LED lights with pics

[Dr3adLoX]

Dudes Im building a LED light grow box and I have a few questions. Please help.
What is the ratio between blue and red leds that I should use and is it necessary for that ratio to be changed when shifting to flowering?
How much leds do I use for a box that just fits two one-meter high plants + bucket 0.3 meter?
Will it be a problem if I made just one led lamp and put it in the middle above the two plants, or is it necessary to make two, one for each plant?
What is the best reflective surface to use on the inside of the box?
Will one 80mm fan be enough for circulation?
Im gonna build the LED lamp this way: http://www.dansdata.com/caselight.htm

10x & cheers!

[budster]

Originally Posted by Dr3adLoX

Dudes Im building a LED light grow box and I have a few questions. Please help.
What is the ratio between blue and red leds that I should use and is it necessary for that ratio to be changed when shifting to flowering?
How much leds do I use for a box that just fits two one-meter high plants + bucket 0.3 meter?
Will it be a problem if I made just one led lamp and put it in the middle above the two plants, or is it necessary to make two, one for each plant?
What is the best reflective surface to use on the inside of the box?
Will one 80mm fan be enough for circulation?
Im gonna build the LED lamp this way: http://www.dansdata.com/caselight.htm

10x & cheers!

Hi Dr3adLoX . here is some useful suggestions for a balanced light spectrum.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<
for good growing you need blue, red and deep red spectrum. for clorophile A you need 400-430nm of blue and 650-670 nm of red. for clorophile B you need 420-470 nm of blue and 620-650 nm of red.
peak absorbtions are at A: 425 and 660 nm, and at B: 450 and 630.
the power of spectrum should be stronger in red spectrum (arround 85-90%), others arround 5% of each. i did some test grows, but i only used 470 and 630 spectrum and the plants looked just fine. if you give them all the spectrum (for A and B type), they will grow even better.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>

For Leds you need to take into consideration the specific degree of exposure of the individual leds. If your wanting to setup a led breadboard that would be covering two plants 1m hight at full growth then you should consider a reasonably large degree of led light exposure of around 30 degrees. I'm currently dealing with lower degree (10-15) on my blue leds and it is difficult to have the light as close as i would like while still providing a even spectrum of blue that isn't spotty. I've even taken measures to aim each blue led to spread their combined coverage over the red beam provided by my red high flux leds. I'm going to keep my plants low in a box.
I really can't make too many suggestions as i have little experience, i mainly repeat what i have read from studied sources. Although i have to point out that i have 1 of 3 seedlings that is starting to grow and is just now showing its seed leaves.
I have to point out as well that i don't own any other lighting HPS or MH bulbs so i'm doing this with leds only.

I need more seeds. :P

Heres a pic.

[Dr3adLoX]

10x a lot dude! Really helpful!

[budster]

Originally Posted by Dr3adLoX

10x a lot dude! Really helpful!

Welcome Dr3adLox. like i said most of what i know is from other sources, but it does seem to be fairly accurate info. Here is a couple of charts i've encountered as well.

[Dr3adLoX]

OK just one question stands.
How much LEDs do I need for two plants?
Im thinking of:
45 High flux red 630nm
45 red 660nm
10 high flux blue 465nm
All that in a confined reflective area.
Is it to much? Or do I need more?

[budster]

Originally Posted by Dr3adLoX

OK just one question stands.
How much LEDs do I need for two plants?
Im thinking of:
45 High flux red 630nm
45 red 660nm
10 high flux blue 465nm
All that in a confined reflective area.
Is it to much? Or do I need more?

sounds pretty generous for 2 plants i would think, given that high flux seem pretty bright compared to regular high density LED.
Creatively placing LEDs for optimum focus of light on each plant would seem to be quite important. I have spent some time considering the best way to arrange my LEDs in my own setup.

My current led arrangement is as follows,
-20 Red (660nm) high flux LEDs, 30 degree viewable angle
-9 high density amber/orange (600nm), 30 degree viewable angle
-6 Blue high density (455nm) 15 degree viewable angle
-16 Red high density (650nm), 45 degree viewable angle
-16 Blue high density (470nm), 45 degree viewable angle
-16 Green high density (530nm), 45 degree viewable angle

I still want to add Far-reds (735nm) for an hour prior to putting to bed for flowering.
I'm planning to add more as seedlings provide.

last image is of the inverter for power back up and uv-c light air sanitizer that i have ran right through the wall of the bin.

latest pics.

[SmknVTEC]

How they lookin budster?

[Smoken Guitar]

I simply bought LED bulbs , BLue and RED . I mean the Led flood lights . I then attached standard light sockets to a cut peice of board . I attached the three hundred watts of bulbs to the sockets and boom instant LED setup . I obviously chose the correct spectrum of blue and red .


For me this system was much easier to build than to attempt to take the small led's and build them into an array . Plus the cost was not all that high either . I had to attach a large number of light sockets to the board , so that I had enough light for the system but It definately is working for me .

I am not trying to say my system is better . I am simply am saying that It was easier to simply use the Led Flood lights than it would have been for me to put together an array . For an Electronics expert like some of you guys , it is nothin to create an array , but for a non electronic person , who can wire light sockets , it was the only real choice I could personally make .


A note about the lights I bought . I checked the spectrum of the light , and bought Led flood lights that were perfect ( for our plants ) in the red and blue spectrums . The LED Grow Lights that they sell are , in my mind a major rip off . I was able to build my system for less than half of what it would have cost me if I would have bought specific LED grow lights . AS long as you get lights that are high output and are in the correct spectrum , this is all you need ( smokens opinion) . The LED light sellers market there lights as being better than what you can buy anywhere else but from them but it is sure working for me so I dont buy into that


I am trying to give a little optimism into the topic that this stuff can be done , fairly expensively but it can be done by a normal stoner who is not electronically inclined .

