LED Ahoy!

Okay, this becomes my new official grow journal. There's still the krusty/DWC update, but that stuff is going to be hash. pH swings like mad and heat issues from poorly-ventilated spaces caused that to be a complete cockup.

The gear:

1 new prototype 50w quad-band+4500K white LED, combo 120/90 degrees.
1 Current-gen 50w tri-band solar-insolation spec LED, fully 120 degrees.
1 current-gen 120w tri-band solar-insolation spec LED, fully 120 degrees.

The 120w gets my two largest mothers, as I'm flowering them now and will relegate some fresh clones to mom status. The prototype 50w gets the 5-site DWC SoG bucket. The 50w tri-band gets two DWC plants, taller than the others.

I'm a little shaky on when I started the flowering, but I know it hasn't been two weeks, and the buds are really just now starting, so we'll say this is the beginning of true flowering and roll for 10 weeks!

The fourth pic is of the 5-site DWC with a flash to simulate what it would look like under the prototype, as while the human eye has no problem seeing the green from three white diodes, the camera simply cannot due to the red and blue overload.

I'm in. I learn something every time you post.

Where do you get your lights?

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Originally Posted by neceros

Where do you get your lights?

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I design and make them.

Update time!

Going well! Much better than last flowering run. One week, flowers are about the size of my index tip joint. Getting frosty already as well.

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Originally Posted by khyberkitsune

I design and make them.

Update time!

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Where do you get the parts to make them?

Fantastic. I hope to see how this goes, as I want to use Purely LEDs inhe future. Ballasts are too much trouble!

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Originally Posted by THContent

Where do you get the parts to make them?

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I don't. I load up a PCB design program, lay out everything, then send the design out to a manufacturer that can meet my exact specifications.

I only get raw diodes for testing from companies.

I added another set of 9 clones into 12/12 flowering. Under a 50w, in a single Krusty Bucket.

Week 2 done, week 3 beginning, for the moms, day 3 for the clones in the new krusty bucket.

My closet is beginning to reek. Whenever I have not smoked in about an hour, the closet scent begins to build up.

Oh, and to add, I obtained some mylar from a friend and some spare hydro stuff he didn't need, so I might be making a new boxed system, soon!

seeing the future .....awesome

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Originally Posted by seventhchild

seeing the future .....awesome

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Living the future is so much fun. :D

Ha! I just noticed in the first picture from the most recent update that the bottom bud on the lower left is still pretty nice, despite being under nearly three feet of canopy!

Added Mylar to the main half of the closet (where the majority of plants were located.)

This should improve things.

Adding some flash photography flower shots, after being asked to on Skype.

You make me hard. Er, I mean. Nice pics.

Adding more pictures, everything looks wonderful.

And adding a size comparison shot. Regular-size Bic.

OMG THEY ARE PURPLE. Looks good bud.

How long into flowering in that last "Bic" shot?

Posted 6-20-2010

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Originally Posted by khyberkitsune

I'm a little shaky on when I started the flowering, but I know it hasn't been two weeks, and the buds are really just now starting, so we'll say this is the beginning of true flowering and roll for 10 weeks!

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Okay, never mind, so we both got a start on 12/12 around the same time as I started on 6/11/10, 9 day's later you weren't certain but it hadn't been 2 weeks just yet.


I've gotta say the Tric production looks better than mine, but the buds are looking a bit on the weak side,...

I'm pretty much disappointed in my buds ATM, but I know very well that I have at least another 2-3 weeks before things are finished, perhaps the LED's will bring it out on the last half, and if so,.... how do I get ahold of you for a test array,... I'd love to have more light, but I"m already maxed out for the circuit.:pimp:

Pic 1: the top
Pic 2: A couple lower buds,.. tric production seems to be better on the lower buds for some reason? :wtf:

2-3 weeks before you're finished, must be a short-time strain. I've still got another 6 1/2 to go. It still looks nice.

As for trich production on the bottom, blue light penetrates better than red light (higher-energy wavelength) and it seems wavelengths in the blue play a major role in trichome production.

"how do I get ahold of you for a test array"

my skype, yahoo, and AIM names are available on the right side of each of my posts, click on the icons. Alternatively, if those don't work, the nickname for all three services is khyberkitsune, same as my name here, or you can e-mail me at techkitsune at gmail dot com.

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Originally Posted by khyberkitsune

2-3 weeks before you're finished, must be a short-time strain. I've still got another 6 1/2 to go. It still looks nice.

As for trich production on the bottom, blue light penetrates better than red light (higher-energy wavelength) and it seems wavelengths in the blue play a major role in trichome production.

"how do I get ahold of you for a test array"

my skype, yahoo, and AIM names are available on the right side of each of my posts, click on the icons. Alternatively, if those don't work, the nickname for all three services is khyberkitsune, same as my name here, or you can e-mail me at techkitsune at gmail dot com.

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As far as the time left, I don't really know, it's my first grow, but if it's what its supposed to be then yeah, I shouldn't have much time left.


I'm flowering under 400w HPS "plantmax" bulb in a 33x 60" space,... I'm not on Skype Yahoo or anything really,... but I am interested in LED's there's just too much potential there, it's just seeing the proof of the pudding that I hesitate on.


Also,... what about veging under LED? :wtf: I'm limited to the # plants I can have, so I don't want to waste space and as such have tomato's peppers, lettuce, and such growing as an indoor crop.

Veg under LED is where LED really shines, IMHO. This is where the claims of "90w LED = 400w HPS" are actually true. I have done much vegging under LED, and the results are just incredible.

