New Grower Needs Alittle Help

[Logixcraft]

I'm still new to this as I just got my Health Canada certificate this year and I'm feeling lost about drivers. But why just ask a boring question when I can share my journey.

I've been trying to expand my grow lights as I originally just started with a a dozen or so CFL in a closet.

Literally next to no proper materials it all began with a health canada application and a seed figuring might as well try. If I kill it at least I learned something. at this point I have no way to measure pH I have pro-mix tomato soil and shultz general purpose and orchid feed. Again It was 1 seed I thought for sure i'd end up killing.

It's a girl!

Last photo I can currently find of her in flower. I also happened to take some clones from her just as she entered flower!

Awwww aren't they cute!
At this point I still dont have proper soil, Nutes, pH meter. Just winging it and guess work thinking for sure I'd have killed it by now.

It's a....a....Basil Kush? Remember I took these clones while she was in flower.

Then after researching and flip flopping like a fish on land I buckled and got a Meizhi 600W Led light for cheap and It's done a fair job in veg.

Also at this point I've gotten my hands on general hydroponic flora series as well as some fox farms ocean soil and the girls look so so so much happier

and finally I'm at the point in which I just picked up my Hanna pH meter today and have been looking into some proper LEDs for my girls.

As I've been toiling and peaking at the different topics and threads the Quantum Board series from horticulturelightinggroupd seemed to be what I wanted to try next and maybe customize it in the future with some COBs for a Custom spectrum.

I managed to scrape together enough to order a set of these. I plan to throw them in the mix for flower and hopefully get more QB's and COB's down the line as my medically broken ass can afford things.

QB324

SPECIFICATIONS

• Two QB324 boards.
• Two Singles Slate 2 heatsinks
• Connectors rated 300V 9A
• 108+ VDC. Absolute Max current per board 2400mA

*QB324 has an absolute max power for 250 watts. With Slate 2 heatsink QB 324 can be used up to 160 watts


Now FINALLY my question, I want a driver that can drive both these boards close to their full rated potential but that I can dim and run closer to 160W maybe just under.

I think I've narrowed it down to the following driver
HVGC-320-2100A

I really just dont trust myself not to put this together just to have the wrong driver fry my preciouses

Do you recommend the A version or would an external dimmer be a better choice?
Any and all input and feedback would be greatly appreciated.

• Do you recommend a different driver?
• Any experince with the QB324?
• Do I feel like I wasted my money with the Bluple LED?
• What strain am I growing?

Ask away or give me answers/suggestions! So far all I can say it's been a fun and rewarding learning experience growing my own medicine.

 

[Monster762]

I'm still new to this as I just got my Health Canada certificate this year and I'm feeling lost about drivers. But why just ask a boring question when I can share my journey.

I've been trying to expand my grow lights as I originally just started with a a dozen or so CFL in a closet.

Literally next to no proper materials it all began with a health canada application and a seed figuring might as well try. If I kill it at least I learned something. at this point I have no way to measure pH I have pro-mix tomato soil and shultz general purpose and orchid feed. Again It was 1 seed I thought for sure i'd end up killing.

View attachment 792160
View attachment 792161 View attachment 792162
View attachment 792163 View attachment 792164
It's a girl!


View attachment 792165 View attachment 792166 View attachment 792167
Last photo I can currently find of her in flower. I also happened to take some clones from her just as she entered flower!
View attachment 792168
Awwww aren't they cute!
At this point I still dont have proper soil, Nutes, pH meter. Just winging it and guess work thinking for sure I'd have killed it by now.
View attachment 792169
It's a....a....Basil Kush? Remember I took these clones while she was in flower.

Then after researching and flip flopping like a fish on land I buckled and got a Meizhi 600W Led light for cheap and It's done a fair job in veg.

View attachment 792170 View attachment 792171
Also at this point I've gotten my hands on general hydroponic flora series as well as some fox farms ocean soil and the girls look so so so much happier

View attachment 792174
View attachment 792172 View attachment 792173
and finally I'm at the point in which I just picked up my Hanna pH meter today and have been looking into some proper LEDs for my girls.

