Just joined the ranks of LED growing

[vukman]

Hello everyone:

I've heard so much about it that I just had to try it. The 'ladies' vegged for 22 days and flowered for 12 on a 600w HPS.
These are the first images with the new LED which is a 500w "Black Star" unit.

Any input, help or criticism is more than welcomed starting with will the plants go through a stress period/phase because of the lighting change since they are already in flower cycle?

Thank you and I look forward to learning an much as possible from the more knowledgeable than I.

 

[FunkBomb]

That's a very nice looking tent you've got there. I don't think the plants will be stressed, give them a few days and they'll be fine.

-Funk

 

[Phychotron]

I'd like to see how this turns out. I have a four blackstar 240's. I had a 500 but when it broke I exchanged it for two 240's. I think they are alright, but built a little cheap. No heat sink, just a sheet of aluminum even in the 500.

The thing only draws about 240w, they just call it the 500w model because they sum the rounded number of watts on the individual diodes, instead of rounding the collective draw like they should. Its a way of lying to you that I don't appreciate. $/watt are not that much cheaper when you factor in how much the fixture actually uses, quality, warranty, etc. I suggest a more reputable dealer in the future.

I think this could go either way, I've never seen what just the 500 could do alone. I don't think it will compare to what the 600w could do, but it'd be a good test if you already know what the 600 can do.

I would suggest blackstar to people who just need something, don't want to go HPS and don't have a lot of money to spend and have no concerns of expanding or largest yields. Blackstar is the most reputable of the cheap fixture class.

 

[vukman]

Hiya.........I could run the 600w without any issues. Just had a friend who had this and he is no longer growing for one reason or another so I asked if I could use his light for a comparison run........I'm as interested to see how this will turn out as the rest of you...

BTW. I am well aware that the wattage that they 'advertise' is the total of the chips. Most, if not all places limit their output to save the integrity of the chips and not burn them out prematurely. 50% is on the low end. Most places run the chips at around 66%. Few will top them out at 75% but then the warranty is usually only around a year.

Our electrical companies don't always push through 'clean' voltage through the lines and that will severely mess with sensitive equipment. Not to mention power spikes and all other manner of BS that we have to deal with when it comes to electricity these days......

 

[grow_right]

the girls will so love that new lamp!

 

[vukman]

Thank you grow_right for the words of encouragement.

I have to say that I think the girls heard ya....see if you can guess if they're happy.............BTW, that's 4 days on the LED....I can't wait for a few weeks!!!!!!

 

[habeeb]

looks great..

thing were learning though, is next buy, size the lamps to the area.. meaning like 2 smaller units cover better then having one big light and lifting it very high to get the corners...

but 500 watts of LED is gonna blast!!

have fun

 

[Phychotron]

size the lamps to the area.. meaning like 2 smaller units cover better

But don't overdo it with small fixtures, it can be a bitch getting to the back of the tent if you have 6 fixtures hanging. For my 4x4 tent I'm going with two 400w diamond series to reduce the clutter from the blackstars.

But yea, the general idea is to create an array of LED's to spread the light out above the plants as much as possible.

 

[vukman]

Haven't posted anything in a few days so here are some pics from today..August 19/12 which is flower day 16 and day 5 with the LED light....

 

[medmaker420]

looking great!

What are your thoughts on flowering light height with LEDs as far as the higher wattage setups go? I am running leds in veg atm and the things are VERY cool running but wonder about bleaching in flower not from heat but rather from led intensity.

 

[vukman]

thank you medmaker420. I wish I had the answers you are looking for but this is my first LED run. I am more or less testing it myself so I am not the right person to answer your question.
If I were to speculate, I would go on line and check to see which wavelength is responsible for 'bleaching' chlorophyll out of plants. Then check to see if I have that wavelength of light in my set up. I'm actually not even sure if it is a wavelength or just the light intensity which does the 'bleaching' so that would be another thing to look for.

Just want to wish you all the best in finding your answers. Have you thought of starting your own thread and asking that question?

