Emmie's 6 Plant, True Living Organic, LED Grow Journal

[SirRealist]

Full strength. I trust the nutrients that I give to provide significant benefit to my plants, not just simply feed them. If you are going to use nutes, then nute like you mean it. Remove the word FEED from your vocabulary and replace it with the word FERTILIZE. Don't be timid... Garden like a BOSS!

 

[SirRealist]

Love it... "garden like a BOSS.... new mantra... I am the boss.... I am the boss..." One follow-up... about a week ago I mixed up a 32 oz batch of AACT (seedling strength) and not all plants were ready to be FERTILIZED at the same time. Today (about a week after the initial 3-day bubbling period) I noticed that the air stones had clogged with gunk that had practically stopped the air bubbles. I figure this had been going on for about a day or so. The odor indicated the solution was starting to stagnate. Question: Is this AACT still usable or potentially harmful to my babies (annerobic toxins)?

 

[Emilya Green]

Love it... "garden like a BOSS.... new mantra... I am the boss.... I am the boss..." One follow-up... about a week ago I mixed up a 32 oz batch of AACT (seedling strength) and not all plants were ready to be FERTILIZED at the same time. Today (about a week after the initial 3-day bubbling period) I noticed that the air stones had clogged with gunk that had practically stopped the air bubbles. I figure this had been going on for about a day or so. The odor indicated the solution was starting to stagnate. Question: Is this AACT still usable or potentially harmful to my babies (annerobic toxins)?

potentially harmful. Throw it out.

 

[Reave]

I plan on using as much as I need when I make mine and then throwing the rest on the garden outside. Edit: sometime I forget where I am.

 

[SirRealist]

potentially harmful. Throw it out.

Thanks... suspected this might be the case. Trying to get all plants synced to the same WDC has been a challenge. Perhaps I need to make multiple smaller batches of AACT a couple of days apart and time them to be ready when needed. BTW, Here's picture of my two favorite watering devices. I have found them helpful to direct the nutrients exactly where I want as I water the root ball. The 100 cc syringe works great during seedling stage/early veg and helps me get under leaves that are growing horizontally close to the soil during initial LST/Quad training.

 

[SirRealist]

@fanleaf, you are going to love this idea. I was inspired by your picture of all the switches the other day. I am going to wire in a shorting switch to 2 of my lights in each string. The middle lights will be left as the default light that will remain on the load so as to keep the constant current supply happy. Each bank will also be able to be switched off and on at the ac source. I am going to follow your previous idea of adding not two, but 3 blue COBs right down the middle, also wired so I can either have them on or not and able to short out the right and left lights as needed.
Using this system, from the front control panel I will be able to choose any single center light to be on at any one time, at any intensity I desire. Then I will be able to add any of the outside lights with the flip of a switch.
8 switches, 3 more COBs, and the light of my dreams will result. Thank you for the idea!

Hi Emilya,
Reading the great threads by you and Fanleaf on his 42-COB-build and your 6-COB version has been inspirational...

I'm about to start building my version:

16 CREE COB Array in a 4x4x72 tent. I plan to limit future grows to 4 plants in 10 Gallon pots or possibly two-plant SCROG. Wanted to get your thoughts on placement of Meanwell drivers inside or outside the tent for heat dissipation:

Here is my set-up before the new COB array:

Currently using Vivosun 6" exhaust fan with charcoal filter inside the tent + plus two oscillating fans, wth Mars Hydro TS300 at full brightness and the temp hovers around 77-80 deg F in basement location with no additional heating in basement.

Here's the planned COB-array build:
12x CREE CXB3590s 3000K + 4x 5000K - each with 140MM pin heatsinks
4 CREE CB3490 5000K with same heat
2x HLG-320H-1400B to each drive (4) 3000K to be used
1x HLG-240H-2100B to drive the (4) 5000K to be used heavily during veg for COBs in center of array
1x HLG-185H-C1400B to drive (4) 3000K at each corner of the array (to be used in mid-to-late flower)

16x CREE COB Build.PNG

• SirRealist
• Mar 30, 2021
• diy cob array led lighting

Proposed DIY 16x COB Array

Wondering if I can address heat with opening velcro intak e covers on tent (Vivosun 4x4), or if buying a higher CFPM output exhaust is really advised, or if it is ok as is? If placing outside the tent, seems like I'd need to house everything to avoid clutter or hazzard. Appreciate any wisdom you can throw my way.

 

[Emilya Green]

Hi Sir... looks like a great build project! I will like to see a picture of this monster once you have it all together. I and my mentor drive our lights at no more than 70% max, to keep them in the most efficient part of the energy curve, and to reduce heat. I come from the old HID lighting days where heat from the big lights really was an issue, but even in a small 2x4 tent I had no problem with heat buildup from my 6x COB array and I had the two maxwell's powering it mounted right on the frame. My normal air exchange took care of any heat buildup, and in the wintertime I had to add heaters to my grow area even during lit hours, that were not needed in the old days. If you placed all of your power supplies up high on a central board and made sure a fan moved the air up there into the air exchange outtake, I don't think you would have any problems with heat at all. Once I saw how cool these COBs ran, I never once considered the additional cabling needed to run outside of the tent.

 

[SirRealist]

Hi Sir... looks like a great build project! I will like to see a picture of this monster once you have it all together. I and my mentor drive our lights at no more than 70% max, to keep them in the most efficient part of the energy curve, and to reduce heat. I come from the old HID lighting days where heat from the big lights really was an issue, but even in a small 2x4 tent I had no problem with heat buildup from my 6x COB array and I had the two maxwell's powering it mounted right on the frame. My normal air exchange took care of any heat buildup, and in the wintertime I had to add heaters to my grow area even during lit hours, that were not needed in the old days. If you placed all of your power supplies up high on a central board and made sure a fan moved the air up there into the air exchange outtake, I don't think you would have any problems with heat at all. Once I saw how cool these COBs ran, I never once considered the additional cabling needed to run outside of the tent.

I hoping to complete the build over the next couple of weeks and will start next grow hopefully on May 18th. I’m trying to synchronize my start on 18th of the month so I can easily benchmark my plants’ progress against your beri D’licious grow journal which I’m reading now. I’m contemplating doing a journal but realize that’s a pretty big commitment seeing the work you put into them. But I would like to contribute to this community so... I’m leaning toward that.