Citizen grow

abaloneandbuds

abaloneandbuds

Active Member
The next page would suggest I can use it to either drive in constant current or constant voltage.

The only thing I can think is that I have a new generation of the drivers?

Edit: an important note, if I'm wrong I definitely want to know. I'm not trying to argue, I'm trying to make sure I have the right drivers.
 

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DrBlaze

DrBlaze

Well-Known Member
Ok, well looks like I was off-base, that these can go that much lower. Its just that you can only limit them to 43v, so you don't have the built-in protection you would have with the 36A or 42A.

Just curious, how many cobs were you going to run per driver? Because your driver isn't the optimal size for those cobs, I don't think that you're going to get everything out of it you could. You implied earlier that you were going for 50w per cob, and the 1212 needs to be run at around 1.4a for that.

I don't think you'll be anywhere near the 3.9a max listed on the spec sheet since you're basically underdriving them by around 25%.
 
abaloneandbuds

abaloneandbuds

Active Member
DrBlaze said:
Ok, well looks like I was off-base, that these can go that much lower. Its just that you can only limit them to 43v, so you don't have the built-in protection you would have with the 36A or 42A.

Just curious, how many cobs were you going to run per driver? Because your driver isn't the optimal size for those cobs, I don't think that you're going to get everything out of it you could. You implied earlier that you were going for 50w per cob, and the 1212 needs to be run at around 1.4a for that.

I don't think you'll be anywhere near the 3.9a max listed on the spec sheet since you're basically underdriving them by around 25%.
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Max current is 3.9A, and I'm splitting that between 3 cobs, so 1.3A per. Should come out to just about 50w.

You're right, it's not the ideal driver, but I wanted the flexibility of the extra voltage, and I was cut a deal because of the volume
 
DrBlaze

DrBlaze

Well-Known Member
But I don't think you can max out a driver unless you're using it near its voltage limit. So how many of those drivers do you have at present?
 
abaloneandbuds

abaloneandbuds

Active Member
DrBlaze said:
But I don't think you can max out a driver unless you're using it near its voltage limit. So how many of those drivers do you have at present?
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Correct, they're rated for 185w and I'll only be able to get about 150 out of them.

I have 23, so 22 will have 3 cobs and one will have 4.
 
DrBlaze

DrBlaze

Well-Known Member
Since you've got way more cobs than you need for that area, and you've already got them mounted and the fixtures made, why not just run them at ~25w (6 per driver) they get really efficient at that range (the same as running an 1825 at 50w) the total amount of light would be more than enough for that area (and is dimmable), and your efficiency would be in the high 50's (prob near 60%). Also those heatsinks don't seem all that incredibly beefy, this way you'd need much less air movement.

You'd still have the option of changing things up later if you increased your space.
 
abaloneandbuds

abaloneandbuds

Active Member
I'm spreading them out because of the extra light.

The heatsinks are liquid heat exchangers. Goal for the design was less than a 5°c rise at specified power.
 
abaloneandbuds

abaloneandbuds

Active Member
No, I built them with the assistance of a local welder.

I've been approached but a few shops about building a commercial fixture, and will probably be designing one soon here.

This setup will be a test bed for spacing, power, Temps, flows, etc
 
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D

dankylarry

Active Member
woah I too saw them heat sinks & thought they need fans. Even saw the PVC & didn't think water blocks. Thats super slick! Can't wait to check it out in action!
 
abaloneandbuds

abaloneandbuds

Active Member
Slow going, been working 60+ hours, but I got my gals in. Running 18/6 right now in 5 gal vermicrop potting soil. Watering with 5gal water, calimagic, armor si, and h2o2.

The AC is drawing air through my radiator. It's all pretty ugly but functional right now. The ac has been pretending to be a fan for 17.5 out of the 18 hours. The room takes roughly 4 hours to come up from 60f to 80f where the ac kicks in.

Definitely have revisions to make, but the core concepts are appearing functional.
 

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abaloneandbuds

abaloneandbuds

Active Member
Thought I'd give you guys an update.

Trimmed off a bathroom wastebasket of water leaves and switched to flower.

Temp controller is installed, set for 63f nights and 77f days, and holding to that pretty well.

I'm always amazed how they respond so positively to trimming.

Beta of the water cooled led bars are still in design. Currently, I'm seeing 28.5c bar Temps for 19c back room (cooling room, where the radiator is) Temps. I suspect the increase in delta is solely due to the interface of water to aluminum. Frankly, 9c is perfectly acceptable to me.

Also, I was bleaching my top leaves hard. I turned the drivers from 0.68a to 0.55 on average... about 3000watts total now.

But, these days everything seems pretty happy... pics tell most of the story.
 

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DrBlaze

DrBlaze

Well-Known Member
abaloneandbuds said:
vermicrop potting soil. Watering with 5gal water, calimagic, armor si, and h2o2.
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Hi there, thanks for the update. Just wondering about the h2o2...

If you're using an organic soil, the whole idea is that the soil microbes break down the organics in the soil and then release the nutrients to the plant (a symbiotic relationship). But h2o2 kills the microbes and sterilizes the soil (the reason people use h2o2 in sterile hydroponic systems). This isn't something I've ever heard of organic growers doing. What's your thinking on this?

Not trying to tear apart your grow :) Just curious since I've only heard of 1 person doing this in the past (Tricky-D on the Grower"s Roundtable on Friday nights, and the other growers all basically said that made no sense - especially the organic soil growers)

Nice room btw :)
 
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abaloneandbuds

abaloneandbuds

Active Member
Hey blaze,
Yeah originally I was doing some reading that suggested it was good for keeping the feed oxygenated.

Then I heard about it killing the microbes and dropped it. Since then I've added in formic acid and b1, and ran a couple of waterings with a microbe seeding supplement.
 
DrBlaze

DrBlaze

Well-Known Member
abaloneandbuds said:
Hey blaze,
Yeah originally I was doing some reading that suggested it was good for keeping the feed oxygenated.

Then I heard about it killing the microbes and dropped it. Since then I've added in formic acid and b1, and ran a couple of waterings with a microbe seeding supplement.
Click to expand...
Cool. Check out realgrowers Recharge on Amazon. Its got mycorrhizae, bacteria, fungi, tricoderma, humic, fulvic, powdered molasses, aminos and more. The best all-in-one bio-supplement you will find. Organic too.
 
abaloneandbuds

abaloneandbuds

Active Member
Day 38 and impatience is setting in bad bad bad.

Pocket microscope is ordered.

I should have trimmed out 50% more than I did before the switch, as my colas are a little small, but my secondary buds aren't looking bad so I'll live with it.
 

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abaloneandbuds

abaloneandbuds

Active Member
Alright, two of my girls look like they're getting way too hot... only it hasn't been hotter than 75f. Only two things have happened in the same time frame. I stopped CO2, and I started watering without nutrients...

Any thoughts on what I might be fighting here? Thanks in advance.
 

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