Calling out to Weezard for LED advice

[luc55]

Hi guy's been reading, and figuring, and reading, for a couple weeks now. didn't want to open my mouth just to ask questions. This is the best LED thread on the net. ledengin seems the way to g,o but I just found another manufacture ShenZhen Romanso Electronic Co., Ltd (http://www.romanso.com/) does anyone know anything about them or their leds. they sell for 98 cents per watt but they have leds up 100w I'm having trouble getting excact info Me thinks language barrier, to cover430nm 460nm 630nm and 660nm Libby said it would be 8 leds without being specific.
In order to get wavelength info you've got to contact them (Libby)
anyway i would like to make a light with 1-430nm, 2-460nm, 3-630nm, 6-660nm, 4-680nm total 16 leds X 10w
any comment on the wavelengths power sup. or reg. are all appreciated.
and for a power supply fleabay has a Meanwell 350 clone $45.us {15V DC 23.2A 350W Regulated Switching Power Supply}
also plan to regulate individually or in groups with LM2596 LED Drivers Current/Voltage regulator PCB adj out, $4.25 us with shipping
BTW Weezard your #1 guru in my book. and how was the wave from Japan?

[mx4intx]

I would say if you want to use another manufacturer and there are hundreds in China then you would want to talk to someone who has used that specific one. Or order your own samples. I would go with something tried and true if you are going to have any type of expectations from it.

[khyberkitsune]

I am actually working with a similar manufacturer on a multi-band 100w multi-emitter package. It's difficult, though. Getting my desired ratio and in a specific pattern is somewhat of a nuisance because of varying voltages across each serial string. I may have to stick with a different pattern with a more uniform configuration than spread out.

I've seen a plain 100w one, and they're pretty intense, especially on the quantum meter.

[mx4intx]

I have already built a "hood" of sorts. I'll get that and the rest of it done tomorrow.

All red.
273216

Blues lowest power
273217

Full powa.
273218

Beam spread onto paper
273219

[mx4intx]

the j-light 115, heh, no plans to commercialize, its a joke

10" high with the shroud (one power supply is the rail mount kind and sticks way up)

8.5" wide from the front and 6" deep

2" of shroud hang below the LEDs

273239

[Weezard]

The screamin' bright, J-light?
Outta sight!
May your gals grow fat
an' your buds be tight.

Thanks for the photo's.
Any advice for the next DIY guy?

Aloha nui techie.

Weeze

[mx4intx]

Thanks Weeze. You are awesome. You too Khyber.

Advice: Read a lot, learn to solder, plan, do.

I have some Jack Herer clones ready to go. They get da purp treatment starting today. I will have more pics later once everything is set up.

And thanks to DH for starting this thread and everyone who contributed.

[khyberkitsune]

Looking great! So glad you bought pre-mounted LEDs because let me tell you IR or oven reflow soldering is a PAIN.

[ledtime]

Thought I would stop on by and see how things are going in the LED world... I read this article today and it made me smile. Future farm: a sunless, rainless room indoors - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/eu_netherlands_sunless_farming)

I wound up going back to a HPS setup because my led's didn't cover the footprint I needed. If I ever get around to building a light like Weez or DH I'm sure it can be done.

[mx4intx]

Revamped and redesigned. Now it's 125W and hung from a single chain. No reflector and down to a single PSU.

I like the CFL to make it easy to see and hopefully add a spectrum or 3 the plants need if they do. It's a 42W (true power) ProLume, but it's almost 3 years old now.

Those are 6 F1 Jack Herer clones. They had their first 12 hours of dark last night. Day 1 today.

274642

274643

274644

[Weezard]

And no fan, cool!:cool:
I used the same Power supply and it shut down on me after 10 hours.

The Jackals look ready to flourish.:thumbsup:
Might want to pot-up before you do flower though.
I put some girls into flower in a DWC and noted a doubling of root size for the first 2 weeks of flowering.

At the least, poke some drain holes around the bottom.
Otherwise they sit around on their drain holes and stay too wet, yah?

Still, they look quite healthy so far.

Aloha,
Weeze

[mx4intx]

And no fan, cool!:cool:
I used the same Power supply and it shut down on me after 10 hours.

