Adding UVA

Hey everyone. I'll be adding UVA to my flower tent by the end of the week. Do I need to ramp up the time the UVA fixture runs or can I go straight to 12/12? I am currently running an HLG Scorpion Rspec Far Red at 480 watts in a 5x5.

I'd use a smart plug so you can turn it off before you open the grow room. Maybe start with 3-4 ten minute exposures per day, and lengthen the on time, over days/weeks, if the plants don't look stressed.

***I have no experience with UV lights***

Isawthelight said:

I'd use a smart plug so you can turn it off before you open the grow room. Maybe start with 3-4 ten minute exposures per day, and lengthen the on time, over days/weeks, if the plants don't look stressed.

***I have no experience with UV lights***

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Our plan was to just unplug it from the timer before entering, I always worry about the smart plugs failing. Thanks for the heads up, I think it's important people know they should turn it off before opening their tent.

Nope_49595933949 said:

Hey everyone. I'll be adding UVA to my flower tent by the end of the week. Do I need to ramp up the time the UVA fixture runs or can I go straight to 12/12? I am currently running an HLG Scorpion Rspec Far Red at 480 watts in a 5x5.

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it all depends on how many watts of uva you plan on using what nm the diodes are and how spread out they are.

personally with uva i run all day long.

This is 1st grow I'm using a marshydro FCE-3000 that has UVA at 410 nm. It's always on when the light is on, used the fixture entire grow from veg 18/6 and now bloom 12/12.

grotbags said:

it all depends on how many watts of uva you plan on using what nm the diodes are and how spread out they are.

personally with uva i run all day long.

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I am using the 30 watt bar from HLG.

Thanks for the input.

Nope_49595933949 said:

I am using the 30 watt bar from HLG.

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yer id just go straight to 12hr

I have the hlg uva - I saw no issues with using it for the full 12hrs.

pahpah-cee said:

I have the hlg uva - I saw no issues with using it for the full 12hrs.

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Just right off the bat? Hmm, maybe I don't need a second timer then. Have you noticed a difference in the buds and/or plants since using uva?

Nope_49595933949 said:

Just right off the bat? Hmm, maybe I don't need a second timer then. Have you noticed a difference in the buds and/or plants since using uva?

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I have tried easing them into it with a timer but it seems unnecessary. I believe HLG recommended just running them straight for 12hrs too.

My buds are frosty. I ran one last year and like the results so I now run one for each light in my flower room. I would like to think they’re giving me an upper hand on tric production, but I can’t really prove it.

pahpah-cee said:

I have tried easing them into it with a timer but it seems unnecessary. I believe HLG recommended just running them straight for 12hrs too.

My buds are frosty. I ran one last year and like the results so I now run one for each light in my flower room. I would like to think they’re giving me an upper hand on tric production, but I can’t really prove it.

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Cool thanks for the info.

I would go with the manufacturer's recommendation which is straight to 12/12. Our fixtures have UVA and are designed to be run 12/12. But there are a couple of differences between what we do and what HLG does. Our UVA diodes are integrated into the lights for better (more even) spread. The main issue with UVA bars is that they don't always provide the most even spread of light and can create hotspots directly under the bars, so it is best to raise them higher to spread the UV light out more. 365nm and 385nm UVA (HLG) is stronger than the 405nm we use, but this is offset by the reduced efficiency of the 365nm and 385nm diodes and the fact they are on a separate driver (which further reduces efficiency). We have about 15W of 405nm UVA per 240W of total light, which is about 1% total UVA below 400nm (the 405nm diodes spread out as low as 385nm).

Severed Tongue said:

This is 1st grow I'm using a marshydro FCE-3000 that has UVA at 410 nm. It's always on when the light is on, used the fixture entire grow from veg 18/6 and now bloom 12/12.

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I hate to break it to you but those Mars Hydro UV diodes are not worth the plastic they are made from. Here is a spectograph of a Mars FC-4800 and as you can see the 410nm UVA diodes do not even show up. There is one diode per bar and they are of such low quality that they hardly emit any light at all.

It is the same for the Far Red diodes. There is only the faintest blip on the goniometer at 725nm.


Here is an FC-3000 on a hand-held spectrograph. It is a slightly different spectrum that also claims to have UVA but in reality has almost nothing.

