LEDs Stripping Back the BS. Vegging 6 Clones under 22 Watts

M

manley55

Active Member
Looking good, read some of your thread responses - led me here.

I used to grow under a large array of lighting. I don't have that equipment anymore and I'm starting over with cfls in a closet. Waiting on clones now. I may need advice on feeding/medium its been awhile and I've never done hydro or dwc which I'm considering ...interested to hear what you would suggest for my current situation

Edit: clones are being rooted in water, also something I've never had to replant in soil
 
PetFlora

PetFlora

Well-Known Member
The purpose of my Grow Threads is to provide the info you need to go from start to finish. You should find all you need within
 
PetFlora

PetFlora

Well-Known Member
Been busy manicuring/trimming harvesting the last 2 HOT5 plants, PLUS, making up new 1 liter APs for the 2 largest clones. Doing so allowed me to get more light to the other 2 clones, plus I moved the Monster Cropped clone from the window into the clone bubbler

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PetFlora

PetFlora

Well-Known Member
The Haul

Gave my biggest plant to a friend who I owed big time. She was closest to the drain hole, so was getting more nutes than the others. This observation got me thinking (see below)

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Mother Phoenix

An experienced friend said Mother Phoenix has 7-10 days max, perfect for seeds to fully mature. Alas, pics inside tent don't show her off.

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Clones

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Next Feeding Development

Looking to develop a modified drip system so that all the nutes from each feed cycle get inside the APs. Hoping to combine my lp misting via drip ring for more spray over the top rocks. Hydro Galaxy has a cool drip ring that can be elevated above the surface. Looks like 2 rows of holes to get wider coverage. That would minimize channeling. Now, if I can combine it with my lp pump, but develop higher pressure than typical drip, I can get more splash on the rocks, distributing the nutes even better. Anybody? Waiting to hear what diameter the inlet on the 6" rings- the larger ones are supposed to be 1/2, though that makes no sense as there are no 1/2" manifolds. Their product page is not specific, or wrong.
 
PetFlora

PetFlora

Well-Known Member
Clones are perking up. When I moved them out of the cloner, the roots had grown too long for the 1 liter APs, so I trimmed a good 3" off each root system. Naturally, this shocked the plants, but they have recovered.

Got the parts ordered for the Hydro Galaxy Drip Ring set up. I'm very excited as this will solve the issue of not getting all the nutrient into the Air Pots.
 
PetFlora

PetFlora

Well-Known Member
3 remaining clones that were not growing due to larger 2 over shadowing them are doing nicely now. Will be harvesting the mother Friday (could do so now, but want to give the seeds a few more days), then will move the clones out of the Rubbermaid tote, and into a larger bubbler in the led tent
 
PetFlora

PetFlora

Well-Known Member
FYI If you haven't been following along, I hooked up the Halo Drip Ring system in my HOT5 tent. Some very interesting early observations. Hope you check it out and sub.

The led clones are doing well (see pic), no more hand feeding, which means roots are getting established close to the moist lava rock.

Time to increase the watts, so I replaced the 12w 5000K Bright White EcoSmart (had it in the center) with 2 Cree WW @ 9.5w, using a splitter

IMG_1543.jpg

Yep, cfls now used to upright a leaning stem :shock:
 
Chronikool

Chronikool

Well-Known Member
Hey Pet...nice haul of 4.29 ounces...got any dry nug shotz for us to perv at? I am no longer a 'completely white man'....660nm has been added....you will have to carry the torch for your new grow.... :)
 
PetFlora

PetFlora

Well-Known Member
Phoenix is almost fully cured. Took the rest down today... hoping for some seeds, but did not disturb the bud beyond trimming I pollinated. Also smoked a few small buds and gave some away, My guess is she lost 60% of her weight, BUT, a very tiny amount lasts for several hours
 
FranJan

FranJan

Well-Known Member
C'mon man when are you gonna build some custom bulbs? Have you seen those kits? I keep seeing them and keep thinking they're perfect for you cause they fit what you're trying to do, keep the costs down because they're not that expensive at all and you can use the LEDS you want, (CREEs, Osrams, Nichias, Bob's), not the ones you get :). They look simple to put together, probably 10 to 20 bucks a bulb and you got the support group to help with the circuitry. Could be an interesting way to go. This is just an example and sorry if the pics are effed up.