The Jackals look ready to flourish.:thumbsup:
Might want to pot-up before you do flower though.
I put some girls into flower in a DWC and noted a doubling of root size for the first 2 weeks of flowering.

At the least, poke some drain holes around the bottom.
Otherwise they sit around on their drain holes and stay too wet, yah?

Still, they look quite healthy so far.

Aloha,
Weeze

The heatsink isnt even getting warm. Top of the power supply is the warmest part - using my hands. I can still add a fan if needed. The big fan on the left is constantly on with a speed controller set to low. The air is constantly changing. I usually have the cover off when the lights are on anyway. They have drain holes mang!

Those clones are only a couple weeks old and the roots arent bound yet. I am thinking they will add a little more roots then quit about 2 weeks in. Trying to grow popsicles. Last time i used quart containers and they seemed a little too big. Wouldnt mind a few more oz's on the cups though ya. But LED grows use less water and nutes ya? Lots of reasons to try out smaller containers. If the cups work I will add more plants, if not I'll find bigger cups or go back to the qt's I guess.

How are things going there?

Is it living there that makes you cool or do you have to be cool before moving? :)

I have got a grow thread going at a diff forum. I dont want to break any rules so if anyone wants the link just PM me or something.

I miss DWC! I am working on a tiny hydro system for this lil cab in my head. So far no progress....lol

Peace

[Weezard]

How are things going there?

We are muddling through as best we can;

[attachment=o274648]
[attachment=o274649]

Is it living there that makes you cool or do you have to be cool before moving? :)

Well, we would prefer it if they came already :cool:.
But It does not take long to civilize a haole.
Paradise is one helluva carrot, yah?

There is no PM here, and you have turned off your rep., so give me a rep. up with the thread URL

Wanna watch dem kids grow.
Wee.

[Weezard]

Thought I would stop on by and see how things are going in the LED world... I read this article today and it made me smile. Future farm: a sunless, rainless room indoors - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/eu_netherlands_sunless_farming)

I wound up going back to a HPS setup because my led's didn't cover the footprint I needed. If I ever get around to building a light like Weez or DH I'm sure it can be done.

Was wondering where you'd got to.
Good link!
Still using the leds for clones or was monochrome not "it"?

Aloha,
Weeze

[khyberkitsune]

Thought I would stop on by and see how things are going in the LED world... I read this article today and it made me smile. Future farm: a sunless, rainless room indoors - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/eu_netherlands_sunless_farming)

I wound up going back to a HPS setup because my led's didn't cover the footprint I needed. If I ever get around to building a light like Weez or DH I'm sure it can be done.

Are you 660nm420 on RIU by any chance?

[mx4intx]

Wife came home with 18oz cups for tomatoes and peppers so the JH's got up-cupped. The other cups were 9oz.

Peace

[Weezard]

Goodonya!
Bet you are glad you potted-up.

Anyroad, just a bump.

Aloha, Weeze

[ledtime]

Wow, it's been a long time since I've been on here.

Weez, my all blue, and red/blue could veg like nobody's business. The 120W made a lot of heat though?

I've been toying around with all kinds of things. Lately, CFL. I'm amazed at what can be done with them. Have any of you read through DrBudGreenGenes stuff over at IC mag? Compact SOG with CFL's - International Cannagraphic Magazine Forums (http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=69713)

His micro SOG is perfectly ideal for LED. 2'x18" footprint. Small cab. Perpetual harvest. I don't know about you guys, but I really don't care for working with large plants. PITA to move around.

I hope all is well with everyone. :-)

[Weezard]

Howzit LT?

Wow!
Tried searching cdot for this thread 6 different ways.
Nada!

Gave up and googled.
Bam!
Metric shitloads of linked messages.
Vbulletin's search function, doesn't! :(

Anyway.
Might be a good thing this is buried.
They don't like links to other sites here.

If they did, I'd have a small pile of links for ya. :)

Long as I'm here.
Update:
All my lamps are still functioning well.
Can't say that for the power supplies though.
Had 3 failures so far.
Cheap is cheap. :D
Am finding that Sativa, and Indica, want different R:B ratios.
And some strains sulk under LEDs.
We live, we learn. :D

Aloha,
Weeze

[waterdog]

Hello Weeze ! I want to apologise for jumping on your back a few years back when I first came to this site... You were saying how you had finally equaled the sun indoors and I responded you can never get the same yields indoors as out and we had a few other things to say before it was over also. I have matured as a forum browser and I really want to give you a very heartfelt, "im sorry" !!!! I am now also growing indoors and want to say I have much respect for you and your wisdom.. Peace and may your buds be large and plentiful !!!

