Graytail's 3rd: 4x4, HiBrix, Latest LED Tech, Lots Of Light!

[Graytail]

Aha, thank you! I shoulda known better than to wing it.

There's a plug on one end and switches on the other, so 40 inches is all it would take.


(I bet I was thinking of my meter tent at 39 inches ...)



[Edit] I fixed the numbers - thanks again.

 

[Rascio]

Ooh perfect. Now all I have to do is talk my cannabis infused brain into squeezing it into the budget. Shouldn't be too hard.

 

[SweetSue]

You should hear the dialog going on inside my head. Damn you Graytail! LOL!!!

 

[Graytail]

Rascio, this panel would be ideal for a 2x4! ... although, you'd be a bit short on wattage at 190 ... ... perfect footprint though.

 

[SweetSue]

I immediately thought "sidelight with CFLs". LOL! Kind of reintroduces the heat factor we were just admiring the panel for removing.

I do love those CFLs, don't I?

 

[SweetSue]

It's been fun guys. I need to drag myself to bed.

Sweet light. Susan! Go to bed!

Goodnight.

 

[Radogast]

I haven't quantified it, but it's shockingly low. I'm running it without the reds, so it's pulling about 190 watts, equivalent to 8x23 watt CFLs. You know how hot those are. Occasionally I brush a bare arm against the edge of the CFL reflector, and Ow! - that's Hot! The top of the case on the Par-Force is always ... warm ... just warm. I bet it's cooler than T5s, too ...

so 190W (without the red) at 38" of LED for $500
similar to
216W T5 at 48" of CFL for $100-$250

If using with the RED on, it is more light, without the RED..

 

[SGL D]

It's time to put in another plug for Smart Grow Technologies and their Par-Force LED panels.

I got this panel as one of the prizes for Plant of the Year back in February and I've been using it for veg ever since. It was sort of an awkward thing for me, because it was a surprise prize and it was Very expensive at $1295. I felt this terrible responsibility to put it to good use, but I have a very modest little makeshift grow and I didn't have the space to use it by itself, and in the manner it was intended. Instead, I managed to fit it into my understair area along with my 250 MH and a couple 4x23w CFL reflectors - a mishmash - hard to know what's helping what, y'know?

Well, as it turns out, it's been grrreat! It's a full 38 inches long, so it almost reaches from edge to edge in a 4x4, and my veg area works beautifully at 30 inches by 4 feet. So the Par-Force runs along the rear 4 feet with the MH in the front left and the CFLs in the front middle and right. I can get 3 of my 15 inch pots under it, or one 15 inch and four (eight, actually, two deep) 7 inch 1.5 gallon pots. It's just beautiful. I've been running my plants at 12 inches under it, so I'm getting 300-500 umols across the entire 5 square feet. The growth I'm getting mimics CFLs not a surprise when you realize that there are 764 chips spread out over a 9 inch by 36 inch? area - fantastic dispersion! - nice tight nodes and luxurious spiking leaves. Enough CFLs to cover that area with that intensity would be high wattage and hot. And the Par-Force runs silently - no fans - and very very cool. I bet you could run this panel in a cupboard grow with a little exhaust ventilation - it's Very cool.

I can and do recommend this panel wholeheartedly, especially since they've lowered the price once again! At $5 per watt, I wasn't a bit impressed with it. But it's now $500! That's $2 per watt and entirely worth it - completely competitive - and this is some pretty impressive technology they're developing. Seriously, readers and fans - check it out - read the product literature - very interesting stuff now that it's competitively priced.

https://smartgrowtechnologies.com/product/par-force-240-watt-led-grow-light-norcal-red-blend/

Thanks for Grayltail for the kind words... we are stoked to hear our phosphor blends are performing for you in your grow. $2 per watt That is why we are selling at 500 and taking a bath on margin because we want growers to experience full spectrum led technology. Hit me up Direct if you ever need anything! D

 

[Graytail]

so 190W (without the red) at 38" of LED for $500
similar to
216W T5 at 48" of CFL for $100-$250

If using with the RED on, it is more light, without the RED..

But the efficiencies aren't even close. The Par-Force will put out far more umols than T5s. T5s will produce 0.7-0.8 umols/watt, while the Par-Force produces 1.35 umols/watt.

 

[Graytail]

Thanks for Grayltail for the kind words... we are stoked to hear our phosphor blends are performing for you in your grow. $2 per watt That is why we are selling at 500 and taking a bath on margin because we want growers to experience full spectrum led technology. Hit me up Direct if you ever need anything! D

I think your marketing timing is superb.

