New Beginnings for Massachussetts and I

[Bosgrower]

You want to show us your design? I got COBs on the brain and I'd love to see what you have and do a price/eff analysis to get better at this.

No problem
My design is for a 4x4 flower tent.
I have 3 42" bars with 4 COBs each using passive 140mm anodized pin heat sinks.
The COBs are all CXB 3590 CD CRI 80s. I have 90 degree reflectors for the 3500K and 120 degree lenses for the 4000K. There are 8 3500K and 4 4000K for blue balance in a diamond pattern. I have 2 MW HLG-320H-C1400B drivers powering 6 COBS each with potentiometer dimming. I mounted the drivers outside the early veg area (I'm using the 4000K in a temporary bar by themselves at the moment) and I'm still deciding on a final configuration.
Part of that is due to a decision to make the 4x4 a veg tent and put up a 5x5 for flower ... so I'll probably reconfigure things and add more COBs.
The present fixture (with all 12 COBs at max power) draws about 610w at the wall and puts out just over 100K lumens at 56% efficiency (342w generate photons, 268w generate heat).
I could change the drivers to 3 MW HLG-320H-C2100B and bump these 12 to 960w at the wall for 145K lumens, but efficiency would drop to 49% so my preference is to add another 4 COB bar and another 1400ma driver and maintain efficiency. The 16 COB fixture would pull 830w at the wall, for 143K lumens so there'd be less cost and less heat (456w vs 341w) going forward.
For purposes of comparison, a 1000w HPS pulls 1000w at the wall and generates 145K lumens

 

[MrSeeDoubleU]

Do I have something to worry about? I pulled these off? Is that from the Nutes. To much like burns. It can be lights because it was a bottom feeders. That's why I'm thinking Nutes.

BUMP......

 

[HideousPenguinBoy]

BUMP......

The left one, with the spots, looks like pH flux just because the tips aren't super bad. But noob. I had that on mine after I started using pH balanced water after finding out boston area water is pH 8-8.5.

 

[JustCallmeMom]

Anyone grow Auto Candy Kush? Herbies seeds says average 60-70 days to harvest, and only grows about 2 feet tall? sounds interesting.......

 

[MrSeeDoubleU]

Anyone grow Auto Candy Kush? Herbies seeds says average 60-70 days to harvest, and only grows about 2 feet tall? sounds interesting.......

IMHO I've been warned to stay away from autos. Idk exactly why some swear by them. I think auto for you would actually work out perfectly though and still run your reg plants according to schedule. You'll see quicker results and shit. Remember though they say 2' it can grow 4' if it wants to. And I believe you use hps not positive. For whole grow or switch 18-6 ,12-12 or just stay 20-4 the whole time. Read more into it. But my homie at store said he don't like them. They produce typically small buds not high yields and shit. The people who are getting crazy yeilds either lucky or have very high money lighting. IMHO from what I've seen so far.

My interest in them as of lately has spiked just because anything flowering fast is nice. Lol

 

[Bosgrower]

Blue Widow Day 5
Moved the sprouts under the 4000K COBs today. Found an interested lux meter for my android phone. Not too concerned about accuracy ... just wanted to keep the intensity about the same as it was. Took a reading under the the flourescents and then adjusted the COB dimmer to give the girls a bit more ... still WAY down on the power curve.
If anyone cares, lux equal the lumens per sq meter.
They were getting about 4500lux under the flourescents and I've boosted that to 6500 under the COBs. (in it's present position, the COBs could roast the little ones at 57K lux !!!) If they do well I'll bump it gently in a few days. I'll have to keep an eye on things to make sure they are getting the right amount of light. Should be interesting.
If anyone has any specific info on proper light levels for seedlings please pass it along.

 

[Bosgrower]

Interesting problem ...
At the present power setting, the COBs aren't generating any (detectable) heat at all. Now I have to figure out how to keep the kids in the mid 70s when the ambient temperature in the room is in the mid 60s.
Or I suppose I could let them "tough it out" and pretend it's springtime in New England.
Any thoughts?

 

[Bosgrower]

@ MrSeeDoubleU
I'm thinking about starting some AUTO Blackberry Kush in the veg tent in 15 gallon pots and moving them to the back deck come June for the last 2 months. Problem will be keeping them from getting waterlogged when it rains until they're 60 or 70 days old. Never thought I'd have to make a raincoat for a plant.
As far as I can tell, EVERY hydro store owner hates Autos. Not sure why, but I'm sure it has to do with their bottom line.

 

[greg nr]

I'm running a small space heater in my tent. The room they are in will drop into the 50's. So I have a controller that will kick in at 70 and off at 74. I also have my exhaust fan on a controller and it comes on (I think) at 75 and goes off at 74.