[venumus]

Originally Posted by Smoken Guitar

I simply bought LED bulbs , BLue and RED . I mean the Led flood lights . I then attached standard light sockets to a cut peice of board . I attached the three hundred watts of bulbs to the sockets and boom instant LED setup . I obviously chose the correct spectrum of blue and red .


For me this system was much easier to build than to attempt to take the small led's and build them into an array . Plus the cost was not all that high either . I had to attach a large number of light sockets to the board , so that I had enough light for the system but It definately is working for me .

I am not trying to say my system is better . I am simply am saying that It was easier to simply use the Led Flood lights than it would have been for me to put together an array . For an Electronics expert like some of you guys , it is nothin to create an array , but for a non electronic person , who can wire light sockets , it was the only real choice I could personally make .

can you show us the products you used? im interested in supplimenting with some blue lights and have a few different ideas. i as most of us i think are. very visual

but it sounds like a bad ass idea

[BIG E]

Hey pokernaut,
HPS is still hands down the best light for all around growing; including veg. But, since heat is a big problem other avenues need to be explored.

What about the air cooled ones?...anyone ever use these?...are they effective?

http://homeharvest.com/climatecontro...ngadaptors.htm

would cooling the light itself add to or dimminish the bulb life?

What about blowing real cold air through it.....like say canada in the winter?

Seems to me it would make the bulb blow.

[Dr3adLoX]

So dudes, I bought some LEDs.
This is what I bought:
40 660nm = 10 lumens
30 630nm HF = 300 lumens
10 605nm = 8 lumens
8 420nm = 0.4 lumens
and 25 470nm = somewhere between 10 ~50 lumens
Thats for 2 plants in a reflective grow box.
What do you think? Is it gonna grow?

[neuthral]

Hello, Interesting thread, i have been following led growing for some time now but haven't had the opportunity to test them yet.

This is what i ordered today:

10 x 5mm blue 11000mcd 465nm
http://www.led1.de/shop/product_info...1000mcd-c-3_90
20 x 5mm red 14000mcd 630nm
http://www.led1.de/shop/product_info...4000mcd-c-3_20
10 x SuperFlux Blue 465nm
http://www.led1.de/shop/product_info...2-lumen-c-5_29
20 x SuperFlux Red 620nm
http://www.led1.de/shop/product_info...5-lumen-c-5_32

+resistors for a 12v circuit.

I dont know much about the SuperFlux leds so im starting to get second thoughts about them, so i anyone have info about them i would be grateful thx,.

[Gobuchul]

You seem to have a good spectrum for flower, not so much for veg. Still it seems quite weak, at least (from what I gathered so far) ~2500-3000 lumen would be desirable. Yes, I do keep in mind that Lumen isn't exactly good for comparison.

[Gobuchul]

Originally Posted by neuthral

...
I dont know much about the SuperFlux leds so im starting to get second thoughts about them, so i anyone have info about them i would be grateful thx,.

The red Superflux has 7lm (120° angle) and 10 costs ~19€. A red Luxeon Rebel or K2 (140° angle) will cost ~5€ plus starcooler (~1€) and heatsink (~1.50€) will have the same lumen. So you get 2.5 times the light for the same money while lasting 50000 hours (lumen degrades 30% till then) all at the cost of taking care of excess heat with heatsinks and thermal glue.

[SmknVTEC]

Originally Posted by BIG E

What about the air cooled ones?...anyone ever use these?...are they effective?

http://homeharvest.com/climatecontro...ngadaptors.htm

would cooling the light itself add to or dimminish the bulb life?

What about blowing real cold air through it.....like say canada in the winter?

Seems to me it would make the bulb blow.

Are you talking about HPS? Air cooled HPS hoods are very effective and work well. Don't cool a bulb with air that is too much of a spread from the bulb temp and ambient temp. If the spread is too much the bulb could break. I would think cooling a 100 degree bulb with 30 degree air could crack it. Just a guess though; never tested the theory.

Originally Posted by Dr3adLoX

So dudes, I bought some LEDs.
This is what I bought:
40 660nm = 10 lumens
30 630nm HF = 300 lumens
10 605nm = 8 lumens
8 420nm = 0.4 lumens
and 25 470nm = somewhere between 10 ~50 lumens
Thats for 2 plants in a reflective grow box.
What do you think? Is it gonna grow?

Yes, sounds very good. I bet it would grow. Please let us know. So far I have not seen others grow solely under leds. I think rye_LED supplemented with CFL. Maybe others are growing soley with LED's on other bulletin boards. Grass city is the only board I am usually on.

Originally Posted by neuthral

Hello, Interesting thread, i have been following led growing for some time now but haven't had the opportunity to test them yet.

This is what i ordered today:

10 x 5mm blue 11000mcd 465nm
http://www.led1.de/shop/product_info...1000mcd-c-3_90
20 x 5mm red 14000mcd 630nm
http://www.led1.de/shop/product_info...4000mcd-c-3_20
10 x SuperFlux Blue 465nm
http://www.led1.de/shop/product_info...2-lumen-c-5_29
20 x SuperFlux Red 620nm
http://www.led1.de/shop/product_info...5-lumen-c-5_32

+resistors for a 12v circuit.

I dont know much about the SuperFlux leds so im starting to get second thoughts about them, so i anyone have info about them i would be grateful thx,.

The others say you need about a 2/3 red to blue ratio during veg. However my lights had about a 50/50 ratio and did just fine.

Everyone keep us posted on the grows.