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Lighting
Heat
9 November 2004
Dear Scott
I love your web site, very
informative, and you always seem
to be quoting from research,
tests, or experiments, unlike
other jerks who ram their
unsubstantiated opinions down
your throat like it's fact. WELL
DONE!!
Aww
shucks. Now I'm going red...
Thank some
of my scientifically minded customers
who
help me with testing these things out.
I have scanned your web site and
although you talk about
heat from lighting etc, I cannot
find a direct reference to my
questions so here goes:
Taking into consideration the heat
from the globes only
as the ballasts are in the roof,
what will run cooler in my
grow space 2 x 400 watt
son-t-agro or 1 x 1000 watt
lucagrow? My curtained off grow
space is approximately
1.4m x 1.4m within a small bedroom
approximately
2.4m x 3.0m.
800Watts
(2 areas of 1mx1m) will be less hot than 1000W (1area of 1.7x1.7)
and
thus more efficient in distributing light.
1000W
can penetrate plants ideally no more than 1.7m high,
and
400W ideally no more than 1m high.
(not
exact figures - depends on reflection, density of plants, etc)
2x400W
will not increase the height available to you.
You
can always tie down plants that are too high.
Also: what type of shade helps
keep the heat to a minimum
adjusta-shade or a china hat ( 400
watt).
The
Adjusta shade will allow more heat to spill out the sides,
and
the smaller the reflector, the less heat can be trapped under it.
Chinahats
have only a small area near the top to ventilate.
Consider
fan ducting (150mm diameter) attached to either reflector
and
stretch ducting until next to the exhaust fan
and
you should have some suction of heat directly off the bulb.
Is a son-t-agro more efficient
burning vertical or horizontal?
The
burning position is optional.
A
lamp which is long and thin, will tend to send more light
perpendicular
(90deg) to its length.
So
I suggest horizontal would be brighter.
I also have a 600 watt that I
purchased from you ages ago
but when I put it in the room with
the 1000 watt the heat
sky-rocketed.
1600Watts can
be fairly warm. Since a
percentage of energy produced is light, and some is lost in heat,
a
proportion more lighting should result in proportionally more heat
according to its efficiency.
GE
lamps ran cooler than Phillips in one test we did.
Some
of the latest lighting has been overpowered for results
and
I suspect their efficiency is not what is in the figures
when
run with a real world ballast.
e.g.
run 1050-1100Watts into a 1000W no-name globe, and the
manufacturer finds
they have
the same or better output than the standard GE or Phillips.
So
the manufacturer publishes the figures with 50-100W more light going
through
the globe and do not care about the longevity of the lamp when
overrun.
Then
sell it, and the output is fairly average in a 1000W ballast, maybe
10% less.
The same
power applied must go somewhere, so the loss might be in heat.
The
heat lost from the poor design will add to the low light output =
double problems for your growing room.
How
efficient a lamp in converting available power into light can
indicate
how much heat loss is generated but not always.
(i.e.
good light may mean low heat but only if tested in the same ballast.)
Not
sure where that lighting info comes into it - but the more you know,
the better I guess.
I
have 1 x 1000 watt adjusta-shade, 1 x 600 watt china hat,
and 1 x 400 watt china hat. I want
the coolest combination,
and don't mind purchasing whatever
it is I need to achieve that.
Would very much appreciate your
thoughts.
Thank you for your time
The
issue could be given the area you wish to light up (1.4mx1.4m) would
be best witha 600W (1.5x1.5m max)
Considering
maximum results you might do better with an area 1mx1m for 2x400W but
the heat will be a close comparison.
To
best disperse heat open ended reflectors like adjustashades will help.
Maybe
look at more fans/portable airconditioners and go sick with the
lighting is another option.
There
isn't a right and wrong I guess. Don't wait for a perfect option as it
may never come - only occasionally.
Just
hope you have enough information to make some decisions.
