UV and IR lighting

[StefanWolf]

I'm thinking of getting a few 240w white light 301h boards from king brite because of the low cost.

If i were to add in uv and ir lighting what would be the optimal spectrum and where can I find lights that can do this? It will be for a 4x4 or a 5x5 i havent decided, im reworking my budget but am unsure and I'm unsure about how much wattage I should buy for the space if such lights even exsist

 

[scrogster]

Check out budgetledslights great price kick ass leds you wont be disappointed.

 

[StefanWolf]

I have and after everything I think alibaba is the best bet for me. I like their board but its out of my price range. I want to focus on the topic please

 

[BigDannel]

I'm thinking of getting a few 240w white light 301h boards from king brite because of the low cost.

If i were to add in uv and ir lighting what would be the optimal spectrum and where can I find lights that can do this? It will be for a 4x4 or a 5x5 i havent decided, im reworking my budget but am unsure and I'm unsure about how much wattage I should buy for the space if such lights even exsist

I just got the same boards from Kingbrite without any UV/IR. They were cheaper (I had never ordered from them before so was a bit hesitant but would 100% order from them again and most likely will) and I wanted to do a bit more research into the benefits of UV/IR before moving forward with it. I'm early in veg so no rush, I figure I'll either add one more of the same board with UV/IR for a total of 3, or I'll just get some of the bloom booster strips with the UV/IR separately and run them on the sides. I do still have a blurple with UV that I could toss in during flower too, not sure what I'll do yet. Careful when you get the light, it's literally like the sun and I burnt my plants a little bit initially, now I have it turned down to like 40%.

Edit - should add that the same seller offers the uv/ir separately if you don't want it included. many other sellers will also make or sell the UV/IR for you

 

[StefanWolf]

I heard 350 nm and 750nm are the best out of the spectrum for cannibis from an apogee video. I wouldnt even begin to know how many wats to use and how to cover a 4x4 space with those little bars

 

[BigDannel]

I heard 350 nm and 750nm are the best out of the spectrum for cannibis from an apogee video. I wouldnt even begin to know how many wats to use and how to cover a 4x4 space with those little bars

I also held off because there didn't seem to be any way to separately turn off the IR/UV and some things I've read seem to say it shouldn't be used constantly. The UV basically stresses the plant slightly and causes it to "toughen up" from what I've read but it doesn't seem good to have constantly run. More expensive boards offer the option to toggle it off while leaving the main lights on, but I figured for me I'd do more research and then possibly add them later on.

 

[CrimsonEcho]

you can just use the ir in the beginning and in the end of each light cycle and give them uv in the middle for an hour or you can run it constantly.

why i steer clear from uv?
-dangerous to work under
-turns every plastic piece to dust and that dust get everywhere when you have good airflow
-not really needed to grow healthy plants

why i haven’t used ir yet
-not really needed to grow healthy plants hahah

i’d just up my wattage or get a drip system or something with that money tbh. Both will provide more benefits than adding uv and ir imho.

 

[StefanWolf]

Im loving these replies.

So a photo red and far red could help during the lights being turned on and off. I've read that.
Uv can help stress the plant and produce frosty nugs appearntly.

So just a white light is solid?

 

[FatBeaverBuds]

As a CMH light user I have no way of shutting off my IR or UV. Seems like it's all about balancing uv/ir watts per sqft so you can leave them on 24/7 or whatever. As to that exact wattage I have no idea.

Low dosage over a longer period of time vs. nuking them for short spans.....sounds like a fun experiment

 

[CrimsonEcho]

Im loving these replies.

So a photo red and far red could help during the lights being turned on and off. I've read that.
Uv can help stress the plant and produce frosty nugs appearntly.

So just a white light is solid?

frost is much more about genetics than anything else. Yeah far red supposedly is beneficial but i never used it personally. The biggest benefit is shortening the flowering period because it makes plants go to sleep faster and wakes them up faster. Again, from what i read. But as i said if you haven’t maxed out your lights and other factors, adding fr or ir or uv shouldn’t be your priority imo.

frosty genetics under whites

 

[StefanWolf]

Im in the process of buying stuff for the grow though, so I'd like to have them available.

So far far red for the emerson effect sounds solid. I've read a ratio of 3/1 red to far red is desired from the plants. You wouldn't need a lot of wattage, i just wouldnt know where to begin to get a 4x4 footprint from those strips.

Then for that matter is it beneficial for a full grow cycle too? How about 660nm photo reds?

I've read uvb in the final weeks of flowering can increase potency. What about uva? I also read it can be used at other times? I dont know much about this one.

Yet some boards have uva? And far red... some replicate the Emerson effect but are on all the time and then lack some photo reds in return.

