OK basically I am going to try and replicate the supercloset/bloombox all-in-one grow ops but on a budget (read DIY where I can). Being a tech kinda guy I would like to incorporate some sort of raspberry pi in the mix and use COB LEDs. I will be using two closets 1m*0.5m*2m (LWH) one dedicated strictly for flowering and the other split into a veg unit/mother & clone set up. Will be using a bubbleponic style grow config where possible.
So my question is: Whats the best COB light configuration for the flowering station and best config for veg and mother/clone set up?
"Grow Factory"
Greetings Sativant and thank you for your question.
Three reasons:
Technology: I like the idea of new technology being applied to tried true and tested older methods. I will be the first to admit I have no idea what I am getting into but if I must venture into the unknown let it be at light speed....
Correct me if I am wrong but the disadvantages faced using this kind of lighting is fastly diminishing?
Power: Also because of the amount of power I assume I will be consuming (having so many "stations" going at once) I would like to minimise all power use. From what little I have gathered so far it seems I can expect to save in the long run with ongoing costs by implementing COBs,
DIY: I love the idea of being able to make the lights myself from parts and I guess for me that is more of an attraction then buying ready made ballasts and lamp sets.
If I am wrong and COBs are not yet at a feasible point then I will happily go down the MH/HPS route.
Three reasons:
Technology: I like the idea of new technology being applied to tried true and tested older methods. I will be the first to admit I have no idea what I am getting into but if I must venture into the unknown let it be at light speed....
Correct me if I am wrong but the disadvantages faced using this kind of lighting is fastly diminishing?
Power: Also because of the amount of power I assume I will be consuming (having so many "stations" going at once) I would like to minimise all power use. From what little I have gathered so far it seems I can expect to save in the long run with ongoing costs by implementing COBs,
DIY: I love the idea of being able to make the lights myself from parts and I guess for me that is more of an attraction then buying ready made ballasts and lamp sets.
If I am wrong and COBs are not yet at a feasible point then I will happily go down the MH/HPS route.
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sdfoster22
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If you are wanting to diy and save on cost the bridgelux eb series gen 2 is a great strip light for building a set up. The Samsung F series is also a great option for a bit more money. Cobs are also a good option. I'm not to versed in which cobs are best but you can run from cheaper to expensive... Their are diy options that save compared to hps and the like.
NothinYet is my nickname
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sdfoster22
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I was checking out grand master level on YouTube and he just did an led vs hps. He weighed the plants just after chop, and it seems the led beat the hps... Won't know true results until dry and cure weights, but it looks very promising.
NothinYet is my nickname
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Kiwi_Jezza
- LED Enthusiast
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Hey maaaaaate.
Great to see another Kiwi on here DIYing.
Strips might be the go for the vege/clone/mother areas but I would recommend COBs for your flowering area to get those HPS like frosty nugs. Especially given your 2 metres of headroom.
Digikey and Mouser both do free shipping on orders over $66 NZD so are a great place for us down here. Digi for the diodes and Mouser have well priced Meanwell drivers.
Heatsinks tend to be harder to source at a good price however. Best I've found is Kingbrite on Alibaba.
Good luck!
Great to see another Kiwi on here DIYing.
Strips might be the go for the vege/clone/mother areas but I would recommend COBs for your flowering area to get those HPS like frosty nugs. Especially given your 2 metres of headroom.
Digikey and Mouser both do free shipping on orders over $66 NZD so are a great place for us down here. Digi for the diodes and Mouser have well priced Meanwell drivers.
Heatsinks tend to be harder to source at a good price however. Best I've found is Kingbrite on Alibaba.
Good luck!
