DIY My DIY LED, power supply and driver set up

[Death The Cultivator]

This is a real nice build. I think the choices are spot on and mirror what I would do.

What is your ratio of 660 to 730 going to be? I'm accustomed to building at a 4:1 ratio.

I have found one company that produces a full spectrum light from 390-800nm. Speaking with them for a couple of years they are of the belief that with 95cri they prefer about 10%(allows a 24/0 or 12/12 schedule with no UV damage) is UVA to combat excessive stretching from Far Red. They only make 3100k though but the added UVA in their side by sides has limited stretch though there is a bit of sacrifice in weight, most are interested in connoisseur quality are going to do something like this with more versatility in crop steering.

They did several test and found improved terpenes and cannabinoids using only UVA. I'd do the same thing you did, using a broader nm range though. Though I'm interested in being able to run it on 24/0 or 12/12 compared with the bulbs that have to be run intermittently and can be damaging.

What CRI are your lights? I prefer the higher 90+ so that colors are rendered more true plus there's more green and cyan where full spectrums tend to lack. They are less efficient than 80/70 but there's other places to cut cost in a grow at this level lol. Though most use 70-80cri for the sake of efficiency but there's that cast of color that doesn't even look right at 5000k.

I'll be watching.

 

[Talonxracer]

The 660 to 730 is slightly greater at 6-1 in veg, flowering will be 4-1. The 730nm will be turned on before the main lights and off after the mains go out for the sleep signal and as flowering progresses the sleep signal time increases to a max of 20 mins before and after the mains, then the 680nm turn on 10 min later and the 660's 5 mins after that.

Most are 80cri for efficiency, but the breadth of the additional short spectrum led's would raise the total light CRI a bit. I am using 2 strips that specifically address cyan/green,, the LM301H ONE 3500k leds, I also have cyan led's as part of the blue supplement.

With my custom programmed Storm controllers the uva ramp time will start about an hour after the mains turn on and slowly ramp up to the pre-set 100% setting at noon and then ramp down. I am attempting to emulate the solar spectrum readings at 60* north(with a bump in total PAR seen at 45-50* n within the needed DLI range) from June 1st to Sept 1st.

I never ever use a 24 hour light on schedule, 20 hour max.

 

[Death The Cultivator]

The 660 to 730 is slightly greater at 6-1 in veg, flowering will be 4-1. The 730nm will be turned on before the main lights and off after the mains go out for the sleep signal and as flowering progresses the sleep signal time increases to a max of 20 mins before and after the mains, then the 680nm turn on 10 min later and the 660's 5 mins after that.

Most are 80cri for efficiency, but the breadth of the additional short spectrum led's would raise the total light CRI a bit. I am using 2 strips that specifically address cyan/green,, the LM301H ONE 3500k leds, I also have cyan led's as part of the blue supplement.

With my custom programmed Storm controllers the uva ramp time will start about an hour after the mains turn on and slowly ramp up to the pre-set 100% setting at noon and then ramp down. I am attempting to emulate the solar spectrum readings at 60* north(with a bump in total PAR seen at 45-50* n within the needed DLI range) from June 1st to Sept 1st.

I never ever use a 24 hour light on schedule, 20 hour max.

Do you need to increase the time your 730nm runs to 20 minutes? Excess will cause stretch as it only takes around 5 minutes of exposure post lights off to signal phytochrome depending on the output of your FR treatment.

I fell in love with 24/0 for veg/mothers/clones from my job. Never had issues and grows beautiful plants with more consistent environmental parameters. If I was in a position to only grow autos I'd use a different schedule.

What will emulating the sun do for your cultivation? I've heard of others that attempt to emulate sunrise and sunsets but I've never done such a build for anyone except with Vesta Tunable strips for a multistage growth chamber.

 

[Talonxracer]

Do you need to increase the time your 730nm runs to 20 minutes? Excess will cause stretch as it only takes around 5 minutes of exposure post lights off to signal phytochrome depending on the output of your FR treatment.

I fell in love with 24/0 for veg/mothers/clones from my job. Never had issues and grows beautiful plants with more consistent environmental parameters. If I was in a position to only grow autos I'd use a different schedule.

What will emulating the sun do for your cultivation? I've heard of others that attempt to emulate sunrise and sunsets but I've never done such a build for anyone except with Vesta Tunable strips for a multistage growth chamber.

In my experience the plants like the extended sleep/wake signal during heavy flowering, I don't start the 730nm at 20 mins, it starts at 5 and gets longer as the plant gets further into flowering.

Each of the strips have their own driver and can be adjusted individually for intensity and duration.

Having the ramped sunrise/sunset lighting schedule allows me to adjust the spectrum as in reducing the blue spectrum and increasing reds gradually as the grow progresses, quickly changing spectrums does cause shock just like any sudden change will. Plus it is what happens in nature as the seasons change.

The last grow used this philosophy and I nearly doubled the harvest in comparison to the preceding grow that didn't utilize sunrise/sunset and supplemental leds.

 

[Death The Cultivator]

In my experience the plants like the extended sleep/wake signal during heavy flowering, I don't start the 730nm at 20 mins, it starts at 5 and gets longer as the plant gets further into flowering.

Each of the strips have their own driver and can be adjusted individually for intensity and duration.

Having the ramped sunrise/sunset lighting schedule allows me to adjust the spectrum as in reducing the blue spectrum and increasing reds gradually as the grow progresses, quickly changing spectrums does cause shock just like any sudden change will. Plus it is what happens in nature as the seasons change.

The last grow used this philosophy and I nearly doubled the harvest in comparison to the preceding grow that didn't utilize sunrise/sunset and supplemental leds.

