Light question

[Cannacaps4U2]

Light question
Novice grower here, wanting to upgrade my lights.
My current setup, home built cabinet, 48hx36wx20 deep (inches)
Two 12 volt PC fans (130 mm) for exhaust, I have vents cut into bottom opposite side of the exhaust fans.
I currently have a homemade cfl light setup. 8x40w
I am trying (for the first time) a homemade SCROG 2" squares.
I use 3 gal fabric pots.
I grow Northern Lights photo period, and last two grows I got about 2 oz per plant.

My setup.

I have removed the shelf, and replaced with scrog screen.
I have also removed the little heater and replaced it with a 200w chicken coop heater, controlled by a thermostatically controlled outlet.


With my cfl lights I can keep them close to my plants.
I am thinking about an LED Quantum board.
Like this
Horticulture Lighting Group HLG 100 V2 3000K Quantum Board LED Grow Light Veg & Bloom | Version 2 High-Efficiency Upgraded LM301B LED'S

Amazon currently has this for $149.

I have these concerns
how close can i place LED lights to my plants?
How much heat does this add?
Is my cabinet to small?
Do Northern Lights stretch to much when flowering?

What are the recommendations?

 

[Silverfox125]

Just to see a different company I’d look at BudgetLED.(yes I’m biased).

I love the qb design and have really enjoyed the lights so far

Good luck

great job on your harvest

 

[Silverfox125]

Usually I keep mine 22-24” away. When seedlings I turn the intensity down and slowly dial up until I feel they are not stretching

good luck

 

[Silverfox125]

I love the idea of a scrog in there

 

[Elevated Lighting Company]

Interesting little setup. The one concern I would have is heat.

Here is a great option. It is 120w and offers a great full cycle spectrum. The plant can also get closer because the intensity is lower than our other kits. It also runs very cool.

Series 2+ Heatsink Free Full Spec 120 Watt Grow Light

Our Series 2+ Heatsink Free Full Spec 120 Watt Indoor LED grow light is designed to be the ultimate full cycle light. Each kit utilizes 1 of our custom designed & truly full spectrum LED boards with Samsung LM301B, LG UV, Osram Blue 450nm, Osram Deep Red LED 660nm, and Osram Far Red 730nm. This...

www.budgetgrowlights.com

Here are two of these lights in action in a 3 x 3.

 

[Cannacaps4U2]

The placement of the lights in relation to the top of the plants is a real concern for me
I only have 48" total inside height.
My sq ft is close to 6ft 2x3x4
My last harvest (using only cfl bulbs) ended up very close to the lights after the stretch.

With the scrog I can keep my plants a little lower,

I know each strain is different northern lights seems to almost double in height during stretch.

 

[Silverfox125]

I wouldn’t be to concerned about the height. Just top them and train them low and it will be good.

I just measured and my light is exactly 44” from the floor and I’m 24” away from my plants and I made the decision to scrog late this run.

I think you can do it fairly easily

 

[Chris Scorpio]

The lower intensity bds, like that 100w, like @Budget LED said, can get quite a bit closer

I've run my bds, same and similar as those, less than 12" away

Worst case you can turn them down a bit as well

 

[Elevated Lighting Company]

The lower intensity bds, like that 100w, like @Budget LED said, can get quite a bit closer

I've run my bds, same and similar as those, less than 12" away

Worst case you can turn them down a bit as well

Yes the dimming option is also something to consider as the plant gets close to touching.

@Silverfox125 makes a great suggestion on training to keep the plants lower too!

 

[Cannacaps4U2]

Ok seems like I have a lot to learn.

I think I am running 300w in cfl bulbs.
I have both cool 27k and warm 65k

What is comparable to that in LED
Also as you can tell I can DIY like the best of them.

 

[bluter]

Ok seems like I have a lot to learn.

I think I am running 300w in cfl bulbs.
I have both cool 27k and warm 65k

What is comparable to that in LED
Also as you can tell I can DIY like the best of them.

google space buckets. similar to what you are doing.

would actually recommend a diy. you can build in led strip lighting on both top and sides to get great coverage and penetration. the key is lighting the sides. run the driver externally.

@TurboBucket ran a space bucket and may have some pointers. no clue what he did for lighting.

you can do decent things in small spaces.

 

[Old Salt]

Interesting little setup. The one concern I would have is heat.

Here is a great option. It is 120w and offers a great full cycle spectrum. The plant can also get closer because the intensity is lower than our other kits. It also runs very cool.