Scott
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17 October 2004
Improving the setup Hi
Scott I
have bought quite a few bits and pieces from you, and was wondering
if you could answer a couple of questions for me. I
have been growing for about 12 months with some success, but have
been continually researching to improve yield. I
was wondering if you could run your eye over the details of my setup
and see if you could suggest any improvements. I also have some
questions regarding the Ph and CF levels I use. Setup
is Room
is aprox 3.5m x 3m x 3m high ok ok ok keep an eye on the roots - not drying out, shouldn't be too wet. Should be alright Expanded
clay in 80mm netted pots roots hang down into tub ok 400W only cover 1mx1m in area - do you have enough light? 750W
Air Conditioner fan. I have actually set it up on an auto ramp-up,
ramp down thermostat, but I found that it pumps so much air I just
leave it on low running
24/7. ok - nice big air 3 x oscillating fans positioned around room. ok
- make sure if you were to be put into the room 24/7 with only your
undies on, would you be comfortable? Or windblown, cold, stuffy,
otherwise uncomfortable. Plants grow in the same climate you
feel comfy in. Ozone Generator on 24/7. It doesn't seem to harm the plants being on constantly I think because of the large air flow the room has The
ozone generators will increase growth through negative ion
generation, as long as they don't burn anything, I agree. I only use 1 or 2 lights on 24/7 during grow and 4 x lights on 12/12 during flower. May
not be enough light Nute change min 7 days, usually 14 depending on stage of growth. ok ok I use waterproof PH Scan1 and Saltester CF meter calibrated every few weeks (always reads spot on). ok
- as batteries wear out, they need more often calibration or
newer batteries. I have a temp and Humidity guage that I keep an eye on. I have had problems with Powerdery Mildew in the past but hopefully the big Air Conditioner fan will solve that problem. humidity
can be a problem. Have you looked at microkill as a
bio-fungicide? Dutchfest Hydrogrow / Hydrobloom ok
good yield, flavour is debatable PK13-14 added 3 4 weeks before harvest. PK should
be used for 1 week only. Thats the Canna method for explosive yields. Oxyplus
added 1 to 3 times a week at 2ml / 10 Lts. Strain
is bought genetics clones. This
setup has been doing the job but I think I could get more out
of it It doesnt produce like some photos I have
seen. I think I have spent money on everything, and tried to make it
right. I can leave the room for a week at a time and everything will
be fine. I
am thinking that maybe I can make improvements with alterations to
Nutes / Ph. I was under the belief that the optimum PH levels for
hydro was 5.2 5.8 PH. Just about everywhere on the net
stipulates different levels. I have been running mine at a pretty
constant 5.5. I notice that on your site you recommend 6.0 6.5
with 6.3 being optimal. I also note that on the Dutchfest nutes I
use it states similar range as you. The
reason why I opted for a Ph of 5.5 is because of below http://www.overgrow.com/growfaq/705 http://www.overgrow.com/growfaq/327 graph
is interesting, but I don't totally agree with either side of it. It
would depend on the ingredients used to produce the graph as well. They
are specifically horticulturalist point of views, and
horticulturalists generally make plant decisions that often don't
make the transition to Hydroponics. http://www.marijuanagrowing.com/article.php?sid=27 That pH meter is amusing. But despite the drawing quality it is closer to what I feel. plus
various other threads from forums such as Ozstoners and OG. But
as stated above, there are plenty of other sources that quote levels
corresponding with yours. The
next thing I am wondering about is Nute level. I was under the
assumption that it is best to jam as much nutes into the plants as
possible. I.e. increase CF until they start to burn, then back it
off a little. In full flower I find that I can run them at around 30
+ CF with no signs of burning. From memory Dutchfest recommends
about 25CF.
Even
as youngsters, I find that I have to exceed just about eveyones
recommended CF or the plants start to yellow off, which I have
always assumed is nute deficiency particually Nitrogen. I find
that by bumping the CF up, the plants new growth greens up nicly
turning a dark green colour. In
summary ATM I have about 2 weeks to go till harvest. The PH is
5.5 and nutes are 35 CF. They look dark green and healthy with no
apparent burns, but I think I should be able to get more out of
them. Do
you suggest that I increase the Ph to 6.3 ? Yes Back
the Nutes off to 25 ? Yes and no (see above) what do they look like to you. Change nutes brand ? Will I get any marked inprovements with a different brand ? or folair feeding ? Or Mostabud or similar ? Yes additives might help, but its a bit late this time. Thanks
for taking the time to read this. Regards
GP Hope it helps Scott |
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grow room heat
29 April 2004
Hi Scott
Have been experimenting with the equipment that I got from you awhile back and have only one real problem so far - I cant get the heat down to 28c. I have two 150mm fans - one in and one out. I am placing the temp gauge near the tops of the plants - is this where I should put it? My room is 2m long 1m wide and 2.3m high. Regards
G'day
Well, lets take a
look at ideals.
