GrumpyOlddude
Active Member
Has anyone used 390nm-430nm violet LED’s and if so to what effect? Also what ratio did you use them with COB’s.
This is what I'm doing with UV and COBSHas anyone used 390nm-430nm violet LED’s and if so to what effect? Also what ratio did you use them with COB’s.
I agree. I'm not a fan of digital UV at this point.In that range are they even actually regarded as true uv or just show pieces on the lights and just a mind marketing trick. I know real uv chips are very expensive and can burn out quick.
Looks like you definitely known what your doing. Very cool set up too. How have you got on with your uv set up, notice any differences. Mind sharing what sort of size your working with there under the lights. Thats the first time I've seen tubes that big employed in such a set up. Id be interested in how you use them and if you see much detrimental effects on the plants. Its really interesting to see someone push the boundaries a little and think outside the box. Appreciate the pictures.
Hi,Looks like you definitely known what your doing. Very cool set up too. How have you got on with your uv set up, notice any differences. Mind sharing what sort of size your working with there under the lights. Thats the first time I've seen tubes that big employed in such a set up. Id be interested in how you use them and if you see much detrimental effects on the plants. Its really interesting to see someone push the boundaries a little and think outside the box. Appreciate the pictures.
Yes, but not with COBs. The effect was a higher percentage of cannabinoids than those grown under UVB. This is our third test on the subject (UVA/Violet vs UVB): https://rollitup.org/t/latest-uva-vs-uvb-cannabinoid-test-results.1052083/Has anyone used 390nm-430nm violet LED’s and if so to what effect? Also what ratio did you use them with COB’s.
Any speculation on the potential impact of COBs? I use Citizens Vero's. I have 5-1750k, 2-3k and 2-4k. Average color temp equals approximately 2530k.Yes, but not with COBs. The effect was a higher percentage of cannabinoids than those grown under UVB. This is our third test on the subject (UVA/Violet vs UVB): https://rollitup.org/t/latest-uva-vs-uvb-cannabinoid-test-results.1052083/
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Well LEDs are LEDs so it depends on the original spectrum, but almost no COBs have UV or near-UV to begin with except Yuji (that I know of – if anyone knows any others, please tell!), so they would benefit just like any other mid-power LED. There's no voodoo with COBs, they are just LEDs, even though they run hotter and are a little less efficient than mid-powers and others that spread their diodes.Any speculation on the potential impact of COBs? I use Citizens Vero's. I have 5-1750k, 2-3k and 2-4k. Average color temp equals approximately 2530k.
Hi,Well LEDs are LEDs so it depends on the original spectrum, but almost no COBs have UV or near-UV to begin with except Yuji (that I know of – if anyone knows any others, please tell!), so they would benefit just like any other mid-power LED. There's no voodoo with COBs, they are just LEDs, even though they run hotter and are a little less efficient than mid-powers and others that spread their diodes.
Do you know what model COBs you are using? Are you sayig you use both Citizens and Veros (which are made by Bridgelux)? Sorry I'm just trying to figure out exactly what you have already.
Also, I agree with you that fluoro is the chepeast and best form of UVB on the market at the moment, but the question is whether you can equal or beat UVB with UVA and near-UV, which we believe is possible based on our tests. The trick may be the amount of time you expose your plants, as UVB breaks down cannabinoids faster than UVA, so excessive exposure can actually destroy cannabinoids almost as fast as the plant produces them in relation to being exposed to UVB in the first place. With UVA and near-UV, you can expose the plants for longer without breaking down cannabinoids as fast, so this seem to be the secret to why it works so well. LEDs can produce UVA in the higher ranges much more efficiently than fluoro, and while their lifespan is not as long as typipcal LEDS (20,000-30,000 hours vs 50,000), they are getting better all the time. UVB diodes, on the other hand, are expensive to produce (they need ceramic packaging vs plastic) and do not last as long.
So for UVB, I say fluoro, but for UVA above 365nm (especially around 395-405nm) it looks like LED is still the answer.
430nm is a different story, as it coincides with the typical Chlorophyl A peak at the same wavelength and is not typically associated with producing secondary metabolites to the same effect as UV – although blue light is also know to help with production of secondary meabolites. 430 helps with Pfr abserption.
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Thanks! An excellent article and it reinforces my decision to use 5 -1750K cobs in my light configuration. I was trying to duplicate an HPS color profile. I've grown under LED, HPS and CmH. Up until I got the Timber Fatty, my best results were under HPS. I always achieved better yield, terpene/thc performance and bud density. I've surpassed that under the Fatty that I had configured similarly to what this article suggests is optimal.
I'm sorry if my response sounded a bit rude. I didn't mean for it to be, but I was unsure of what it was that you wanted to know. The OP asked the question and I responded that we had done some trials, but that we had not used COBs. I made that point merely to address the subject title. That was all.I'm doing this all out my own pocket. I have not received any financial gain or support from any product that I may mention. This is for my own information as I try to keep upping my game as grower.
There is a lot of conflicting information on the internet about UV. You have provided information that suggests that UVB is bad for THC production. SolarCure suggests the opposite and has their own research information to back up their claims.
Cannabis (solacure.com)
Who's right?....I honestly don't know and the information presented by both side of this question sounds convincing. How does one decide?
I want to be growing my bud under the best conditions and using the most effective lighting, nutrients, techniques and etc. that I can.
I don't care about brand names, light types and so forth. Just looking for guidance and truth to help me reach my goals of growing the best buds that I can.