[waterdog]

Hello Weeze ! I want to apologise for jumping on your back a few years back when I first came to this site... You were saying how you had finally equaled the sun indoors and I responded you can never get the same yields indoors as out and we had a few other things to say before it was over also. I have matured as a forum browser and I really want to give you a very heartfelt, "im sorry" !!!! I am now also growing indoors and want to say I have much respect for you and your wisdom.. Peace and may your buds be large and plentiful !!!

Weeze .......? are u there ?

[Weezard]

Right behind ya brah. :D
Why would you wonder?

Sent you a private message via reputation.
Guess you missed it.

Apology accepted.
Mahalo fo' dat. I had completely forgotten.
No worry, I understood your position.
Did not see it as a personal attack.
Saw it as a reaction to unexpected results.
( I get a lot of that) :)

Didn't believe it myself when I first started reading about LED growing.
That's why I had to try it in the first place.
The science was sound, but it had a ring of "too good to be true" about it.

In retrospect, it should have been obvious to me because the sun is such a harsh master.
At noon, in the tropics solar exposure exceeds 91K Lux.
Cannabis stops growing at ~90. unless you supplement CO2.
Even then it pushes transpiration to capacity.
Meanwhile, the UV b-c is frying off capitate glands, overheating leaves and stem, heating and drying roots near the surface, yadda yadda.
Homeless plants have a hard life here.

So, I shield them from harmful wavelengths.
Give them sufficient, (but not too much), light energy at the most efficient wavelengths.
Feed them appropriately, insure an ample supply of aerated water and a pest free home.

With all that in mind.
My results were predictable. :)

So, fuggedaboudit!
There was no offence.

Aloha nui, an' how does your garden grow?

Wee 'zard

[WeayLay]

Nothing like a respectful apology. I love the community here, so respectful and willing to help. Either way, I think I'm going to post here now, instead of my LED thread, at least until I start building the box and post up the grow log.

in order to lower costs, I'm only going with half the LED's for the single rubbermaid grow box. Should be around 22w, but I'll probably put in a decent powered CFL to make up for the rest of the spectrum. I'm pretty sure 22W will do fine, Pinstripe over at ICmag got 38g from 22W in a PC box (Anyone that respects any grow should check that out, crazy micro grow, probably the best documented one), and I'm going to be using his technique (LST) and further improving it with a SCROG.
The LED's and the drivers are going to be 100 shipped. I've been looking at Phillips Lumileds Rebel LED's, specifically three of them, mounted on a MCPCB (called Tri-star). I'm going to have 1 royal blue and two far reds on each tri-star, what do you guys think?

[Marijuanadonna]

Hey guys, first post here! I'm trying to find a good strain that grows well under LED's in a SCROG. Any suggestions? Thanks!

[Weezard]

Sure!
White Widow loves leds and is easy to grow.

Aloha,
Wee 'zard

[Marijuanadonna]

Thanks Weezard! I've grown White label white widow under a 400w hps and was very satisfied with the results. Any suggestions on a seed bank? Seems like the white widow strain is different depending on the breeder.

[sx646522]

Aloha, Weeze. Different forums, same t'ings, eh? :thumbsup:


Thanks Weezard! I've grown White label white widow under a 400w hps and was very satisfied with the results. Any suggestions on a seed bank? Seems like the white widow strain is different depending on the breeder.

Instead of a white label, try the 'black label' - specifically, the original WW as bred by MNS. Used to have some in my garden, not the biggest producer, but you definitely won't be disappointed. Can't link to it due to rules; just search for the following:

"Black Widow - Mr. Nice seedbank and research - Strains"

Aged 18 years now, and smooth as silk. Girls that old are the perfect age...or so they tell me. :cool:


Cheers,

-SX

[Marijuanadonna]

Thanks SX. I've recently been looking at Dinofem's Critical+. It seems perfect: very high yields, potent, and tasty. Just don't know how it will do under LED lighting. Has anyone grown this strain under LED's?

