New grower needing help choosing a light

[BigBudD]

@Bakstein420 Is that not import ? I m not that clued up on doing it all myself . I would be willing to try because I have some friends who are engineers . But when I looked the website was confusing and I wasn’t sure the exact leds would be correct . 

[Teal Smith]

On 4/29/2020 at 11:50 AM, PsyCLown said:

What about LED strips or Quanum Boards?

You could make something happen within your budget if you were to look at buying and making your own LED strips... Especially if you can source some decent strips locally.

Otherwise you may need to look at Arrow or Digikey and bring in some.

Hi PsyCLown. I had a look at the Digikey website and the options are overwhelming. There are so many fliters of terms that I don't know the meaning of. Could you send a link to the page where the complete quantum boards are? Or is this website for importing each individual component, and getting them assembled in SA?

Sorry, I'm new at this. Appreciate your input. Cheers

[Bakstein420]

@BigBudD check out this link.

https://ledgardener.com/diy-led-strip-build-designs-samsung-bridgelux/

Explains everything, includes shopping list and everything is available from Digikey.

Have a look and ask if you have any questions.

 

[BigBudD]

@Bakstein420 that’s amazing thank you so much . Will drop you some questions when I go through everything later 

[PsyCLown]

1 hour ago, Teal Smith said:

Hi PsyCLown. I had a look at the Digikey website and the options are overwhelming. There are so many fliters of terms that I don't know the meaning of. Could you send a link to the page where the complete quantum boards are? Or is this website for importing each individual component, and getting them assembled in SA?

Sorry, I'm new at this. Appreciate your input. Cheers

Digikey and Arrow sell strips, don't think they sell any QB288's unfortunately.

[Teal Smith]

10 hours ago, PsyCLown said:

Digikey and Arrow sell strips, don't think they sell any QB288's unfortunately.

ok thank you !

[PsyCLown]

@TheUltimateNoob so I have some 3000K normal QB288's with LM301B diodes then I have some which are 3000K with LM301B diodes and some red diodes which I think are LM351H diodes.

Honestly I do not notice any difference between the two, the amount of red in 3000k I feel is sufficient and I do not see much of a need for the extra red diodes.

Also after watching a MiGro video about UV light, I feel that UV LED's are a waste and more marketing than anything else.

 

 

EDIT: I would also not purchase from that Onlinegrowshop, this is based on what another member (cannot remember who) had posted with regards to what they use as heatsinks and the type of drivers they use etc.

[TheUltimateNoob]

 

 

 

@TheUltimateNoob so I have some 3000K normal QB288's with LM301B diodes then I have some which are 3000K with LM301B diodes and some red diodes which I think are LM351H diodes.

Honestly I do not notice any difference between the two, the amount of red in 3000k I feel is sufficient and I do not see much of a need for the extra red diodes.

Also after watching a MiGro video about UV light, I feel that UV LED's are a waste and more marketing than anything else.

 

 

EDIT: I would also not purchase from that Onlinegrowshop, this is based on what another member (cannot remember who) had posted with regards to what they use as heatsinks and the type of drivers they use etc.

 

 

 

Yeah I've read up a bit on the diodes and Samsung themselves say they're the same. The graphs for CRI spectrums were labelled incorrectly and there was a whole lot of speculation online with people saying the H diodes are better.

 

I wanted to go for the boards with the added reds because I feel the 660nm diodes will be advantageous as I want to have it in a dedicated flower tent.

 

I've watched that video, and I may opt for boards without UVA diodes as I want to add 2 x 8w supplemental UVB/C cfl tubes... Not sure where to get them though.

 

EDIT: UVA/B

 

UVA is less effective against PM and I don't think a few diodes will be enough to cover the tent either, it just may affect the trichomes that are pretty close to them due to direct exposure.

 

I was planning to order all the bits from Kingbright

..

Off topic a slight bit, does anyone know if we can receive deliveries from Alibaba right now?

 

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[TheUltimateNoob]

@PsyCLown the lm301b & lm301h are the 3000k diodes on your boards - they do come in different K - b is the older version and h is the newer "horticultural" led.

The red diodes can be either CREE or Epistar 660nm diodes. Depending where you got the boards from.

The UVA diodes are normally LG.

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[PsyCLown]

@PsyCLown the lm301b & lm301h are the 3000k diodes on your boards - they do come in different K - b is the older version and h is the newer "horticultural" led.

