Eb gen 2 finally built. Setup questions

So I took the dive and build a EB gen 2 build for my 4x4 tent. Followed led gardener strip builds with 24x 2’ strips at 3000k as it’s going to be a flower only light and not used for veg. And digikey has the 2’ cheap enough I just had to go for it and make the switch from my 600w HPS.

I just have a few questions tho
1) I got the 480h-24a driver. It has a voltage and amperage adjust. To dim it do I just leave the voltage fully dialed up and dim with the amperage adjust? I have newly rooted clones which haven’t seen the HPS so I’m guessing I’ll need to dim this thing a bit at first

2) what height would you set the fixture at above the canopy? Or where would you recommend starting height at ?

3) is it best to set the fixture above the canopy at your desired height and dim it down. Or run it fill out and adjust the height as the plants can take it?

Sorry for the questions I just got used to my HPS so looking for a little advice before I toss it in the tent tomorrow

You for sure don"t want to hit new clones with 480 watts if you are going low to the canopy really you can dim it to 33 -50% for vegg and 75- 100% for flower. I think most run those between 12 to 24 inches from the canopy. Running closer to the canopy is more efficient but people do hang their lights high and turn them all the way up and get let the plants grow up to the light. Big rooms are better to go high where you have to worry about bumping your head on a bunch of lights but small one light grows not to big a deal. I would go close to the canopy in a 4x4.

Thanks for the advice. I will set it about 16” off and dim it down see how it goes

You can get a watt meter to figure out how much you have dimmed 160 watts is 33 % of 480 Otherwise it is tough to tell how much you have acutally dimmed. https://www.amazon.com/Electricity-Monitor-Voltage-Overload-Protection/dp/B07DPJ3RGB/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=watt+meter&qid=1578194267&sr=8-5

So the EBs are actually brighter than the Vestas by like 20-30%? Or is the lumen output on the Vestas listed on digikey for only one channel and it's actually double that 3,192lm #?

Airwalker16 said:

So the EBs are actually brighter than the Vestas by like 20-30%? Or is the lumen output on the Vestas listed on digikey for only one channel and it's actually double that 3,192lm #?

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I’ll be honest I’m not the right person to answer this one

So I hung it yesterday mid afternoon. Plants seemed to reach for the light immediately, which I was really pleased about.

But more importantly to me was the environmental factor.

With my air cooled 600 HPS I was extracting so much air to keep the temps under control that my lights on humidity would never even reach 30%
and then as soon as my lights went out as my temps dropped my humidity would spike to over 60% which ran into the problem keep the fan running to pull humidity which then also dropped my temps lower

Just with the fixture In there with no extraction fan running my temps are at 78 and my RH @ 60% and then lights out dropped to 70 and my humidity raised to 65%.

The stability alone for me will be a huge win. Not having to run my extraction fan all the time will get my humidity and temps much closer to a reasonable VPD then I ever could in a tent without AC

Oh and I can tell under the white LEDs I’ll be able to notice any deficiencies much much easier then under the yellow HPS

Airwalker16 said:

So the EBs are actually brighter than the Vestas by like 20-30%? Or is the lumen output on the Vestas listed on digikey for only one channel and it's actually double that 3,192lm number?

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@coreywebster @ChiefRunningPhist @Chip Green

Airwalker16 said:

@coreywebster @ChiefRunningPhist @Chip Green

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I don't know too much about bridgelux strips, but are we comparing gen 3 90cri to vesta 90cri? Or 80cri to 90cri? On paper the 90cri always look sad, when I first got my citi cobs and then as an after thought checked the lumen output my heart sank, but the 90cri 1825s kicked ass in my old tent.
@Rocket Soul is far more familiar with them vestas.

Airwalker16 said:

So the EBs are actually brighter than the Vestas by like 20-30%? Or is the lumen output on the Vestas listed on digikey for only one channel and it's actually double that 3,192lm #?

Click to expand...

Yes approx. The vesta is 2 channels, 1 amp nominal per channnel. I like to. Drive them at 20w per strip total, everything in parallel but separate wagos for each channel: you get 3 sep spectrums: 5000k, 2700k, and both at same time approx 4000k 90 cri. Search vesta teknik here on riu to find actual tests, iirc theyre approx 2.2 at 20w one channel.

The specs do look a bit shitty on paper but they beat our sammies 3000k in our test. Also, to have the extra channel for veg, stretch control, finishin or whatever is cool. The 4000k 90cri grew more or less the same as 3000k 80cri.

Rocket Soul said:

The specs do look a bit shitty on paper but they beat our sammies 3000k in our test. Also, to have the extra channel for veg, stretch control, finishin or whatever is cool. The 4000k 90cri grew more or less the same as 3000k 80cri.

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So very strange.
So I'm still not clear. The 3190 lumens is for the entire Vesta being ran with both channels right?
And the EB # of 4000ish is obviously from the single row and channel of leds.

Airwalker16 said:

So very strange.
So I'm still not clear. The 3190 lumens is for the entire Vesta being ran with both channels right?
And the EB # of 4000ish is obviously from the single row and channel of leds.

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It would be nominal for one channel: 25x 130ish.

Rocket Soul said:

It would be nominal for one channel: 25x 130ish.

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What's 25X130?

Airwalker16 said:

And the EB # of 4000ish

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That's the 1120mm EBs....the 560mm we're in the 2400 range per strip....

But is the bridgelux calculator true ? Bet I could sell a light or two that could really do 3.4 umol/j

Airwalker16 said:

What's 25X130?

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25w nominal power per channel x 130ish lum/w =that 3000ish number you were looking at. So its per channel, not both

Rocket Soul said:

25w nominal power per channel x 130ish lum/w =that 3000ish number you were looking at. So its per channel, not both

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So vestas put out actually 6000-6500 lum. Right on.

You're right. 2,390 for the 2' EBs. Looks like vestas are around 20% more light for your dollar per lumen output.

Chip Green said:

That's the 1120mm EBs....the 560mm we're in the 2400 range per strip....

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