greengrassgrower1
Well-Known Member
With only a few LED runs under my belt i would have to lean towards QBs. Not only in build time and cost, but performance too..
From DEs to LEDs
- Thread starter greengrassgrower1
- Start date
greengrassgrower1
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the kind words..
So for cost ill give you the numbers i remember, dont quote me on this. Here is the cost for the 4 QB rigs.
304s-75 each x 4
Slate 2 -19 each x 4
HLG 240-1050A - 60 each x 2
HD metal shelving - 8 each x 2
HD 6' L metal - 16 each x 1
HD 8" Black Zip tys 8 per 100
Misc. 20
So around 500 or so for 600ws of bad ass LEDs that easily covers a 4x4.
Cheers,
When are slate 2 ever available ??
GreenHighlander
Well-Known Member
Wow the prices sure have come down from years ago then.
My next obvious question is how steep is the learning curve coming from MH/HPS?
Cheers
My next obvious question is how steep is the learning curve coming from MH/HPS?
Cheers
DesertHydro
Well-Known Member
There's a couple things you will have to learn real quick. The lights are way more intense than that seem and they have to be hung higher than you would think and they seem to eat more as well. Other than that it's not bad. I give extra calcium with ledWow the prices sure have come down from years ago then.
My next obvious question is how steep is the learning curve coming from MH/HPS?
Cheers
Toohighmf
Well-Known Member
May I ask what fert regiment and how hot you’re feeding in peak bloom under those qb’s at what height? Also, just curious to the yields being typically lower than the 1.5-1.8gpw I’ve been seeing with qb’s. You obviously know what you’re doing, so I’m curious if it’s the learning curve or getentics, or what.. I’m about to light up 9x 510w 3000k qb’s and just want as much info as I can get before just treating it like an HID grow and blowing it. Thanks!
greengrassgrower1
Well-Known Member
Its no different really.. Hang them higher than you think for the first few days.. Our eyes cant see the actual amount of photons being blasted from these crazy little LEDs..Wow the prices sure have come down from years ago then.
My next obvious question is how steep is the learning curve coming from MH/HPS?
Cheers
Once you see them start to stretch you lower them a little.. In flower i like mine around 18-20" from the tops.
greengrassgrower1
Well-Known Member
The Fert i use are Jacks 321 at Part 1 400, Part 2 100(the Epson salt) Part 3 350(CalNit). I like some Mammoth P aswell.. My city water is at 150ppm, so once nutes are added i am around 1000 sometimes 1100.. Its not a big deal as long as i stay between 800 to 1200..
As far as the yield goes i was stoked on it.. For this strain it was a good pull.. I dont like just looking at numbers and thinking thats what i should get too if i use the same lighting as others..
So many other factors are involved.. Strain type, growing space, environment, and peeps want to feel cool i guess and bump the numbers..
I am sure you can hit those numbers with an upper mid strain when dialed..
Merry Christmas Y'all
DesertHydro
Well-Known Member
Good work and Merry Christmas
Toohighmf
Well-Known Member
Thanks for that. Really appreciate it. How high did you hang your fixture from the canopy?
greengrassgrower1
Well-Known Member
I like 18" + or - 2"..
Toohighmf
Well-Known Member
We run the exact same formula, but you def run a bit hotter. Do you run the same TDS under DE’s as well?
Also, I’ve read about QB’s heavily reducing stretch in transition to bloom. What was your take? Certainly looked like you had a pretty good amount of stretch that first week, but no much after. What was your average canopy height at harvest?
I really appreciate your input. It’s invaluable. Thank you.
Also, I’ve read about QB’s heavily reducing stretch in transition to bloom. What was your take? Certainly looked like you had a pretty good amount of stretch that first week, but no much after. What was your average canopy height at harvest?
I really appreciate your input. It’s invaluable. Thank you.
