Best light coverage for 10x5x6 tent

[ChiefRunningPhist]

I’m looking at Meanwell Drivers. Waiting to hear from @welight and gonna try to get everything I need from him. I’d rather buy it all at once from one supplier.

What @1212ham says is spot on. I've been dropping my wattage estimates (to 30W/ft2 from 35W/ft2) as LEDs become more efficient, but if you went with 320h's (2 in a 4×4, like I run) then you'd have the option of blasting more light, or raising your fixture up a bit. My LEDs were China imports (FYI, I had a bad experience going through Rita Fang and Meiju, I'd suggest Kingbrite or someone else if going the China route) and I wasn't sure what their performance (μmol/J) would be so I opted for the higher wattage drivers just in case. With a strip build your spread is very uniform which means you can get close to the plants, when using LED rated over 2.5μmol/J+ (CREE JB3030) I thought that 480W would be sufficient, but if you can rub (2) $20's together then going with (2) 320h over (2) 240h is a good thing imo. Gives options for expandability ect.


(2) - 240h 48a/b
(2) - 320h 48a/b
(1) - 480h 48a/b
(1) - 600h 48a/b

The important thing is that they are 48V. Other than that you just need to buy enough of them, and size them correctly to meet the demands that your strip fixture requires based on your wattage/ft2 desires (30W - 35W). If you go with an overwattage option, it will just give you the option of adding more strips later if you want. If you want more power per strip, then you'll have to go with CC drivers (the options listed are CV drivers), but the strips are cheap enough, so its my opinion, if wanting more wattage, to choose an over wattage CV driver solution (2×320h or 1×600h) from the list above, and then just add more pairs of strips, as opposed to keeping the same # of strips and trying to push over your 25W/strip limit.

EDIT:
A versions have built in dimming POTs
Example: 320h 48a

B versions you have to wire in your own aftermarket dimming POT
Example: 320h 48b

 

[2com]

Very nice bro, look great! So it looks like ur veg & flower are two differemt setups? Looks like the flowering lights are strictly a lower “K” light compared to the others, correct?

Man, this looks very nice. Nice table you've built there too.

 

[2com]

What @1212ham says is spot on. I've been dropping my wattage estimates (to 30W/ft2 from 35W/ft2) as LEDs become more efficient, but if you went with 320h's (2 in a 4×4, like I run) then you'd have the option of blasting more light, or raising your fixture up a bit. My LEDs were China imports (FYI, I had a bad experience going through Rita Fang and Meiju, I'd suggest Kingbrite or someone else if going the China route) and I wasn't sure what their performance (μmol/J) would be so I opted for the higher wattage drivers just in case. With a strip build your spread is very uniform which means you can get close to the plants, when using LED rated over 2.5μmol/J+ (CREE JB3030) I thought that 480W would be sufficient, but if you can rub (2) $20's together then going with (2) 320h over (2) 240h is a good thing imo. Gives options for expandability ect.


(2) - 240h 48a/b
(2) - 320h 48a/b
(1) - 480h 48a/b
(1) - 600h 48a/b

The important thing is that they are 48V. Other than that you just need to buy enough of them, and size them correctly to meet the demands that your strip fixture requires based on your wattage/ft2 desires (30W - 35W). If you go with an overwattage option, it will just give you the option of adding more strips later if you want. If you want more power per strip, then you'll have to go with CC drivers (the options listed are CV drivers), but the strips are cheap enough, so its my opinion, if wanting more wattage, to choose an over wattage CV driver solution (2×320h or 1×600h) from the list above, and then just add more pairs of strips, as opposed to keeping the same # of strips and trying to push over your 25W/strip limit.

EDIT:
A versions have built in dimming POTs
Example: 320h 48a

B versions you have to wire in your own aftermarket dimming POT
Example: 320h 48b

Can I just add...
That it's usually about the 4th or 5th time you get under that rubber plug, try and and line up the screwdriver head with the pot's screw, and begin dimming or increasing the light to an unspecified level of "brightness", that you decide to never buy an A-type again. Lol.

(Yes, I know all the things that a-type user want to let me know about the a-type. But then again, maybe I don't, post away ).
Don't tell me you don't need to dim please. You're the one who bought a dimmable driver, fictional person I'm talking to.



Edit: Maybe helpful to mention that meanwell makes "AB-type" drivers now, so unless you can't wait for a 3-5 weeks order (they're not common enough yet I guess), there's no real reason to get an a-type that I can think of...or a b-type. I'm almost positive both CC and CV options come in this ab-type now. If only looking for CC, check out inventronics too - again, if you can wait, or have a supplier who has stock.