Install a little driver like this inside, or you could figure out a way to power several with a remote driver,



then slap on the diodes you want, which you could probably just use thermal adhesive if you don't drive them too hard and you're done. It might take some time to find the right bulb kit and driver, but it be worth it for you in the long run if you want to keep experimenting/growing this way. Just a thought. Happy Growing PF.
 
PetFlora

PetFlora

Well-Known Member
FJ, not sure where you are directing me. I am using various household globes, similar to that which you pictured, though mine do not break down. Is this new tech... mix and match? KOOL

As to DIY, not yet. There are way too many technical improvements being made in all phases of LED tech to spend MY $$$ just now.

If I were to jump in now, it would likely be with heat pipes + multiple 20-50w mc diodes
 
PetFlora

PetFlora

Well-Known Member
^^ It's not like I am walking.:mrgreen::rolleyes:

You must have seen the pics of Phoenix to be asking for a cured shot. I gave several branches away and have smoked some. 4 branches drying now, one bud has seeds (I hope), so need to fully cure and remove them before weighing as well.

Surprisingly, her 2 clones under HOT5 seem far bushier than growing Phoenix from seed. Now, it could be the halo system, or the fact that the bubbler I grew Phoenix in was not as ideal as it should have been. That has been corrected with 2 more of her clones under household LEDs
 
FranJan

FranJan

Well-Known Member
Yeah they're kits to make your own bulb. That one is 5 x 1 watt capable so 2 NW, 2 WW and 1 wide-band 630 for you, right :). And they're cheap and getting cheaper, so on a small scale I feel they could be very effective testing out certain LEDs without buying the farm. But whatever floats ya boat PF. And "mc" diodes? I missed that one it seems or I just don't get that slang you kids ;) speak today.
 
PetFlora

PetFlora

Well-Known Member
I suspected as much. So why doesn't someone make a mc (multi-chip) board that drops in?

I can tell you from my experience using both the 22w Utilitech and the Philips 17w, that the passive heat sinks get pretty damn hot, so I think we are at the limits of passive heat dissipation for globe bulbs.

I still think the easy and cheap DIY is heat pipes plus mc (multichip) diodes (hopefully they were designed to disperse ~ 100w) . At some point I will inquire as to how much heat they can comfortably dissipate
 
stardustsailor

stardustsailor

Well-Known Member
Heat pipes do not dissipate heat ,if you meant something like that ...
Neither they are used for actual cooling ....

What heat pipes do is conduct / transfer the heat from point A to Point B.

(I.e from a led heatslug to a 'remote ' heatsink ....)

Heat pipes can not be used for cooling ,just by themselves ....


( WTF ? Do I just love being a 'wiseguy' - 'smartass ' all the time ? .....)
 
heckler73

heckler73

Well-Known Member
FranJan

FranJan

Well-Known Member
PetFlora said:
I suspected as much. So why doesn't someone make a mc (multi-chip) board that drops in?

I can tell you from my experience using both the 22w Utilitech and the Philips 17w, that the passive heat sinks get pretty damn hot, so I think we are at the limits of passive heat dissipation for globe bulbs.

I still think the easy and cheap DIY is heat pipes plus mc (multichip) diodes (hopefully they were designed to disperse ~ 100w) . At some point I will inquire as to how much heat they can comfortably dissipate
Click to expand...
Well they sort of make a drop in multi, they use the new multi chip design called COB (Chip On Board) LED, though I haven't seen a straight up bulb kit they're probably out there and I've seen bulbs that use them. Basically it's a multi chip design that's easier to cool. You're gonna like COBs I bet PF since they also are better at blending light because of the compactness of the LED die. Lots of intensity. We'll probably be using them real soon. I was thinking of getting some instead of the XP-Es I got but I figured I'd skip a generation or two and see how much better they get. The one's CREE make probably work for us but $$$$ (relatively speaking). And don't think of passive cooling as peaking sir, think that if you improve the LED you'll reduce it's cooling requirement and produce the same light. Bulb designers hate active cooling. To them it means there is a design mistake, (see Lenk and Lenk on Led Design, Schubert, et al.).

 
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