QB96 Elite V2 w/ SSTX heatsink question

[Randomblame]

Day 25 from cloner: All mains survived the tiedown, tightened them this morning, expect to do final topping later this week, train the resulting 8 mains, and go vertical to 12-14” flowering height in next 2 weeks. Aggressive schedule for 18:6, but these lights may be up to it...

View attachment 4275711 View attachment 4275713

Some yuge fans, and tight, tight nodes...can’t get enuff of these 96s.

Uvb at 36 mins/day (~100+ uW/cm sq) and holding for now...uvb is just one small part of this grow, seeing tip leaves overdosing...backed off to this level...not gonna push them further until flowering.

View attachment 4275714

The spectrum of these agromax bulbs is much different to the natural UV spectrum.
The green line is the natural UVA/B level in the UK and as you can see there is almost no UVB below 300nm. Its filtered by the atmosphere. The higher we go the more the green line shifts to the left side and the amount of UVB gets higher and goes deeper into the UVB range(closer to UVC). At some point (+1000m) the spectrum contains enough UVB in the region that responds to the UVR8 molecule but only a very small part falls in this area.(286nm triggers UVR



I can not put them on top of each other but you can see that the Agromax spectrum already claws at the 275nm mark and has much more UVB in the 280-300nm range than normal sunlight. If we consider only 280-300nm to be the required wavelength it takes only a fraction of the time to reach the same dose with such a bulb.
The dose below 300nm is for sure much higher then natural (maybe 4000 or 5000m level) and this is for sure stress pure.
I don't know which light was used in the pdf about UVB but they have for sure not used an Agromax tube.
The blue line in the 1st screenie is the Arcadia D3dessert and I see only very little output below 290 and 300nm and no light in 280nm. But these 10nm seem to have the potential to cause much more stress.

 

[Or_Gro]

The spectrum of these agromax bulbs is much different to the natural UV spectrum.
The green line is the natural UVA/B level in the UK and as you can see there is almost no UVB below 300nm. Its filtered by the atmosphere. The higher we go the more the green line shifts to the left side and the amount of UVB gets higher and goes deeper into the UVB range(closer to UVC). At some point (+1000m) the spectrum contains enough UVB in the region that responds to the UVR8 molecule but only a very small part falls in this area.(286nm triggers UVR


View attachment 4275835
I can not put them on top of each other but you can see that the Agromax spectrum already claws at the 275nm mark and has much more UVB in the 280-300nm range than normal sunlight. If we consider only 280-300nm to be the required wavelength it takes only a fraction of the time to reach the same dose with such a bulb.
The dose below 300nm is for sure much higher then natural (maybe 4000 or 5000m level) and this is for sure stress pure.
I don't know which light was used in the pdf about UVB but they have for sure not used an Agromax tube.
The blue line in the 1st screenie is the Arcadia D3dessert and I see only very little output below 290 and 300nm and no light in 280nm. But these 10nm seem to have the potential to cause much more stress.
View attachment 4275843

Very nice RB, as usual!

Looks like if you want UVR8 activity, the sun at low elevations, as well as reptile tubes, won’t do it; and agromax tube needs to be handled with care, as you and i both have learned....

Can’t wait for you to work it all out, and hand us the recipe...

Btw, anyone make a 286nm diode?

Thanks man!

 

[yummy fur]

I'm not sure what mapping you're talking about. I'm still on the way to learning about all these new aspects of LEDs I didn't have to worry about modding flashlights.

For a small grow get individual lamps and drivers, best driver (because it's the most powerful without needing active cooling) is the hgl 185h 54A.
You can dim them either by turning down the current or turning down the V.
I am using this chart from the HLG website info on the QB96 to set the voltage. I've got them currently (no pun intended) set to 52V which looks about half as bright as they can go. So about 90W seem about right. I got a plug in Watt meter that showed both lights at 52V were drawing 210W at the wall, which seems about right. So setting by Voltage works and is easier to adjust than the current for me anyway.

It's easy to poke a pointing probe into a connector to see the voltage, but to do the current easily requires a clamp meter that does DC Amps. I have also discovered that the pots on the A drivers, are marked from 1 to 11, they aren't numbered but there's 11 marks, there's a cross with two dots the part of the cross that is between the two dots is the pointer. They may be in either of two positions, and the two pots may also be oriented opposite to each other, like this... I have Voltage on 6 which appears to be 1/2 power. As you can see this is the same pot upside down they are both reading 5 but you won't see any red numbers!

If you just want a few QB's that's all you really need to know, most of the time spent researching is finding out what you don't need to know.

 

[TokenBlackGuyIC]

Looks like HLG is sold out of qb96 elites. Hopefully they come back in soon

 

[yummy fur]

Looks like HLG is sold out of qb96 elites. Hopefully they come back in soon

That's satisfying to know as I've just finished setting them up. I was going to get a s/h platinum P300 locally but I got let down and just ordered a couple of the boards and engines from the States. I think I was ripped at the time. Turned out to be a good move.

 

[Randomblame]

Very nice RB, as usual!

Looks like if you want UVR8 activity, the sun at low elevations, as well as reptile tubes, won’t do it; and agromax tube needs to be handled with care, as you and i both have learned....