 

[ChiefRunningPhist]

Can I just add...
That it's usually about the 4th or 5th time you get under that rubber plug, try and and line up the screwdriver head with the pot's screw, and begin dimming or increasing the light to an unspecified level of "brightness", that you decide to never buy an A-type again. Lol.

(Yes, I know all the things that a-type user want to let me know about the a-type. But then again, maybe I don't, post away ).
Don't tell me you don't need to dim please. You're the one who bought a dimmable driver, fictional person I'm talking to.



Edit: Maybe helpful to mention that meanwell makes "AB-type" drivers now, so unless you can't wait for a 3-5 weeks order (they're not common enough yet I guess), there's no real reason to get an a-type that I can think of...or a b-type. I'm almost positive both CC and CV options come in this ab-type now. If only looking for CC, check out inventronics too - again, if you can wait, or have a supplier who has stock.

Haha, well I'll be that guy lol, but sounds like you're more describing the benefit of a V/I digi meter.

A "b" style can simply use an analog POT (110kΩ) attached to the dimming leads and you'd still not know the current running through your boards.

An "a" style can have a digi added so that you can tell what's up. Also it won't need the dimmer to be constantly plugged in like some aftermarket dimming modules that are currently sold and used on "b" style drivers.

Here's 1 of my 320h's ("a" style)...


All plugged in and turned on...

I ziptied the driver for the CPU fans ontop of the 320h. Each driver (CPU fan driver & LED driver) has its own plugs for the respective devices to be powered (2 "duct tape" plugs for LED panels, 2 "no duct tape" plugs for CPU fans mounted ontop of LED panels). I added the digi ($7 I think is what I paid) so I could tell current level but after I've set it I rarely need to change it. Also, knowing the current is great for knowing how hard you want to push your chips, but it still won't tell you much about canopy intensity.

Inventronics are a good brand, they have good efficiency, I've heard good things, good point.

B's allow for the oppurtunity of a more precise dimming method than the A's, depending of course on the dimmer you buy for the B. Imo its like Chevy/Ford, and Chevys are better lol jks, imo its more or less just personal opinion.

EDIT:
If you wire AC plugs for your DC stuff, polarity matters, ie make sure that the female and male ends both have polarity line up. In the State's we have one prong a bit bigger than the other prong so if you wired your positive LED terminal to the big prong side of plug, then your female plug needs to have the big hole wired for positive as well. You'll want to double check to make sure your positives are matching otherwise when you plug them together you could fry your stuff if the ploarities were reversed.

 

[2com]

Haha, well I'll be that guy lol, but sounds like you're more describing the benefit of a V/I digi meter.

A "b" style can simply use an analog POT (110kΩ) attached to the dimming leads and you'd still not know the current running through your boards.

An "a" style can have a digi added so that you can tell what's up. Also it won't need the dimmer to be constantly plugged in like some aftermarket dimming modules that are currently sold and used on "b" style drivers.

Here's 1 of my 320h's ("a" style)...
View attachment 4442169

All plugged in and turned on...
View attachment 4442170
I ziptied the driver for the CPU fans ontop of the 320h. Each driver (CPU fan driver & LED driver) has its own plugs for the respective devices to be powered (2 "duct tape" plugs for LED panels, 2 "no duct tape" plugs for CPU fans mounted ontop of LED panels). I added the digi ($7 I think is what I paid) so I could tell current level but after I've set it I rarely need to change it. Also, knowing the current is great for knowing how hard you want to push your chips, but it still won't tell you much about canopy intensity.

Inventronics are a good brand, they have good efficiency, I've heard good things, good point.

B's allow for the oppurtunity of a more precise dimming method than the A's, depending of course on the dimmer you buy for the B. Imo its like Chevy/Ford, and Chevys are better lol jks, imo its more or less just personal opinion.

EDIT:
If you wire AC plugs for your DC stuff, polarity matters, ie make sure that the female and male ends both have polarity line up. In the State's we have one prong a bit bigger than the other prong so if you wired your positive LED terminal to the big prong side of plug, then your female plug needs to have the big hole wired for positive as well. You'll want to double check to make sure your positives are matching otherwise when you plug them together you could fry your stuff if the ploarities were reversed.