The red diodes can be either CREE or Epistar 660nm diodes. Depending where you got the boards from.

The UVA diodes are normally LG.

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Yeah, I'm aware of the difference between the 301b and h variant.

My red diodes are Samsung lm351h diodes, not epistar or cree.
3000k already has a lot of red, adding extra red with 660nm diodes - not sure how much if a difference it actually makes to the plants to be honest. I have not noticed much / any, I guess it may also depend on how many 660nm diodes you have, differences are likely negligible.

If you UV I agree with rather adding some fluorescent tubes or similar, I'd say consider ordering from Amazon or goto a pet store / reptile store and see what you can find.

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[TheUltimateNoob]

@PsyCLown 

ah okay, thanks for the info, I forgot that the 301h comes in red... with what I have planned, the fixture will have 3 or 4 boards with 16 red diodes on each board. It may be enough to create a small spike.

 

I did read up a bit on the wavelength some time ago and 660 is optimal for flower so they say. I guess that's why I've been so set on it.

I want to spread out PAR more evenly and may get a high power driver so I'm willing to trade off some intensity for the red spike... Honestly I would't know for sure if it would help that much, but I'll do some more reading and make a decision before I pull the trigger.

 

Any idea about the shipping?

 

and @Bakstein420, I'm so sorry for hijacking your thread bro. lol

[Bakstein420]

@TheUltimateNoob not my thread bud 

[TheUltimateNoob]

1 minute ago, Bakstein420 said:

@TheUltimateNoob not my thread bud 

shite... meant @BigBudD , thanks, and apologies. lol

[PsyCLown]

On 5/24/2020 at 6:17 PM, TheUltimateNoob said:

@PsyCLown 

ah okay, thanks for the info, I forgot that the 301h comes in red... with what I have planned, the fixture will have 3 or 4 boards with 16 red diodes on each board. It may be enough to create a small spike.

 

I did read up a bit on the wavelength some time ago and 660 is optimal for flower so they say. I guess that's why I've been so set on it.

I want to spread out PAR more evenly and may get a high power driver so I'm willing to trade off some intensity for the red spike... Honestly I would't know for sure if it would help that much, but I'll do some more reading and make a decision before I pull the trigger.

 

Any idea about the shipping?

 

and @Bakstein420, I'm so sorry for hijacking your thread bro. lol

 

If you really want to do a side by side comparison, purchase one of each type of QB (a plain 3000k and a 3000k with 660nm diodes), take a cutting of a plant and stick a cutting into each tent (one tent with one type of QB and the other tent with the QB with extra 660nm).

 

Set the power to the same and hook both plants up to the same res with an auto watering system and then compare at the end of the grow and see for yourself how much of a difference, if any, is noticed. I have not done this test myself, however I am quite certain the difference will be minimal to none.

I could be wrong though, as mentioned. I have some QB's with extra 660nm Samsung diodes and then I have some without the 660nm diodes.

I doubt I would purchase QB's with the diodes again unless the price difference is practically non-existent or there are stock issues. If it gives you peace of mind though, then go for it. I do not recommend you pay significantly more for QB's with 660nm diodes though.

These are the red dioes on my QB's: https://www.samsung.com/led/lighting/high-power-leds/3535-leds/lh351h-deep-red/

[TheUltimateNoob]

 
If you really want to do a side by side comparison, purchase one of each type of QB (a plain 3000k and a 3000k with 660nm diodes), take a cutting of a plant and stick a cutting into each tent (one tent with one type of QB and the other tent with the QB with extra 660nm).
 
Set the power to the same and hook both plants up to the same res with an auto watering system and then compare at the end of the grow and see for yourself how much of a difference, if any, is noticed. I have not done this test myself, however I am quite certain the difference will be minimal to none.
I could be wrong though, as mentioned. I have some QB's with extra 660nm Samsung diodes and then I have some without the 660nm diodes.
I doubt I would purchase QB's with the diodes again unless the price difference is practically non-existent or there are stock issues. If it gives you peace of mind though, then go for it. I do not recommend you pay significantly more for QB's with 660nm diodes though.
These are the red dioes on my QB's: https://www.samsung.com/led/lighting/high-power-leds/3535-leds/lh351h-deep-red/

I get everything you're saying. And yeah I guess that would be the only way to actually check if the red spike makes a difference.

