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California Lightworks Solarstorm Trial

Shafto

Active member
Rives, I wouldn't tell you how to wire a house, this is my profession. It's like me wiring up light controller just like one of the shittier commercial brands I've heard you talk about, and then when you suggest changes that you know will make it better... I tell you that your arguments are arbitrary and that you should stop putting down my panel and others like it available for sale. Doesn't make much sense does it?

Not only did I teach you how to properly mount the LEDs on MCPCBs to build your DIY array, I've looked at hundreds of commercial LED arrays over the years and professionally evaluated them for a consultation fee. Sometimes I evaluate them again after changes are made before they go to market. I do happen to know a little bit about what I'm talking about here.

If you plug a new lumigrow in, measure light output, and check it again in 5 years, it'll be less than 50% output. Couple cheap computer fans are less money than enough aluminum to properly heatsink the array.

If you aren't using some CAD software to look at what's actually happening with light dispersion you might have trouble visualizing what I'm trying to explain.

The PLLs you used Rives have an unideal dispersion, they throw light in 360 degrees, trying to mimic this with LEDs is counter productive. The array should be spread out, with light going straight downward, there is no argument to this... Though I'm sure there will be plenty of people to find something to disagree with just for the point of disagreeing with me.

Not using secondary optics is either profit maximizing, for foolish design. the "120 degree angle" is not an even blanket of light. the centre is at 100% while at 60 degrees away from centre you'll have about 10% the output. Secondary optics with spread out LEDs are needed to create a properly even blanket of light.
 

rives

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Actually, I've only wired a handful of houses - I'm an industrial controls guy. While I don't disagree with the bulk of your argument, the fact remains that the fixture that you describe doesn't currently exist, and while the current offerings may not be the optimum, many of us are producing excellent results with them. I find it somewhat curious that with your background, you use HID's to grow with.
 

Shafto

Active member
I use HID because there aren't any LED products that I think are worthy enough of my money yet.

I have been tempted on a few occasions to build my own array. I might yet still do that, but I probably won't find the time before a decent one finally hits market.

There's also a company that has approached me for some preliminary advice about building a growing array. A company I have worked with before that I know produces high quality products. I hope they decide to go ahead with their plans, they look great. I'd love to see the finished product and test it out. I test the mechanical, electrical, thermal and optical engineering of the product, won't be my job to see how it grows if they do make it, but I think I'd be asking to borrow one for a few months for some testing on my "tomatoes".
 

cjk

Member
this is a REVIEW of the solarstorm, not an arguement for it ... back on topic please .... numbers, density, and quality is what is going to sell this fixture to me and these results will be along shortly...
 

cjk

Member
the final results and opinions are in....

The solarstorm was able to yeild a moderate 390 grams. This equates to .63 gpw.

The original goal of this light was to replace my 1k and unfortunately I will not be keeping it. Of course, with more time to perfect the LED growing style I know i could do better but my trial period is limited. If i was replacing a 600 in a 3x3 i'd probably keep the light but I can't settle for such little weight when i'm used to around 700 with the 1k.

As far as quality, everything looks great and on par with the hps with the exception of size and more popcorn which I have said all along the grow.

I'll have the true test of quality soon when i'm able to enjoy some of the product so i'll be back whenever that is....

thanks for tuning in...
 

GP73LPC

Strain Collector/Seed Junkie/Landrace Accumulator/
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how many watts does the solarstorm put out? 620 watts?

if you posted in the thread, sorry i must have missed it...
 

cjk

Member
i would like to add that the LED's that i bought for the veg room are doing great. i used 4 100 watt diamond series to replace a 600 mh and light a 10 x 3 area. the 200 watts in direct energy savings and the ability to just run an exhaust/intake setup and not an a/c has been great. this equates to about 1000 watts in savings when you include the a/c that was shutoff to the 200 watts less used to light the room... very worthwhile and beautifully vegged plants...
 

cjk

Member
thank you for the review cjk.
Are you going back now to your HPS or are you still on the hunt for another LED?

peace

going back to the 1k. it's a solid setup with an 8" blockbuster. the run right before the led switchover was the best yet too as things were getting really dialed in so the led had a lot to live up to.

on a side note, i'm really impressed with the customer service with George from California Lightworks. I emailed him that I did not want to keep the light and there were no hard feelings or blame. He simply sent me a shipping label and said thanks for the feedback. A++. Really hoping his company continues to evolve and succeed in the future...
 

nephrosis

Active member
... quick question but how close did you have your light to the plants during flowering? im pretty sure with the uvb on you can have them a good 6-8 inches from the plants like my buddy did and get an amazing crop...

I plan on getting 1 soon as more lighting closer to the plants along with my 600w and another 600w (idk b4 or after)

From what iv seen that solarstorm does wonders by itself and even better with another HID lamp
 

VerdantGreen

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thanks for the test cjk

can i ask what you were pulling from your 1k hps ?
 

cjk

Member
... quick question but how close did you have your light to the plants during flowering? im pretty sure with the uvb on you can have them a good 6-8 inches from the plants like my buddy did and get an amazing crop...

I plan on getting 1 soon as more lighting closer to the plants along with my 600w and another 600w (idk b4 or after)

From what iv seen that solarstorm does wonders by itself and even better with another HID lamp

for only one run, i feel like i had the light positioned pretty good. i began with it pretty close and began to get bleaching and then backed off until the bleaching quit spreading...
 

VerdantGreen

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right, so your gpw was similar with both, in fact if you consider that your 1000hps will actually use 1050-1100 watts, you probably got a little better with the LED... just that the LED used much less watts and therefore total yield was much lower.
 

nephrosis

Active member
right, so your gpw was similar with both, in fact if you consider that your 1000hps will actually use 1050-1100 watts, you probably got a little better with the LED... just that the LED used much less watts and therefore total yield was much lower.



exactly!
 

station2

Active member
awesome read! im setting my eyes on the solarstorm myself,as the temps out here in the high desert rise in the summer!... any dried n cured pics from the led grow?
 

cjk

Member
right, so your gpw was similar with both, in fact if you consider that your 1000hps will actually use 1050-1100 watts, you probably got a little better with the LED... just that the LED used much less watts and therefore total yield was much lower.

true, and this is exactly what i have said. however, i had a lot more popcorn and the overall size of the nugs was reduced significantly with the led. i actually just pulled over 2 lbs off my 1200 watt hps setup and hit .8 gpw. these plants were vegged a little longer than my normal routine though.
 

Phychotron

Member
I've been using the 400w diamond series and it's been pretty good to me so far. I want to get a second one for my 4x4 area. When I told the guy at advanced I was thinking about throwing three in there he said it would be overkill.

day 27. bubblegum under the diamond series and some blackstars pointing sideways, and on the far right is some more blackstars
picture.php
 

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