Check Air temp at the
intake and exhaust. If you notice a much higher temp at the plant tops
then you might be too close, or need a fan blowing on the tops.
Intake temps and
lighting and area are discussed at http://www.hydrocentre.com.au/catalogue/index.htm on
lighting catalogue page #2
In winter you are
likely to have too much, and in summer maybe more would be better.
Depends a
little on what amount of lighting you are
running.
Good Luck
Scott
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Ozone Generators 21 Apr 2004 have been looking for a OZONE Generators what would be the cost for a room 1.3x3.3m and r they good thanks The NEW lighting catalogue at www.hydrocentre.com.au/catalogue has the current ozone unit prices. Also go www.hydrocentre.com.au/ozone for a brochure on them. Hope that helps Scott |
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Lighting Hours 10 February 2004 Hi Scott What do you recommend as the best lighting hours in the growth vegetative stage? I've been told that with an electronic timer you can run 18 hours on and 12 off but is this optimal or 18/6 optimal? I'm a little confused because I've been told 18/12 gives you an extra day of light in every four days but do plants need this much light because if they do in theory 24 hours always on would be best in the vegetative stage. On another note the same person told me when the plants begin to flower to turn the lights off and give them complete darkness for two days (what?) and this really brings incredible results for the flowering stage. Please let me know as your opinion is always valued? Critical to know that plants count dark hours, not light hours. Avoid this person, if that's the advice you are getting. Sounds like my mate said, or my experience shows.... The problem with one persons experience is that it shows inconsistencies or abnormalities as facts and rules. Plants deprived of light will tend to stretch, and this impresses some growers. By reducing nutrient strength a plant might grow 5 inches a day, but the yields are down. People that advise hundreds of growers over years, learn all the things that work or don't work. A short day plant is triggered to flower when its chlorophyll has been deprived of light for 12 hours. If you increase or decrease daylight length, this does not affect the flowering. 12 hours of light (not even a crack of light) gives fast flowering/fruiting/harvests changing the night to 14 hours will not generally affect it, but the longer you wait before giving more light, the more time the plant is hungry. 2 days of darkness will reduce the effectiveness of phyto-hormones and enzymatic activity in the plant, and could reduce the yield as well as cause the plant to stretch. 2 days of light in a lighting cycle might give the plant more energy to perform well. So this would be beneficial. The main thing people are getting confused is the day length is irrelevant, but the night length is. If you run the lights say, Monday night, and Tuesday off, Tuesday night on, wed am off, and use the manual "on" setting on the timer to override the occasional off cycle to stop them going to "night" the plants will not notice. They cannot distinguish between a 12hour day, or a 36 hour day. 36 hours is common because it means the timing is the same on a 24 hour timer, it just goes around 24 hours and another 12 hours to the normal off time. Some research has shown that plants do not benefit with over 15 hours of light, and experience with our growers shows otherwise. Light is energy, the more the better, but the off cycle triggers oxygen respiration, waste production through the roots such as ethylene, phyto-hormonal activity. Ever seen plants grow over night. Its more common than not. Anyhow that should answer your Question Scott |
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Carbon Dioxide setups - Suggestions on
Improving Set up 05 Mar 2004 Hi, I was wondering if you could help me out . I currently grow in a room which is 10.5ft (3.3m) x 8ft (2.7m) with 2x1000W and 1x600W during grow and introduce 3x400W in flowering. I grow 3 plants at a time. My question is would my room benefit from the introduction of Co2 and would my room be too big to use the Electro Co2 Unit. Your assistance would be much appreciated. SB Hello, I can help you with the Hydroponics. CO2 should make your
plants grow at a faster fate, but usually don't finish sooner. Their
metabolic age is greater but held back by their physical age. Equipment Calculate CO2
required You need to follow
the 4 stages of CO2 injection. Temperature Infra red CO2
detection and injection Hope that helps Scott |