For example - here are some pepper shots, day 1, 5, 9, 13, under 90w LED

There's a tomato on the other side, the next post will have shots of that in veg.

As promised, the tomato veg shots, same day spans, same 90w light!

Nice! :thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by khyberkitsune

As for trich production on the bottom, blue light penetrates better than red light (higher-energy wavelength) and it seems wavelengths in the blue play a major role in trichome production.

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confused about this. red and blue are present at the top of the plant but at the bottom there is far less red?if this is so than shouldn't you say the presence of red inhibits trich production or that the lack of red allows trich production to be more fully expressed? I'm not an LED user yet but am very curious about the interaction of the different spectrums.I flower under a HPS but ripen[the last few weeks] with a MH.

"red and blue are present at the top of the plant but at the bottom there is far less red"

Pretty much, yes. Near the bottom of the plant, white buckets have way more of a blue glow versus red.

"if this is so than shouldn't you say the presence of red inhibits trich production"

No, because red has no inhibitory role in plant growth. The primary purpose of red is to produce flowers and fruits, plus some photosynthesis.

"or that the lack of red allows trich production to be more fully expressed?"

Again, no, because trichome development is ALMOST entirely dependent upon how much potentially damaging radiation the plant receives during flowering, and red radiation isn't damaging enough. The more blue you add, the better. That's incidentally why you finish off with MH, the blue makes it better. It also adds more bulk since blue is responsible for most actual growth and bulk production.

thank you for the detailed response it does help me to understand but some more questions if i may?if red neither helps or hinders trich production but it is mostly dependent on the blue why have red during the final weeks of the plants life? also there is more blue at the top of the plant- shouldn't there be more trichs up there also? BTW beautiful plants khyberkitsune

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Originally Posted by seventhchild

thank you for the detailed response it does help me to understand but some more questions if i may?if red neither helps or hinders trich production but it is mostly dependent on the blue why have red during the final weeks of the plants life? also there is more blue at the top of the plant- shouldn't there be more trichs up there also? BTW beautiful plants khyberkitsune

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Red is there for mostly photosynthesis after flowering has begun. Red is more efficient for photosynthesis than blue and thus keeping it in steady supply is considered crucial to a proper yield.

There are more trichomes closer to the top than at the bottom.

Week 5 beginning! Let's have a look before I go changing nutes!

Since my blue-dominant flowering test finished, I took those two 15w spots out, put them on clamp mounts, and I'm using those to cover the undercanopy.

This will do a fair job of increasing my yield for very little power.

Week 5 ending! These colas are beginning to swell and really really smell!

I also have excellent progress on the 9 pack in the Krusty under the 50w, plus great results under the 50w. I must say though, the larger panels definitely put out better buds.

Oh well, that just means I need to design a heat sink that will allow me to cram 150w into a 50w panel. :) Can't use solid aluminum, might need a composite. Hmm...

Besides that, plenty of milky goodness all over the place. Trichomes are fairly dense and clouded. No signs of any amber as of yet, but that will likely change in about two weeks.

hey bro, i bought and now using 120 watt triband led light (119leds 1 watt each) they claim its a 600 watt equivenlent, so far with your grow do you feel the leds are worth the effort?
i also have a 430 watt hps 3 feet beside it.

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Originally Posted by codkiller05

hey bro, i bought and now using 120 watt triband led light (119leds 1 watt each) they claim its a 600 watt equivenlent, so far with your grow do you feel the leds are worth the effort?
i also have a 430 watt hps 3 feet beside it.

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In veg phase, 120w LED=600w HPS is a decent claim to make. For flowering, not so good a claim to make, it's more like 300w LED=600w HPS.

So far, now that I fixed my airflow problem, yes, the LEDs are doing a great job and I most definitely see them having been worth the effort.

i need some advice on a system i am putting together im gonna be using a complete hydroponic system and i have purchased 4 led panels with a wave length reading of Red: 640nm Blue: 460nm they are 56w each units do you think these will produce a positive result or should i step out and purchase another few panels and make it a 400w plus system? store information shows the comparable to a 400hps but ive only grown under hps -mh systems so im nervous about my purchase i hope an honest opinion or some knowledge will reassure me with my decision to move with the future of lighting and it makes my pockets cry much less at utilites time

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Originally Posted by adamrichnorml

i need some advice on a system i am putting together im gonna be using a complete hydroponic system and i have purchased 4 led panels with a wave length reading of Red: 640nm Blue: 460nm they are 56w each units do you think these will produce a positive result or should i step out and purchase another few panels and make it a 400w plus system? store information shows the comparable to a 400hps but ive only grown under hps -mh systems so im nervous about my purchase i hope an honest opinion or some knowledge will reassure me with my decision to move with the future of lighting and it makes my pockets cry much less at utilites time

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I think this would depend on the type of panel. You said 56w, the only 56w panel that I'm aware of uses tail-through 'lite-brite' diodes. While these panels will work, they won't work as well as a panel using SMT diodes, which will output much brighter at the same power draw. Also, you'll have to keep those panels further away from your plants so to allow the light to combine and cover the plant evenly.

Total 224 watts of LED. Well, if you do everything right, you should match a 400w HPS or MH without too much of a problem.

So are you using 2 different lights or strengths from veg to flower??

:rastasmoke:

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Originally Posted by Kirker

So are you using 2 different lights or strengths from veg to flower??

:rastasmoke:

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I'm using pretty much the same panel all the way through. For the larger plants, I added a couple of screw-in LED spotlights to help cover some of the undercanopy and get more production down there.

Week 7 begins. Would have posted on Saturday but the forums were down.

More pics coming.