Nick Hardy's Skunk Works #4 Mars Hydro FC Evo 12x OG Kush Solos 4x4 - Viva Voce Grow

[Roy Growin]

Hash was all we really got in the UK. Mostly called Soap Bar. @Roy Growin probably knows what I mean. Dark brown oxidised perhaps outside. Lighter in the middle. Bend it with effort with your fingers.

That Charas would be sold as say “Afghan Black” back in the day. Its more similar to hash I smoked more often.

This is just kief to me now. I’ll see what its like after pressing some.

But we got little flower back then (94-1999 - stopped consuming for 23 years after ‘99)

Thai press was £20 an eigth. Special occasions. Hash was £15 and weighed with precision using a 2 pence piece as a counter weight as ai mentioned before!

Soap Bar - UGH!! Comes complete with grit and tastes like shit
Waaay back we used to get Red Seal, Gold Seal, Leb, Charas, Moroccan 00, Temple Ball, brickweed and Thai sticks wound together with red cotton - full of seeds too, so we all had feeble lanky seedlings on our windowsills hoping to get a joint off it lol [don't tell me you didn't, Nick hahaha]
Mate of mine bought 8oz to turn a profit - Is it sticky? I asked: 'Fuck yeah, loads of sticks in it...'

Then 80's soap bar turned up everywhere - like black hash that's had the oil extracted
The squidgy black hash that did occasionally turn up often burned like a candle and smelled of camphor
Greenery didn't really take off until 90's and now hash is nigh impossible to come by, unless you have friends in Nepal

 

[NickHardy]

Soap Bar - UGH!! Comes complete with grit and tastes like shit
Waaay back we used to get Red Seal, Gold Seal, Leb, Charas, Moroccan 00, Temple Ball, brickweed and Thai sticks wound together with red cotton - full of seeds too, so we all had feeble lanky seedlings on our windowsills hoping to get a joint off it lol [don't tell me you didn't, Nick hahaha]
Mate of mine bought 8oz to turn a profit - Is it sticky? I asked: 'Fuck yeah, loads of sticks in it...'

Then 80's soap bar turned up everywhere - like black hash that's had the oil extracted
The squidgy black hash that did occasionally turn up often burned like a candle and smelled of camphor
Greenery didn't really take off until 90's and now hash is nigh impossible to come by, unless you have friends in Nepal

Did you have that soap stuff, late 90’s for about 6 months where it always tasted of diesel? Story went they were dropping it off in in oil barrels off the Sussex coast and a smaller boat would pick them up. The barrels were filled out with diesel but in this one massive batch they leaked into the hash packaging. It was gross. Pretty much stopped and moved on to “e’s whizz, coke and a packet of Benson”

 

[NickHardy]

Have you tested to see the drop in concentration from tent 1 to tent 3? Is most of the loss attributable to leaks in the piping?

I have now!

This is tent three in the chain. The 5x5 which is where the Co2 is distributed and the controller sensor is located read 1100 when I took this reading about 30 minutes after I moved the sensor to allow it to acclimatise.

864 is great! Bit dry in there but that’s a great level to be at - background here is quite low at 360 ppm so it definitely circulating.

I could have used a pipe splitter like have in the flower room and individually dosed each tent but I way prefer this method. Safer and likely uses way less gas.

The light reading there is also correct - that was yesterdays test of this tent light. Although an hour ago we had a 30 minute power cut.

Tent doors all opened and two autos in the flower room moved outside.

Today is really quite rubbish!

 

[InTheShed]

Today is really quite rubbish!

At least the CO2 is circulating!

 

[NickHardy]

It gets better…

 

[NickHardy]

The light has cleared customs.

They took the prize value out but insisted on charging me import duty on the Shipping Fee Service that went to FedEx Thailand anyway. “Customs depart-meeent say sound too cheap for the light. Need charge more so charging more for the sheee-piiing fee aaas-well not on the inn-voice”

It is on the invoice but its not on the bill of lading. After she told me for the third time it wasn’t on the invoice and she would explain to me (she doesn't know the difference between a bill of lading that was incorrectly filled out by Mars H) having established its going to be here tomorrow evening or Saturday morning with I hung the fuck up on her.

Sparky booked Saturday evening to fit it.