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sdfoster22
- LED Maniac
- Reactions:
- Posts: 423
- Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2018 12:00 am
- Location: Ohio, USA
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3COLjZ4vTM0
Check this out! This was with one hlg 550 per 6x4 ft of grow space. from start to finish. It's all about preference. You can diy a nice strip light that penetrates the canopy just as well as cobs. You just have to figure out how to drive them right. I forget which forum it was on, but I read if you space the middle strips farther apart than the outer strips it gets rid of the hot spot in the center. So, you get a more even footprint. If you want more penetration on the strip lights, get some actual heatsinks and drive them a little harder. This is just from what I have seen. One more point is if you use tents with good reflective Mylar it does help a bit with penetration. Cobs ,strips, or qbs all work well for veg and flower. Those guys grew trees with all qbs. You can customize strips to fit your grow room more than anything I believe. Or do combos of the 3. Some people have had great results with every one of the three.
All in all, if you take in all the info from ledg's videos, the posts on this site(this forum has a vast amount of info), you will see what best suites your needs and grow space. There are also some hidden gems for info on other forums if you feel like browsing through 10's to 100's of pages of flaming back and forth. That's the downside to the others lol. This site is organized for led. Hands down the best, most simplified, and most organized information on diy led.
Check this out! This was with one hlg 550 per 6x4 ft of grow space. from start to finish. It's all about preference. You can diy a nice strip light that penetrates the canopy just as well as cobs. You just have to figure out how to drive them right. I forget which forum it was on, but I read if you space the middle strips farther apart than the outer strips it gets rid of the hot spot in the center. So, you get a more even footprint. If you want more penetration on the strip lights, get some actual heatsinks and drive them a little harder. This is just from what I have seen. One more point is if you use tents with good reflective Mylar it does help a bit with penetration. Cobs ,strips, or qbs all work well for veg and flower. Those guys grew trees with all qbs. You can customize strips to fit your grow room more than anything I believe. Or do combos of the 3. Some people have had great results with every one of the three.
All in all, if you take in all the info from ledg's videos, the posts on this site(this forum has a vast amount of info), you will see what best suites your needs and grow space. There are also some hidden gems for info on other forums if you feel like browsing through 10's to 100's of pages of flaming back and forth. That's the downside to the others lol. This site is organized for led. Hands down the best, most simplified, and most organized information on diy led.
NothinYet is my nickname
Thanks so much for all the advice. Have been tied up with issues lately so Grow Factory had to take a bit of a backseat.
Here is the basic set up I envision bar reflective sheeting and lights. Have purchased diamond silver foil and heavy duty staple gun to attach to walls. Looked like crap in Sketchup so left it out.
Love all the suggestions regarding led strips, cobs and suppliers. On top of the grow mediums, ventilation and nutrition ideas i have lighting is now so difficult given the options available.
-Am looking at doing a combination led strips/heated seed pad/diy cloner similar to Platinum AeroStar 800 Euro... (http://www.platiniumhydroponics.com/gb/ ... 100cm.html)
-then a bilge pump driven diy aeroponic vegging station under blue/white led strips to max growth
-followed by bubbleponic top fed hydroponic system for flowering under cobs and with red led strips on walls
Any more advice is more than welcomed as I have no idea how this will turn out but am looking so forward to breaking some real ground this week regarding overseas orders.
Guess the real question I need to know is how much is viably possible to be grown in each section and which lighting configuration would best suit not only that that grow number and grow space.
PS Please if i am hijacking my own thread about lights and turning into a grow journal let me know
Here is the basic set up I envision bar reflective sheeting and lights. Have purchased diamond silver foil and heavy duty staple gun to attach to walls. Looked like crap in Sketchup so left it out.
-Am looking at doing a combination led strips/heated seed pad/diy cloner similar to Platinum AeroStar 800 Euro... (http://www.platiniumhydroponics.com/gb/ ... 100cm.html)
-then a bilge pump driven diy aeroponic vegging station under blue/white led strips to max growth
-followed by bubbleponic top fed hydroponic system for flowering under cobs and with red led strips on walls
Any more advice is more than welcomed as I have no idea how this will turn out but am looking so forward to breaking some real ground this week regarding overseas orders.
Guess the real question I need to know is how much is viably possible to be grown in each section and which lighting configuration would best suit not only that that grow number and grow space.
PS Please if i am hijacking my own thread about lights and turning into a grow journal let me know