Grow Lights Australia said:

I hate to break it to you but those Mars Hydro UV diodes are not worth the plastic they are made from. Here is a spectograph of a Mars FC-4800 and as you can see the 410nm UVA diodes do not even show up. There is one diode per bar and they are of such low quality that they hardly emit any light at all.

It is the same for the Far Red diodes. There is only the faintest blip on the goniometer at 725nm.
View attachment 5220723

Here is an FC-3000 on a hand-held spectrograph. It is the same spectrum.
View attachment 5220725

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Yea right, but your fixture has it right and I should buy yours instead right?

LoL

1st, I'm not using either of the lights you measured.

2nd All it takes is to compare photos of my previous runs (no uva) vs this one and yes, you can visually and visibly see the difference.

And actually looking at the picture you posted in more detail, it's showing 20% for spectrum between 400-499, so uh... yea, I guess you just one of the many that don't like MarsHydro.

I use Miracle-Gro too BTW.

LOL

Severed Tongue said:

Yea right, but your fixture has it right and I should buy yours instead right?

LoL

1st, I'm not using either of the lights you measured.

2nd All it takes is to compare photos of my previous runs (no uva) vs this one and yes, you can visually and visibly see the difference.

And actually looking at the picture you posted in more detail, it's showing 20% for spectrum between 400-499, so uh... yea, I guess you just one of the many that don't like MarsHydro.

I use Miracle-Gro too BTW.

LOL

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The FC-E is the economy model using Bridgelux diodes instead of Samsung (FC series). It is the same light, slightly different diodes.

I'm not here to sell you a light only to point out that your lights have almost no UVA, only residual photons below 400nm. Here is Mars' own website with their FC-E3000 spectrum. It is no coincidence that the Mars spectrograph is identical to what we measured with our own spectrometers. We have tested a number of Mars lights. I am simply sharing information.

Afaik bud grown under artificial lighting is ranked the best overall.

If that's the case then something doesn't add up?

The sun has serious uv capabilities as well all the other spectrums in abundance but it doesn't translate into better bud according to the masses?

Say a guy just wanted to do a small controlled test, with one of these 2 watt 365nm bulbs ^ beaming down on a single scrogged bud site, and with the clear plastic globe removed..

I mean.. growing weeds with black lights.. who would have thought?

Will that bud site grow better than all the rest?

Severed Tongue said:

Yea right, but your fixture has it right and I should buy yours instead right?

LoL

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Severed Tongue said:

1st, I'm not using either of the lights you measured.

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so you think mars built your fixture with quality uva diodes but used junk in the rest of their range?.

Severed Tongue said:

2nd All it takes is to compare photos of my previous runs (no uva) vs this one and yes, you can visually and visibly see the difference.

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come on now be serious, this has zero weight as any type of evidence.
if adding ANY amount of uva created such visible differences that you can notice an improvment through all the noise of the other changing variables of your grow cycle from just photos alone and no data what so ever then this would be a settled science and we wouldnt even be having this conversation.

even if mars were using the most effecient uva diodes they could source the amount of diodes they use in their lights at the current they are ran at you would still only see a very mild bump on a spectrometer.

Severed Tongue said:

And actually looking at the picture you posted in more detail, it's showing 20% for spectrum between 400-499, so uh... yea, I guess you just one of the many that don't like MarsHydro.

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its showing that the mars has 20.2% of its spectrum dedicated to blue photons, its not saying what nm those photons are just that of the lights total output 20.2% is in the range 400-499nm. if you look at the accompanying spectrograph you see all the photons in the 400-499nm range are all from the underlying blue pump from the white diodes at around 455nm, none from uva.

Severed Tongue said:

Yea right, but your fixture has it right and I should buy yours instead right?

LoL

1st, I'm not using either of the lights you measured.

2nd All it takes is to compare photos of my previous runs (no uva) vs this one and yes, you can visually and visibly see the difference.

And actually looking at the picture you posted in more detail, it's showing 20% for spectrum between 400-499, so uh... yea, I guess you just one of the many that don't like MarsHydro.

I use Miracle-Gro too BTW.

LOL

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You seem upset that you bought an adequate but lower quality light.