panels for $65 each. I would say each 300w (about 20 inches long x 12 inches wide and a few inches thick) would be good for 1-2 plants depending on how close you wanted to get and how big your plants are. The 600w units are an even better deal and I think im going to be picking up quite a few more of these.

 

[GeneticGiant]

Currently I have been sold on the potential of cheap L.E.D's from my testing with the two 300w units I just got and the Solar Storm 440 im running next to them. Both sides have 4 plants under them each and I have to say the BloomSpect is competing against the Solar Storm in every way.

 

[Buzzer777]

Caution..They are OK, but those numbers are not true wattage..I would bet maybe 65% of that 300w "equiv". number they claim. More bang for the future buck is NOT burple, but white SMD lights..You only need 35-40 watts (true) for flower (per sq ft)..If you are even a little handy..save a few more $$ and get the DIY versions.
Note:after testing them against meizhi Burples..I sold the Meizhis and bought more QB type lights. Burples need 50+ watts for flowering the same space (per sq ft). My QBs range from 2700k-3500k .

 

[3 balls]

Yeah like I said the cool factor outweighs its practicality factor for the plants lol but I still want it haha!

For many years I've thought about how cool these things would be, mimicking sunrise and sunset etc. having the fans synced up with a computer to simulate mother nature on and on.
When you mention the practicality factor I'm reminded how dropping prices have changed my favorite grow supply to a ghost town when 2/3 years ago you couldn't find a place to park. This makes me wonder if the manufacturers R&D departments haven't been laid off already? I hope not.

 

[Buzzer777]

For many years I've thought about how cool these things would be, mimicking sunrise and sunset etc. having the fans synced up with a computer to simulate mother nature on and on.
When you mention the practicality factor I'm reminded how dropping prices have changed my favorite grow supply to a ghost town when 2/3 years ago you couldn't find a place to park. This makes me wonder if the manufacturers R&D departments haven't been laid off already? I hope not.

Now for the really bad news..This summer I was able to grow 3 plants outdoors and the clones from those plants indoors for comparison..THE SUN WINS HANDS DOWN..LOL ..Seriously, besides yields, the potency and aroma of the outdoor plants are amazing. Back in the day..we tossed and ran..if something grew we took it..These I was able to cultivate legally (Nevada), within a few feet of my Bedroom window. Between the sun and the nutes and special "care", they became monsters in tiny pots.:)
My intention is/was to make the entire harvest into hash and then Rosin, but after sampling a few ounces..I will be smoking more (currently the crop is flash frozen awaiting processing)

 

[GeneticGiant]

I have some issues with rosin that probably go way to into the science of the chemicals in cannabis but I bet that would make some bomb crumble.
I agree, nothing beats the sun. But you have to remember you're not able to give a plant indoor what you do for it outdoor.
Just like any plant, this thing wants to root about 3x as deep as it is tall. Imagine if you knew someone with a backhoe and you filled a good 10ft deep and 6ft in diameter. Bet you would have to use some ladders to reach them kolas.
These were around 15ft in 150gallon smart pots this year here in Oregon.

For the amount of freedom you can give a plant indoor, I think we have done a great job so far of evolving methods to better suit growing indoors.

 

[GeneticGiant]

More eye candy

 

[3 balls]

Now for the really bad news..This summer I was able to grow 3 plants outdoors and the clones from those plants indoors for comparison..THE SUN WINS HANDS DOWN..LOL ..Seriously, besides yields, the potency and aroma of the outdoor plants are amazing. Back in the day..we tossed and ran..if something grew we took it..These I was able to cultivate legally (Nevada), within a few feet of my Bedroom window. Between the sun and the nutes and special "care", they became monsters in tiny pots.:)
My intention is/was to make the entire harvest into hash and then Rosin, but after sampling a few ounces..I will be smoking more (currently the crop is flash frozen awaiting processing)
View attachment 839916 View attachment 839917

NICE!!! Yup the future is here. When you can legally pull that off in your back yard in 2018 and by 2020 Amazon will drop off a zip from a drone within the hour,:) there wont be a lot of folks lining up to spend $10k on up for a grow room. Sucks to be me.

 

[GeneticGiant]

Might even be sooner. Hemp has come a long way as well. You might be able to get CBD a lot easier than you think here in the next year.
This is a nug off a hemp plant. Around 20% CBD.

 

[JWM2]

Wouldn’t be hard to make an arduino controller to control the potentiometer on startup. You’d need something a little more elaborate on shut down though. Maybe a relay from the timer to let it know that the last 30 minutes of the time schedule is almost there and then start the opposite procedure. But even that wouldn’t be too hard. Hell you could prolly implement the timer into it and not need an external timer while you’re at it.

 

[3 balls]

Wouldn’t be hard to make an arduino controller to control the potentiometer on startup. You’d need something a little more elaborate on shut down though. Maybe a relay from the timer to let it know that the last 30 minutes of the time schedule is almost there and then start the opposite procedure. But even that wouldn’t be too hard. Hell you could prolly implement the timer into it and not need an external timer while you’re at it.

Could be a bit harder for me, I wouldn't know the difference between those things and a flux capacitor.:)

 

[Jack og]

Wouldn’t be hard to make an arduino controller to control the potentiometer on startup. You’d need something a little more elaborate on shut down though. Maybe a relay from the timer to let it know that the last 30 minutes of the time schedule is almost there and then start the opposite procedure. But even that wouldn’t be too hard. Hell you could prolly implement the timer into it and not need an external timer while you’re at it.

Or a light Schedule timer with a timed dimmer... lol.