Can’t wait for you to work it all out, and hand us the recipe...

Btw, anyone make a 286nm diode?

Thanks man!

No clue! I've only seen 290nm in 6v/20-60mA, hella expensive and not as durable like white diodes. So for now T5's are the best way to add UVB.
My recommendation for now is 4x 15mins per day with 20-24" distance. Each strains respond is a lil' different. Some can handle more others less. From 5 strains only Bluedream shows no burning symptoms (lengthwise rolled-in leaves) even though it is the largest plant. I would have expected the Columbian Gold as most UVB resistent cuz the description says its a land race but now I think it's just a lie. A true land race from the columbian highlands would for sure not have so much problems.
The best thing one can do is probably to use a dimmable ballast. Would be the easiest way to figure out the maximum dose a strain can handle and you'd not be forced to play with the distance and lose the optimal hanging height for the LED's.

 

[Randomblame]

Looks like HLG is sold out of qb96 elites. Hopefully they come back in soon

You can still place an order and as soon as they are back in stock they will be shipped. When you wait it takes maybe even longer cuz the guys which have ordered in the meantime will get their boards at first. Depending on order volume they could again run out of stock, lol!

 

[Or_Gro]

No clue! I've only seen 290nm in 6v/20-60mA, hella expensive and not as durable like white diodes. So for now T5's are the best way to add UVB.
My recommendation for now is 4x 15mins per day with 20-24" distance. Each strains respond is a lil' different. Some can handle more others less. From 5 strains only Bluedream shows no burning symptoms (lengthwise rolled-in leaves) even though it is the largest plant. I would have expected the Columbian Gold as most UVB resistent cuz the description says its a land race but now I think it's just a lie. A true land race from the columbian highlands would for sure not have so much problems.
The best thing one can do is probably to use a dimmable ballast. Would be the easiest way to figure out the maximum dose a strain can handle and you'd not be forced to play with the distance and lose the optimal hanging height for the LED's.

Your recco is in reference to agromax pure uv, jic others don't know...

 

[Or_Gro]

You can still place an order and as soon as they are back in stock they will be shipped. When you wait it takes maybe even longer cuz the guys which have ordered in the meantime will get their boards at first. Depending on order volume they could again run out of stock, lol!

Agree...knowing there is demand helps them in making prouction run decisions...

get your order in, i’m ordering more...

 

[Or_Gro]

Agree...knowing there is demand helps them in making prouction run decisions...

get your order in, i’m ordering more...

They’re back in stock...better hurry!

 

[yummy fur]

FFIW two boards on two 185H 54A's 53.4V drawing 2.7A and 53.8V drawing 2.9A for a total of 300W drawing at the wall 335W Running at 60C (measured at the back) in 30C ambient temperatures so that's pretty good.

 

[Black Thumb]

So i have 4 of these QB96 hooked up to a HLG320-54V . Versus 9 288 boards hooked up to the same driver. The 288's run at 319 watts the QB 96 run at 338 watts.
The QB96 are SOOOOOOOOO Fuckin bright its crazy it makes my 9 -288 boards look like a damn night light.

I took a lux meter at 12 inches the 288's are getting 350 (x100) and the QB96s are getting 600 (x100). I don't get how they increased by 70% Blows my mind.

I suck at math but using those numbers in a perfect grow does that mean yield would improve by 70% ?
So say you got 1 gram per watt would that mean 1.7 grams per watt in theory , or am i being ignorant to how the math works ?

 

[Or_Gro]

So i have 4 of these QB96 hooked up to a HLG320-54V . Versus 9 288 boards hooked up to the same driver. The 288's run at 319 watts the QB 96 run at 338 watts.
The QB96 are SOOOOOOOOO Fuckin bright its crazy it makes my 9 -288 boards look like a damn night light.

I took a lux meter at 12 inches the 288's are getting 350 (x100) and the QB96s are getting 600 (x100). I don't get how they increased by 70% Blows my mind.

I suck at math but using those numbers in a perfect grow does that mean yield would improve by 70% ?
So say you got 1 gram per watt would that mean 1.7 grams per watt in theory , or am i being ignorant to how the math works ?

This is what you’re 96s look like closeuplike:


For bigger yields, better lights are generally necessary but not sufficient...if you have your equip and growing process dialed in, you could already have over 2g/w from your 288s. Besting that would be a feat.

I have clones of 4 strains that are 2-3 weeks from going 12:12 in two 4x4s: one with eight 288s, the other with six 96s.

We’ll see how they compare...

 

[Randomblame]

So i have 4 of these QB96 hooked up to a HLG320-54V . Versus 9 288 boards hooked up to the same driver. The 288's run at 319 watts the QB 96 run at 338 watts.
The QB96 are SOOOOOOOOO Fuckin bright its crazy it makes my 9 -288 boards look like a damn night light.

I took a lux meter at 12 inches the 288's are getting 350 (x100) and the QB96s are getting 600 (x100). I don't get how they increased by 70% Blows my mind.

I suck at math but using those numbers in a perfect grow does that mean yield would improve by 70% ?
So say you got 1 gram per watt would that mean 1.7 grams per watt in theory , or am i being ignorant to how the math works ?