Growers who've switched to blurple LEDs are starting to seriously look at better technologies and yours is very interesting. While most manufacturers are working on COBs, you've gone the opposite direction with many, many, high efficiency milliamp LEDs - I prefer your low power/wide dispersion design - it suits the small spaces of hobbyists much better, in many ways.

At $2/watt, you have a winner!


[Edit] Oh, and I really dislike blurple light - I can't see the color of the plants well enough to gauge their health. Your panel is essentially white, and I can tell how they're doing with a glance .

 

[SGL D]

Following the science it just made better sense Graytail dropping science... thanks for explaining our tech so well

What was interesting by going with smaller mA chips in volume we actually cranked up the intensity which is why we can fill up a grid with PAR light.

Another factor in light dispersion is with so many chips the 120 degree beam angles work together to fill up a grid with an even spray rather than the hot spots you get from larger and fewer 3 and 5 watt chips.

We have new 620 watt with some new surprises being tested right now that is almost ready to roll.

 

[Graytail]

Here are some pics to go along with the descriptions. Every plant I have, has been vegged under this panel. Look at the posture and color of the ones in the 1.5s.

I could replace the 250 MH and the CFLs with another Par-Force panel and cut my wattage by 250 watts.

 

[Major PITA]

I SO agree with you about burple lights - or even HPS. When I see pictures using them, I have not idea what the plants actually look like. Even in my little room, I pull the plants out to get a good look. Under the yorange light of HPS, you can't tell how a plant looks.

 

[SweetSue]

Could you germinate under this panel?

 

[Graytail]

Could you germinate under this panel?

I haven't tried it yet. I'm sure you can, but I like my CFL reflectors for youngsters in cups. I've considered putting them under the Par-Force as soon as they grow a couple pair, but I don't know what clearance is right, and I didn't want to risk stretch, so I've stayed with the CFLs as long as they're in cups.

 

[SweetSue]

You reinforced that instinct. Thanks Graytail. I've been looking at these tight nodes all day and thinking I really like the CFLs for little ones.

 

[SGL D]

Could you germinate under this panel?

Hi SweetSue... Great question... The spectrum is great for germination, however, the intensity is not so good and would stress your little ones out. Noticed how high off the plants Graytail's has his lights. This particular led panel technology was designed for veg and flower when the plants need more intensity.

 

[SweetSue]

Hi SweetSue... Great question... The spectrum is great for germination, however, the intensity is not so good and would stress your little ones out. Noticed how high off the plants Graytail's has his lights. This particular led panel technology was designed for veg and flower when the plants need more intensity.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Graytail]

Time for the weekly update!

The thyme oil from SNS apparently did the trick because there's no sign of a return of the mold. I harvested some more from BHxBB because there was some on the sugar leaves, but other than that, poof - gone. I'm impressed. The humidity has passed and the room is back into the 50s RH, and the sulfur burner arrived, so I'm covered. Whew!

Here's what's left of BHxBB. She's been on a surge, so I'm not all that eager to interrupt her right now, so Ima gonna jus' let her run.

Buddha Haze x Blue Blood - 175 days old - 65 days 12/12 - 57 since pistils

I'm relieved that OHS isn't showing any mold. She's right at that stage when it could thoroughly infect the buds. So far, so good - due to chop in 2 weeks.

Orange Hill Special - 144 days old - 48 days 12/12 - 40 since pistils

I left Desfran in the bloom room this time, rather than drag her out through the small door, but I don't like the pics, so I'll drag her out next time.

Desfran - 138 days old - 48 days 12/12 - 33 since pistils

Tikal is doing marvelously. Six weeks to go.

Tikal - 139 days old - 34 days 12/12 - 24 since pistils

BHxDestroyer and BHxNexus have no sign of mold and are busy sprouting pistils.

Buddha haze x Destroyer - 117 days old - 20 days 12/12 - 9 since pistils

Buddha Haze x Nexus - 112 days old - 20 days 12/12 - 9 since pistils

Utopia Haze x Carnival and OHSCut1 got topped last week and have filled in very nicely. I'm going to train for fewer tops on these two - 8 instead of 10-12. They'll be ready for bloom sooner and it'll put less stress on my soil volume.

Utopia Haze x Carnival - 52 days old

Orange Hill Special Cut1 - 55 days old

Tikal1 - 49 days old, and Buddha Haze x Utopia Haze - 41 days old

Carnival - 36 days old, and DrGrinspoon - 30 days old

Channel+ - 27 days old, and Y Griega - 25 days old

One more Tikal cut is doing fine ...

But Blue Dream is struggling - poor thing hurt itself coming out of the soil. But she's been a trouper so far.

 

[SmokeyMcFly]

Awesome GT, Glad you got that PM behind you everything looks great