Ah, so by the end you're at 20 mins of FR exposure mitigating the concern for stretch after the first couple of weeks into flower? What does this do for you?

I totally understand why you would want the ability to tune spectrum in your situation compared to mine where I prefer having multiple zones. Though I have not observed shock moving plants from 4000k veg rooms to 2700k flower rooms. If anything, I appreciate the ability to tune spectrum to tame different cultivars that may want to grow in a way I don't like.

Did you use clones with the first and last grow?

 

[Talonxracer]

Ah, so by the end you're at 20 mins of FR exposure mitigating the concern for stretch after the first couple of weeks into flower? What does this do for you?

I totally understand why you would want the ability to tune spectrum in your situation compared to mine where I prefer having multiple zones. Though I have not observed shock moving plants from 4000k veg rooms to 2700k flower rooms. If anything, I appreciate the ability to tune spectrum to tame different cultivars that may want to grow in a way I don't like.

Did you use clones with the first and last grow?

Yup, by the time the plant is past the stretch stage the 730nm is at max duration, it is thought that it enhances flower production, I am not sure that study was a vetted study, but I have seen no detrimental affects. I have made so many changes to what a simple/normal full spectrum light does that it is hard to really point to any one change as being key to the gains in my harvests. It could be a little of everything, a synergistic affect ?

I spent years working on Naval aircraft avionics and integrated weapon systems, and have been involved with electronics ever since in one fashion or another. So when I really started studying growing cannabis(plants in general for 3 years) I noticed no commercial led light offered the flexibility I thought was required and none fully covered several portions of the spectrum that are essential, so being the consummate tinkerer I made my own lighting setup, far more complicated than even a advanced growers needs, this part is as entertaining for me as the actual growing, LOL

Shock can be as minor as a slight slowdown in growth, a day or two and she is back at it. Take for instance my desktop grow, just the other day I swapped out the 6500k center strip and put in a 2700k strip, then I adjusted the lights for the same PAR and she was wilting within 30 minutes for the rest of the day, the next morning she was back to normal.

 

[Death The Cultivator]

Yup, by the time the plant is past the stretch stage the 730nm is at max duration, it is thought that it enhances flower production, I am not sure that study was a vetted study, but I have seen no detrimental affects. I have made so many changes to what a simple/normal full spectrum light does that it is hard to really point to any one change as being key to the gains in my harvests. It could be a little of everything, a synergistic affect ?

I spent years working on Naval aircraft avionics and integrated weapon systems, and have been involved with electronics ever since in one fashion or another. So when I really started studying growing cannabis(plants in general for 3 years) I noticed no commercial led light offered the flexibility I thought was required and none fully covered several portions of the spectrum that are essential, so being the consummate tinkerer I made my own lighting setup, far more complicated than even a advanced growers needs, this part is as entertaining for me as the actual growing, LOL

Shock can be as minor as a slight slowdown in growth, a day or two and she is back at it. Take for instance my desktop grow, just the other day I swapped out the 6500k center strip and put in a 2700k strip, then I adjusted the lights for the same PAR and she was wilting within 30 minutes for the rest of the day, the next morning she was back to normal.

I knew of of the 5 minutes pre and post lights on but I wasn't aware that an additional 15 minutes would improve yield beyond triggering phytochrome B to force "sleep". It definitely could be a little bit of everything, if every harvest isn't getting better then there's is cause for concern lol.

Your particular build would be ideal in a situation where only one space can be utilized from seed to harvest. In that sense, I completely agree the market lacks for the most part however most consumers don't care about the spectral qualities of their lights. For the the sake of simplicity a 315cmh vs any modern full spectrum(McCree) in 3500k will cover a grower from seed to harvest no problem. Unless you want connoisseur quality, want control for crop steering or only have a small space without clones to use.

I do love the build though. I'm a bit simpler, give me a mother/veg/clone/3x flower spaces and I'm happy. Make them all 95cri, far Red and broad spectrum UV on separate controllers with 3 timers and I'm happy. Wire a driver outside and voila

That's a big jump. I'll move clones from 6500k to 4000k but it's small. In the facility it goes from 6500 to 2700k but that's incremental. Crazy that it could be that reason.

 

[Myleroy7]

Yup, by the time the plant is past the stretch stage the 730nm is at max duration, it is thought that it enhances flower production, I am not sure that study was a vetted study, but I have seen no detrimental affects. I have made so many changes to what a simple/normal full spectrum light does that it is hard to really point to any one change as being key to the gains in my harvests. It could be a little of everything, a synergistic affect ?

I spent years working on Naval aircraft avionics and integrated weapon systems, and have been involved with electronics ever since in one fashion or another. So when I really started studying growing cannabis(plants in general for 3 years) I noticed no commercial led light offered the flexibility I thought was required and none fully covered several portions of the spectrum that are essential, so being the consummate tinkerer I made my own lighting setup, far more complicated than even a advanced growers needs, this part is as entertaining for me as the actual growing, LOL

Shock can be as minor as a slight slowdown in growth, a day or two and she is back at it. Take for instance my desktop grow, just the other day I swapped out the 6500k center strip and put in a 2700k strip, then I adjusted the lights for the same PAR and she was wilting within 30 minutes for the rest of the day, the next morning she was back to normal.

 

[Myleroy7]

Thanks for all your info on lighting man. I never thought about this on such a level as you. Now I will be researching this for the next 6 months. Peace

 

[Talonxracer]

A quick pic of the new grow cabinet, I still have to finish the door, but that won't take but an hour or two.