9 QB288's spread the light much more like 4 QB96 and the 2.592 QB diodes run with only a fraction of the current compared to the 384 QB96 diodes. That means you have to reduce the distance with the nine 288 boards much more to get the same or even better intensity.
When the QB96's are best used between 12 and 18" hanging height at 85w you need probably 6-12" on the QB288 side to reach the same intensity when you run the boards at such a low level! At ~35w per boards the diodes run with only 0,12w!

Efficiency of QBv1 and QB96's is comparable but it depends on the situation which one fits your needs better.
9 f.... boards on a single 320w driver means almost the whole ceiling is covered in low driven diodes. With such a setup you get good uniformity already 5-6" below the boards. Good uniformity is when you have consistent lux/PAR readings across the whole surface area and +80% is already pretty good.

If you use a higher distance its already a waste, bro! Light get's lost on the walls!!! The outer diodes literally kissing the walls already! Set the optimal hanging height where you have 80% consistent readings and then stay with it and use the dimmer to set the brightness level the plants need. You can't profit from such a setup if you don't do it right!

 

[MattockMycol]

Hi Everyone,

I have 2x4 ft tent for flowering. I have 3 qb96 elite v2's. Right now the space above each plant gets about 26,000 lux at a distance of 24", and the plants are going to be in vegetation for about 4 more weeks. Currently I have the middle light powered by an hlg 185 54, and the two outside powered by an hlg 320 54. What would be the best arrangement for five plants?


Thanks

 

[Or_Gro]

Hi Everyone,

I have 2x4 ft tent for flowering. I have 3 qb96 elite v2's. Right now the space above each plant gets about 26,000 lux at a distance of 24", and the plants are going to be in vegetation for about 4 more weeks. Currently I have the middle light powered by an hlg 185 54, and the two outside powered by an hlg 320 54. What would be the best arrangement for five plants?


Thanks

Here’s the mapping for three 96s at 18”. If you lay out the lights as shown, the area between the green dots approximates a 2x4. In fact, it probably underestimates the ppfd for that size footprint, cuz the walls are closer to the lights.

160 watts/bd is easily doable (cuz of wall effect, you prob can dim or raise ht some more); this is near perfect coverage of max intensity during flowering. As such, from a lighting perspective, you can place your plants anywhere that isn’t shaded and the tips that are at the target gap from lights will be happy and fruitful.

During veg one 96 can be turned off and you can use the 2 light mapping (earlier in thread) to set your target intensity coverage.

 

[MattockMycol]

Here’s the mapping for three 96s at 18”. If you lay out the lights as shown, the area between the green dots approximates a 2x4. In fact, it probably underestimates the ppfd for that size footprint, cuz the walls are closer to the lights.

160 watts/bd is easily doable (cuz of wall effect, you prob can dim or raise ht some more); this is near perfect coverage of max intensity during flowering. As such, from a lighting perspective, you can place your plants anywhere that isn’t shaded and the tips that are at the target gap from lights will be happy and fruitful.

During veg one 96 can be turned off and you can use the 2 light mapping (earlier in thread) to set your target intensity coverage.

View attachment 4278782

Thanks, I am definitely going to turn a light off for veg.
That diagram really saves me a lot of time for finding how to make a more even canopy for the whole tent. Is the diagram drawn to scale with 6" per square or should two of the lights be 19" from the door wall of a 4x4?

 

[music64]

Here’s the mapping for three 96s at 18”. If you lay out the lights as shown, the area between the green dots approximates a 2x4. In fact, it probably underestimates the ppfd for that size footprint, cuz the walls are closer to the lights.

160 watts/bd is easily doable (cuz of wall effect, you prob can dim or raise ht some more); this is near perfect coverage of max intensity during flowering. As such, from a lighting perspective, you can place your plants anywhere that isn’t shaded and the tips that are at the target gap from lights will be happy and fruitful.

During veg one 96 can be turned off and you can use the 2 light mapping (earlier in thread) to set your target intensity coverage.

View attachment 4278782

thanks for posting that. i was thinking about doing three qb96 in a 2x3 but instead of 18" at 120w i was thinking 12" and probably 60 - 80 watts. would that still have decent coverage doing three plants one directly under each one

 

[Or_Gro]

Thanks, I am definitely going to turn a light off for veg.
That diagram really saves me a lot of time for finding how to make a more even canopy for the whole tent. Is the diagram drawn to scale with 6" per square or should two of the lights be 19" from the door wall of a 4x4?

Each grid square is 6”x6”, the numbers are accurate, the drawing is artistic...because of walls, start with your best shot and adjust from there...come back later with pics of natives hauling your colas to the warehouse...

 

[Or_Gro]

thanks for posting that. i was thinking about doing three qb96 in a 2x3 but instead of 18" at 120w i was thinking 12" and probably 60 - 80 watts. would that still have decent coverage doing three plants one directly under each one

12” probably won’t work well (see mapping), due to crosslighting issues mentioned earlier in this thread...not sure you want three in a 2x3; i have the icarus urge too, so if you do it, report back on your results...