gonna try a table

Well i have decided to try hydro again, after seeing alot of your grows a table seems like it will fit me good, i dont have much time on my hands with the greenhouse grows and it seems to be the least matenence and also easy to set up.


What i would like to do, if you guys want to do it is kinda make it a community thing. Basically get some ideas from all of you, like methods you guys would like to see or equipment you want to see tested or whatever else.


Since it is almost harvest time i would like to take a few weeks to get your thoughts, and maybe take some votes on what equipment to use, I have lots of equipement already but like i said i would like to test out some products you guys want to see used so i will probably be getting all new stuff except the co2 generator, i already have that.


Now to start with it seems LEDs are way better then they were 8 years ago when i spent 500 bucks on them and used them for a week and decided it was only good enough to make my palm tree look cool.:BangHead:


here is a link to what i am leaning towards, without paying attention to the price what do you guys think? I would be using it on a light rail on a 4 by 8 table or 2, 4 by 4 tables using different things for comparisons that you guys want to see but that will come later, first the light. Does this one look good or would you guys like to see something else.


http://californialightworks.com/product/solar-storm-880/


Another site with more info


http://growershouse.com/california-light-works-solar-storm-880w-led-grow-light

 

I love a big table but you'd be surprised, as I very much was, on the performance of a 2x4 table...Id personally like to see 2-2x4 tables setup length wise making it a 2x8 table, if the room allows, you can put a small aisle in between them and run 2 more on the other wall....id suggest using a 40 gal ressy and use 2 different timers and run both tables off 1 ressy, just set 2hrs apart, id also suggest using atleast a 250gal pump..........Id also like to see you top all your plants atleast 1 time to get a nice even canopy, which makes for less popcorn


good luck sounds fun

 

I'm not a big fan of the CLW. One of my buddies that got me into LEDs he and his dad are using the CLW SS 800s and Lumigrow 660s. They run pretty warm for what they are. Honestly I'd strongly suggest calling Mike at Rapid LED and getting 4 onyx instead, could probably 6 for the price of the SS. Will be better, cheaper, and more flexible with your foot print coverage with the multiple lamps. Or Jeff with Area 51, I'm sure he could get you 5 190s or 150s for around the $2g mark Honestly for $2g I don't think you'll be all that ecstatic about the outcome. Don't get me wrong they work but over priced in my opinion, at least the older SS 800. But I just don't see the 880s being that much of an improvement, though I could be 100% wrong. But, If the UV feature is something you really liked and attracted you, you could always just get some t5 UV bulbs for reptiles and do the same thing. I could give you links to some good UV bulbs if you did go that route.

 

I think onyx is not an option because i would have to buy separate units for veg and flower.


The area 51s look like they are for both but it dosnt add in any red for flower it just ups the power level, they would be a good option to do with CC's option because the footprint on full power for flower is 2.5 by 2.5 so i would use 4 on the 2 by 8 area and it would run about the same price of the CLW if i get i bit of a discount from the price on there site.


The down side of that is i will be using 780 watts and the CLW would use only 475 in veg, 650 for 6 and a half weeks of flower and 680 for the last week and a half with the uv lights, and i would be covering a 4 by 8 area instead of 2.5 by 8. That is also on a light mover though so it could be arguable that the onyx will do much better and like you said i can add my own UV lights.


So that said I have about a week until i will be ordering the light or lights so put in your thoughts to witch way you guys want to see it go, and of coarse if anyone has any other options i will add them into the comparison.


I forgot you mentioned the lumigrow, i looked at it and i cant find a footprint size. It also runs at 140 degrees, the clw 880 runs at 104 degrees and the area51 only runs at 86 degreese.


Just thought of it, another option is to get 2 CLW 440's with a footprint of 3 by 3 and a temp of 104. It would also work good with CC's option of the 2 foot wide tables but i would still have to hook the 2 together on the light rail but they would only need to be moved 2 ft.

 

The RW is 5500k cool white and red. I have both. It does just as good a job as the XGS. It's a little cheaper than the xgs too.

