SoOrbudgal
New member
I salute you grand tinkers of DIY light builds. Excellent
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DIY Custom LED light build
- Thread starter YYCannabis
- Start date
FlyingDutchPaddy
New member
hello 
tagging along for interest.
I currently have 2x 315W CDMH lights (3200K) in a 5ft x 10ft (1.5mx3.0mx2.2m) tent with air flow of 512cfm (870m3/hr)... temps at the top of buckets reaches 77F (25C) with the light 4ft away.
I know the powerdraw, and want to see if these bulbs are going to perform as advertised (first grow with these, came from LED).
when these are ready, do you plan to do a light intensity / color spectrum analysis?
tagging along for interest.
I currently have 2x 315W CDMH lights (3200K) in a 5ft x 10ft (1.5mx3.0mx2.2m) tent with air flow of 512cfm (870m3/hr)... temps at the top of buckets reaches 77F (25C) with the light 4ft away.
I know the powerdraw, and want to see if these bulbs are going to perform as advertised (first grow with these, came from LED).
when these are ready, do you plan to do a light intensity / color spectrum analysis?
YYCannabis
New member
FlyingDutchPaddy I only have a basic light meter. It’s good for white light, not so good for purple led lights. So I will use that to get a reading. I’m not sure how accurate is it as a tool for growing.
it’s from Amazon
Dr.Meter Digital Light Meter/Lux Meter LX1010B with LCD Display 50,000 Lux Luxmeter https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B004K0A7I6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_k3kWDbR30DYYZ
light spectrums from Cutter are attached below. You can easily see which image is for the two different lights I purchased.
cheers
YYC
it’s from Amazon
Dr.Meter Digital Light Meter/Lux Meter LX1010B with LCD Display 50,000 Lux Luxmeter https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B004K0A7I6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_k3kWDbR30DYYZ
light spectrums from Cutter are attached below. You can easily see which image is for the two different lights I purchased.
cheers
YYC
YYCannabis
New member
Bad edit
YYCannabis
New member
@SoOrBudGal
This build is something that almost anybody could do using a variety of materials.
If you follow the basic design principles (spine and rib), it’s easy to substitute different materials from what I used. The challenge is in selecting light strips, how “hot†(amps) you want to run them, and how to deal with the temps the strips create (heatsinks).
Electrical is fairly straight forward using Wago connectors. No soldering needed for solid connections.
This build is something that almost anybody could do using a variety of materials.
If you follow the basic design principles (spine and rib), it’s easy to substitute different materials from what I used. The challenge is in selecting light strips, how “hot†(amps) you want to run them, and how to deal with the temps the strips create (heatsinks).
Electrical is fairly straight forward using Wago connectors. No soldering needed for solid connections.
Gingerbeard
New member
Would one of you good folk turn me onto some technical manual sort of information for this kind of lighting? It could be something to consider for my little piece.
Farmall
New member
You can look up a bunch of links I can send you or just check out this YouTube video... with a little bit of searching, eBay, amazon or several suppliers you’ll find yourself rather creative. This primer gives you a few ideas. Go to the photo boost strips. https://youtu.be/XAFdc6WZF-g
Farmall
New member
Another option. Same strips. https://youtu.be/9mrG3d1r-4U
YYCannabis
New member
On YouTube, search for Bruce Bugbee. Watch his vids that relate to lighting. It will give you a good primer on light spectrum, PAR, and a bunch of other useful knowledge.
The information can be very overwhelming and exhausting to learn. But the hot takes are:
- Blue light has shown to reduce cell expansion. Therefore small dense leaves and short node spacing becomes noticeable.
- Red light (specially far-red) has shown to help increase cell expansion. Therefore growth seems explosive with rapid stem stretch and faster leaf (size) growth. (Also should apply to rapid bud fattening)
- Using far-red during veg phase can trigger flowering prematurely, so use with caution.
- UV-b has been linked to trichome production during flowering.
If you’ve read the details of my light strips, you will note that I have 2 color temps...5000k and 3000k. The images in the above post show how different the light spectrum for the two temps are.
The 5000k has a ton of strong blue spectrum..well...it has a ton of the full spectrum, but it’s the high blue values that are what I wanted... and the 97CRI. This is going to be my veg light.
the 3000k spectrum is a lot less blue and higher peak in the red. My flowering light.
So...the belief is, use the heavy blue light to help keep plants slightly shorter but beefier through veg using the 5k strips at 100% and have the 3k at 30-40% power. Once the plants move on to flower, a slow transition of light spectrum towards more power to the 3k and less power to the 5k. Most of flower phase will be a near equal balance 50/50 of both combined. Last stage of flowering (when I want buds to bulk up) will lean heavily on the 3k lights and maybe 30% of the 5k. The last week will be full blast of both spectrums for final full terpene stimulation thanks to the high CRI values (still speculative, but some people are starting to taste a difference in bud between the use of 80CRI lights vs the 90+CRI lights.
If done correctly, and at the right times, use of light spectrum can help shape/stimulate the plant to what the grower wants the plant to do at the time.
I plan to purchase some single spectrum lights (far-red aka IR and some UV) for my next grow in the new year.
Cheers
YYC
The information can be very overwhelming and exhausting to learn. But the hot takes are:
- Blue light has shown to reduce cell expansion. Therefore small dense leaves and short node spacing becomes noticeable.
- Red light (specially far-red) has shown to help increase cell expansion. Therefore growth seems explosive with rapid stem stretch and faster leaf (size) growth. (Also should apply to rapid bud fattening)
- Using far-red during veg phase can trigger flowering prematurely, so use with caution.
- UV-b has been linked to trichome production during flowering.
If you’ve read the details of my light strips, you will note that I have 2 color temps...5000k and 3000k. The images in the above post show how different the light spectrum for the two temps are.
