Thatsmessedup's Blackstar 500 LED, LST Grow #2

Day 47 Of Flower:
The plants are doing well under the 400 watt hps so far. One of the plants is showing signs of something but not sure what. Its leaves are begging to curl up a bit and brown between the the leaf edges. Ill keep an eye on it. Temps are between 77f and 87f. Considering its still like 90f outside, ill take it.

Day 47 Of Flower pictures:
Left plant. Will now be called plant #1:

Right plant. Will now be called plant #2

Tent shot.

Amaximus said:

Ah... Then it looks like we're right back to That Sucks!

And your temperatures with the hps have been comparable?

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Temps with the LED where about 6f more then room temp. This 400 watt HPS is 8f more then room temp. That's a lot better then I thought I was going to get. I got a digital ballast that is 250 watt to 400 watt. I thought I may have needed to use the 250 watt setting because its summer. Now I wish I would have gotten a 400 watt to 600 watt so I can really crank it up during the winter. O well. With 400 watts it comes out to 56 watts/per square foot so I think I good to go anyway. I really dont now much about HPS so I am still learning.

Thatsmessedup, you're doing some nice work here. Are you happy with your unit?

DAMN YOU BLACKSTAR! THATSMESSEDUP!

squarefodder said:

Thatsmessedup, you're doing some nice work here. Are you happy with your unit?

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Thanks! Am I happy with the hps? Not sure yet but ill let you know.

Totally sucks on the 500 but I'm pretty sure from the photos that it's just one of your drivers that is fried (probably) or the connection is loose (maybe). Chinese panels like Blackstars usually have multiple drivers that controls 1 or more sets of lights. It's only like 20 to 40 bucks to replace that TMU so you may want to look into it. Plus you should look into modding the fan covers so the 500 runs cooler. Maybe it was a bad driver adding to the heat. Good Luck + Stay Safe TMU!

thatsmessedup said:

Thanks! Am I happy with the hps? Not sure yet but ill let you know.

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Wow somehow I missed the post where your row of leds busted. I was asking about the 500 but now I have my answer. That inconvience really blows. I'm looking for a new unit, looks like it won't be blackstar....

Who makes your digi hps? Just curious.

FranJan said:

Totally sucks on the 500 but I'm pretty sure from the photos that it's just one of your drivers that is fried (probably) or the connection is loose (maybe). Chinese panels like Blackstars usually have multiple drivers that controls 1 or more sets of lights. It's only like 20 to 40 bucks to replace that TMU so you may want to look into it. Plus you should look into modding the fan covers so the 500 runs cooler. Maybe it was a bad driver adding to the heat. Good Luck + Stay Safe TMU!

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Hi.
Thats pretty close, and hopefully its the case.
But it could also be the burnt LED thats has broken the hole string, and just short circuiting it should work(if the driver can turn down 3 volt)
But how do you get access to burnt LED, with these types of panels, without removing all the tiny screws?
Looking at the image of my panel's PCB board, I'm out of ideas, anyone got some ?

thatsmessedup said:

Temps with the LED where about 6f more then room temp. This 400 watt HPS is 8f more then room temp. That's a lot better then I thought I was going to get. I got a digital ballast that is 250 watt to 400 watt. I thought I may have needed to use the 250 watt setting because its summer. Now I wish I would have gotten a 400 watt to 600 watt so I can really crank it up during the winter. O well. With 400 watts it comes out to 56 watts/per square foot so I think I good to go anyway. I really dont now much about HPS so I am still learning.

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We're gonna have to petition to get this journal thrown out of the led forum. Your hps now. (JOKE!) lol.

I'm surprised to hear you only experience about a two degree difference in temperature. That's good news at least. it would suck to have to deal with the led panel going out just to have to deal with heat issues. Those Blackstars do run hot though. No doubt the girls will take to the hps fine. Good luck man.

What're your plans for that BS500? Parts? sidelighting?

Isn't your BS < 1 year old??? If so it's still under warranty

My blackstars don't run hot. They generate some heat like any light, but not a ton. I run without any particular extra ventilation other than fans on the plants.

