Need Advice on New Lighting Technology

[magurbanhere]

magurbanhere,

G'day folks,haven't grown for 13 years now,indoor not outdoor, am pushing 70 years old now but am sharp as a tack!, that doesn't mean I am a prick!.

My young neighbours ( 30 to 40's ) wouldn't know shit from clay when it comes down to growing, we all live in Community Housing, 8 units identical.

 

Our back yards are small and paved and private,I am the only one who does not use chuff.

I won't stay in the room if they chuff because of lung cancer, but, I smoke dhurries and that is my addiction, nicotine,that dirty rotten habit that costs me 30 bucks a day from my pension.

My cancer is ok, I don't care about it and its from years of metal dust and asbestos, when workers say "the bad old days" they really do mean BAD!

 

My reason for joining your very nice,salubrious website is really to pick your brains on the new lighting used now, mine was metal halide I think with grow and veg spectrum the same,run 400 watt for 6 plants, space was tight at 1 metre square but ceiling height.

 

Now I didn't pay electric before because of it being an industrial shop, but now my power is nearly identical through each of the 4 seasons,I can't have a big spike in power consumption, that would be a no-no.

 

So my new friends what would be the new equivalent to my old 400w in new technology, ie, LED'S? or is there other ways that will do the job, want light,spectrum and priced reasonably,could open shed doors for maybe 4 hours in arvo in summer only.

I would really welcome your individual and combined contributions.

Shed is 3m long by 900mm deep, and it has 4 doors?

I will use one section 900x900, height is only 2m.

 

Magurbanhere!

[magurbanhere]

magurbanhere

Stupid question,what does "say thanks with some bits" mean?

 

Magurbanhere.

[benn0]

Just whack in a 400 watter by the time people complain or realise it would of been pulling electricity for a few quarters enough to make it look like youve got a second fridge or something or pumping the heat and a standalone aircon

[Ozzy420]

What ever path you go down you still have to factor in fans as well for power use, you will need to run a carbon filter unless you want every one that lives around you to know what u are up to...

[Stiritup420]

Hi and welcome

 

Firstly, depending where you are it's coming into summer and a shed outside will be very hot and humid. Definitely would not work where i live.. I assume its a tin shed?  You going to need good air flow and keep temps around 30 degrees or less during the day.  Quantum board LED will definitely be your best choice.. MH or HPS will not only chew a lot of power but will generate too much heat.. 

 

Quantum boards are quiet, make less heat and use less power.  Definitely the way to go if the budget allows.. Even a 400w mh should not cause a huge spike in power bills. Maybe $50 a quarter. My bill is double what it was without a garden, sometimes nearly triple and it's still not what some families use.  Something equivalent to 400mh in a quantum board would probably use close to half as much electricity from the wall.. I use Spiderfarmer 4000 for 1.2 x 1.2m  and they are doing considerably better than a 600w mh but using only 450w from the wall.  I am also using 2 x Bloom Plus 1500 quantum boards in roughly 1.2 x 400 and they are great.   

 

Unfortunately, where i live i cant get away without AC in the warmer months but using Quantums i can use it less. I have also been able to double my grow space while only using the same or less power from the wall so its worth the extra upfront cost for these lights.

 

Also remember you will need an inline fan and filter, Possibly a second one to pull cool air in from outside?  Consider the noise these will make. 

 

I would recommend a tent inside in your bedroom or something especially if you have AC because the environment is more important then the choice of light. Remember the police can see that shit from the air and your shed will not hide it from them.. It's going to leak light at night also and i think the neighbours will notice something.  if you need to open doors for 4 hours a day there will come a time they will definitely smell it too.

Edited October 29, 2020 by Stiritup420

[magurbanhere]

Hi and welcome

 

Firstly, depending where you are it's coming into summer and a shed outside will be very hot and humid. Definitely would not work where i live.. I assume its a tin shed?  You going to need good air flow and keep temps around 30 degrees or less during the day.  Quantum board LED will definitely be your best choice.. MH or HPS will not only chew a lot of power but will generate too much heat.. 

 

Quantum boards are quiet, make less heat and use less power.  Definitely the way to go if the budget allows.. Even a 400w mh should not cause a huge spike in power bills. Maybe $50 a quarter. My bill is double what it was without a garden, sometimes nearly triple and it's still not what some families use.  Something equivalent to 400mh in a quantum board would probably use close to half as much electricity from the wall.. I use Spiderfarmer 4000 for 1.2 x 1.2m  and they are doing considerably better than a 600w mh but using only 450w from the wall.  I am also using 2 x Bloom Plus 1500 quantum boards in roughly 1.2 x 400 and they are great.   