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Envirolites / BIG FLUROS 29 February 2004 Hey Scott, I have heard about some new fluros called envirolights which are some type of HID fluro. do you know anything about these? do you sell them?? Cheers SM Yes. we sell the 130Watt self ballasted lamps. They use a 40mm screw fitting the same as a HID lamp, but have a built-in ballast. The lamps are $99 They are available in 2700K colour for Flowering (Sodium like spectrum), 6400K colour for growing plants generally, 14000 for Marine Aquariums. The light output is fairly good, particularly because they are a cool lamp, and can be run so the plants nearly touch them. Overall that gives you a huge benefit on light intensity, ability to put the lamp in the foliage, and reduce redundant levels of ventilation. Tests have shown us that cuttings are rooting faster under the 6400K lamp. 12,600 lumens without the need for 30-45cm distance gives you effectively an improvement of around 2-4 times as much light intensity. We are growing plants under them better than a 250W metal Halide, but not as good as a 400Watt. Pretty good if you have some indirect light. Go to our information page here heres a couple of links. We'll get something into our catalogue within a month. http://www.basementlighting.com/Merchant2/4.13/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=1&Category_Code=EL http://www.ecogrow.com/index.cfm?page=26&CFID=318800&CFTOKEN=86439465 Scott |
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Indoor lighting question heat 05 Feb 2004 what would be better for stopping heat 4 x 600 HPS 2 x 1000 HPS only have 4 pots hydro in a shed 1.2 x 3 x 1.8 An area 1.2 x 3m would
suit 2 x 600Watt lights.
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What's wrong with my
ventilation? 05 Feb 2004 I have an area of approx 3 X 4 X 3 meters and have installed a 150mm exhaust fan with a carbon filter on one side of the room close to the ceiling, I also have an inlet fan on the opposite wall. The problem is the room smells, the 150mm fan is stronger than the floor fan, is the ceiling fan taking all the good air out of the room? I thought the odour would rise to the ceiling allowing the ceiling fan to extract the smell. A carbon filter will clear the air that goes through it. If your room has smells in it, the room will stay exactly the same and the exhaust air will be clean. If someone told you the filter would remove the smell from the room, that isn't true. If you move air at the normal rate, the smell stays the same inside the room. If you double the rate the air goes through the room, the smell is diluted by twice the fresh air. So move more air to dilute it maybe. Smells do not necessarily rise, but old air heats up and rises. I usually recommend putting an ozone generator in the room instead of the carbon filter. 1. Ozone (03) reduces
mould Overusing ozone is dangerous so use a 1 hour dose to set it up, and then use around 15 mins per hour to remove smell. Then add or subtract 1 or 2 doses at a time if the smell is still there, or if the ozone smell is too strong. Ozone generators start at $250 Your fans seem very small for that area. I usually run that with an air conditioner or 4 times the air power at least if no air-con available. Good luck Scott |
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is exhausting out or the
room into the house and intaking from the house possible 15 Jan 2004 hi i was wondering if it is possible to exhaust the air out of the room and into the basement .and than take air into the room from the basement as well ,or do i have to intake the air from out side ,and if i do have to take air from outside what do you suggest i do on accout of the air outside where i live is -30*c,its very very cold i dont know what that is in farenheit lol , any help would be greatly appreciated thx ,and also i noticed posts are all old ,are u still answering these? Very cold... You need fresh Carbon Dioxide, and there is only a limited amount in the air. We don't sense CO2 depletion as much in stale rooms, as oxygen is much higher than CO2 levels. You need to change the air with fresh air about 10 times per hour to keep the CO2 happening. Maybe find a room or rooms you can get air from that are warmer and allow a small amount of air to get into these rooms through windows. I am in 30 degree weather here, so I don't really have any ideas. Recirculating air is bad. Cold Air is bad too. Maybe you need to use your local knowledge to see what you can do. As for posts, I have a new database being built. This manual entry into the website takes my whole day up. Mostly I answer immediately anything with an email address as I said on my site I would. The rest is getting around to it. Scott |
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