250W HPS 6xLowryder Hydro PC plans

[klyster]

Hello all.
I've been following a lot of exellent PC-builds here and built a 300W CLF growbox just for fun, havent posted that one yet. Now I want to build another one and this time something serious, something big.

Here are the specs
Chassi: Lian Li PC-V2100 Plus 2
210x617x650mm (WxHxD)


Light: 250W HPS with cooltube
32.000 Lumen


Fans:
2x Scythe Ultra Kaze 120mm 3000rpm

2x Zalman 80m 3000rpm

3x Noctua NF-P12 1200rpm

2x Noctua NF-R8 1800rpm


Here's a more detailed model of the inner workings:

Now most of you will probably say it's a bad idea or even impossible to cram a 250W HPS in a PC-Chassi, probably is. Though I believe it's possible and I'll definitely give this design a shot, let me break it down.

The design implements 3 different temperature-zones. First zone is the cooltube with a Noctua 80mm NF-R8 at one end and a airtube leading out to an unfiltered outlet with another NF-R8 at the end. The second zone is the top area of the growroom with the cooltube in it separated by a sheet of plexiglas. This zone has one 120mm NF-P12 at the top just next to the cooltube outlet letting air out in the back compartment. The third and final zone is the flower room, it has another 120mm NF-P12 letting air out into the back compartment. The back compartment has one huge carbon filter with either one or two Scythe Ultra Kaze sucking air out at 3000rpm, below is smaller dual Zalman 80mm carbon filter. One 120mm NF-P12 at the front intake blows air trough the front compartment.
The bottom chamber and the smaller carbon filer fans are controlled by an automated fan control reacting to temperature.
The Hydro setup will be an ebb and flow system and support 6 lowryder (3xLR2, 2xDieselR,1xEasyR) plants scroged in a mesh roughly 20cm over the plants. The plexiglas screen and cooltube are adjustable to many heights. Also all fans are hoked up to a manual fan controller, with a switch to give any fan automated or manual control.

So do you guy's think I can cool this thing and not barbecue those lowryders?

 

[GrowersUnite]

itll be quite interesting that's for sure! I have the sythe kaze fans and they are loud as a pair but work quite good 133 cfm

 

[killa-bud]

even if you were able to cool it,which is really doubtful imo,you'ed be wasteing light in such a small space.


good luck tho

 

[geopolitical]

That's enough light that you could possibly get some bleaching. Really an insane amount of light/heat for that area. That's close to 180w per square foot. . .

 

[FidelCashflow]

yeah, a 250 in that space is going to be far more than you'll need. hell, 150 might even be pushing it

 

[dontae1000]

save yourself your time n money, get a 50watt hps n a few cfl in the 6400 kelvin range. this thread is absurd, u must not understand heat yet, but u will..

 

[ScrubNinja]

Two layers of glass is gonna cut down the light a lot too although maybe that's a good thing It's a very interesting design though, I like it a lot except for what's been mentioned already.

 

[klyster]

Thanks for your input, I do realise this is an insane amount of light for that space. Though that's kinda the point, I want to try flood the plants with en excessive amount of light, the whole interior will be coated with diamond mylar. Would a 250W HPS in this small space shine trough the top leafs and give light to the lower branches? I believe it's possible to get good temperatures in there and if I can't i can always switch to another light.

Had a thought though, would it give more light to the lower parts of the bud sites if I put some 1cm thick plexiflass vertically between each plant, say 30cm? The light should work it's way down trough the transparent plastic?

 

[geopolitical]

at over 170watts per square foot klyster, you're going to have ZERO issues with that light penetrating damn near anything you can grow in that short a space. Seriously, you'll probably be able to use that thing as a fluoroscope. The highest wattage I ever went was 95/sqft and that was pretty damn intense. I didn't see a major difference when I went down to around 70 either. I think there's a rate of diminishing returns.

 

[Aerohead]

I believe you would need a 4" vortex centrifugal fan to even begin to cool such a small space with a 250w light, PC fans won't move enough air here. I also think you can only get so much bud out of a small space like that and a 150w HPS would certainly max that space out. a 250w HPS should be able to produce 8 zips in the right cab and I don't see 8 zips fitting in there.
That said, I would be a hypocrite to try to stop anyone from going over the top and trying something insane. I wouldn't mind seeing what you can do with such a setup...rock on.