DesertHydro
Well-Known Member
i think im gonna build a 4 board with a single hlg600 to try out over a 4x4. since they will be pushed pretty hard i think i will attach a pc fan to each board to help cool the heatsinks.
one more random question. how much does your qb rig weigh?? my COB rigs are tipping the scales at around 40 lbs and my tent really doesnt appreciate it lol
one more random question. how much does your qb rig weigh?? my COB rigs are tipping the scales at around 40 lbs and my tent really doesnt appreciate it lol
ganjamystic
Well-Known Member
2 of these work great over a 4x4 in my experience... not sure how much they weigh exactly, but less than 20lbs apiece for sure... if you want to save a few bucks and DIY, you can buy all the parts individually from the cheapest sources--boards and heatsinks from hlg if they're in stock, drivers from arrow or wherever, cords, connectors, etc from amazon or wherever... that way, you can run 4 boards off a single hlg-600 if you want, but the max with 2 of those kits--570ish watts--seems totally adequate to me... I bought just boards and heatsinks from hlg for the first few qb lights I built, but ended up wishing I'd just gone with the kits.. so the next 4 I bought after that I went with the kits.. I still saved a few bucks and got the un-assembled ones, but I ended up wishing I'd just bought them pre-assembled so I could have hung them up the day I got them... instead it ended up taking a week or so before I had the time to put them all together... if you really want to max out a 4x4, you could go with an hlg-600, but drive 6 boards with it instead of 4.. on 3 of those long heatsinks... those heatsinks don't need pc fans at all btw, just the air movement in the room or tent works fine to keep them cool enough to touch (warm but not hot)...
DesertHydro
Well-Known Member
i like the idea of 6 over a 4x4 but it would raise cost by like 30% of the build. from what im seeing here i think 4 will get me going and then i can expand from there since they are so modular. i DIY everything to save what i can.
ganjamystic
Well-Known Member
nice that was pretty much my plan too. I have 3 lights like that, with 2 boards each on those long heatsinks.. right now I have two of them in a 4x4 and one in a 2x4.. I originally planned on moving the third one into the 4x4 eventually and getting another one for the 2x4 or building something else for that, but it really doesn't seem necessary... I don't have a PAR meter yet to check the actual numbers, but last round, I ran them at 150w each for veg and increased slowly to like 250-260w each for flower and it seemed like plenty of light... I never even cranked them all the way up... and I pulled the same numbers I was used to with my old blurples but with less watts...
greengrassgrower1
Well-Known Member
Ya i run the same PPMs for HPS and LED..
Regarding stretch, i would say there was a large reduction from the QBs over HPS. Almost makes the plants look like a different strain.
My average canopy was around 48"
Cheers,
greengrassgrower1
Well-Known Member
DH,
So i used the 240s, and have bumped up as of late to the 320s, and i dim them down to 160ws per board. I use the slate 2 or 6 and i dont need a PC fan, it works great.
For weigh i would guess 25 to 30 lbs ?? But i have never weighted them before..
greengrassgrower1
Well-Known Member
So why not continue on and show what i have going..
i started with 16 had 4 duds so rockn 12 in 8x8.. Damn its hard to space them correctly..lol
Strains are Pie face, Ultraviolance, and Buff..
Day 1 of 12/12
5 Gals buckets filled halfway with coco.. multi feeds per light cycle.. Use Jacks and Mammoth P.. a little bit of COBs
and a lot of Quantum boards.. Clock work..
As you can see the plants dont care that the place is a mess at the moment..
i started with 16 had 4 duds so rockn 12 in 8x8.. Damn its hard to space them correctly..lol
Strains are Pie face, Ultraviolance, and Buff..
Day 1 of 12/12
5 Gals buckets filled halfway with coco.. multi feeds per light cycle.. Use Jacks and Mammoth P.. a little bit of COBs
and a lot of Quantum boards.. Clock work..As you can see the plants dont care that the place is a mess at the moment..
Uncle Reefer
Well-Known Member
I would wait for one more generation of led improvement honestly. Unless you have already spent the money. LED's are better but not enough to justify the cost if you are already set up with the top of the line DE's. The next gen stuff should be much better than the DE's. There are great things coming down the pipe this year
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