As I've been toiling and peaking at the different topics and threads the Quantum Board series from horticulturelightinggroupd seemed to be what I wanted to try next and maybe customize it in the future with some COBs for a Custom spectrum.

I managed to scrape together enough to order a set of these. I plan to throw them in the mix for flower and hopefully get more QB's and COB's down the line as my medically broken ass can afford things.

QB324

View attachment 792175


SPECIFICATIONS

• Two QB324 boards.
• Two Singles Slate 2 heatsinks
• Connectors rated 300V 9A
• 108+ VDC. Absolute Max current per board 2400mA

*QB324 has an absolute max power for 250 watts. With Slate 2 heatsink QB 324 can be used up to 160 watts


Now FINALLY my question, I want a driver that can drive both these boards close to their full rated potential but that I can dim and run closer to 160W maybe just under.

I think I've narrowed it down to the following driver
HVGC-320-2100A

I really just dont trust myself not to put this together just to have the wrong driver fry my preciouses

Do you recommend the A version or would an external dimmer be a better choice?
Any and all input and feedback would be greatly appreciated.

• Do you recommend a different driver?
• Any experince with the QB324?
• Do I feel like I wasted my money with the Bluple LED?
• What strain am I growing?

Ask away or give me answers/suggestions! So far all I can say it's been a fun and rewarding learning experience growing my own medicine.

First off nice job on first grow. Plants look good. I did same on first go. Ordered seeds n popped em. Didn’t have a light a room for em nothing. We all start somewhere. As far as cob builds there is a dude on here has threads on it. Go to top left hit menu then search. Type cob build or diy cob. You’ll get a lot of info. Anything from little builds to warehouse type setups.

 

[stonestacker]

@sixstring , @Toaster79 1 of these 2 should be able to help.

 

[sixstring]

I'm still new to this as I just got my Health Canada certificate this year and I'm feeling lost about drivers. But why just ask a boring question when I can share my journey.

I've been trying to expand my grow lights as I originally just started with a a dozen or so CFL in a closet.

Literally next to no proper materials it all began with a health canada application and a seed figuring might as well try. If I kill it at least I learned something. at this point I have no way to measure pH I have pro-mix tomato soil and shultz general purpose and orchid feed. Again It was 1 seed I thought for sure i'd end up killing.

View attachment 792160
View attachment 792161 View attachment 792162
View attachment 792163 View attachment 792164
It's a girl!


View attachment 792165 View attachment 792166 View attachment 792167
Last photo I can currently find of her in flower. I also happened to take some clones from her just as she entered flower!
View attachment 792168
Awwww aren't they cute!
At this point I still dont have proper soil, Nutes, pH meter. Just winging it and guess work thinking for sure I'd have killed it by now.
View attachment 792169
It's a....a....Basil Kush? Remember I took these clones while she was in flower.

Then after researching and flip flopping like a fish on land I buckled and got a Meizhi 600W Led light for cheap and It's done a fair job in veg.

View attachment 792170 View attachment 792171
Also at this point I've gotten my hands on general hydroponic flora series as well as some fox farms ocean soil and the girls look so so so much happier

View attachment 792174
View attachment 792172 View attachment 792173
and finally I'm at the point in which I just picked up my Hanna pH meter today and have been looking into some proper LEDs for my girls.

As I've been toiling and peaking at the different topics and threads the Quantum Board series from horticulturelightinggroupd seemed to be what I wanted to try next and maybe customize it in the future with some COBs for a Custom spectrum.

I managed to scrape together enough to order a set of these. I plan to throw them in the mix for flower and hopefully get more QB's and COB's down the line as my medically broken ass can afford things.