 

Thats what im goin for, easy but still hydro quality, i was always known to have the best weed anywhere around my area and when i went to outdoor it was like learning how to grow again so the quality went down and now i am almost back to having it as good as my indoor used to be but now other people have gotten better at theyre growing so theres is just as good.


So if i go back to hydro i can up the quality a bit and have something special around again. Obviously i wont be quitting the greenhouse, just doing a little extra with the old grow room, it was getting lonely.


Also i hope to use it to help you guys out with this grow, ive got the money to play with so why not test out some things that you guys want to see how they work before you buy them.

 

Well they got some new 440s and 880s to try. I'm. Going to run over there in a bit and take some par readings. Should help making a decision.

 

Alright so. 880 in the center was 2400umol at 12" @ 34 Still around a 1000. Though it falls out pretty quickly with a 4x4 area around 24" above at the edges you are still about 200 or so umol which is about the intensity of a 400w about 10" from center.


The lumigrow 650 had similar numbers in the center just a little less spread.


The ss440 had similar numbers to my rw 150. Basically same foot print too like 2.5x3 is what I would say.


Just got shits and giggles measured one of the dual hoods with a 600 hps and 400mh in it. The 440 at 34" was putting out ~300umol and the hid 140-150.

 

Man,:icon_confused: I got allot to learn

 

damn, sounds like they are doing a pretty good job now a days with the LED's.


From the sounds of it if your 150 got similar numbers to the 440 then yours are a better way to go, you have the area 51s right?


but again since this is kinda an experiment i dont need the lights to be prooven, if you guys want to see something different to see how it works i will do it.


Also what i have been wondering with the umol's since the led's are more specified in there spectrum would a lower umol number actually be just as good with the led's as a higher number with the hid's?

 

If you are already more than well With higher temps of hps the Ss would be no problem and still provide good essential warmth If in a slightly cooler climate. I know my buddy isn't disappointed. After the numbers today I see why I'm seeing the results I am in comparison. Keep in mind 1000-15000umol as far as we know does not benefit us in any way. I shoot for 800-1000 avg as much as possible. 20-24" should be good with those maintained in flowering starting around 26-30" initially. With the a51 you could get much more uniform spread it seems It would be possible to get 1000+ umol uniform over 2x8 centers and 250-300umol edges with 4 a51 Rws. But would be nice to see another honest review. Also if you do go clw contact them apparently they started doing some program with assisting growers who document their stuff so I heard. Might call them and see what you can work out maybe.

 

ok, i wanted things going by now but i had to get that trimmer so this got put on hold but i am ready to start ordering and getting things together.


I thought of an idea for the grow. I am thinking since i will be going with either 2, 2 by 4 or 2, 3 by 4 (witchever the store has, i will only be getting the lights online) so the idea is to get 4 different lights and do a comparison. The whole grow will be the new Potunia.


i would think an onyx and an area 51 should be 2 of them since they seem to be popular with you guys.


What would you guys like to see for the other two, the only other two brands i have read up on are the lumigrow and california light works, is there any other preferance you guys would like to see? I do want to stay pretty close in wattage between the 4 so i get a good compairison.

 

You only considering LED? I'd like to see a test of a double-ended HID. And you should throw in a 1000W Hortilux single end bulb as a baseline for comparison.

 

Im just looking to do led's. Dont want to have to use the ac and i dont want a $500 electric bill again.

 

No time for a diy right now. Just want to compare 4 different brands for a good idea on witch one is the best, mabe help some people wanting to do the switch decide what brand to buy.

 

I just ordered the area 51 xgs-195, i use a $500 prepaid so i am getting one at a time.


One of them will be the onyx but they have different units for veg and flower so i will probably use just the other 3 for veg.


For the third light i am thinking the california lightworks solarflare 220 full spectrum model. The only thing is it only actually uses 165w and the footprint for it says only 2' by 2' for flower so i will expect it to come up a bit short in the end but since it dosnt let me shut down some for veg it is 5' by 5' witch will make up for not having the onyx on for veg.


And for the fourth light i still dont know, is there any led lights you guys would like to see? If not i am just going to search around google and try to find one that looks worth it or just see what brands the hydro stores are carying.

 

You have a Lumigrow in there?