My lights will bring the tent above 75 when they are on, but between the exhaust fan and the heater my tent stays between 70 and 75. I'm sure I'll have to tweak as summer arrives, but for now its working well.

 

[ttystikk]

Anyone grow Auto Candy Kush? Herbies seeds says average 60-70 days to harvest, and only grows about 2 feet tall? sounds interesting.......

Autos have quality problems and due to their nature they can't be held back in veg to get bigger.

 

[JustCallmeMom]

Autos have quality problems and due to their nature they can't be held back in veg to get bigger.

I hear AK auto has great quality compared to the photoperiod seeds. In my situation i'm looking for faster, not better or bigger~right now anyways

 

[Bosgrower]

I hear AK auto has great quality compared to the photoperiod seeds. In my situation i'm looking for faster, not better or bigger~right now anyways

Take a look at this
https://www.barneysfarmshop.com/barneys-farm-seeds/critical-kush.html

 

[Bosgrower]

There doesn't seem to be a particular light level for seedlings ... apparently you just look at them and they'll tell you if they're happy. Mine definitely weren't ... leaning away from the light ... so up to the top it went. I guess this will be trial and error. This is as bad as a colicky kid. (Well, not really)

 

[JustCallmeMom]

Take a look at this
https://www.barneysfarmshop.com/barneys-farm-seeds/critical-kush.html

is that 8 weeks flower AFTER 6 weeks of veg? gets so confusing. See, i need a sativa dom plant for my daughter....and most auto's are indica dom. although....lemon haze auto is sativa dom and start to finish is 70 days or something like that. she is real sick....and want to get it to her as soon as i can without waiting 5 months. hope the easy kush i have going now helps her. Not even sure if it is sativa or indica dom. there is hardly any info on it.(genetics unknown, why did i buy that crap??) wish i could find quick growing blue dream, yeah, right!

 

[Bosgrower]

Sorry, wrong strain ...
https://www.humboldtseeds.net/en/blog/black-d-o-g-strain-smell-stature/

Here's a grow journal ... seed started 3/13 .... harvested 7/27
https://forum.grasscity.com/threads/jets-first-600w-mh-hps-black-d-o-g-grow.1398547/
This is more for time than technique

They claim 48 - 55 days in flower

 

[ttystikk]

I hear AK auto has great quality compared to the photoperiod seeds. In my situation i'm looking for faster, not better or bigger~right now anyways

Autos run their schedule, not yours.

Photoperiod sensitive plants will start to flower a week or so after you flip them, do you're in control.

For fastest turnaround, plant a bunch of seeds, flip the whole lot when they're 6" tall and yank the males whenever you find them. This can be done in about 3 months start to finish with the right strains. Sativas tend to take longer to finish so start with a mix, pull those that finish first as they turn and let those that need more time go longer.

 

[be4meliz]

Autos have quality problems and due to their nature they can't be held back in veg to get bigger.

You are the sage here, but as far as autos, I have to disagree- my 4 girls(white widow autos are at 48 days in my DWC and are at 53" with over 60 buds in flower(not counting all below canopy) Maybe I'm just lucky(1st grow in 40 years) but I'm convinced. Going with 4 photos for comparison(Pineapple Kush) but so far I'm sold. I feel that the method and lighting play the major roll in results(poor lighting,overfeeding,etc. = bad results. Have tried to apply the K.I.S.S principle to hydro as a NOOB and its working.All 4 of my Kush are popping after 3 days(soak in shot glass 24 hrs. til sunk, transfer to Rapid Rooters,put in dark under humidity dome until emergence,then same under heat pad and 24wt. Led clipons until 2 sets of branches, then to system.If timing is right, should have over a foot by time to cut current grow(timing is tough, but we'll see, then start another. Sorry about lighting, but can't turn off HID like LED for pics;too hard on lights.Cut xtra hole in buckets to add and draw water samples.

 

[be4meliz]

Serious Auto grow

 

[WeedFreak78]

well on low my fan is like, off. then when i turn it up a little the fan starts going WHIRRRR WHIRRRRRRRRR WHIRRRRRR.....damn thing attracts more attention that anything. gona rethink this setup.

Yeah watch that... my 16" oscillating fan went up in smoke, literally, after squeaking for a couple weeks. I smelled smoke and when I went in the room, I thought I had a fire, it was full of thick black smoke. The shaft sized and the motor overheated, cooking it.

I've had 3 fans meltdown on me in the last year, 2 were 10+yrs old, I'm looking into getting one of those hanging fire suppression systems for my area.

 

[WeedFreak78]

Here's one I designed and built myself;
View attachment 3891811

Lol..WTF?
I see a motor powering the rear wheel, of a mountain bike? That turns the main gear, I assuming reduced through the rear gears? which spins the light. I'm assuming the second wheel allows the light to pivot and stay straight? All precision balanced with calibrated water jugs...

Necessity is the mother of invention