I started building a grow light system back a few years ago. Back then the info was lacking to say the least, and the thinking was simple red and blue LED systems would be all a guy would need. So I put together a couple systems. I started with an old power amplifier that had blown itself up, and burned the traces to the point of not being rebuildable. So I made it into a power supply putting out just over 65V, and capable of producing up to 15A with no problem. I did this with 2 amps, the one in the GROW room has a little more voltage, but less current, still more than I need though. I put togther a grow light for the mommies with RED 630nm and BLUE 460nm in a 2 to 1 ratio total power used by these 5 watt leds was 80, this has served me well, and has worked for several years now.
Flowering was a different story. I built 3 24" X 14" panels using the same ratio. It looked like it was working at first, but failed in the end. Now the builders were saying to add in some deep red, and some white, but nobody could settle on cool white or warm white, so I added another line with cool white and some deep red 660nm plus some more red 625's. So now I have 6 cool whites, 6 blues, 8 deep reds and too many red 625's in 2 lines for each panel at 65V, 1A for each line, so 130 WATT for each panel. I removed my 600 HPS /400 MH combo system I'm trying to replace and did another run. It did just a little better, but not by much. So for the last few years I put the HPS/MH unit back in, and fit 2 of my three panels in on the sides for enhancement. Now the thinking has changed again, they say more deep red is needed, and far red 740nm as well, plus the royal blues 450nm have come out, but not in 5 watt, but the Phillips say they can run at 1A. So now I have 6 blue, 6 royal blue, 8 deep red, 10 far red, 6 cool white, 12 red running in 2 lines at 1A each on each panel, plus 25 more red shared by all three panels, plus 25 3 watt deep red on each panel. The shared line of red can be turned off when flowering, but will be on for cloning with the blues and other reds. So, using 60 watt to make adding easy, growing uses 240 watt, and flowering will use 495 without the extra reds, and 555 watt if I do. I also added lenses. I put narrow angle lenses on the 3 watt deep reds, (I forgot to say they run at 700mA), and wide lenses on the rest 90 degree. I am a couple weeks from trying out the new set up, and I am done with putting on anything new for now. I will let you all know how it all works.
I do have some questions about UV's though. Next year I was thing of adding some UV's but they are expensive. I was thinking of a shared line of 1 watt units, so that would be about 25 of them depending on there breakover voltage. Any thoughts on this would be welcome.
All of this came at a price though, I bought everything mounted on starboards, and used starboard holders for the lenses, and built my own heat sinks from aluminum and put 6 24V fans in 2 series line of 3 on each panel. This whole thing cost me just under $2000.00 power supplies and all including for the grow room. Not for the faint of pocket book.
Flowering was a different story. I built 3 24" X 14" panels using the same ratio. It looked like it was working at first, but failed in the end. Now the builders were saying to add in some deep red, and some white, but nobody could settle on cool white or warm white, so I added another line with cool white and some deep red 660nm plus some more red 625's. So now I have 6 cool whites, 6 blues, 8 deep reds and too many red 625's in 2 lines for each panel at 65V, 1A for each line, so 130 WATT for each panel. I removed my 600 HPS /400 MH combo system I'm trying to replace and did another run. It did just a little better, but not by much. So for the last few years I put the HPS/MH unit back in, and fit 2 of my three panels in on the sides for enhancement. Now the thinking has changed again, they say more deep red is needed, and far red 740nm as well, plus the royal blues 450nm have come out, but not in 5 watt, but the Phillips say they can run at 1A. So now I have 6 blue, 6 royal blue, 8 deep red, 10 far red, 6 cool white, 12 red running in 2 lines at 1A each on each panel, plus 25 more red shared by all three panels, plus 25 3 watt deep red on each panel. The shared line of red can be turned off when flowering, but will be on for cloning with the blues and other reds. So, using 60 watt to make adding easy, growing uses 240 watt, and flowering will use 495 without the extra reds, and 555 watt if I do. I also added lenses. I put narrow angle lenses on the 3 watt deep reds, (I forgot to say they run at 700mA), and wide lenses on the rest 90 degree. I am a couple weeks from trying out the new set up, and I am done with putting on anything new for now. I will let you all know how it all works.
I do have some questions about UV's though. Next year I was thing of adding some UV's but they are expensive. I was thinking of a shared line of 1 watt units, so that would be about 25 of them depending on there breakover voltage. Any thoughts on this would be welcome.
All of this came at a price though, I bought everything mounted on starboards, and used starboard holders for the lenses, and built my own heat sinks from aluminum and put 6 24V fans in 2 series line of 3 on each panel. This whole thing cost me just under $2000.00 power supplies and all including for the grow room. Not for the faint of pocket book.
