Fliwering lights... Do they need a dimmer?

S

Safehaven

Active Member
Do lights for flowering need to be dimmed ever?

I am wiring up the electrical in my flower room and I am wondering if I should accommodate for dimmers to dim the COBs or not.
 
littlejacob

littlejacob

Well-Known Member
Bonjour
It is depend....if you have a vegg room and when you switch to bloom your plant have the right size you don't really need it
Some dim to 70/80% the last 2 weeks
I do vegg one more week in the flowering room so for me it is useful
If someone start from seed and grow from a to z in the same growbox...he will need it for sure...small plants do not need that much light intensity!
If you want a very small stretch lower the light and 100%...if you want more stay at 80% and @ 16/18 inch...I hate stretch so I avoid it...lol
If you have no lens remenber you have
1foot penetration maybe 16 inch no more...so avoid tall plants...scrog is the best way to grow under cob imo (scrog with a screen not a nog with a net!) Fastest way to have multiple colas!
CU
 
Airwalker16

Airwalker16

Well-Known Member
littlejacob said:
Bonjour
It is depend....if you have a vegg room and when you switch to bloom your plant have the right size you don't really need it
Some dim to 70/80% the last 2 weeks
I do vegg one more week in the flowering room so for me it is useful
If someone start from seed and grow from a to z in the same growbox...he will need it for sure...small plants do not need that much light intensity!
If you want a very small stretch lower the light and 100%...if you want more stay at 80% and @ 16/18 inch...I hate stretch so I avoid it...lol
If you have no lens remenber you have
1foot penetration maybe 16 inch no more...so avoid tall plants...scrog is the best way to grow under cob imo (scrog with a screen not a nog with a net!) Fastest way to have multiple colas!
CU
Click to expand...
Not only all this being true, but what's a dimmer going to hurt? Very simple to install. You'll wish you had if you dont.
 
littlejacob

littlejacob

Well-Known Member
Bonjour
I agree...a 100k ohm pots is only 2 $ and a 10k ohm resistor 20ct
And it will take 5mn to install...but you will need to solder it!
CU
 
littlejacob

littlejacob

Well-Known Member
Or it work with the piece of metal wrap in plastic they use to put a stereo on a car...you put something in it and you squeeze it and you make a contact...you will need 3
1 for dim + who go on middle plot and 2 for dim- to resistor and from res to left plot...that's it!...easy to do and no juice in those wire so no risk!
CU
 
littlejacob

littlejacob

Well-Known Member
Meanwell advise to don't go to 0% with their driver on the data sheet (it is better English on it but it is what I understood! )
So by adding this little parts I avoid the problem...20cts!
I know...don't turn the pots down to the max...but I am always in another world...so more safe is better for me...lol!
CU
 
PerroVerde

PerroVerde

Well-Known Member
littlejacob said:
Meanwell advise to don't go to 0% with their driver on the data sheet (it is better English on it but it is what I understood! )
So by adding this little parts I avoid the problem...20cts!
I know...don't turn the pots down to the max...but I am always in another world...so more safe is better for me...lol!
CU
Click to expand...
I believe Supra post that the dimming on the B drivers will only dim to 10% not 0%... :)
 
littlejacob

littlejacob

Well-Known Member
PerroVerde said:
I believe supra post that the dimming on the B drivers will only dim to 10% not 0%... :)
Click to expand...
Yes If you add a resistor...if you go to "0"% without it can cause flickering or can dammage the driver...but do what you want...some have one some do not...we should see who was right in the future...i prefer to spend 20cts and be sure but i do not force anyone to do it...i prefer safe things...that is why i oversized my hs and fans and why i fan my driver too!
Cool is the word...lol!
CU
 
littlejacob

littlejacob

Well-Known Member
I am pretty sure Supra have some resistors on his pots...10% is because of 10k ohm res and 100% because of 100k ohm pots...without it is 0% and not good for driver...don't go that low if you don't have any res!
And if you can disconnect it when you are at full blast because according to data sheet it could pull 108% dimming wire open depend on driver (some could be 106 and some 110???)
CU
 
Rahz

Rahz

Well-Known Member
Safehaven said:
Do lights for flowering need to be dimmed ever?

I am wiring up the electrical in my flower room and I am wondering if I should accommodate for dimmers to dim the COBs or not.
Click to expand...
It depends on the max light intensity. If your flower chamber can provide 1300 PPFD then a dimmer is a good idea. If it's providing 650 PPFD the usefulness of a dimmer isn't as great.
 
Airwalker16

Airwalker16

Well-Known Member
littlejacob said:
I am pretty sure Supra have some resistors on his pots...10% is because of 10k ohm res and 100% because of 100k ohm pots...without it is 0% and not good for driver...don't go that low if you don't have any res!
And if you can disconnect it when you are at full blast because according to data sheet it could pull 108% dimming wire open depend on driver (some could be 106 and some 110???)
CU
Click to expand...
Where do you install the resistor at?
 
Airwalker16

Airwalker16

Well-Known Member
You mean just on the positive blue wire on a B version MeanWell? Basically, solder one end of the resistor to the pots post, the other to the blue wire, and the white wire right to the other post? And leave the 3rd post empty?
 
BOBBY_G

BOBBY_G

Well-Known Member
anywhere

there are two lines that come out of the driver
open = open (infinite resistance)
closed = zero resistance
resistor = driver behaves according to resistor value

pot is a resistor
the other resistor were talking about is a fixed value
it can go on either side of the pot as long as its in the dimmer circuit that comes out of and back into the driver. that way when your pot is 'open' the circuit isnt 'open' there still is some resistance

in other words solder your pot as normal. then cut either wire and put the fixed value resistor there
 
dandyrandy

dandyrandy

Well-Known Member
I have 4 quadrants that allows me to dim those sections. Some varieties will burn easier than others. I tend to grow several varieties and heights etc can vary as well. Dimming allows flexibility.
 
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