DIY with bridgelux eb strips

I’m wondering what you mean by stationary vs moving lights, like using light movers? Also, a 12’x18’ area of nothing but canopy seems like it would be very difficult to maintain.

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Sorry, yes I was referring to light movers, I’ve read good and bad things about them.

It will be a 12 site deep water culture setup. So just 12 plants. I based the canopy area off the footprint of the dwc system.

Light movers are ok. Trying to underpower your room by using them is usually what causes problems.

@Hi_419_gotaminute uses custom built qb frames in a 10x10. You can check his thread out to see how that works. Otherwise looking for a ready to hang led fixture to use, pacific light concepts plc-6 was a best bang for your buck application when in stock. Growerslights has the hlg-600, or timber has a number of configurations that would work.

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Thanks! I will check out his thread.

The DIY approach intrigues me but I’ve never taken on anything this large in regards to electronics. I mean I can solder and put stuff together and make it work. I can follow instructions and am I quick learner I just need to be pointed in the right direction.

I have also read that utilizing UV-B spectrum lighting during the last few weeks of flower boosts THC production. Does anyone have first hand experience of this?

I’ve read people that swear it does, also have read people that have nothing but problems implementing uv. I haven’t seen any scientific studies of uvb vs non uvb with thc test results though.

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I really like his light. I think that is something I will plan for the room.

A buddy of mine has a California Lightworks Solar System 1100 unit but the price tag on that thing is a bit much. I hope if I do my research that I can DIY something for much less that is just as good.

I can use as much input and advice I can get! :slightly_smiling_face:

Once I begin I will start a thread so people can follow my journey of enLIGHTenment. :grin:

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There’s a lot of different ways you can go, best will vary on a lot of things. I’d scroll around some and see if something particular catches your eye, I’d be happy to help you build whatever you decide.

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You can definitely DIY a light that will be on par or better than CLW these days for the same price or better IMO. Especially if you were to go with the strip route.
I just began using UV and Far red in my grow, so far so good.

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I am definitely intrigued. But with CLW offering a 5 year warranty is it worth building a DIY light if it comes out to the same price? Not to mention CLW has spectrum control and built in timing and programming functions into the controller unit. I’m not trying to talk myself out of a DIY lighting system. I’m just trying to weigh out all my options. In the end I want what is best for my plants and also for my wallet.

Where are you getting your info from? The third party test report chilled tech had done lists solar storm 880 at 710 watts 1.733 umol/joule for a total ppf of 1233 umols/s. Looks like that light lists sells for around $1100?

You can hit that ppf with about 500 watts of eb strips at 700ma. Coincidentally the build cost on that is probably around $500. Even if it’s $600 lol, we’ll still say about half the cost. I think you get about a 3 year warranty on the leds, and 7 years on the driver. And these would have intensity dimming, you can give yourself spectral control by mixing color temps if you want. Not sure why you would though, can you point to anything suggesting that it’s going to grow more or better weed than a 3500k color temp?

So the only qualifying differences in my opinion would be a built in timer, that’s probably just as like to fail as any other $10 timer and render the light useless. And the uv bulbs. Which despite there being a lot of contradictory info, there’s plenty of great weed grown without. For roughly half the cost.

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I’ve read allot of contradicting information about the spectrum control features. I’m new to this whole LED thing. I have read some say red causes the plant to stretch and blue causes the plant to be more bushy so I’ve read to veg in blue dominant light and flower in red dominant light. Just so much information for me to take in which is why I am here asking my questions. My buddy is trying to convince me his CLW is better than anything I could make myself.

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Your going to need multiples of CLW lights to flower a space that big. :clown_face:

Haha, ok. Have you looked around here at the grows of people who have built their lights?

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I agree, find someone growing a plant you would be proud of and mimic their setup. :clown_face:
Your space is bigger than most, with your DIY skills you could make a hig light that would be perfect.

I have looked at grows in here and I have seen grow journals elsewhere they are all impressive! The retail companies claim it’s the lights but I really think it is more to do with your ability to cultivate and train your plants. As long as they are receiving the required spectrum they should grow.

I’m building the room from scratch and I think I want to undertake building the led grow lights as well. I’m just new to LED grow light technology. I’ve read grow journals and review sites and it doesn’t seem to clear anything up for me. I’ve seen impressive grows here under DIY setups and equally impressive grows under retail name brand lights. If I can achieve the same ppf or higher with DIY at half the cost and lower power consumption then that is what I will probably be doing.

I see bridgelux eb strips are considered obsolete. Is there something newer, more efficient that I should look into since this will be a large setup?

In the lighting group i’m the black sheep. :clown_face: I only grow for my family and have more than I could ever use and getting more every 3 months so I like to experiment some “Going to see if I can do a whole run at over 30” above the canopy" :muscle:t2:
There are members here that are the best, I see them helping people with their DIY lights that they just couldn’t do without their help. If your ok with dropping that much bread on CLG you’ll be really happy with what a DIY horticultural Lighting Group light would cost

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@dbrn322 Horticulture Light Group QB288 " just board with a flat heatsink "version 1 V version 2 is there a difference?
Thanks

Ya, v1 is lm561c v2 lm301b leds. About 5.7% higher photon efficacy and about 7% higher luminous efficacy.

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Trust me man, dont get sucked into thinking you need a special spectrum to properly grow dank bud. That’s a big way companies get you into thinking you need their product. Growers from all over are showing that that’s not close to being the case. Plants do like a bit more blue durning veg and red durning flower. But that doesnt necessarily mean you need bulbs that are red and blue.
Using 3000k-4000k cct all veg and flower very well. And like @dbrn32 you can build a light that is way more efficient than most places have out currently.
That controller may be fancy, but you will have to dial it in as well, which could take time.

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