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  1. Mechmike

    Project SWARM- Getting My Plan- Need Your Ideas

    I am a true believer in what you term the "swarm". Here is my version. Surrounding the entire crop from top to bottom with light makes for highly productive plants! My last 2 plants from this setup came in at 12-1/4 zips.
  2. Mechmike

    Led Spotlight

    I agree HTG's numbers are too rosy. I think the 2' t5ho bulbs produce between 1700-2000 lumens when they're brand new so I was wrong as well. The fact that LEDs last for so much longer is also a good thing to consider. Those t5's need to be replaced regularly to maintain the light while LEDs...
  3. Mechmike

    Led Spotlight

    That T-5 light will get you started and there isn't a thing wrong with T-5 but its still only 48 watts of light and about 1000 lumens for $70. The LED floods that Bumping Spheda found at Amazon $20 produce 1100 lumens each. With them you could more than triple your light using only 10.5 more...
  4. Mechmike

    Flowering with Cree bulbs

    I don't know Hyroot and don't need to hear what you think of him but the science is solid. I don't have any links saved to it but I am happy with my results and I have proven to myself that it works. 13.5 hours in flower with no hermies. Just more and bigger flowers. It's simple. Far red...
  5. Mechmike

    Flowering with Cree bulbs

    Well... Hyroot said it pretty well. The far red signals the plant to enter the sleep cycle. It naturally occurs when the sun is low on the horizon when the light is filtered most by the atmosphere. It just won't happen indoors unless we provide it sort of like all the other conditions we...
  6. Mechmike

    Flowering with Cree bulbs

    A few years ago I bought a UFO Flower Accelerator which is a 90 watt UFO with all 730nm LEDs. I have it on a timer set to come on 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after the main lights turn off. The extra 1.5 hours daily really improves yield. In 8 weeks of flowering an extra 1.5 hours a day...
  7. Mechmike

    Led Spotlight

    At 13 watts per bulb you won't have enough light to finish even one plant well with 2 bulbs. ~100w of LED per plant is a good rule of thumb for starters. Those bulbs might be good for side lighting but as a top light they don't have enough intensity to get the photons past an inch or two of...
  8. Mechmike

    Steepest Reflector Angle

    You'll get more out of those Luxeons if you move them a little further away from the big reflector cup. The reflector cup will block some of the wider angle light of the Luxeons. I'm a big fan of the Luxeon ES diodes and stevesleds as well.
  9. Mechmike

    Steepest Reflector Angle

    I have 45 degree angle lenses on my top light. I use a light rail to keep the overhead light moving and because of that I keep the light about an inch away from the highest point of the canopy. If the light doesn't stay in motion it will bleach/stunt the tops when that close but moving it gets...
  10. Mechmike

    New light test and first grow

    Oh yeah! It's pretty hard to give them too much light in flower. Only good can come of this! Your canopy looks super nice. I think its a nice result of the real stripping you gave them early on.
  11. Mechmike

    Do I need a better/secndary heatsink? 40x1w on a PCB

    If you blow enough air on it you can use something like a baking pan. I don't know the exact temperature at which LEDs would overheat as measured at the heat sink but most LEDs develop problems such as lower output and early death at temps above 85c and most are rated at 25c. My rule of thumb...
  12. Mechmike

    Do I need a better/secndary heatsink? 40x1w on a PCB

    You definitely need a heat sink to keep those LEDs cool. Those pcbs are not a heat sink no matter how they are advertised. Those heat sinks are pretty small. Not much surface area. Check this one http://www.heatsinkusa.com/7-280/ It is the right width and cut to 9" length would cost a...
  13. Mechmike

    Bridgelux Vero 29 LED Test

    I can't tell you why your meter reads a higher TDS on hot water than on cold. Maybe, as with PH meters, temperature of the solution affects the meter reading. Or...maybe it's the chlorine and fluoride evaporating overnight.
  14. Mechmike

    Bridgelux Vero 29 LED Test

    I run a sterile res in my hydro but I don't use H2O2 to keep it bacteria free because it doesn't work well enough as a sterilizer. Be judicious with the H2O2 if you depend on bennies because at high concentrations it will kill bacteria. A weak concentration won't kill bacteria. In fact, it...
  15. Mechmike

    Bridgelux Vero 29 LED Test

    I don't think hot water is as good as cold water for roots. Cold water holds more dissolved oxygen than warm water does. In hydro ~68f is recommended because of the DO. Roots need oxygen and oxygenated water provides that. To take it further I also add ~1tsp/gal of 29% H2O2. If you water...
  16. Mechmike

    Looking to make a switch

    I agree with that. About 700 watts of quality LED is a rough equivalent to 1000 watts of quality HPS. That's one main of the reasons I use LED. HPS may produce a bit more lumens per watt but because of the absolute control over spectrum LEDs can offer much higher usable PAR light at...
  17. Mechmike

    Passive cooled 3w DIY LED Halo

    Thanks Green in the Garden. I'm pretty pleased with the latest yield. In the past I ran 3 plants in this system but I found that it's just as productive with 2 plants. Easier to manage too. I plan to run my diy led chamber for as many hours as the leds will go to see if I can really get...
  18. Mechmike

    Passive cooled 3w DIY LED Halo

    Last day before the cut. 12-1/4 zips of top quality medicine.
  19. Mechmike

    New light test and first grow

    I hate to say I told you so...so I won't. Nice jungle you have there.
  20. Mechmike

    The GreenSanta Grow

    I just use a small piece of insulated wire shaped like 'U' to connect + to - on each diode, one at a time while the cluster is powered. When you jumper the dead one the rest of the string will light up. You can then just solder that 'U' shaped wire in place in the dead diode and you will have...
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