A Decision Needs To Be Made..

crimsonecho · Oct 23, 2018

Hi farm,

I am planning on building a led setup. But i cannot decide on the spectrum i want to use.

Right now i have 20 3000K 90cri, 6 4000K 80cri, 2 6500K 70cri cxb1830.

I am going to use 18 of these cobs. I am going to place them on 3 bars, 6 each bar. For inital veg i will use 1 bar. The total draw of each bar should be around 150watt. I am driving them super soft at 700ma.

I am torn between 4 different options.

Option 1

Use 3000K all the way thru, don’t add any cool whites.

3K-3K-3K-3K-3K-3K

Option 2

Use use 12 3000K and 6 4000K divided equally to each bar.

3K-4K-3K-3K-4K-3K

Option 3

Use 12 3000K, 4 4000K and on the veg bar instead of 4000K use the 2 6500K.

Veg bar

3K-6K-3K-3K-6K-3K

Flower bar

3K-4K-3K-3K-4K-3K

Option 4

Use 10 3000K, 6 4000K and 2 6500K. Two of each on the veg bar.

Veg bar

4K-3K-6K-6K-3K-4K

Flower bar

3K-4K-3K-3K-4K-3K

I like a little blue myself, i was supplementing my blurples with 6000K led bulbs and getting good results. Plus i didn’t like the way my plants elongated under 3000K 80cri leds.

What is your experience with different spectrums?

I am leaning towards option 4 but i just cant decide for sure.

Which one would you choose?

MidwestToker · Oct 24, 2018

I've never had to use more than 4k in any of my led builds.

Smoking Gun · Oct 24, 2018

I am just getting into LED units but I have always been of the opinion that a balanced spectrum is the way to go. This is why I like option number 3, it has the most varied and widest possible spectrum this will cover all bases. I sometimes feel that we all still get a bit hung up on the color we see the light as and forget the plant receives the light a bit differently and uses spectrums we cannot see. So to me the more varied the spectrum the better the plants will grow.

MIMedGrower · Oct 24, 2018

Smoking Gun said:
I am just getting into LED units but I have always been of the opinion that a balanced spectrum is the way to go. This is why I like option number 3, it has the most varied and widest possible spectrum this will cover all bases. I sometimes feel that we all still get a bit hung up on the color we see the light as and forget the plant receives the light a bit differently and uses spectrums we cannot see. So to me the more varied the spectrum the better the plants will grow.

I agree a balanced spectrum even leaning toward blue is better for plant growth. But we cultivate flowers. Flowers bloom better with more of a red leaning spectrum.

Although for small spaces some more blue will help keep plants more compact. Unfortunately also leafier.

crimsonecho · Oct 24, 2018

Useful info here. The idea between option 4 is that i am having some issues with vertical space at the moment with 3000K. I actually completely ran out of space. Besides that there are no real reason to go with the option 4.

I know people prefer higher reds in flowering. But also there are some people who swear by the blues. Now things are inconclusive on my end.

I am growing 2 strains, 4 plants. All from 2 mothers which i have grown in my last grow. Under blurples supplemented with 6000K bulbs.

The inconclusive part about it is this.
NL’s did way better under 6000K and blurple. Frostier with more terpenes and fatter for sure but it as also getting good feedings which it doesn’t get this time cause i am doing an only water grow.

Dinachem’s are doing better under 3000K. Frostier and fatter for sure. But in the first run i fed it a bit much, especially with some enzym teas and stuff so it was stunted in early veg thru early bloom. This time it seems like it loves the only water thing. So thats inconclusive too.

Pass2TheLeft · Oct 24, 2018

Why not go with blues during veg and swap chips for reds in flower?;)

crimsonecho · Oct 24, 2018

Smoking Gun said:
I am just getting into LED units but I have always been of the opinion that a balanced spectrum is the way to go. This is why I like option number 3, it has the most varied and widest possible spectrum this will cover all bases. I sometimes feel that we all still get a bit hung up on the color we see the light as and forget the plant receives the light a bit differently and uses spectrums we cannot see. So to me the more varied the spectrum the better the plants will grow.

If you want a more balanced spectrum wouldn’t option 4 make more sense?
10X3000K
6X4000K
2X6500K

I know there are too many variables to accurately calculate the exact K value of resulting light from these leds but the mixture of these lights will probably be warmer than 4000K. So it will still be a warm light for flower.

crimsonecho · Oct 24, 2018

Pass2TheLeft said:
Why not go with blues during veg and swap chips for reds in flower?;)

Good idea but i don’t want to keep tinkering with it.
Plus i havent been able to get a pre drilled heatsink so i am trying something a little unorthodox and glueing the holders on there. So whatever goes on there, stays on there :)

Pass2TheLeft · Oct 24, 2018

What type of plants you grow bro what size i mean?

crimsonecho · Oct 24, 2018

MIMedGrower said:
I agree a balanced spectrum even leaning toward blue is better for plant growth. But we cultivate flowers. Flowers bloom better with more of a red leaning spectrum.

