Ran into my next lights..

[CoolJ]

I am really looking into importing 1 or 2 lights for myself but just worried about custom fees.

[Prom]

Just check with the company you order from, that they reduce the price for customs.. Customs are greedy bitches. So rather deserve this. Charged me double the import fees on the LED boards compared to the drivers.

 

I also redesign my drivers. You can't run a single board on a 240H-48 .. makes zero sense as the draw is way to much and the board gets to hot. With 2 boards on a 240 driver, they run as expected and waaaaaay colder. So I get 120H-48B for 2 boards. Then I can run 3 boards and stay below 400 watt consumption. Ordered the 120 watt drivers..

[Prom]

Is on hold... I need other drivers for the single board lamps. Right now the QBs run higher wattage at the TS3000.. that isn't helping  I want same yield, lower wattage.

So a little delay.. 

[PsyCLown]

@Prom does the 48B provide enough voltage to provide full power to your QB's?

I found that it was a bit low in terms of voltage in order for me to obtain full power on my QB's. My QB's are around 51 - 52v when at max power, the 48B could only give me 49.x V when the dimmer was turned to max.

However the 48A or 48AB with the build in potentiometer is a different story and provides max power and a higher output voltage.

 

 

EDIT: I only saw the 2nd page replies now, although you have confused me... why do you want to get 120W LED drivers? You can have a 480W LED driver and run a single QB off it - you can adjust the amount of power the QB gets...

 

Typically you'd get a 240W LED driver for 2x QB288's as this offers the flexability to dim the lights, but turn it up to max if you so desire - or to run the lights at higher power without putting the LED driver under strain by maxing the driver out.

[Prom]

See, the quantum flux meter is 500 meter away.. isn't far, but still.. I don't want to go and get the meter every time I do a change on the lamps. With a dimmer.. you need a meter or you have zero ideas how far to hang.

Hence.. 100%. Yes, the driver will run 100% but is also designed to do that. They don't get hot at all.. like the heat sink.. hand warm. I have my boards running at 100%, I do my measurements and write em down, once borrowed the meter. So all I have is a piece of paper to have the right micromols on the plants. Saves me the 10k Rand quantum flux meter, and just have it to measure each lamp every 6 months and see how much they lost and adjust distance to hang. Knowing your lamps is a huge part of success.

And is also a 48v driver.. just has 120w max capacity.. just perfect to run one board. If you wanna use a dimmer.. you will not get around a proper meter.. or you will guess your way to each harvest. I like my growing more uncomplicated.. but still try to achieve perfect conditions.

[PsyCLown]

@Prom interesting, your boards must differ slightly to mine then - for full power I need more than 50v and the 48B would not go over to 50V when on max.

 

A quantum sensor would be awesome, although truth be told I am not sure how much of a difference having one would make to a grow. I dim my lights based on the watts and eye ball the height based on what I feel is comfortable and so far results are decent.

Have you done tests to see how much your yield is affected by running the lights too close or too far away - so lower or higher ppfd?

I find it hard to justify the cost of a decent sensor for just growing, especially when you could borrow one to take measurements and have a decent idea - as you said the diodes would deteriorate over time and preferably you'd adjust for it - but once again goes back to how much of a difference does it make?
Is it really worth the R10k or so for a nice Apogee?

[Prom]

Do you measure your fertilizer, when you give it to the plants? Or do you just guess how much to give? 

I think growing went into the next league with measuring your light and applying what the plants need and not what you think they have to get. We measure water, fertilizer, time to grow.. but not the amount of light we give the babies... why?

Is it worth it to spend on a quantum flux meter? That is your own decision.. I grow for that long, I know I can grow.. but how much I get out per sq or watt.. that is my challenge. I wanna hit 1kg per sq on every harvest I do. Would love to see how close I get to 3g/watt, if I go as perfect as I can go. I learned a lot.. really.. more than in the last 10 years, just by using a stop watch to clock my lap times. Without, you just guess your lap times.. I post one pic and that explains all.. 

Same strain, same time glassed.. different light intensity. 250mmol are recommended by Apogee.. what a result with just different light setups. No, you do not need a quantum flux meter to grow a plant.. if you wanna reach the limits.. yes, you need one.

 

The plant with more light.. didn't perform better.. wuuuppppssssss.....!!!!!!!!!

Edited July 16, 2020 by Prom
Is for Germination phase only.. but what a difference in size alone!

[ORGANinc.]

@Prom  that's a crazy observation! nice one bro! 

[CreX]

very nice @Prom, i have no doubt that you followed the process correctly, but using 3 seeds from the same cultivar can still produce results like yours.

im not disputing your results, but for your method to be proven correct, you will need to rerun this test a few times, and the plant with 250um need to outperform the other 2 plants every time,

especially if you consider the sun being way more powerful and without a dimmer solution putting out 1500ppfd and the plants love it.

but i agree with your stance on an apogee - to be precise you need to be precise, because you cannot attain perfection without being precise 

[Prom]

Yes, nothing written in stone... but i treated the girls same way, yes, same batch seeds from same breeder. Blue cheese from nirvana seeds.

I start to correct my mistakes and each seems to improve the plants happyness. I was way to close with my lamps in all stages... so over all, i enjoy this, as a bigger foot print also lets you light up more plants.. less wattage consumed. I for my part will stick to the 250 mmol on germination, they grow rather fast.

 

Could be genetics, that i got three different results in plant hight. Interesting part... Epogee data suggested the outcome before. So i could say, yes, genetics.. or simply accept that i got the same result as they did. To much on your youngsers is actually no benefit, but slows them down. And to little provides the worst result...