Lol. This monstrosity (none-taken - right?) is funny. (Is that elec. tape cover the hole where the bastard philips head is located?).
The "unspecified brightness" was only one point. Couldn't one achieve what you did there (just the metering part) with a kill-a-watt (though more $)? Or a "bayite digital power meter" like from amazon. One being on the ac side, the latter on the dc side. You can do that and get a reference to the "power" you're putting out, for sure. I'd recommend something like that. (eg: https://www.amazon.com/bayite-6-5-100V-Display-Multimeter-Voltmeter/dp/B013PKYILS/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=bayite+dc+power+meter&qid=1577164160&sr=8-1).
But, when you want to manipulate that light..via it's dimming capabilities..and you have a b-type.. you can do that from; many types of rotary pots/similar, other analog means(?), digital controllers (blue fish, trolmaster type, arduino/ras pi I'd imagine(?), your smart phone/tablet, a computer, -and that's just 0-10v. They have other dimming options I'm not familiar with (time and shit).
In the same scenario, and you have an a-type you can do that from; arms reach of the driver, with a tiny screwdriver in your fingers, after you remove the plug, trying to fiddle it into a little hole and into the philips head that is evading your every prod.

It's just any interaction of the driver in regards to dimming at all really, it's all better on a b-type. Screwdriver in a hole, versus many options.

But yea - you don't have any better idea on output whether a or b-type alone. But adding a simple pot. to a b-type you can make a simple "range" by installing the pot. through something and quickly mapping out, for example using watts (could be whatever unit you wanna measure); 0/off, 50w,100w, 150w, 200w, etc., marking each level on the "gauge". Does that make sense? Gotta buy the pot. anyway to dim it.
Unless one wanted to glue a little screwdriver nub into that pot. hole in their a-type and draw a "gauge" on the driver case, you can't do even that basic of a thing to have a "dial" or "gauge".

Edit: also, correct me on details if wrong.
I hope those ab-type become the norm asap, and that dim-to-off also becomes standard soon (at least for meanwell?).

Thanks.

 

[HardLuck71]

Can I just add...
That it's usually about the 4th or 5th time you get under that rubber plug, try and and line up the screwdriver head with the pot's screw, and begin dimming or increasing the light to an unspecified level of "brightness", that you decide to never buy an A-type again. Lol.

(Yes, I know all the things that a-type user want to let me know about the a-type. But then again, maybe I don't, post away ).
Don't tell me you don't need to dim please. You're the one who bought a dimmable driver, fictional person I'm talking to.



Edit: Maybe helpful to mention that meanwell makes "AB-type" drivers now, so unless you can't wait for a 3-5 weeks order (they're not common enough yet I guess), there's no real reason to get an a-type that I can think of...or a b-type. I'm almost positive both CC and CV options come in this ab-type now. If only looking for CC, check out inventronics too - again, if you can wait, or have a supplier who has stock.

I don’t even know what CC and CV mean? Lol. Plus, what is a ”POT” ? I was hoping to hear back from @welight after he read my post about what I’m looking to do and just have him tell me what I need, purchase it and do my best wiring it all up. Like I’ve said, this is all brand new to me so I don’t really understand what you guys are talking about when you guys get into all that detailed stuff ‍. I now have the money to order my items, but honestly, I don’t know exactly everything I need to build good lights as new items keep getting brought up and that just confuses me even more. I’m really wanting to build my own as I want good quality, good coverage, I like diy projects and learning new stuff. It seems like I wish I would’ve had the money when we were discussing it a few pages ago as now I’m sure ya’ll gonna get sick of commenting on this same post and walking me through what I need and how to wire it. I do appreciate the replies tho! Guess I took to long but no worries.

 

[diggs99]

I don’t even know what CC and CV mean? Lol. Plus, what is a ”POT” ? I was hoping to hear back from @welight after he read my post about what I’m looking to do and just have him tell me what I need, purchase it and do my best wiring it all up. Like I’ve said, this is all brand new to me so I don’t really understand what you guys are talking about when you guys get into all that detailed stuff ‍. I now have the money to order my items, but honestly, I don’t know exactly everything I need to build good lights as new items keep getting brought up and that just confuses me even more. I’m really wanting to build my own as I want good quality, good coverage, I like diy projects and learning new stuff. It seems like I wish I would’ve had the money when we were discussing it a few pages ago as now I’m sure ya’ll gonna get sick of commenting on this same post and walking me through what I need and how to wire it. I do appreciate the replies tho! Guess I took to long but no worries.

nah bro, were a resilient bunch around here, plus some of us just enjoy helping others. We got you, no worries.

Mark @welight must be busy or away from comp/vacay or some shit, hes usually pretty good with responding. Ill toss him an email later today if he hasnt replied back to you by then.

 

[skinitti666]

I dont use those lights, never have, so cant help you much there, what i can help you with is overall setup and the math to cover that space.