 

[masterKahn]

You could grow almost half a pound under that light in the right space with perfect growth. In a PC if the plants survive you could get at most a ounce if the whole PC filled with buds to the point of bursting out of the seems. It seems like an answer to a question no one asked. Two 42w CFL would be great in there and alot better in alot of ways. just my thoughts. If your dead set on doing it hope it works I just don't see any reason to put such a large bulb in such a tiny space.


A PC fan won't even come close to venting a 250 cool tube.

 

[cork144]

id try a 150w. 250 is going abit overkill.

 

[klyster]

I hear what your saying, I might be convinced to switch down to 150W HPS after all your feedback. Though I can't find any cooltube sets for 150W, 250W seems to be the weakest. Anyone have a good link?

As I said im doing a grow with 2xEasyRyder, soil, and one 300W CLF flowerlight right now. The results from that one looks promising so I'd be good science trying something more advanced with HPS.

 

[ScrubNinja]

Wouldn't you be better off growing a non AF? Aren't they low thc?

 

[klyster]

Wouldn't you be better off growing a non AF? Aren't they low thc?

For the height im working with I'd say lowryders would be optimal? Anyways im quite new to this game and I want to start out with something easy, feminized autos.

 

[ScrubNinja]

For the height im working with I'd say lowryders would be optimal? Anyways im quite new to this game and I want to start out with something easy, feminized autos.

Yeah no worries mate, I am actually interested in getting some AFs myself for outdoor experiments. Just so you know though, the scrog screen is what's gonna decide the height...only difference is the AF is gonna do what it wants whenever it wants. With a normal sort of strain, you have tight control on it and when to stop vegging, according to how full the screen is. That's pretty much the only and most important decision you have to make with a scrog - when to flip. And an AF takes that control out of your hands.

Not to be a debbie downer though, it will still be a great grow I'm sure!!...just thought I'd explain.

 

[klyster]

Yea that's true, a scrog with AF wont be a scrog in the general sense. I guess the screen just provide support and separation for the lowryders, might only grow them trough the screen and tie them down a bit.

One thing im asking myselfe here is if my 300W CLF with something like 21.000 Lumen would give a better/same or worse yield then a 150W HPS in that space? Feels like the HPS should give better flowering at least.

Another question is if an Ebb & Flow Hydro setup is easier to work with then a standard Reservoir setup? Thinking the separate water tank for the Ebb & Flow enables one to change the water without messing with the plant roots.

 

[Elephunk]

Dude... I tried to put 100w CMH + 150w HPS in a double wide lian li computer case (two identical cases bolted together) and cool tubed them and everything. They had their own fans exhausting the heat directly with 2 other 120cfm fans for the rest of the cab... My temps were 90 degrees... I won't say don't try it, but from my experience it was just too much for that small of a space.

 

[klyster]

Dude... I tried to put 100w CMH + 150w HPS in a double wide lian li computer case (two identical cases bolted together) and cool tubed them and everything. They had their own fans exhausting the heat directly with 2 other 120cfm fans for the rest of the cab... My temps were 90 degrees... I won't say don't try it, but from my experience it was just too much for that small of a space.

Ah cool you actually did it! Probably it's going to be quite impossible to use a 150W HPS in there, though I'll probably need the HPS lamp sooner or later so I'll get one in any case.
What I'll do is probably re-use my 300W CLF for this case and do some experimenting with the HPS aswell. I did some minor miscalculations and the smallest cooltube wont even fit in there (49cm).

Thanks for all the input, I have some thinking to do now

 

[masterKahn]

Hps come in sizes as low as 70 watts if your stuck on HID and a 70w HPS will fit in any cool tube that a 250 will. Buy the cool tube separate or make your own or maybe a custom air cooled hood with flat glass instead of a tube.

You would be better off growing one female into your screen and letting it fill up. You can get standard non Auto seeds that are female. Don't forget AF strains need around 18-24 hours of light and your heat will build up and run much hotter then a normal 12on/12off cycle. Also AF plants can be EXTREMELY stunted because of root growth. I grew some blue streak back in the day and one was only 5 inches tall because it was started in a cup and transplanted to a 2 gallon pot but it didn't help, another blue streak that started in a gallon pot was around a foot tall and much better. I would still rather have a non AF plant.

With non AF plants when you trim below the screen save at least on cutting as a clone and you can root it and leave it under a 13w CFL till the one in the case is done, pop in the clone and your 60-80 days from more bud.