Fiber optic cables direct light straight to fan leaves.
- Thread starter gradolabs
- Start date
kudo
gradolabs
Hash me about LEDs.
I've been seeing a couple different types of fo cables, each pretty specific to its role, be it networking, or other telecom applications... but my ears perked up when I saw them being used to direct light in museum installations and outside as architectural lighting for people that have more money that I do. 
The companies that install led and fo combinations also sell bulk fo cables that are multistranded, so like 64 fo cables in 2m lengths... thats perfect. Its expensive, but I think its a ready made solution. Take a look.
http://thefiberopticstore.com/purchase/endglowcable.htm
Thats half the battle right there. Now all you should have to do is point one end at the side of your bulb, where light was going to scatter off anyway, and point the other end at a dark or unlit portion of your plant. Violá! Take a few lines and run them over to your seedlings, so you use one light for everything and you can light things that are lower than your canopy with these too.
...theoretically.
The companies that install led and fo combinations also sell bulk fo cables that are multistranded, so like 64 fo cables in 2m lengths... thats perfect. Its expensive, but I think its a ready made solution. Take a look.http://thefiberopticstore.com/purchase/endglowcable.htm
Thats half the battle right there. Now all you should have to do is point one end at the side of your bulb, where light was going to scatter off anyway, and point the other end at a dark or unlit portion of your plant. Violá! Take a few lines and run them over to your seedlings, so you use one light for everything and you can light things that are lower than your canopy with these too.
...theoretically.
Last edited:
gradolabs
Hash me about LEDs.
So who wants to help me prototype a panel with integrated fo cable bundles and a mylar surface? It would basically function as an extension of your hood, but since the idea is modular, we could make them in custom dimensions.
For example, one panel is 1 meter by 1.5 meters, have maybe eight 1 meter bundles of fiber optic cable drawing light from the lamp, and distrubuting it evenly over a greater surface area and with more intensity.
If it works, the shit would sell like hotcakes.
edit: Im thinking the density (i.e. the total surface area; most cables are 1mm or smaller in diameter) of fiber optic cables is going to be key. Not enough and its just another mylar reflective panel. Too much and you'll spend all your money. Ideally, each plant would be in a fiber optic cocoon, but the shits too expensive.
For example, one panel is 1 meter by 1.5 meters, have maybe eight 1 meter bundles of fiber optic cable drawing light from the lamp, and distrubuting it evenly over a greater surface area and with more intensity.
If it works, the shit would sell like hotcakes.
edit: Im thinking the density (i.e. the total surface area; most cables are 1mm or smaller in diameter) of fiber optic cables is going to be key. Not enough and its just another mylar reflective panel. Too much and you'll spend all your money. Ideally, each plant would be in a fiber optic cocoon, but the shits too expensive.
Last edited:
Eekman
Medical Section Advisor
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2012
- Messages
- 4,611
- Reputation
- 0
- Reaction score
- 7,125
- Points
- 0
- Website
- www.everessencekd.com
Just a moment here. What a fabulous Idea you have here. This could be something. Now one thing I would want to know, is can you get FO strands that are incased in clear plastic, or vinyl or glue, heck I don't know exactly. But from what I understand, FO is really fragile material? So great care has to be used as well. Not a deal breaker by no means, but something to think about.
Or are we already beyond that. Just thinking that you spend 2K on lights, you wanna get long use outa them.
my two cents.
Eek
Or are we already beyond that. Just thinking that you spend 2K on lights, you wanna get long use outa them.
my two cents.
Eek
gradolabs
Hash me about LEDs.
Fiber optic cables are pretty sturdy... The have a minimum bending radius, so bend them too much and they'll snap, but otherwise its pretty indestructable. When I get around to prototyping, I'll be looking for someone with a spectroradiometer like this one. The website says call for quote, so I'm just gunna look for a university that has one.
http://www.oceanoptics.com/Products/jaz.asp
Watts, lumens, candlepower... none of that really matters to the plant. Its all about photosynthetically active radiation - thats the only part of light the plants care about and if I can measure the output of my prototype led and fiber optic grow light and compare it to the industry standard of HID and even CFL's I think I can beat them. Stay tuned and keep researching!
http://www.oceanoptics.com/Products/jaz.asp
Watts, lumens, candlepower... none of that really matters to the plant. Its all about photosynthetically active radiation - thats the only part of light the plants care about and if I can measure the output of my prototype led and fiber optic grow light and compare it to the industry standard of HID and even CFL's I think I can beat them. Stay tuned and keep researching!
gradolabs
Hash me about LEDs.
My first idea was to make a reflective panel. Just something you could hang near the lights like a rerflective hood but with passive fiber optic cables redirecting the light to the lower budsites.
But thats cost prohibitive since the FO cables are around 10 bucks for a five foot long 64 cable bundle.
And I thought while I was at it I might as well power it with an efficient array of Led's... Most spectrums are publicly available, so matching a specific spectrum profile shouldn't be too hard. 3w leds are a little expensive nowadays, but maybe I could source them cheap from china like everyone else does. Then it's just a matter of coupling the fiber bundle to the led's (working in a few ideas) and figuring out how to properly illuminate a cola during flowering.
Also the end of a fiber optic line... maybe I could add a lens to help focus the light cone.
edit: haha - found a cheap source of FO cable from alibaba.
http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/494579237/Fiber_optic_end_glow_cable_6mm.html
Above is a few feet of bundled fo cable driven by a single 5w led chip. Imagine a blackstar 240w but instead of light leaking all over your cab, you have a giant mess of fiber optic cables taped and tied around your plant shoving all those photons directly into the chloroplasts (where chlorophyll hangs out) ONE DAY GENTLEMAN!
But thats cost prohibitive since the FO cables are around 10 bucks for a five foot long 64 cable bundle.
And I thought while I was at it I might as well power it with an efficient array of Led's... Most spectrums are publicly available, so matching a specific spectrum profile shouldn't be too hard. 3w leds are a little expensive nowadays, but maybe I could source them cheap from china like everyone else does. Then it's just a matter of coupling the fiber bundle to the led's (working in a few ideas) and figuring out how to properly illuminate a cola during flowering.
Also the end of a fiber optic line... maybe I could add a lens to help focus the light cone.
edit: haha - found a cheap source of FO cable from alibaba.
http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/494579237/Fiber_optic_end_glow_cable_6mm.html
Above is a few feet of bundled fo cable driven by a single 5w led chip. Imagine a blackstar 240w but instead of light leaking all over your cab, you have a giant mess of fiber optic cables taped and tied around your plant shoving all those photons directly into the chloroplasts (where chlorophyll hangs out
) ONE DAY GENTLEMAN!
Last edited:
Similar threads
- Article
