First post: Can’t decide & need some input 3VL & lm301

Hey everyone I’m a long time reader and first time poster. My state recently legalized for medicinal use and I was lucky enough to receive my cultivation license. Growing has been a dream of mine for many years and even when asked by therapists 10 years ago, after I broke my neck, what I wanted to do my answer was grow cannabis. Everyone thought I was crazy then but now my dream is actually happening.

Now that the introduction is out of the way I need to ask for some help regarding my light choice. First off, I will start my first grow in a 2’ x 4’ x 8’ tent. I’m not sure at this time if I will use soil or a dwc setup but will ultimately end up using dwc. The main light I plan to buy for this tent is a Timber 3VL in 3500k, unless they suggest something else when I call Monday. How is the 3VL on heat and electricity cost?

I also plan to purchase a smaller tent and will either use it for veg and/or veg and flower. The light I’m looking at for this tent is the lm301b 240w in 3500k without the red 660nm or the new lm301h 240w in 3500k with epistar 660nm. I have tried to find reviews and post regarding if the 660nm lights help and are worth the extra cost but I haven’t been able to find anything. I plan to go through kingbright for this light, I have messaged several vendors back and forth for the past week and kingbright has been the most helpful.

I guess in short I need to know this information

How’s the Timber 3VL regarding heat and electric cost. Also, I would really like links to other rollitup users who use this light or have in a 2’ x 4’ tent.

Should I buy the lm301b 240w 3500k with no reds or the lm301h 240w 3500k w/ 660nm epistars for use in a 2’ x 2’

Any information would be great regarding the lights and/or pretty much anything pot related. I’m kinda a loner and have been for several years but I think it’s time for me to try and reach out to people and make some friends. I would really like for someone to take me under his or her wing and show me the ropes of growing if that would be possible. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this and I can’t wait to read some replies.

Hi. I have not used a Timber 3VL, but i have used a 4VS in a 3x3, as well as a 4VL in a 2x4.

I can tell you the 3vl will be absolutely perfect in the 2x4 (the 4vl is too much and needed to be dimmed) heat and power is the proper amount for that size, and the light can be dimmed if you find it too hot. but you shouldn't since you have a nice tall tent you can raise the light. 3500k is an excellent choice. I will include pictures i grew with timber 3500k at the end of this post.

I would not bother thinking too hard about veg lighting or spending any real money. Your flower light is your work horse and will be the primary determining factor in how your final product comes out. Veg room is just your holding tank. For Veg, lots of people use cheap amazon Blurple lights, or T5 flourescent fixtures. Because plants dont require a lot of light to maintain the slow steady growth of the vegetative state... Depending on the size of your veg tent (but since your saying smaller than 2x4, im thinking 2x2? so 4 square feet) for veg you only need about 20watts per square foot so anything around 80 watts would be fine. let us know which size veg tent you go with for a precise recommendation but i really wouldn't overthink it. flourescents or a HLG-65 would work.

It sounds like you've done your research. Welcome to Rollitup. I consider myself a loner in life too, but this community is really great. You will see lots of people eager to help!

Timber 4VS 3500k in a 3x3:

Awesome and thank you for the help!! I would consider stepping up to the 4vl just in case I need the extra power but I know for sure that I will be using the same space for at least 2 years. I also have limited room for width and need to keep everything in a line and not a square due to accessibility. I also decided not to buy a lm301 kit with the added 660nm lights. I checked a few sites yesterday and found several 660nm only led lights that I can add separate and put them on their own timer. Would a separate 660nm light be beneficial when using a timber 3VL?

Also Pulpoinspace the small tent will be 2x2. I might use it for a full grow too at sometime and not just veg. Do you have any other light suggestions that would work great in a 2x4 or a 2x2?

StonedGimp said:

Awesome and thank you for the help!! I would consider stepping up to the 4vl just in case I need the extra power but I know for sure that I will be using the same space for at least 2 years. I also have limited room for width and need to keep everything in a line and not a square due to accessibility. I also decided not to buy a lm301 kit with the added 660nm lights. I checked a few sites yesterday and found several 660nm only led lights that I can add separate and put them on their own timer. Would a separate 660nm light be beneficial when using a timber 3VL?

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When I built my fixtures 2 years ago, I incorporated a switchable string of 660 XPE-HE running approx. 10% of the primary array wattage. I normally only run them during flower but have used them in veg to encourage some stretching on squat plants.

Ok great!! After checking over the Chinese sites I’ve started to notice a lot of the panels are now coming with the standard 3500k leds, 660nm leds, far far red leds, and uv leds but they all run at the same time. I like the idea of having everything on one board but not the option of running the 660, far far red and uv at separate times. Shouldn’t the far far red only be used for a few minutes after the lights are off to induce flowering once it’s time? Also, how does the uv lights affect growth, tricomes, and terps? It’s it will really help I might be interested in buying a separate light. I’ve read so many grow logs and reviews throughout the past week but have only seen one guy that upgraded his lm301b 240w kit to the version with 660nm leds and he swears it made a huge difference.

StonedGimp said:

Also Pulpoinspace the small tent will be 2x2. I might use it for a full grow too at sometime and not just veg. Do you have any other light suggestions that would work great in a 2x4 or a 2x2?

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https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/products/hlg-100
https://timbergrowlights.com/chibi/
https://www.rapidled.com/single-100w-logic-plug-and-play-led-grow-light/

any of these would flower a 2x2 and would also serve fine as an overkill veg light.

you could save a lot of money here if you want to go strictly veg light tho. or DIY.

StonedGimp said:

. Shouldn’t the far far red only be used for a few minutes after the lights are off to induce flowering once it’s time?

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https://www.rollitup.org/t/the-far-red-thread.867665/page-3
there are two different uses for far red. emerson and initiator. you speak of initiator. just a little far red to kick em into flower hardly need any watts. emerson needs more far red and stays on.
https://www.rapidled.com/emerson-effect-booster-board/ you can use this board for both as it says in the description

I have no personal experience with far red so i can't say much on this stuff.

StonedGimp said:

Also, how does the uv lights affect growth, tricomes, and terps? It’s it will really help I might be interested in buying a separate light.

Click to expand...

https://www.rollitup.org/t/uv-suppliment-lighting.987316/
https://www.reptilebasics.com/arcadia-desert-12-uvb/arcadia-d3-12-uvb-t5-bulb-46/

General consensus is higher potency, increased terps, health, vitality, smaller buds. Best to do on a seperate light and best to do with flouros atm because UV diodes have shorter lifespan. Of course this is changing. Lots of people on the forums doing exotic LEDs now. But i think thats the general consensus.

Enough reading in those links to last a while i think! I'd pay closer attention to the posts by Randomblame and CheifRunningFist those guys know their spectrum shit.