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[Teal Smith]

I read about a guy online who did the comparisson test between the 2 QBs, with red & without. Apparently there was no noticeable difference between the 2 plants grown in the same conditions. Don't have the link, sorry. 
I've been shopping around for QBs and the best I can find so far is R16k for a 600W LED QB with LM301h 3500k diodes + 660nm red from epistar. Still feels overpriced but is that the going rate these days, more or less?

[TheUltimateNoob]

I read about a guy online who did the comparisson test between the 2 QBs, with red & without. Apparently there was no noticeable difference between the 2 plants grown in the same conditions. Don't have the link, sorry. 

I've been shopping around for QBs and the best I can find so far is R16k for a 600W LED QB with LM301h 3500k diodes + 660nm red from epistar. Still feels overpriced but is that the going rate these days, more or less?

Thanks for this ^

 

Kingbright has them dirt cheap... If you're willing to sacrifice a little bit of your piece of mind. Lol. R16K is bloody madness... I'm matching up a 320w kit with 4 boards for my DIY rig... The entire thing with shipping is coming to like 6.5k

 

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[TheUltimateNoob]

I read about a guy online who did the comparisson test between the 2 QBs, with red & without. Apparently there was no noticeable difference between the 2 plants grown in the same conditions. Don't have the link, sorry. 
I've been shopping around for QBs and the best I can find so far is R16k for a 600W LED QB with LM301h 3500k diodes + 660nm red from epistar. Still feels overpriced but is that the going rate these days, more or less?

Hopefully Tapatalk leaves this legible at least... But here's the 600w model

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[PsyCLown]

So I'd suggest reading reviews of the manufacturers to make sure the diodes they use are legit as there have been some who have used incorrect and fake diodes.

Also don't forget about customs which you'll need to pay over and above the shipping and the price of the item you're buying.

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[Teal Smith]

14 hours ago, TheUltimateNoob said:

Thanks for this ^

 

Kingbright has them dirt cheap... If you're willing to sacrifice a little bit of your piece of mind. Lol. R16K is bloody madness... I'm matching up a 320w kit with 4 boards for my DIY rig... The entire thing with shipping is coming to like 6.5k

 

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Sure. Can I buy KingBright products from someone directly in SA or do I have to import and DIY?

[Teal Smith]

7 hours ago, PsyCLown said:

So I'd suggest reading reviews of the manufacturers to make sure the diodes they use are legit as there have been some who have used incorrect and fake diodes.

Also don't forget about customs which you'll need to pay over and above the shipping and the price of the item you're buying.

Sent from my Redmi Note 7 Pro using Tapatalk
 

Yeah, thanks. I'm not so keen on doing the whole shipping from overseas thing and dealing with customs. I'd also be sceptical about whether the LEDs are actually proper Samsung LM301h's etc. I don't mind paying a little extra to make sure I get the right thing PLUS there will be a warantee if I buy local, whereas if there's defective parts I will struggle to send back for replacement etc.

[PsyCLown]

1 hour ago, Teal Smith said:

Sure. Can I buy KingBright products from someone directly in SA or do I have to import and DIY?

It's possible some of the people selling QB's locally use Kingbrite QB's... 

I am not sure though.

[CreX]

@Teal Smith

Give @Master_G a msg... I'm sure he can hook you up with some sick lights with LMB301h diodes @ a friendly price lol. 

16k... I'd rather shit in my hands and clap

 

[Teal Smith]

26 minutes ago, CreX said:

@Teal Smith

Give @Master_G a msg... I'm sure he can hook you up with some sick lights with LMB301h diodes @ a friendly price lol. 

16k... I'd rather shit in my hands and clap

 

lol. OK thanks Crex. I've messaged MasterG. Appreciate the referral 

Edited May 27, 2020 by Teal Smith

[TheUltimateNoob]

Sure. Can I buy KingBright products from someone directly in SA or do I have to import and DIY?

Honestly I'd go with import and DIY unless a local company provides a decent enough warranty.

This isn't a stab at Master's products or company, don't get me wrong. I'd rather get more boards and bits for the same price with a shorter warranty, so I can make more lights if necessary.

If you're importing, spares are gonna be cheap anyway. I would get a board or 2 extra to keep aside just in case.

If you're ordering it locally, there's nothing bad I can say really. You'll have a nice product with a company to go to if it starts giving you shit... But no spares or extras.

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