Senseimilla said:

Isn't your BS < 1 year old??? If so it's still under warranty

My blackstars don't run hot. They generate some heat like any light, but not a ton. I run without any particular extra ventilation other than fans on the plants.

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I believe tmu bought it off eBay and has no receipt?

Ahhh.. fyi my blackstars are the 2012 models, so they may be better designed than previous generations. Made it through one grow so far no problems, about to start second... they even survived a swarm of lady bugs crawling inside the vents

Senseimilla said:

Ahhh.. fyi my blackstars are the 2012 models, so they may be better designed than previous generations. Made it through one grow so far no problems, about to start second... they even survived a swarm of lady bugs crawling inside the vents

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That might be the case. One of my panels is definitely 2011 and it seems like it runs a little hot but hasn't had any problems. My other panel was bought in 2012 (March) but the diode already fried so I know it wasn't a 2012 model as the faulty diodes are only on the 2011's. Supposedly the 2012s run cooler. They're replacing my entire panel with a new 2012 model so i'll let ya know any differences when i get it back.

They haven't been out long enuff to fry, heh

Hey Rasser, my only problem with a LED knocking out a circuit is the clear cap on the LEDs that BSs and other Chinese panels use are supposed to keep the current flowing in case the diode goes out. At least that is how it was explained to me. The exact scientific explanation I never got because I could barely understand what the person was saying in the first place . So unless that cap over the LED lens/case is physically damaged and the diode is not working the circuit should still function. A multimeter would probably tell the real story quicker I would think .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LED_failure_modes

http://www.quickar.com/ledstherightway.pdf

Amaximus said:

We're gonna have to petition to get this journal thrown out of the led forum. Your hps now. (JOKE!) lol.

I'm surprised to hear you only experience about a two degree difference in temperature. That's good news at least. it would suck to have to deal with the led panel going out just to have to deal with heat issues. Those Blackstars do run hot though. No doubt the girls will take to the hps fine. Good luck man.

What're your plans for that BS500? Parts? sidelighting?

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LOL ... I was thinking I might get kicked out of this forum using the hps but then again I'm showing people the horrors of cheap leds.

I was super surprised as well about the temps. I think the temps are so low because the hps hood has a glass bottom. Iv got it hooked to a 430cfm fan that directly sucks heat from the bulb. The blackstar just throws all its heat 360 degrees around the unit. the heat then needs to be collected by my outtake fan.

So now my plans are to sell the light on ebay. Someone else can deal with it.

squarefodder said:

Wow somehow I missed the post where your row of leds busted. I was asking about the 500 but now I have my answer. That inconvience really blows. I'm looking for a new unit, looks like it won't be blackstar....

Who makes your digi hps? Just curious.

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Yep... maybe blackstars 2012 models are better like sensi says but to be honest the reason I took to leds is because they are suppost to run for years and years (50,000 hrs), and that by itself justifies the extra cost. but if you cannot get even 1 year out of a unit there is no justification. Next time I would get a unit with at least a 3 year warranty.

My ballast is a 400 watt solis-tek and the hood is hydrofarm Da Luminaire series. The lamp is eiko brand 400 watt HPS. Im sure the bulb isn't the best but the guy at the hydro store said for the price its awesome. The hood has a ridiculous warranty like 25 years and the ballast has a 5 year warranty.

FranJan said:

Hey Rasser, my only problem with a LED knocking out a circuit is the clear cap on the LEDs that BSs and other Chinese panels use are supposed to keep the current flowing in case the diode goes out. At least that is how it was explained to me. The exact scientific explanation I never got because I could barely understand what the person was saying in the first place . So unless that cap over the LED lens/case is physically damaged and the diode is not working the circuit should still function. A multimeter would probably tell the real story quicker I would think .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LED_failure_modes

http://www.quickar.com/ledstherightway.pdf

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Sounds illogical to me, if the clear cap could conduct current the LED would be short circuited while it was working.

Sorry to hear about the 500bs. The girls are coming along nicely under the 400watt hps.

Stay safe, and happy growing, peace.

Rasser said:

Sounds illogical to me, if the clear cap could conduct current the LED would be short circuited while it was working.

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I didn't say it conducts current.