5x10 is 50ft2

50ft2 @ minimum 30w per ft2 = 1500 watts

by my calculations, you would need 7 or 8 of those sf2000s to cover that space properly. As they are only 200w lights.


Now if your only planning on using 4x8 of that space for growing the math obv changes(960w needed), but if your planning on going wall to wall, noway in hell is 2 of those lights gonn do it for you. they are only 200w each


How much of the 5x10 do you plan to use for canopy?

Hey bro will 650w cover a 4x4 good. Right now I have that in a 3x3 and looking to upgrade a ft lol

 

[diggs99]

Hey bro will 650w cover a 4x4 good. Right now I have that in a 3x3 and looking to upgrade a ft lol

Yes it would smash a 4x4 real nice.

What type of leds is it? Boards or strips?

 

[skinitti666]

Yes it would smash a 4x4 real nice.

What type of leds is it? Boards or strips?

Boards bro

 

[twalte]

Two of these should do the trick. If I were to go LED today, this is where I’m going.

NextLight Mega LED Grow Light

Part of the Commercial Series the NextLight Mega produces a high intensity full spectrum light designed to efficiently replace any DE 1000w HPS on the market. This bright white LED grow light was named “Mega” not for its size but for the increased product

nextlight.com

 

[diggs99]

Two of these should do the trick. If I were to go LED today, this is where I’m going.

NextLight Mega LED Grow Light

Part of the Commercial Series the NextLight Mega produces a high intensity full spectrum light designed to efficiently replace any DE 1000w HPS on the market. This bright white LED grow light was named “Mega” not for its size but for the increased product

nextlight.com

Nice looking light for sure, but that thing is $1695.00 for 650 watts. Hes gonna build 960watts of top tier leds for much much cheaper than 1 of those lights. 2 of those things would run him $3400 + tax

Nice light tho. But there are many other options on the market these days that are much cheaper and or as good or better.

 

[skinitti666]

Nice looking light for sure, but that thing is $1695.00 for 650 watts. Hes gonna build 960watts of top tier leds for much much cheaper than 1 of those lights. 2 of those things would run him $3400 + tax

Nice light tho. But there are many other options on the market these days that are much cheaper and or as good or better.

I have a mix of cheap ones in there the highest being my phlizon 1200 and look at the pic I just took. They're 2 weeks since I've flipped and they're going hard. The little one is gg4 and the other gsc

 

[diggs99]

I have a mix of cheap ones in there the highest being my phlizon 1200 and look at the pic I just took. They're 2 weeks since I've flipped and they're going hard. The little one is gg4 and the other gsc

Looks good, best of luck the rest of the way

 

[skinitti666]

Looks good, best of luck the rest of the way

Thanks bro

 

[2com]

I don’t even know what CC and CV mean? Lol. Plus, what is a ”POT” ? I was hoping to hear back from @welight after he read my post about what I’m looking to do and just have him tell me what I need, purchase it and do my best wiring it all up. Like I’ve said, this is all brand new to me so I don’t really understand what you guys are talking about when you guys get into all that detailed stuff ‍. I now have the money to order my items, but honestly, I don’t know exactly everything I need to build good lights as new items keep getting brought up and that just confuses me even more. I’m really wanting to build my own as I want good quality, good coverage, I like diy projects and learning new stuff. It seems like I wish I would’ve had the money when we were discussing it a few pages ago as now I’m sure ya’ll gonna get sick of commenting on this same post and walking me through what I need and how to wire it. I do appreciate the replies tho! Guess I took to long but no worries.

Hey man,

My bad, didn't mean to add a bunch of confusing info into your decision making. I'm not quite sure on what's being advised/suggested to you exactly, so I'll leave that alone.

 

[HardLuck71]

Boards bro

When you say 650w, is that what it says they are or is that what it’s pulling from the wall? I have some blurple lights where one says 1200w & another 600w and the 1200w only pulls like 250w from the wall and the 600w pulls like 140w.

 

[diggs99]

When you say 650w, is that what it says they are or is that what it’s pulling from the wall? I have some blurple lights where one says 1200w & another 600w and the 1200w only pulls like 250w from the wall and the 600w pulls like 140w.

Hey, did you hear back from @welight (Mark) yet?

 

[HardLuck71]

Hey man,

My bad, didn't mean to add a bunch of confusing info into your decision making. I'm not quite sure on what's being advised/suggested to you exactly, so I'll leave that alone.

No worries man, you’re good. I just dont know what some of that stuff meant lol

 

[HardLuck71]

Hey, did you hear back from @welight (Mark) yet?

Sup bro, no I haven’t. Hey, Merry Christmas bud!