 

Unfortunately, where i live i cant get away without AC in the warmer months but using Quantums i can use it less. I have also been able to double my grow space while only using the same or less power from the wall so its worth the extra upfront cost for these lights.

 

Also remember you will need an inline fan and filter, Possibly a second one to pull cool air in from outside?  Consider the noise these will make. 

 

I would recommend a tent inside in your bedroom or something especially if you have AC because the environment is more important then the choice of light. Remember the police can see that shit from the air and your shed will not hide it from them.. It's going to leak light at night also and i think the neighbours will notice something.  if you need to open doors for 4 hours a day there will come a time they will definitely smell it too.

Magurbanhere,

Thank you all for the answers,but the above is very informative and expansive too, have no idea what a "quantum board" is but will find out by days end,my shed is brick and I always line with pink batts or whatever is handy,keeps it all nice and cool, in and out.

Cops fly over twice a week chasing crims and tweakers etc,I live near a major airport and local railway station keeps old bill busy.

Been around this game since 1970, every grey hair in my head is a problem solved and I have solved lots of issues, but I know that there has been an evolution in lighting and light spectrum, could of went the google way and got every idiot on the planet affected by "moon influence " giving advice they read online, not comprehend but just sprout or parrot what is read, I call it moon influence.

 

My last room was a tin shed,I lined it with rockwool and if I could get it i used a type of aircraft insulation I think made of mica, that was an inch thick, we used it to line heater boxes to pre heat cast iron heads for cars pre welding cracks, good shit too, if you lay it across your hand/palm you could hold a heating torch to it all day.

 

But its lighting I want that is efficient and reasonably priced, the rest I know, cooling heating etc,I joined here to get practical advice not theoretical or google shit.

Looks like I found the right website thank you very much!

 

Magurbanhere.

[Stiritup420]

Sounds like you have the shed all thought out... Yeah google will give you mixed advice and not always up to date.. Quantum boards are the latest led's and IMO are the way to go.. Upfront price is still quite a bit but high but i they pay for themselves soon enough. 

[magurbanhere]

Sounds like you have the shed all thought out... Yeah google will give you mixed advice and not always up to date.. Quantum boards are the latest led's and IMO are the way to go.. Upfront price is still quite a bit but high but i they pay for themselves soon enough.

 

Magurbanhere,

Thank you kindly for your input, and all the others too.

Am running 1 baby only, have found a cheap light on 50% discount? Samsung LM3013,puts out 1000w but draws only 100w,cost $199.00,what you think maestro.

 

Regards magurbanhere.

[Stiritup420]

i have a viperspectra 1000.  It's almost the same thing.. It's great for seedlings, clones and quite small plants but it's but you could grow an oz or two best with it. Would only just do one smallish plant to harvest..

 

Depends what you are trying to get out of it i guess.. It's not 1000w as it would suggest, that's just how they are naming them now.. Fact is with any light you buy you can calculate what it might do by the true power it draws. If an awesome harvest is 1gram per what then that light may grow 100grams if you know what you are doing.  The average home grower would not average near 1g per true watt. 

 

I am just going to suggest seeing if you can find an affordable 2000 quantum. 200w at the wall but you can spread you plant out more and use up most of that 900x900. Spread and penetration of the 1000's is not quite enough imo.

Edited October 30, 2020 by Stiritup420

[magurbanhere]

i have a viperspectra 1000.  It's almost the same thing.. It's great for seedlings, clones and quite small plants but it's but you could grow an oz or two best with it. Would only just do one smallish plant to harvest..

 

Depends what you are trying to get out of it i guess.. It's not 1000w as it would suggest, that's just how they are naming them now.. Fact is with any light you buy you can calculate what it might do by the true power it draws. If an awesome harvest is 1gram per what then that light may grow 100grams if you know what you are doing.  The average home grower would not average near 1g per true watt. 

 

I am just going to suggest seeing if you can find an affordable 2000 quantum. 200w at the wall but you can spread you plant out more and use up most of that 900x900. Spread and penetration of the 1000's is not quite enough imo.

Magurbanhere,

Thank you for your prompt and informative reply, I am good at everything except maths and I hate electricity, only because you can't see it!...have had a few 240v and one 415v kicks, the last one was off a MIG welder and the sparkle run a live to the earth?..near killed me too!.

But my fault,was a mate doing a "love job" and a carton of VB was it,but I got him stoned before he started, silly me,won't and haven't done it since!

But,I can work out my basic needs and had the feeling I could discount 30% off the advertised output, that should still give me more than the 400w light I was using before?

Are the LED or whatever they are so dissimilar in light quality and spectrum to the globes of old?

 

Magurbanhere