[warrior #113]

Thanks SX. I've recently been looking at Dinofem's Critical+. It seems perfect: very high yields, potent, and tasty. Just don't know how it will do under LED lighting. Has anyone grown this strain under LED's?

I've seen this exact strain grown under white and deep red leds only with amazing results. Best buds I've ever seen anywhere actually. They were the size of my calf.

They guy made a led fixture using 12 neutral white 3w, 12 deep red 660nm 3w and 4 630nm red 3w. I've never seen buds this nice before. Critical is a good heavy duty strain with big yields.

@anyone,
Could someone please tell me the reason NOT to use multi-chip emitters? I see this talk on here worrying about if a led is single or multi-chip. From everything I've seen a multi-chip emitter will run more efficiently giving you more lumens/W.

There are pure white leds out there that are using 100w 100 chip single led emitters in a dense matrix. They pack a huge punch and people are growing straight up trees with them. Ya know, eventually up the chain, it would not make any sense to have single chip/die emitters in the higher wattage territory. I don't understand why this wouldn't apply for lower wattage leds as well.

Why would a person be worse off to use a 3w 3 chip led vs a single chip 3w led? I just don't get it. The datasheets say the 3w 3chip leds put out more lumens/W.

Could someone please explain what I am missing about this issue?

[Weezard]

"The datasheets say the 3w 3chip leds put out more lumens/W."

The answer is in the question.

The 15W Ledengin emitters are actually 4 X 5W. dies.
The use about 3W. per die and should last a very long time with decent heat management.
They put out more photons because they are kept in the "sweet-spot" of lumens per Watt.

The epoxy lens makes them as close to "point source" as the need to be.
And they cost less to manufacture than high power, single die emitters.
(They get fewer defective chips per wafer after sputtering).

Bottom line?
Photons per watt per dollar, yah?

Havin' fun yet?

Aloha,
Weeze

[warrior #113]

"The datasheets say the 3w 3chip leds put out more lumens/W."

The answer is in the question.

The 15W Ledengin emitters are actually 4 X 5W. dies.
The use about 3W. per die and should last a very long time with decent heat management.
They put out more photons because they are kept in the "sweet-spot" of lumens per Watt.

The epoxy lens makes them as close to "point source" as the need to be.
And they cost less to manufacture than high power, single die emitters.
(They get fewer defective chips per wafer after sputtering).

Bottom line?
Photons per watt per dollar, yah?

Havin' fun yet?

Aloha,
Weeze


I talked to Ledengine the other day. Just so everyone knows, the new 10w chips are the same as the old 15w chips. They are just advertised as 10w because they are driven at 700mA. They said that the chip in all of their Leds is the same, just mounted to a different base, or put in as multi-chip Leds.

When you guys purchased the 15w emitters, what was the forward current advertised. My guess is that it was 1A. Am I right?

[warrior #113]

I talked to Ledengine the other day. Just so everyone knows, the new 10w chips are the same as the old 15w chips. They are just advertised as 10w because they are driven at 700mA. They said that the chip in all of their Leds is the same, just mounted to a different base, or put in as multi-chip Leds.

When you guys purchased the 15w emitters, what was the forward current advertised. My guess is that it was 1A. Am I right?

Wait a minute, I guess they would be 1.5A? Is that right? They don't even advertise them anywhere anymore, so I have no way of finding out except through someone who has used them before. Electricity has always found a way to confuse the shit out of me.

I've even been zapped a few times by 30 Amps! Only because the guy who was supposed to be the teacher running the glass blowing class would not spend any money on getting new parts for broken equipment. My blow pipe would hit the elements in the annealer because they stuck so far out into the heating chamber. That place was a joke.

[Weezard]

1.5A. is Imax
I run mine at ~1.1A. and about 10.8V. at full output.

Aloha,
Weeze

[FrostyTheDopeman]

im currently using 400w hps dual spectrum. it works awesome but wondered what wattage for led say a blackstar is recommended for 2 plants?

[Weezard]

About 200Watts of decent leds will replace a 400W HPS

[hyposomnia]

Howzit LT?


