The VolksLED - The People's DIY Fixture

Hiya:
This is why I love this place.. Intellectually stimulating conversation and debates based on data and research and not just heresy.
PetFlora, I find myself agreeing with both of your posts absolutely! Based on very sound ideas and data. Not sure which since there is no references stated but as I say,..makes perfect sense! I can definitely attest to the fact that the 630's are cheaper than the far reds. Don't even want to know what kind of prices I've seen for some of the light waves I've been looking at. Same goes for the other end of the spectrum as well.
There is a school of thought that is saying that a plant benefits from UVB light (~280-320nm) but I can't really locate any sound evidence to prove that theory. I watched a link I was told about on 'PotTV" where Mr Pot guy made a very good argument but then it falls apart because of his constant use of " I think....."
Too bad because there actually might be something to that. I am aware of the benefits of UVA light to plants albeit in small quantities. Therein lays the reason you see 380's in quite a few of the LED's.
As for the IR data, I just plain out and out do not have enough info to comment so I'll take your word on it but will also definitely look into that as well....

Now MedMaker420 my friend....that could wind up being a damn pricey toy you're looking at there...Of course I want one too but ..... and as for the Chromo Spectroscope...umm..excuse me while I go pleasure myself a while!! LOL.....got me all excited there..ahahahah

Love ya all.
vukman

When SX was contributing I suggested he make an E-book.

The graphs/411 are about half way down this page

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=229278&page=5

Beautiful,, thank you very very much PetFlora....I too have found some fairly solid references to support the UV 'argument'
Very interesting read....the UV stuff is near the end of the page but the references go on and on....
http://www.hempfood.com/iha/iha01201.html

Swinging over to 12/12 and the hybrid fixture, this is at 28 days of vegging under the VolksLED. In the past, this strain has had virtually no stretch at all when changed over - hopefully that will remain the case, because there sure as hell isn't much room left!

just throwing this out there but has anyone looking into plasma sulphur lighting?? Yes, I know they stopped production in around '99 but started again around '05. Started reading about it but curiosity leads me to ask if anyone has any personal experience with it or is the cost just way too prohibitive? I know they are costly but some people spare no expense at times......

vukman said:

just throwing this out there but has anyone looking into plasma sulphur lighting?? Yes, I know they stopped production in around '99 but started again around '05. Started reading about it but curiosity leads me to ask if anyone has any personal experience with it or is the cost just way too prohibitive? I know they are costly but some people spare no expense at times......

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They are out there, Gavita is working with a plasma unit. Plasmalyte is another company working with them. From what I can tell they are amazing for veg, seem to lack a bit of red for bloom, but I have had no personal experience with them, so I am just going from what I have read and seen. They are a bit expensive, but some units are not much more than LED units. So the cost is coming down, and as more people catch onto them the price will continue to drop. If you asked me a year to a year and a half ago I was pretty convinced that LED's were never going to make it and plasma lighting was going to be the new craze. Well, I wasn't really correct on that one, but the plasma lights have not gone away, LED's just got more attention.

That screen bodes well for the future.

It certainly appears the VolksLED is compatible with the area and growing style. And is efficient.

Thanks, Analogue. I was happily surprised with it's performance.

loving that screen!

Makes me want to do a scrog in one of my flower tents!

Looking great brother

I don't usally look at many indoor threads but that was a great read. This time of year I'd Love to go under some lights but it's not gonna happen.
Give that dog a scratch for me when ya get a chance...

Hi! impressive, very interesting thread!!

I'm reading all that I can but is a rather inconclusive work as some info is a little old and you seem to have evolved...

I'm planning a micro grow where heat control will be the key factor. The other one being cost

Using just LEDs seems to be too expensive, I had very impressive results wil PLLs in a veg cab in the past.

From what I have read, PLL/CFL/T5 lack some light wavelengths optimal for flowering, I'm trying to decide how to cope with that, while keeping temps under control.

Temp control will be critical not for the cab space per se (2x2x4) but due to the fact it will be inside the only place I can have it, in a closed pantry, so air exchange will be a limiting factor.

I plan to deal with this by:

1) Start by not generating heat inside the cab, i.e. using PLL/T5 or a mix of PLL/LED
2) Using CO2 (I already have the equipment from another DIY areas)

Only after I gather some empirical experience will I be able to optimize the setup, but to avoid shooting in the dark (and wasting money, a limiting factor!) your current experience
would help me a lot!

@Rives: After reading this thread and the hybrid one in your sig its not still clear to me what would be the optimal LEDs to add to a PLL setup. What's your experience regarding ratios? i.e. for a 175-220W PLL setup, what kind of LEDs would be optimal (UV, IR, RED, far RED?) and which total wattage of each? what would be the cheapest route you'll follow if you had to start it from scrath, with a limited budget right now?