Good Luck

 

[medmaker420]

Vukman thank you for the words, once I get my led grow going odds are the answers to my many questions will reveal themselves.

Keep up the great grow, nice and clean setup in that tent!

 

[FunkBomb]

Things are looking nice in your tent. Keep up the good work.

-Funk

 

[smilley]

Excellent thread vukman, I'm tuned in.....

 

[smacko]

what size is your tent? do you think your getting enough coverage from the 500w blackstar?

 

[Harry Lime]

Hey Vukman, thanks for showing us this.

A few questions, if you don't mind:-

Your friend who gave you the lamp. How did he find it compared to a 600 HID?

What are those girls you're growing? Have you run them before under a 600 so you'll be able to compare the outcome?

What's your medium? What nutes are you using?

What extraction are you using and are you able to turn it down with the lower heat from the LED?

I'm gonna be watching this closely. Good luck!

 

[vukman]

Hello Everyone:

I really didn't know I gained a following here so I apologize for not keeping the thread up but here goes..I'll try to answer all the questions.

As for my friend, he never had a chance to finish off the grow. He was arrested for some other non-related incident....so I gained access to the 2-500w Blackstar LED's.

The strain I am growing is something the person who cloned them called "Uncle Tom".
Now, I asked about the strain in another thread and someone told me it's 'real' name is 'Baldy". I spoke with the person who cloned them recently and he says that it is a strain out of BC which was made by someone and just named after their uncle who had recently passed so I don't know the real genetics behind it.

I do know that the strain is quite good and was well received. Under 1K metal halide (cloner uses them for veg and flower), he says he got approx. 0.7-0.8gpw so that is all I have to go by.

The grow medium is plain ol' Promix HP with no additives. If you look through my album, I have an image there of the nutrients but so you don't have to look if you do not want to, I use a generic all-purpose fertilizer (20-20-20) for the vegetative period which was under a 600HPS here for a period of 22 days.

For the flowering, I use Fox Farm, the tri-pack which is the "Open Sesame, Beastie Bloomz and Cha Ching". In the picture, you'll see I have some "Optimum Hydroponix part A & B flowering solutions which I have not used. I got used to the Fox Farm so those just sit there.

The last week of the veg. period I started with the Open Sesame. I don't know if it did anything but I did read somewhere once that it shocks the plants into knowing something is changing which made sense to me...

They started to show signs of flowering after a week which is when I switched the nutrients over to Beastie Bloomz. I am using the lower end of their recommended dosages and I do use it with every watering. Although, I do not water until they really need it.

The change from the 600HPS to the LED came on day 12 of flowering (today is day 18).

If I have forgotten to include any information, please forgive me. I'll try to keep this thread up although I have recently also undergone a very major loss in my life. My grandmother who raised me has died and she is being buried on Thursday August 23 so if I seem a little distant......:-(

Including pictures of the same 'ol girl by the fan (closest to me when photographing). Please look through the album if you have time to see the progress.......

Thank you
Vukman

 

[vukman]

The tent is a Sun Hut 2x4x7 and I have a 19" Mountain Air carbon filter with 6" opening. The fan is an inline fan (Max Fan..Made in Germany) rated for approx 334cfm. It is a 3 speed and I have it on setting 1 which is 201cfm and that's plenty to suck the sides of the tent right in!! LOL

Also, to answer a question, I had the 1 LED in there but wanted more light so I put the other one in there a few days after the first one. I also bought a volt/amp/watt tester (it's not a Kill-a-watt) but very similar.
I tested the units and they draw 295-298w each so you could say I have an actual ~600w of LED light on the plants right now...

I hope that answers all the questions....

P.S. photo below taken today (Aug.21/12) day 18 flower..taken through a 40x loupe with led white light...trichomes forming..

 

[Harry Lime]

Vukman, I'm sorry to hear about your loss. You just take it as easy as you can for a while. Come back when it's right and fill us in on what's happening wiv the girls. we'll wait patiently.
Thanks for all the info, it helps a lot.

 

[gtgio]

Lookin' good! I can't wait till the LED tech gets more mainstream and the costs come down.