@Jungle Joseph a picture just for you! Cable Tie Chains!

Put the Pulse in there for a few hours today. 60% Rh is a bit lower then I want and why the VPD looks way higher than the 1.2 you probably want here.

But Co2 flow is working.

The little seedling is for the outdoor SIP grow. She’s all pale still, just had potting soil and cal-mag until yesterday when she got the same nutes as these girls. But you can really see the colour difference, these are absolute green skinned monsters! (the water droplets on the seedling just lazy spray out the 100ml syringe)

I could tell you the plant presenting the leaves front right is doing so because I'm riding the VPD too high at expert levels but but nah - it was next to the input duct that blasts a little strong so just airspeed knocked it back. Its now on the perpendicular. Other grow below.

Nick & Co

Reload and lost this again - last week or so happens all the time. Meh.

Co2 is about 1200 steady. Blame Hz for photo failure

Upstairs with the left over mega Co2 Autos.

Great stuff. Turned the AC off in the day. Warm and dry. Now have max AC and dry. I think @Wastei said the cold temps screw calcium ingest and the plant hurting gives colours at the expense of yield and cannabinoids.

These plants give me so much joy, they’ll only yield a few ounces so I’m happy to grow for pretty with these, do it once, right for the photos rather than product.

Maybe a contest winner results from them (unlike this journal which I guess is perpetual as multiple grows)

Family hospital drama today so no topping. All resolved happily and so tomorrow the topping

Tomorrow!

Nick

I have a delivery manager. I don’t recommend one!

 

[NickHardy]

Light marked as out for delivery before 6pm today!

Sparky requested.

They are going monster. Co2 tweaked maybe. But yeah

40cm - 16” out the dirt in a 16oz solo. I’d think 120cm for OG Kush. Flip in a week to hit that.

In 16oz standard solos.

Jus’ sayin’

 

[NickHardy]

Proof of my Azicert™ Organic Outdoor SIP Auto skills Awarded to me by @Azimuth

Red Mimosa XL Auto final yield.

 

[Joe Brewster]

Nick & Co Dry Ice Hash

We took 100g of Gorilla Glue, cured about 4 months. It tested to 16.4% THC and 0.7% CBG

Whizzed it in the grinder. Two one second pulses (each of two batches)

This is about half what I bought. A lot of the top layer was near gone. We unwrapped it and chucked it in a 5 gallon food tub. It broke up into rocks.

We shook is vigorously for about a minute. Let in it sit for 2 minutes and then shook it gently for 2 minutes more before starting on the 73 Micron bag

We made a chamber to contain it out of future board and shook it off

Scraped it up

Then we ran 120 Micron and 220 Microns. & co and her mate really tried to recover as much from the bags as possible. Got extra grams from that.

That 27.5 was steady 28g until I took the photo, I’m marking it so!

So a remarkable 51g of product recovered. Not far off two ounces!

You can see the clear colour progression through the micron filters here.

That was fun and easy to do. Next time no need to buy so much dry ice. If its good (and even better sells!) I’d buy way less dry ice - that was $30 and try the 25 micron bag first as well.

Any suggestions on how to first try?! I tried some 220 off the scraper, dabbing it with my finger. Its pretty racy already!



Nick & Co

What did you do with the left overs after shaking. I always wash mine & get oil out after. Trim leaves too

 

[NickHardy]

What did you do with the left overs after shaking. I always wash mine & get oil out after. Trim leaves too

Pretty sure tossed it. & Co wanted to use it as pre roller filler she said. But when she looked she shrugged and think it got thrown in the jungle with the left over dry ice.

 

[Azimuth]

Pretty sure tossed it. & Co wanted to use it as pre roller filler she said. But when she looked she shrugged and think it got thrown in the jungle with the left over dry ice.

Ok, but you'll probably be getting stoned baboons and shit.

 

[NickHardy]

Ok, but you'll probably be getting stoned baboons and shit.

Our cat that gets his breakfast, lunch and late night snack there has been looking very sleepy and content today

 

[NickHardy]

Happy Christmas and Prosperous New Year all that.

Bah,

Humbug.