The 5000k has a ton of strong blue spectrum..well...it has a ton of the full spectrum, but it’s the high blue values that are what I wanted... and the 97CRI. This is going to be my veg light.
the 3000k spectrum is a lot less blue and higher peak in the red. My flowering light.
So...the belief is, use the heavy blue light to help keep plants slightly shorter but beefier through veg using the 5k strips at 100% and have the 3k at 30-40% power. Once the plants move on to flower, a slow transition of light spectrum towards more power to the 3k and less power to the 5k. Most of flower phase will be a near equal balance 50/50 of both combined. Last stage of flowering (when I want buds to bulk up) will lean heavily on the 3k lights and maybe 30% of the 5k. The last week will be full blast of both spectrums for final full terpene stimulation thanks to the high CRI values (still speculative, but some people are starting to taste a difference in bud between the use of 80CRI lights vs the 90+CRI lights.
If done correctly, and at the right times, use of light spectrum can help shape/stimulate the plant to what the grower wants the plant to do at the time.
I plan to purchase some single spectrum lights (far-red aka IR and some UV) for my next grow in the new year.
Cheers
YYC
Gingerbeard
New member
Thanks for posting that information, YY. I can talk to you about lines, polylines, splines, 3D splines, and such. The spectra and all that I'll have to get a book for. Time for a library trip.
Assembly seems straight forward if from a kit.
Assembly seems straight forward if from a kit.
YYCannabis
New member
Honestly, for great bang-for-buck strips you can buy these
https://www.digikey.ca/product-detail/en/BXEB-L0590U-40E1500-C-C3/976-BXEB-L0590U-40E1500-C-C3-ND and grow some pretty good plants. Low power. Hang em low. Run em cool. They also come in other color K plus lengths of 1ft, 2ft and 4ft. Cheap and easy. Very affordable way to flood a tent with light and save money on your power bill.
ðŸ˜
There’s a lot of tech and spectrum info out there. But let’s face it, it can be absolute overkill for growing a weed in a closet that could be grown using fluorescent tubes. 🤣 I’m doing a slightly more expensive route with better quality led emitters...which does matter in the spectrum world...just because I’m a geek 😠I’m not worried about getting the ultimate spectrum and photon flux at an exact number on each and every leaf like some people are trying to achieve.
https://www.digikey.ca/product-detail/en/BXEB-L0590U-40E1500-C-C3/976-BXEB-L0590U-40E1500-C-C3-ND and grow some pretty good plants. Low power. Hang em low. Run em cool. They also come in other color K plus lengths of 1ft, 2ft and 4ft. Cheap and easy. Very affordable way to flood a tent with light and save money on your power bill.
ðŸ˜
There’s a lot of tech and spectrum info out there. But let’s face it, it can be absolute overkill for growing a weed in a closet that could be grown using fluorescent tubes. 🤣 I’m doing a slightly more expensive route with better quality led emitters...which does matter in the spectrum world...just because I’m a geek 😠I’m not worried about getting the ultimate spectrum and photon flux at an exact number on each and every leaf like some people are trying to achieve.
YYCannabis
New member
Watch these 3 vids. This guy is a professor in Utah and knows his stuff. He doesn’t talk a whole lot about cannabis, but the principles he covers still apply.
https://youtu.be/UZO8Fb0ryW8
https://youtu.be/gHOJQmYFW1A
https://youtu.be/dXkYPN3HD6A
https://youtu.be/UZO8Fb0ryW8
https://youtu.be/gHOJQmYFW1A
https://youtu.be/dXkYPN3HD6A
Farmall
New member
YYCannabis i was looking at the charts you posted... you’re strips are actually about .1 higher in relative intensity... spectrum is nearly the same. Impressive. Fortunately, I run them turned down but I like your selection . Have you fired them up yet? When I did mine my wife ran in and thought something happened... like a white flash so intense...marvelous !
Gingerbeard
New member
Thanks for that YY. I watched a few minutes of the first video. He drew a graph. I like graphs. I'll see if I can get my computer to talk to my TV I'll go big screen and take notes.
You're right about needs and wants. I have no need to replace my LED. When the time comes, I want to give myself another option. Try a different grow style.
You're right about needs and wants. I have no need to replace my LED. When the time comes, I want to give myself another option. Try a different grow style.
Last edited:
YYCannabis
New member
*Note that these are only 5 of 20 strips
YYCannabis
New member
I’m still on my first grow. I’m using an Amazon blurple light and get really good growth (my first harvest is only a couple weeks away). I really don’t need to change it out other than the fact I’ve educated myself a bit about lighting. My current light will either get sold off of put in storage as emergency backup.
YYCannabis
New member
FINALLY!!
Magic life giving pixies!! All wires up and installed. Getting it into place and working is such a relief.
In the final updates I show some of the terrible skills I have at wiring, and what I finally decided to do with the drivers.
Here’s some click-bait pics to tease you with
Cheers
YYC
Magic life giving pixies!! All wires up and installed. Getting it into place and working is such a relief.
In the final updates I show some of the terrible skills I have at wiring, and what I finally decided to do with the drivers.
Here’s some click-bait pics to tease you with
Cheers
YYC
Attachments
Gingerbeard
New member
I may not have understood a lick of what you put together, but that is beautiful, man. Simply beautiful. The whole setup.
D.A.A.S.69
New member
Looking good YYCannabis this go around I'm using HLG, quantum board in a small 2-2-4tent, do they make small strips, less than 2feet long, that I could use on the sides, down low.
Thanks
Thanks
Gingerbeard
New member
I'm using a 350 watt LED and considering a QB for vegging or flowering. Would it be better to LED for veg or flower and QB for veg or flower. Any opinions? Probably not. Not a single opinion in here.