Although for small spaces some more blue will help keep plants more compact. Unfortunately also leafier.

What would the best spectrum in your opinion for flowering?
I read about 2700K, 3000K and 3500K. People swear by them all.

Pass2TheLeft · Oct 24, 2018

If you grow small plants i.e upto 5 oz per plant id go with 50/50 red blue to grow more compact plants if you grow bigger plants a lb up go with more reds so like 30/70 blue red this helps stretch your plant a little during veg stage which helps for larger plants ;)

crimsonecho · Oct 24, 2018

Pass2TheLeft said:
What type of plants you grow bro what size i mean?

Right now, mine are about 1,2 meters from the floor and about 0.8-0.9 meters from the pots.

crimsonecho · Oct 24, 2018

Pass2TheLeft said:
If you grow small plants i.e upto 5 oz per plant id go with 50/50 red blue to grow more compact plants if you grow bigger plants a lb up go with more reds so like 30/70 blue red this helps stretch your plant a little during veg stage which helps for larger plants ;)

Yeah 5 oz per plant is the idea right now. I think i will go with option 4. It has pretty good amount of blue and red. Balanced.

Pass2TheLeft · Oct 24, 2018

CrimsonEcho said:
What would the best spectrum in your opinion for flowering?
I read about 2700K, 3000K and 3500K. People swear by them all.

I use 3.5k works great i do have some 3k chips aswell running this time seems no difference at the moment tbh lol

crimsonecho · Oct 24, 2018

Pass2TheLeft said:
I use 3.5k works great i do have some 3k chips aswell running this time seems no difference at the moment tbh lol

Don’t know man, some people are radically composed to one K value :) for me i think in a tent 3500K-4000K should be good mainly because of the height restriction.

crimsonecho · Oct 24, 2018

MidwestToker said:
I've never had to use more than 4k in any of my led builds.

Have you flowered under 4K?

Pass2TheLeft · Oct 24, 2018

Fyi i tryied just running all blues during veg for me and the size plants i grow it didnt work out great plants were slower to grow and very compact but they may suit your style of growing esp with smaller plants

crimsonecho · Oct 24, 2018

Pass2TheLeft said:
Fyi i tryied just running all blues during veg for me and the size plants i grow it didnt work out great plants were slower to grow and very compact but they may suit your style of growing esp with smaller plants

Do you have any pics, measurements or final weigh in results? It would be useful.

Pass2TheLeft · Oct 24, 2018

CrimsonEcho said:
Have you flowered under 4K?

Yes 1 of my lights has 4k and still works great its a doulux 600 has 4x4k cree and 186 bridglux leds in cobs ive got it on a indica atm and it never fails to amaze me my other 5 light units all run cree 3590 cobs

Pass2TheLeft · Oct 24, 2018

CrimsonEcho said:
Do you have any pics, measurements or final weigh in results? It would be useful.

A Decision Needs To Be Made..

A Decision Needs To Be Made..

Which one would you choose?

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Option 4

crimsonecho

Self-Proclaimed Don Quixote

MidwestToker

Smoking Gun

MIMedGrower

crimsonecho

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Pass2TheLeft

crimsonecho

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crimsonecho

Self-Proclaimed Don Quixote

Pass2TheLeft

crimsonecho

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Pass2TheLeft

crimsonecho

Self-Proclaimed Don Quixote

crimsonecho

Self-Proclaimed Don Quixote

Pass2TheLeft

crimsonecho

Self-Proclaimed Don Quixote

crimsonecho

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Pass2TheLeft

crimsonecho

Self-Proclaimed Don Quixote

Pass2TheLeft

Pass2TheLeft

A Decision Needs To Be Made..

A Decision Needs To Be Made..

Which one would you choose?

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Option 4

crimsonecho

Self-Proclaimed Don Quixote

MidwestToker

Smoking Gun

MIMedGrower

crimsonecho

Self-Proclaimed Don Quixote

Pass2TheLeft

crimsonecho

Self-Proclaimed Don Quixote

crimsonecho

Self-Proclaimed Don Quixote

Pass2TheLeft

crimsonecho

Self-Proclaimed Don Quixote

Pass2TheLeft

crimsonecho

Self-Proclaimed Don Quixote

crimsonecho

Self-Proclaimed Don Quixote

Pass2TheLeft

crimsonecho

Self-Proclaimed Don Quixote

crimsonecho

Self-Proclaimed Don Quixote

Pass2TheLeft

crimsonecho

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Pass2TheLeft

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