Hi unkle_psycho, what do you mean that the LEDs on the bridge Lux strips are too close for the micros? As in too close on the PCB that they’re on or that the power of these things will be too powerful and the microgreens on the shelf will be too close to the light? I currently use a couple of QB288s from horticulture lighting for a propagation shelf. They’re about 18 inches from the canopy. I finish micros under those currently. I wanted a more even lighting solution. I figured using 3 or 4 four foot strips might do the trick. On the same coin I could do 12-16 one foot strips and run them perpendicular to what I was originally thinking for the 4 foot strips. That might be more even lighting. What do you think?
Sorry, I missed your post.
I was trying to find a way to grow micro greens, salads etc running the leds really close to the salad canopy, so I could run lights soft. I was calculating that I would have loved trying something where the leds are 4cm to each other in all directions.
I was getting the 4cm number by looking at the angle of the light coming out of the diode, and looking for something that would give an even lighting while being 5-10cm from the canopy.
So using high quality leds the material costs are quite high, or then you need to run the leds pretty high above the salads
I am looking to do something similar. I was considering using 2' strips at 5000k covering a 24"x16" tray. I was trying to decide on 2 or 3 strips and running them around 75% 450ma. I have been using the "blurple" lights, but the white lights seem to produce better greens, less rubbery.
What are you growing? Adult sized greens or micros? I haven’t used blurps but I’m currently using some QB288s running at 1.05amps for my full sized greens. The 5630s are alright for my micros, but I feel like they need to be super close to give off enough light. Also with the daisy chain i can definitely see difference in light output from the power source side of the light strip and the end of the strip. It gives me even enough lighting, but ideally I would like uniform coverage for the entire 2x4’ shelf. I’m probably going to build a second shelf soon to automate my watering for microgreens (it ain’t that fun watering 12 trays a day) and I want test out the lm301b with Samsung diodes and run them at like 30% or something so I can keep the shelves fairly tight rather than having 20” between shelf layers.
Hi unkle_psycho, what do you mean that the LEDs on the bridge Lux strips are too close for the micros? As in too close on the PCB that they’re on or that the power of these things will be too powerful and the microgreens on the shelf will be too close to the light? I currently use a couple of QB288s from horticulture lighting for a propagation shelf. They’re about 18 inches from the canopy. I finish micros under those currently. I wanted a more even lighting solution. I figured using 3 or 4 four foot strips might do the trick. On the same coin I could do 12-16 one foot strips and run them perpendicular to what I was originally thinking for the 4 foot strips. That might be more even lighting. What do you think?
Sorry, I missed your post.
I was trying to find a way to grow micro greens, salads etc running the leds really close to the salad canopy, so I could run lights soft. I was calculating that I would have loved trying something where the leds are 4cm to each other in all directions.
I was getting the 4cm number by looking at the angle of the light coming out of the diode, and looking for something that would give an even lighting while being 5-10cm from the canopy.
So using high quality leds the material costs are quite high, or then you need to run the leds pretty high above the salads
Yeah my 5630 strips are alright but the adhesive is so crappy I ended up having to zip tie a bunch of areas so they stay on my c channel aluminum. They’re so close that my speckled pea shoots actually touch the strips by the time they’re ready to harvest. I almost feel like I could use a tad bit more light. Could you just run bridgelux or lm301b strips at like 30% or lower to reduce the height between shelving? I’m currently using seven 46” 5630 led strips per shelf and it gives me even enough lighting but definitely can see the brightness of the diodes go down toward the end of the daisy chain. Also I was thinking making the lm301b strips would reduce my plug situation cause I could use one or two drivers totaling 2 plugs per 4 shelf rack, rather than 2 plugs per shelf on a rack with current 5630 build.
Let me know if you end up testing any bridgelux or Samsung diodes. I’m very curious!
Yeah, I'm sure you can run lm301B's close to your canopy. You just need to dial in the power, and look at how the light spreads.
For the power it would be pretty easy to calculate the total output, and divide it by area to get ppfd. Usually for salads they would recommend something around 200, but you can go up to something around 500. You should have a target range.
For the light spread with any strips, relating to distance to canopy, you are focusing on the space between strips. I was hoping to try 4cm diode space to run really close, which would take quite a few strips per foot. Might be more efficient to use something like the atreum board.
I have a bunch of minor experiments that I will be doing inside. Carrots under different color temperatures, strawberries, a couple of different chillies and tomatoes. And a whole bunch of kitchen herbs.
I am looking to do something similar. I was considering using 2' strips at 5000k covering a 24"x16" tray. I was trying to decide on 2 or 3 strips and running them around 75% 450ma. I have been using the "blurple" lights, but the white lights seem to produce better greens, less rubbery.
What are you growing? Adult sized greens or micros? I haven’t used blurps but I’m currently using some QB288s running at 1.05amps for my full sized greens. The 5630s are alright for my micros, but I feel like they need to be super close to give off enough light. Also with the daisy chain i can definitely see difference in light output from the power source side of the light strip and the end of the strip. It gives me even enough lighting, but ideally I would like uniform coverage for the entire 2x4’ shelf. I’m probably going to build a second shelf soon to automate my watering for microgreens (it ain’t that fun watering 12 trays a day) and I want test out the lm301b with Samsung diodes and run them at like 30% or something so I can keep the shelves fairly tight rather than having 20” between shelf layers.
Farmer Linus
I am growing a little of both, plus others. I grow adult for bulk, micro for topping mostly, and an array of veggies and personal medication. The micros specifically get a rubbery texture to them from the blurple lights. The adult varieties do, ok, but less growth efficiency from the blurple (narrow spectrum) lights. I have some orange, olive, and coffee plants growing under the 5000k 2 foot strips, and that is really my only experience with the Samsung strips. I have been waiting for the horticultural strips to be released before buying anything else.