Thanks,
Yield
Potential underlying physiological basis for the observed yield reduction
Analyzing the results by YPF indicates that a decrease in quantum yield with an increasing blue photon fraction would account for 7% of the 12% decrease in yield (S6 Fig). Although leaf area was not measured, photon capture may have also contributed to the yield reduction. Far-red photons likely had a small contribution to the 12% decrease in yield. Thus, four physiological responses could have contributed to the 12% decrease in yield: 1) blue fraction effect on quantum yield, 2) blue fraction effect on leaf expansion and photon capture, 3) far-red fraction effect on photosynthesis, and 4) far-red fraction effect on leaf expansion and photon capture.
- Blue photons have a lower quantum yield due to photon absorbance by non-photosynthetic pigments within leaves [9].
- Increasing the fraction of blue photons is typically associated with decreased leaf expansion and thus reduced photon capture [17, 19].
- Far-red photons from 701 to 750 nm are photosynthetically active [14, 15].
- Far-red photons can increase yield by modifying morphology and increasing photon capture [25].
No worries, it's all good.I'm sorry if my response sounded a bit rude. I didn't mean for it to be, but I was unsure of what it was that you wanted to know. The OP asked the question and I responded that we had done some trials, but that we had not used COBs. I made that point merely to address the subject title. That was all.
I would be fascinated to see the results of your tests and I applaud you not only for your willingness to spend your own money in the name of science (yes, testing is not cheap!) but on your excellent lighting set-up. Your plants look beautiful and healthy and you have obviously put a lot of time and thought into your set-up.
However, I would like to clear up a couple of things before we go on.
The first is, I am not saying "UVB is bad". What I am saying is UVB degrades canabinoids by accelerating the oxidisation process. This is well-known. While UVB does increase cannabinoids by stressing the plant into producing secondary metabolites, it also breaks them down at the same time. It is the net effect we are interested in.
In other words, how much THC/CBD etc is left over after exposing your plants to UVB considering that UVB helps to increase cannabinoids but also breaks them down at the same time? Is there an optimum amount of time for exposing plants to UVB so as to increase cannabinoid production but to reduce oxidisation? And can the same effect be produced by exposing plants to UVA and near-UV, which is both cheaper (in terms of LED production), less energy consuming, and less dangerous for humans to work under?
That is really the purpose of our tests.
The other point which led to my initial confusion is that colour temperature is not an ideal metric of light output. There are many ways to produce the same kelvin temperature in a light, but the CRI and spectral weavelengths can vary enormously.
If the average colour temp of your lights is around 2500K, then why not just use 2500K COBs alround? Because there are other considerations.
The Veros you are using come in different configurations. The 1750K version is CRI80, however the 3000K versions come in CRI 80, 90, 93, 97 and all of these COBs will have different spectra typically ranging from narrow spread (CRI80) to wide spread (CRI97). There is a big difference in the amount of Far Red in each of these, and Far Red is very important to yield. (There is also a big difference in efficiencies, more of which below.)
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This ^ is not a Bridgelux spectrum chart but it shows how much of a difference there is in the amount of Red and Far Red between the CRI80 and CRI93 versions of these 3000K Cree LEDs. Not all colours are created equal when it comes to lighting plants.
Here is the Vero 29 graph for your 1750K COBs (below), of which there is only one version (CRI80). It is a good choice for supplementing broad-spectrum Red and Far Red as it produces almost 2/3 of its light in this region.
What this proves is that you need to look beyond kelvin temperatures and concentrate more on actual spectrum. But you also need to look at LED efficiency, as higher CRI LEDs tend to have lower efficiencies due to the phosphor coating conversion of blue light (base LED emission, or "blue pump" die) to other colours (green and red).
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Why is Far Red so important? Even the study posted above hypothesizes that the increased Far Red light in the DE HPS fixture may have accounted for some (or all) of the yield increase, negating some of the initial observations about blue light.
So 7 percentage points of the 12% increase in yield was due to higher YPF in the DE HPS vs LED test. That leaves 5 percentage points. Of that, Far Red may have accounted for the increase through Emerson Effect (not mentioned, but implied), and/or photomorphogenic response (large leaf area = more photon capture) which incidentally is also inversely affected by blue light.
We also can't ignore other scientific tests that have shown an increase in blue light can also lead to an increase in THC production. My main concern with the above study is that they used a variety of hemp or CBD-rich cannabis instead of a THC-rich version (0.3% THC is an industrial hemp classification), so we will never know from that study how blue light really affects THC production – which is the ultimate aim of many growers.
I'm sorry for jacking this thread but I think you are doing a great job and will find what works for you. If you can share your resuls with the rest of the community, even better!
Hey mate, well I didn't post here to sell you a light! But I can tell you the R-Specs have negligible Far Red in them, which is where we believe the real yields and shorter flowering times come in. In that respect I think the COBs you have now fit the bill. Even though they are less efficient, the 1750K COBs have a good amount of Far Red.That's the trick getting the right LED grow light....
I'm all ears if you have a suggestion for me.
I have used an HLG R Spec Scorpion
HLG Scorpion® Rspec®
HLG Scorpion Rspec is designed for grows with low ceiling heights or vertical racks. HLG Scorpion Rspec uses 6x Rspec 288 Quantum Boards for an even light spread at just 12" from the canopy. QB 288 uses Samsung's latest LM301H and Deep Red LED 660nm. Commercial Indoor Horticulture LED grow lighthorticulturelightinggroup.com
I'm willing to try something new.