I appriciate the thought of, taking it slow and introducing this stuff. Yet I'm in quarantine and have a lot of time. Im planning out everything in detail and I'd like to figure this stuff out. Sooner instead of later.

 

[The Phantom]

As a CMH light user I have no way of shutting off my IR or UV. Seems like it's all about balancing uv/ir watts per sqft so you can leave them on 24/7 or whatever. As to that exact wattage I have no idea.

Exactly! I have uv and ir on my boards, switched separately. I’ve been wondering about the effectiveness of the couple diodes installed on my board, or if it’s just snake oil. I’ve also thought about run times for them. Do I need to switch them on and off independently so they are only on for a few hours? After some more thought I think that perhaps they have found a ratio of ir/uv that can be ran on all day without over/under doing it, just like your CMH does.

It’s all a thought and I plan on running both ir and uv during flower, for the full 12hrs. I think if running them 12 hours you would hear some horror stories from other growers using the same boards, damaging/killing plants. This leads me to believe that the number of ir/uv diode are either ineffective or just right, not “over doing” it so to speak.

 

[multiVortex]

For UV, these are the way to go:

California Lightworks SolarSystem UVB

The SolarSystem features the latest high output UVB T8 fluorescent bulbs as well as the most versatile control system on the market. 24W, 120V, Covers 4x4.

www.ledgrowlightsdepot.com

California Lightworks SolarSystem UVB strips. They're small, but "can" cover a 4x4 area. I run 2 in a 4x4 tent.

They're 24w (each), and only needed the last 2-3 weeks of flower. So they'll last a good while per bulb.


UVB is what increases trichs and in turn thc, so on and so forth.


For IR, and you do want it, look for bloom booster lights. Most are ufo/puck types, but as a supplemental light you may be able to find a veg/bloom switch type blurple somewhere for fairly reasonable, and just run the bloom switch.

Osram seems to be the one to look to for IR diodes, LG for UVA.

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G8 makes a supplemental puck, probably need 1 puck per 3x3 or 4x2 area. They're small, and should be easy to rig up where they need to be without getting in the way.

 

[The Phantom]

@multiVortex when you do run the ir, for the full bloom stage or like the uv for just the last few weeks? I’m guessing you probably turn them on starting at the flip and run them all the way through to harvest? When you say the last couple weeks for the uv, is that right around the time you start seeing things getting frosty?

 

[Lymphaticus]

Get your self a turtle light or a few, UVB ups the thc by 3 %, over exposure to UVB can cause cell.degeneration so 4 hours a day is good. The uvb keeps mold and pests out of your tent as well. My grow has been exposed 4 hours a day since week 2. Only 1 hour for the first 2. Ir I dont know much about. UvB tickles the chlorophyll b which is responsible for photo protection. The plant defends by making more terpenes. The stalks will get hairy and I feel my plants are pretty vibrant.

 

[multiVortex]

@multiVortex when you do run the ir, for the full bloom stage or like the uv for just the last few weeks? I’m guessing you probably turn them on starting at the flip and run them all the way through to harvest? When you say the last couple weeks for the uv, is that right around the time you start seeing things getting frosty?

Supplemental bloom lights would be used from flip to end. UVB is wasted any earlier than 3 weeks to go.

Get your self a turtle light or a few, UVB ups the thc by 3 %, over exposure to UVB can cause cell.degeneration so 4 hours a day is good. The uvb keeps mold and pests out of your tent as well. My grow has been exposed 4 hours a day since week 2. Only 1 hour for the first 2. Ir I dont know much about. UvB tickles the chlorophyll b which is responsible for photo protection. The plant defends by making more terpenes. The stalks will get hairy and I feel my plants are pretty vibrant.

Technically, yes, there are reptile UVB lights. But to get enough coverage, you need several of them as their footprint is small.

The footprint on the one I linked is 4x4, 24w, and works great. By the time you buy enough "reptile bulbs" (and don't forget the fixtures!) to cover a 4x4, you're paying the same or more. Plus the power behind them isn't great, which means you have to get them close. That means most likely blocking other light to some extent.

I run two of the Solar System UVB's in a 4x4. Why two? Because I hang them at the same level my lights are hung, which is closer than the 4x4 footprint hanging height for the light.

You're correct that it increases terp production, and increases thc a tick. The plant is effectively making sunscreen for itself in response to the UVB.

Yes, easy does it. I run mine 4x a day for 3 hours total. 30 min morning and evening (an hour after lights on, and starts 90 minutes before lights out), then for an hour twice in the middle of the day.


However, if you're using UVB any time before 3 weeks to go, you're wasting money on electric and bulbs.

 

[Mars Hydro]

Mars Hydro SP3000 is full sepctrum with IR and UV. The true wattage is 300w. You can find more info from here:

Mars Hydro

Welcome to our website.

www.mars-hydro.com