Quote Originally Posted by DreadedHermie
Weezard, what's up?

Just disposed of all my sugarleaf.
A buddy, a few beers, his schwag, my schwag, (tomato, of course),
Some buckets, some ice, a sunset.
There are many ways to be busy.


Been super busy, I just hung the 6+2 led light in place of the 400 HPS and got back to real world issues for awhile. Everything looks good. Severe heat stress definitely improved. Plants seemed happy right off the bat; transpiration hassles diminished, too. Plants do NOT seem to be pining for any missing frequencies or intensity.

Been tinkering with the blue ratio, hard to figure anything out in a hurry. Have to wait for the plants to tell me what they like. At first, I just ran all the leds at 1.2 A. But now I've got the blue driver turned all the way down. (13.16V) Haven't checked the current draw at that voltage but it can't be much. The driver for the blues is cooler than the PLN 60-12 which is driving only 2 reds at 10.85V. Not sure I need 2 blues for the next light, at least not this month! (Already have the reds.) Might wanna do a side-by-side with 1 blue vs. 2 blues. Ideal probably varies according to development stage of the plant.

"My mistake" on the heatsink / shield things. They are not impressed with my neodymium magnet, so maybe they are anodized aluminum.

Good bet!

Being new at this I just have a hard time viewing those things as heatsinks when they're sealed up in that plastic housing. Seems terribly ineffective.

Actually, they are just that. HeatSINKS. rather than heat pumps or pipes, etc.
It is effective in adding "beef" to a PN junction that would go poof without it. but, is ineffficient in dumping that heat elsewhere.


Thanks again for all of your help, encouragement, and kind words. I do intend to do a build log and show how to put together a plug-n-play like this. These prefab drivers are pricey, but folks with heat issues will find it worthwhile, and simple to do. I'll start a log in this forum or the "grow log" section if that seems more appropriate. I'll build the light and photograph the steps within a week or 2, but it may be a while before I can begin the tutorial.

This has been a rare pleasure.
Your humor is much appreciated.
The wife says you are a "hoot".

I like your style. And we are both "richer" for this.

Though, I'm not quite done with this thread.
Still not sure what to do with this last order of 10 LEDs.
I free'd up my variable PS and will be testing for Vf. tomorrow.
Do you think I should start a new DIY thread or just continue to thrash about in yours?

Also want to retest the leds for Vf after 25 days of 12 / 12 which is 300 hours of operation. I read somewhere the leds may burn-in during this period and I wanna check it for myself--see if I've grown a sub-10.6Vf "current hog."

Good idea, I believe that was from greenpinlane

Regards, Hermie
Please excuse brainfarts and scatterings
li'l 'zard be bubbled tonight.:stoned:

ciao
Weeze