One of my hobbies is Audio DIY, I have solder equipment and skills and time invested in that is time I enjoy, so only the cost is the factor.

Also, given I keep the PSU and drivers outside the cab, how much heat do high wattage LEDs generate? Take into account air exchange will be limited, so there's no use in having fans blowing at them, or using huge heat sinks, as heat will be the same, just moved to other places.

@PetFlora: You say using aquariums T5 HO has had an impact in your yields. Taking into account my limiting factors, if you were to start from scratch (using a mixed PLLs/T5 setup) what kind of aquarium T5 and which wattage would you use?

rives said:

I think that, for cost effectiveness, it is hard to beat combining different types of light to achieve the mix that you want. If you can handle the heat and balance the relative penetrations, there are some interesting options. I am currently setting up a new area that will use (3) of the 315w Philips CDM-T lamps. I found a killer deal on the 3100K versions, and they hit 120 Lm/watt! I'm interested to get a couple of runs on them and then possibly supplement them with some long, bar-style 660nm LEDs.

There is a vendor in the states that is building a "revolutionary" ballast for these lamps that is supposed to deliver a usable lamp life of 50,000 hours, with 95% lumen maintenance at 20,000 hours. Their target market is LED street lighting - with that kind of lamp life, they are directly competitive from a re-lamping standpoint. There is some really interesting stuff going on!

http://gel-usa.com/pdf/CeramaTek_315w.pdf

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Just found this........released Aug 31

"The LZ9 LuxiGen LED delivers up to 1600 lm and LED Engin is targeting the SSL device at directional retrofit lamps for retail and commercial applications."

source..:http://ledsmagazine.com/news/9/8/25

Thanks Vukman!! Though i guess those will be difficult to source right now??

PetFlora, same nick?? Thanks!!!

Anyone know or used any of the ultra premium retrofit kits by rapidled?? They look interesting pricewise, and would be a good route for a mixed PLL/LED...

repuk said:

Thanks Vukman!! Though i guess those will be difficult to source right now??

PetFlora, same nick?? Thanks!!!

Anyone know or used any of the ultra premium retrofit kits by rapidled?? They look interesting pricewise, and would be a good route for a mixed PLL/LED...

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hehe..yes, I would think they would be considering the article was just written at the end of August. I jut posted that there because of the forward thinking people we have here and to let them know what's up and coming in the world of LED's...

As with everyone here, I too am looking at a DIY project with my own ideas of spectrums and layouts...Also as everyone else, I too hope that it works out. Money is always the ever present issue when it comes to this stuff though, isn't it.....

Anyway..wish everyone the best with their projects..just keep us all informed as to progress. Not asking for specs and details, just progress and grow reports so I have something to look forward to..

repuk said:

Thanks Vukman!! Though i guess those will be difficult to source right now??

PetFlora, same nick?? Thanks!!!

Anyone know or used any of the ultra premium retrofit kits by rapidled?? They look interesting pricewise, and would be a good route for a mixed PLL/LED...

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If you mean UN, then yes.

I have/had a journal here too but due to coding issue, posting pics directly from ones hard drive does not work.I have brought it up many times, but the resident 'gooroo' could care less

Can't wait for the next pic update Rives

see how that canopy is filling out OR rather IN

Since the fan is intended for the computer market, it is 12vdc and required a separate 12v power supply. This worked out well because the two Meanwell drivers could use a 0-10vdc signal (optionally using resistance or Pulse Width Modulation) to control their dimming function. Using the voltage option makes it very simple to limit the maximum current that the LEDs will see, in this case using two small trim pots (potentiometers) that are mounted on a piece of Radio Shack circuit board. These pots were set up as a voltage divider, and the output from them was directed to the large dimming pots accessible on the top of the housing.

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Re-reading that I just realized an "automatic" temp regulator circuit could be used also for "auto" dimming, more as a measure of LED protection/maximum life/brightness, dunno about its real usefulness with real HML usage.

Not really sure, but I think just swapping the NTC here for an PTC could do:

Just put the driver dimming inputs where the output to the fan goes:

.

This way the PTC resistor that acts as a sensor could go to an strategical place in the heatsink, then set the pot so that under normal working environment it doesn't dim the LEDs. If temperature of the heatsink raises, so will do the PTC, increasing it's resistance and lowering the ouput voltage thus dimming the LEDs.

I have used this to control DC fans while putting the NTCs at canopy levels, and it's a fairly sensitive device.

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