Series 2+ Heatsink Free Full Spec 120 Watt Grow Light

Our Series 2+ Heatsink Free Full Spec 120 Watt Indoor LED grow light is designed to be the ultimate full cycle light. Each kit utilizes 1 of our custom designed & truly full spectrum LED boards with Samsung LM301B, LG UV, Osram Blue 450nm, Osram Deep Red LED 660nm, and Osram Far Red 730nm. This...

www.budgetgrowlights.com

Here are two of these lights in action in a 3 x 3.

Doesn't most of the heat come from the driver(s)? If they were mounted out of the grow box, would that not cut the heat in the box?

 

[Silverfox125]

@Old Salt

you are correct I have my drivers outside like John wick did and love it.

the intensity is what gets you. Even though it’s not hot to your hand it’s to intense for the plants at a certain distance.

I have played around and so far found my sweet spot right at 22”. I have 2 leaves that taco ever so slightly.

 

[Old Salt]

I keep my dimmables 12" above the canopy and adjust the intensity. It cuts my power usage a fair amount.

Stage:	PAR	Lux	Notes
Seedlings	150 = 200	10,000 - 13,500
veg	200 - 500	13,500 - 33,500	increase level over 3 weeks
Flip	450 - 800	30,000 - 54,000	increase level over 2 weeks
flower	750 - 950	50,000 - 63,500	increase level so max at 1/2 flowering time

I can't post the supporting links for the above but I can PM them if you want.

 

[Elevated Lighting Company]

Doesn't most of the heat come from the driver(s)? If they were mounted out of the grow box, would that not cut the heat in the box?

The main concern the grower has is light distance from the plants. Yes the driver outside the tent helps with heat and does produce a good portion of the heat. But the boards will still produce more heat then our heatsink free design because of the QTY of diodes (in a given area).

 

[Elevated Lighting Company]

I keep my dimmables 12" above the canopy and adjust the intensity. It cuts my power usage a fair amount.

Stage:	PAR	Lux	Notes
Seedlings	150 = 200	10,000 - 13,500
veg	200 - 500	13,500 - 33,500	increase level over 3 weeks
Flip	450 - 800	30,000 - 54,000	increase level over 2 weeks
flower	750 - 950	50,000 - 63,500	increase level so max at 1/2 flowering time

I can't post the supporting links for the above but I can PM them if you want.

You have me interested in running a test now. At the dimmed power level to maintain the 12" canopy, do you maintain the same ratio of the lux through / across the canopy? I would assume not but now I want to test it to see.

 

[Old Salt]

You have me interested in running a test now. At the dimmed power level to maintain the 12" canopy, do you maintain the same ratio of the lux through / across the canopy? I would assume not but now I want to test it to see.

Pretty much with this array:

DIY Eight COB Array

Parts List for Eight COB Array​

 

[Cannacaps4U2]

Pretty much with this array:

DIY Eight COB Array

Parts List for Eight COB Array​

Do you mind telling what you spent for this 8COB array?

 

[Old Salt]

It's not as low cost as you might think.

Description                                   Qty      each   SubTotal
CLU048-1216C4 3000K 80CRI                      8    $ 13.00    $104.00
thermal tape                                   8    $  0.30    $  2.40
Ideal 50-2204CT + Ideal 50-2100AN + Reflector  8    $  4.60    $ 36.80
Pre-drilled heatsink (163mm)                   8    $ 15.00    $120.00
Wago 222-412                                   5    $  0.40    $  2.00
MW HLG-240H-C1750B                             2    $ 55.00    $110.00
Shipping cost                                  1    $115.00    $115.00
Charge by PayPal(3.8%)                         1    $ 18.62    $ 18.62
Subtotal Shenzhen KingBrite Electronics Co Ltd                 $508.82 USD / $682.22 CAD
Import Taxes/Duties                                                          $ 24.89 CAD
Aluminum 3/4" Angle & flat bar for frame                                     $ 18.57 CAD
Replacement for pan head screws                                              $  7.11 CAD
50KΩ linear taper potentiometer                                              $  3.99 CAD
Knobs for potentiometer                                                      $  4.69 CAD
Cable Tie Mounts                                                             $  5.06 CAD
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total:                                                                       $746.53 CAD

That's about $560 USD. For comparison, you can get two Mars Hydro SP-250s or three TS-1000s for less than that.

 

[Vegan4life]

I have HLG quantum boards, I ran them 11" above the canopy on my last grow ( 4 plant 3' x 3' scrog), I believe it stressed out my plants, they hermied and I ended up having seeds. I did not realize this until harvest. It may have not stressed them if I would have dimmed them. I ended up with over 22 ounces of dry flower, (dense potent buds, with some seeds). Learn by experience, I will definitely raise them next grow...