Help...new setup frustrations...

Well hello fellow growers...

I have been growing for a couple years now, nothing that spectacular though... I am looking to upgrade my system. I have a pretty good idea of what I want to do, just not exactly sure what the best way to do it is...

A little about what I have to start out with...

I have a grow tent that is 32x32x60 for vegging...

I also have a grow tent that is 48x48x84 for flowering...

Currently right now I am only using the 32x32x60 for flowering... Have a 400mh/mps setup...

This is what I'm looking to accomplish with me new setup...

I will be running a SOG grow with 2 week cycle rotations. I will be using an 8 week flowering plant. This means that every two weeks I will have a harvest... I am thinking about going with 4 plants harvested every two weeks...This means a total of 16 plants at any given time, perpetual harvest...
I have done this in the past, and haven't really like the results I have been getting off the 400hps.

I decided to move on to LED's. Was planning on getting 3 Apollo 10's. 2 for flowering and 1 for vegging...getting rid of 400hps...
The problem that I have run into is, well, they are fucking expensive, and the reviews are spotty as hell...

The spectrums that I was going to use are as follows...
Vegging
3 red 630
3 red 660
3 blue 430
2 cyan 500
1 blue 460
1 white 6500K
1 white 4000K
1 orange 610-615

flowering
6 red 660
4 red 630
1 red 730
1 blue 460
1 blue 435
2 white 4000K


After a lot of research I have found out that Cidly.com has a lot of bad reviews for selling junk...This puts me off the Apollo's because Cidly.com is one of the main suppliers...

I guess the question that I'm getting at is: 2 things...

REMEMBER ACT AS IF I KNOW ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT GROWING

1) What is the best setup (HPS, LED, CFL) to accomplish what I am trying to do... (please include all details)

2) Can anyone supply me with information on all the materials that I would need to build 3 LED's myself that are roughly 360 watts each...
a) this would include what diodes and where to get them... 1w, 3w, or 5w...
b) what drivers I would need and where to get them...
c) How to do the heatsink, what size, where to get...
d) Can anyone supply me with step-by-step directions from beginning to end on how to go about building one of these...

E) Granted I have absolutely no electrical experience at all, I just can't see spending $1100 dollars on 3 apollo's if I can build them for half the price myself...

F) I am NOT looking to buy cheap shit, If I'm gonna do it I want to do it right...
I don't want to have to buy something else next year because they don't meet my expectations or needs...

Any help that you can give me would be extremely helpful...
Thank you

Why is this posted in three places? We see it on the homepage, I suggest deleting two of the three post... Lest you look like a douche. That being said I will now begin reading your post.

Ok after reading your post I suggest stopping your decision to use LED's...

If you are intending to spend $600 you can get SOO much more bang for your buck!

I'd run a 600w setup, both MH and HPS. Make sure to get a hood that can be air cooled, and the fan and ducting that fits it.

Finishing up my first 600w grow, and I am looking to pull a pound off a single plant, put that into your SOG and I would guess a few ounces per plant (soil?)

You already have tents so that saves $250.

Buy the lights, the grow gear (soil? hydro>soil imo), and buy some good nutrients. I'd shell out some money in nutes, because in the long run you will need it!

Grow A + B, Flower A+ B, Silica, Floralicious, Dr. Repair, Cyco B1 boost. Just go ahead and get a sizeable amount because with all the switching you will need it.

With two week cycle rotations you will need to consider your drying and curing, where are you going to dry all that bud!? Remember growing is the easy part, the harvest time, dry time, and cure is where the hard part and thus the good stuff comes from.

I just don't see a reason to go with LED's man, two expensive, making them yourself is too much work when you could buy really nice MH/HPS setup for the same price as making them yourself...

600W is better for the 4'x4' area of your grow tent than the 400w(3'x3')

If you could I would think about a 600w for veg, and a 1000w for flower since you are going for SOG.

I would suggest looking up flowamasta monster grow for more reference as he lays out everything needed to know about great plants.

Lol...........
So what are you questions?

Shik said:

Ok after reading your post I suggest stopping your decision to use LED's...

If you are intending to spend $600 you can get SOO much more bang for your buck!

I'd run a 600w setup, both MH and HPS. Make sure to get a hood that can be air cooled, and the fan and ducting that fits it.

Finishing up my first 600w grow, and I am looking to pull a pound off a single plant, put that into your SOG and I would guess a few ounces per plant (soil?)

You already have tents so that saves $250.

Buy the lights, the grow gear (soil? hydro>soil imo), and buy some good nutrients. I'd shell out some money in nutes, because in the long run you will need it!

Grow A + B, Flower A+ B, Silica, Floralicious, Dr. Repair, Cyco B1 boost. Just go ahead and get a sizeable amount because with all the switching you will need it.

With two week cycle rotations you will need to consider your drying and curing, where are you going to dry all that bud!? Remember growing is the easy part, the harvest time, dry time, and cure is where the hard part and thus the good stuff comes from.

I just don't see a reason to go with LED's man, two expensive, making them yourself is too much work when you could buy really nice MH/HPS setup for the same price as making them yourself...

600W is better for the 4'x4' area of your grow tent than the 400w(3'x3')

If you could I would think about a 600w for veg, and a 1000w for flower since you are going for SOG.

I would suggest looking up flowamasta monster grow for more reference as he lays out everything needed to know about great plants.

Click to expand...

I'd really like to get away from the MH/HPS setups... the wiring in my "rented" house is not what you would call forgiving...I'm not sure that it would be able to supply a 600 or even a 1000 watt without tripping constantly... Other than that problem, HPS are too expensive on electric, and with all the other shit you need, fans, ducting, etc...
Would rather take the time to go with LED's. Longer life, cheaper to run, heat no really much of an issue...

When I was running the 400watt in SOG, I was averaging about 6-9 grams per plant, and that was with 8 plants per cycle.... I'm looking to get 3-5oz every harvest off of 4 plants...

The most I ever got off a single plant running under 400, was a Blue Dream. Was vegged for three months, got a little under 2oz... These are not the results I am looking to get...

I understand the wiring, I went through it with my house, bumping up my breakers fixed that issue, and yeah an extra $100 on your bill I understand, but the weight difference is worth the extra wattage. I understand though, and thus I will leave you to it. Good luck man!

I have been looking at CFL's a little bit today and found this setup... This is the single 2000watt setup they have...
Check out the link and let me know what you guys think...

2000watt flowering system

http://cfl-growlight.com/store/2000-watt-flowering-spectrum-cfl-grow-light-unit-p-18.html?zenid=90228dcb44a706ff0b382c99e29e16a3


4000watt flowering system

http://cfl-growlight.com/store/double-4000-watt-cfl-grow-unit-p-13.html


2000watt vegging system

http://cfl-growlight.com/store/2000-watt-vegetation-spectrum-cfl-grow-light-unit-p-8.html

Was thinking that the 4000watt flowering setup would be perfect for the 48x48x84 tent...or maybe do 2 of the 2000watt flowering setups...
And 1 2000watt vegging setup for the 32x32x60...

what ya think?