QB324

View attachment 792175


SPECIFICATIONS

• Two QB324 boards.
• Two Singles Slate 2 heatsinks
• Connectors rated 300V 9A
• 108+ VDC. Absolute Max current per board 2400mA

*QB324 has an absolute max power for 250 watts. With Slate 2 heatsink QB 324 can be used up to 160 watts


Now FINALLY my question, I want a driver that can drive both these boards close to their full rated potential but that I can dim and run closer to 160W maybe just under.

I think I've narrowed it down to the following driver
HVGC-320-2100A

I really just dont trust myself not to put this together just to have the wrong driver fry my preciouses

Do you recommend the A version or would an external dimmer be a better choice?
Any and all input and feedback would be greatly appreciated.

• Do you recommend a different driver?
• Any experince with the QB324?
• Do I feel like I wasted my money with the Bluple LED?
• What strain am I growing?

Ask away or give me answers/suggestions! So far all I can say it's been a fun and rewarding learning experience growing my own medicine.

imo you should not try to power those boards to max unless you find a heatsink to handle the heat.for now i would buy the hlg -320-c1400b and use them at 150-160w per board.thats already brighter than any other board combo availible and like 5 x brighter than the led you have.plus its safe lol

 

[Logixcraft]

imo you should not try to power those boards to max unless you find a heatsink to handle the heat.for now i would buy the hlg -320-c1400b and use them at 150-160w per board.thats already brighter than any other board combo availible and like 5 x brighter than the led you have.plus its safe lol

Thanks for your input I'll be using it.
For the B-type what type of dimmer should I use?
Analog or PWM?
Could I use the A-type with built in dimmer?

 

[sixstring]

You can you the a type driver.just be careful with the internal dim pot,it's small and plastic so it can get stripped easy. For b type drivers a 100k ohm potentiometer for each driver or a 50k for 2 drivers on 1 pot.or my personal preference 0-10v pwm dimming can do as many as you want.

 

[Logixcraft]

So in the end I decided to go with
Bloom room 4X QB324 at 640watts powered by 2x HLG-320H-C1400B

Veg Room
2X QB324 at 320watts powered by 1 x HLG-320H-C1400B
with my current 600watt (255watt) Meizhi in the middle

I have my two first QB324 just waiting for my 300volt solid wiring to be delivered along with a handful of 100k ohm potentiometers but i bought them off amazon so gonna have to make sure with the multi meter they are actually 100k ohm.

This was a major cost for me so I think it might be a month or two until I can maybe setup a Rasp pi 3 or Arduino PWM dimmer control.

I'll post some photos as I get it setup.

 

[sixstring]

So in the end I decided to go with
Bloom room 4X QB324 at 640watts powered by 2x HLG-320H-C1400B

Veg Room
2X QB324 at 320watts powered by 1 x HLG-320H-C1400B
with my current 600watt (255watt) Meizhi in the middle

I have my two first QB324 just waiting for my 300volt solid wiring to be delivered along with a handful of 100k ohm potentiometers but i bought them off amazon so gonna have to make sure with the multi meter they are actually 100k ohm.

This was a major cost for me so I think it might be a month or two until I can maybe setup a Rasp pi 3 or Arduino PWM dimmer control.

I'll post some photos as I get it setup.

Take a look at the new trolmaster environment control system.they just developed a mod to dim any dimmable LED driver that uses 0 to 10v type dimming which is the me hlg B series drivers.plus it handles all other grow room duties,not just light dimming.

 

[Logixcraft]

I finally got my QB 324's setup!
I got the lenses with them as well

After hanging everything. At first I left the Meizhi hanging

But after picking up a few more supplies I decided to replace the Meizhi with an Exhale CO2 bag in the centre and rearranged the boards abit.

I also threw up some Panda Film

Currently my other set of QB324 are dimmed down and put on clone duty until I get my veg area set up

Overall I'm very happy with my boards and my grow room is coming along.

The only thing that's not to happy about this is my wallet haha.


Pic of the girls, they are getting a drink tommorow.

After this bloom cycle is finished the room is getting emptied and rebuilt.