got a few questions on lights for new cabinet *pics*

D

dscpoker

Member
Ok so i just picked up this cabinet today and wanted to build a stealth LED grow box. I was wondering what would be a good LED lighting set up for this size space (LxWxH) 34in x 17in x 36in. Im going to be doing 2 plants scrogged and was wondering if it would be possible to fit 2 Solarflare 200's in there...or would it be overkill? Would i be better off using 2 Blackstar 240's? Post your opinions on lighting id love to check it out! Thanks for the help!

unnamed.jpgunnamed (1).jpg
 
puffenuff

puffenuff

Well-Known Member
Yeah, also consider the dimensions/height of the panel. Plus you would want to run the solarflare at +16 inches over the canopy.

I really think the hans bonsai hero is your best option for the cabinet size.
 
PSUAGRO.

PSUAGRO.

Well-Known Member
dscpoker said:
it would really be too short? even with a scrog and a short/wide pot?
Click to expand...
Yes too short..........those CLW solarflare panels run 5w emitters and 165 watts is too much for your space....puff ^^^has steered you in the right direction..

If you want another option look at these http://www.plantphotonics.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=30&osCsid=beccabc66a3e0e218a0727cbcf336506 better overall efficiency(100% osram), build quality, but way more $$$.

Can also wait for area 51 85w panel coming out soon..........................good luck
 
smokey the cat

smokey the cat

Well-Known Member
I built a LED light for my micro cab which is a pretty similar size to yours. I love the look of the Bonsai Hero panel - but the price of DIY is so damn cheap, and the flexibility of design meant I built my own.

Here's a post I wrote up yesterday for someone in the micro-grow forum:

Was kind of in the same boat as you friend. I started out my microcab with 144W of cfl (24W x 6), upgraded to 240W cfl (40W x 6). Nice, but hot, inefficient - half the light was aimed at the ceiling of the cab. After 12-18 months I switched to pll fluro tubes - 36W x 4 = 144W - I couldn't run them vertical so never got the best out of them - again as I had them top mounted only the bottom half of the tube was directly visible to the plant.

After a 3 years of pll fluro growing I wanted to upgrade. If you want to do it right I recommend DIY LED my friend - low heat, efficient, customizable to your space, scalable, cheap.

Look at the Bridgelux Vero (or Cree CXA) emitters specifically. Big, easy to use, bright white lights - the manufacturer has gone to the trouble of sticking like 40-50 LEDs together in a single LED to make mounting simple. I researched the hell out of this last year and decided on 2x Vero 18 in my micro cab, each pushing out up to 50W (100W total). LED $17 each, Driver $32 each (one per LED), a heatsink is $10-$20 delivered worldwide on ebay, add a few dollars for extra parts (cooling fan, wire, dimmer, sockets, switches, thermal goop, etc - $20-$40?).

Vero have a wiring harness available which just plugs in, you can build a whole LED light now without having to solder if you don't want to.

You could use more of these LEDS, or less. Or decide to run them harder (more light and heat, better canopy penetration - but less efficiency), or gentler (less light and heat, less penetration - more efficiency) - depending on what works for your cabinet/budget/whim.

This thread here is pretty useful - https://www.rollitup.org/led-other-lighting/764779-cree-bridgelux-comparison.html the poster decides on a really simple Vero 18 and driver combo. So simple it's brilliant.

This thread has lots of more advanced analysis of big COB leds like Vero and Cree CXA https://www.rollitup.org/led-other-lighting/743645-cree-cxa-analysis.html

Cheap Chinese cob leds on ebay will also work - but wont be as efficient.
Click to expand...
I'm still bedding in my system and getting around to starting my first proper LED grow so can't give you any direct experience of these as grow lights - beyond the observation that they are vastly superior to my PLL setup and I noticed buds respond immediately. One thing to consider is that a COB led operates as a single point source of light so has a limited coverage area - you'd definitely want multiple cobs in a cabinet like that to ensure canopy coverage.

I'm currently running my micro cab LED @ 50W in a 24/hr veg cycle - the amount of heat generated at 50W with these things is close to zero for all intents and purposes. The active heatsink stays a few degrees room temp, and the drivers only just above skin temp. At 100W the drivers run "properly warm" (giving off about 5W of heat each) and the emitters pump out a good amount of heat making the active heatsink heat up to about 40-50*C

Trying to find out how the plants respond - what sort of plant response I get out of it at different power levels and distances. Expecting it'll take me a few months before I get comfortable with the change. I changed from PLL -> LED halfway through last cycle and it threw my plantnutrition and watering way out - as expected plants exhibited all sorts of defs and what may have been significant light burn.
 
GrowinDad

GrowinDad

Well-Known Member
I am running a small cab but only for veg. Using normal cree bulbs from home depot. So far so good...
 
D

dscpoker

Member
awesome guys thanks for all the help i really appreciate it! I dont know much about the bonsaihero but they sound pretty great... Ill be checking those out tonight. anyone know of any completed grows with these lights...and what people have pulled (? / GPW)
 
D

dscpoker

Member
Also would i be able to cool these with a 4" 100cfm duct booster fan / carbon filter or am i gonna have to go with a 4" inline?
 
smokey the cat

smokey the cat

Well-Known Member
dscpoker said:
Also would i be able to cool these with a 4" 100cfm duct booster fan / carbon filter or am i gonna have to go with a 4" inline?
Click to expand...
My entirely unscientific opinion is that I think you can with a single panel - providing you don't lose too much through the scrubber and you pull enough air across the panel. Assuming a nice even ambient temp - if you live in a sauna then all bets are off. The cooler you keep them the better they work.

If I wanted to vent the heat from two panels - I'd want more than a single fan I think. I use 2x 120mm PC fans without a carbon scrubber - way more than enough of 100W of LED cooling and general cab ventilation.


Just remember the heat from the driver too - no idea how hot or not the Hans panel's one gets.
 
PSUAGRO.

PSUAGRO.

Well-Known Member
smokey the cat said:
My entirely unscientific opinion is that I think you can with a single panel - providing you don't lose too much through the scrubber and you pull enough air across the panel. Assuming a nice even ambient temp - if you live in a sauna then all bets are off. The cooler you keep them the better they work.

If I wanted to vent the heat from two panels - I'd want more than a single fan I think. I use 2x 120mm PC fans without a carbon scrubber - way more than enough of 100W of LED cooling and general cab ventilation.


Just remember the heat from the driver too - no idea how hot or not the Hans panel's one gets.
Click to expand...

The driver is remote so no added heat to the leds or grow area(if you want)



One 80w panel is enough OP.......but two 65w Hans panels is the absolute max IMO, you can just keep both on the second setting if heat and intensity become an issue.

That's the beauty of these panels, very flexible........you should contact Cocola 36, he has 2 for sale and hardly used.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top