I’m sure ai’ll have other stuff to say but to two people a particular thanks. We’ve grown 11,500 grams of dried and cured weed in 2023. In 2022 our total harvest across all growing was 0g

100% of that 11.5kg was flowered under @Mars Hydro lights.

We ain’t particularly mates all the time us and Mars But they are the Apple of Home/Prosumer LEDs in my Humble opinion.

And #2

@420

All 11.5kg we grew were all under the watchful eyes of the people I met here on the site you gerrmed, nourished, nurtured and curate. 30 years in, they are better and worse - hope your 2024 - 420 S is awesome!

 

[NickHardy]

Preface - I’ve never had anything in terms of money. Extra special love from @Mars Hydro for this light no discounts or agreements. I’ve paid full list price and above everything.apart from this one which was a comp win. No one asked me to write this.

I won the 300w version asked if I could pay to upgrade, they kindly said yes shipping been a nightmare whatever

But actually I was gonna buy it anyway.

The EVO H yeah another manufacturer says they’re worth bang for buck - in Intel CPU talk they’re saying its tock, wait for tick.

So my thoughts below are my own.

Oh Jeez FedEx drama. They reopened the depot or something to deliver it today.

We could just make the included cable for the driver to timer work. Both mone and The Lad’s heads bit through the middle confirmed! The power bank and duct hole for electric are top right was really handy.

5/5 for access

You’ll also note the cunning hanging system The Lad and I used! Typically the steel wire spreaders with two ratchet blocks limit you on the vertical. Also we have 250kg winches. So we crossed the steams. Too high though. Just tryingbto do super quick.

Yeah my hand too shaky. So built a terracotta garden feature to take some readings.

Focussing on PPFD think we were at 350 PPFD under the 320w light at max. This is on 70% or so now.

New design and oh but @Jon ! Are these the dimmers for you. Totally smooth and granular!

The FC6500 Mars Hydro/LG Drivers more old school clicky clicky at 10% stops.

Its really hard to see where you are in low light (as we keep our grow spaces) with the very pale printing though.

Although I respect the fact that not everyone wants/needs to detach their drivers. Feels a bit cheaper to maybe. That white dimmer.

So far - I reckon tomorrow when we re space the plants its not just 140w more power its 140% more coverage. (Made that number up - probably more.)

Honestly - I can’t think of a better light for a 4x4

I’ve read other sites, review sites, MJ Coco, the Irish fellah sells his own. I’ve met personally with light company people. Chatted to many light people online and grown under HPS and 315’s for fun.

You want a light for a 4x4 this is the best there is for 90% of growers. I’m in that 90% for sure. Its just solid boss level. Feels solid and well made generally. Has a heft to it. The difference between the FC and FCE ranges is tangible.

Like I say - I wasn’t paid in anyway to say that. I know my lights. This is real good.

Nick

@Mars Hydro - legit awesome.

 

[NickHardy]

I drove a Land Rover Defender 300 TDI from Cape Town, South Africa to England in 2009

They call the LR Defender “The Best 4x4xFar”

This is the best light for a 4x4 a plus you can see your head fits through the middle bars! I’m not joking in that small 4x4 space its legit helpful.

 

[NickHardy]

Who watches the watchers?

The Pulse doing a turn her had 44% Rh and the white $3 one 64%

I thought no way but yeah its dry as in there. I set the 5x5 Dehuey to 35% not good here.



I poured 10 litres of nutes (it was better to use the last 10L of the 200/L tank than use plain Jane water. Plus now all three grows get a flush tomorrow and new mixes Monday!

But thst 10L in the drainage. Sump trays. That bringing me a little humidity uptick.

Well I hope so! Its too dry in there.

 

[Tokin Roll]

How is it going @NickHardy

Glad to see your light finally showed up.
With everything you went threw, it might be easier to go get it your self next time.

How get those girls into flower.

Be safe and grow well my friend,
Tok..

 

[InTheShed]

Congrats on finally getting (and hanging and standing in the middle of) that light! Great review, and I 100% guarantee it would have gotten to you sooner if some clown hadn't stuck a big red HOLD sticker on it.

built a terracotta garden feature to take some readings.

Teak woulda been better, but probably not worth disassembling the furniture for.

 

[Greenvein]

Congrats on the new light arrival bro full steam ahead!

 

[Carmen Ray]

Happy for you and lights