Am finding that Sativa, and Indica, want different R:B ratios.
And some strains sulk under LEDs.
We live, we learn. :D

Aloha,
Weeze

Hello Mate,
Could you expand on the two above points please? Thanks.d

[Weezard]

I suppose.

Been trying to grow Gainesville green indoors.
Was having no luck. Seems like she hated CFLs and LEDs.
Did grow a bit under HPS so I had a think.
289575

It's a clue.
Mo' red, less blue.
Woohoo!

Had her under a 7:3 veg panel
She perked right up when i put her under my 4:1 bloom panel.
When the sun hits the atmosphere from an angle, more blue light gets scattered and the result is a red shift.
Plants that have adapted to that red shift seem to get confused by a blue shift.

Still futzing about with it and would appreciate any input.

Aloha,
Weezard

[Mal420xl]

[quote=Weezard]


Mo' red, less blue.
Woohoo![QUOTE]

hmm makes sense. both of my lights seemed a lil slack on blue to red ratio.....that explains it tho. from what ive been reading photosynthesis uses red for one part of the process possibly for breaking things down and blue for the conversion. there was no conclusive info in what i was reading about that tho. i am a little disconcerted at how intolerant and less adaptable herb has become, compared to what was once as i remember it very tolerant and very adaptable. i have grown it in muddy, swampy, dry and dusty. my brother used toss seeds over into his back seat of his eldorado all the time. the rear window was a split window and leaked so that in heavy rain hed have a forest growing in that nasty moldy carpet. now it seems like its become some sort hothouse orchid. fussy, pissy about soil, ph, nutes.... i never used to use them except at the end. what has all this basement breeding done.....well ok i do like the funky strains.....but anyone breeding try to toss some the adaptability back in will ya?

[hyposomnia]

I suppose.

Been trying to grow Gainesville green indoors.
Was having no luck. Seems like she hated CFLs and LEDs.
Did grow a bit under HPS so I had a think.
289575

It's a clue.
Mo' red, less blue.
Woohoo!

Had her under a 7:3 veg panel
She perked right up when i put her under my 4:1 bloom panel.
When the sun hits the atmosphere from an angle, more blue light gets scattered and the result is a red shift.
Plants that have adapted to that red shift seem to get confused by a blue shift.

Still futzing about with it and would appreciate any input.

Aloha,
Weezard

Great info. Im doing my reading on LEDs and you've been a valuable resource.
A few thoughts..
Most of the classic sativas are based near the equator (Columbia, Thailand, Malawi are a few examples I can think of) where red shift would be at a relative minimum vs. a classic indica from Afghanistan where shallower sun angles would enhance the effect..
A quick googling of gainsville green says Thai x Hawaiian.. not sure if true, but interestingly, both locations are at the same latitude.

[unknown947]

I'm ordering my LED lights from china, desided to get two Apollo20, my chinise supplyer recomends this combination: white/660nm/630nm/460nm/610nm/410nm=1:4:3:4:1:2. He said that he has hundreds of customers who sucsesfuly grow with this combination indoors. Dear Weezard, should I go with his suggestions? maybe you can recommend something better. Thanks

[unknown947]

white/660nm/630nm/460nm/610nm/410nm=1 - 4 -3 - 4 - 1 - 2

[davemedinis]

I'm ordering my LED lights from china, desided to get two Apollo20, my chinise supplyer recomends this combination: white/660nm/630nm/460nm/610nm/410nm=1:4:3:4:1:2. He said that he has hundreds of customers who sucsesfuly grow with this combination indoors. Dear Weezard, should I go with his suggestions? maybe you can recommend something better. Thanks

Apollo LED grow lights are very great, it is produced at this company.
CIDLY LED Grow Lights

[Weezard]

I do not endorse those lights.

They look halfway decent, but I'm not the guy to ask.
Had we found any retail offerings that were worth those inflated prices, we would not have bothered to build our own.

So, best of luck.
Come back and tell us how it plays out.

Aloha,
Weeze

[Mal420xl]

those lights look scary. didnt bother to look at prices because they cant even get some of the basic spelling right.i know its china and english isnt their language of choice but even the chinese have spell check with english language packs. and i know even US manufacturers get their leds from china but we know how to wire them for our power reqs. they dont even know how to set it up for their own!