Nick Hardy's Skunk Works #4 Mars Hydro FC Evo 12x OG Kush Solos 4x4 - Viva Voce Grow

Well that sucks. Could you switch to CBD strains?

Probably an entirely different market though from the bars you're used to selling to. :confused:
Its a young tourist place. No one wants CBD - alcohol here is split between two companies, Chang and Singha. To get a brewing license you need to sell 100m litres a year. No craft beer - even as in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos that industry explodes. Cannabis is going to be exactly the same. Two connected families will get two contracts. Whatever fudge they come up with - hone growing will be banned. You’ll have to guarantee 50 tons a month or something. The dispensary owners win again.

One of my FC6500 lights hasn’t come on today.

Someone hates our main grow. Wilt and broken lights.

Brilliant - I’m guessing I’m going to take a machete to that room in the next day or so.
 
@Mars Hydro I can’t post pictures in messages so messaged you a link to this. Already emailed you.

I guess as its Chinese New Year you’re closed for 2 weeks and won't reply and send me a replacement in month? Brilliant!

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You not got anything you can temporarily replace it with? Looks like the driver gone kaput. Check the fuses too.
 
You not got anything you can temporarily replace it with? Looks like the driver gone kaput. Check the fuses too.
Sparkey is coming maybe today more likely tomorrow. Have raised the other two to max, trimmed down the temp.

My only option is a 1000w HPS DE…

I guess that’s what it’l be but def need Sparkey. Detached drivers and removing the current one
 
@Mars Hydro emailed me back. Need a picture of the driver as well as the serial number and the connectors for the cable between bars and driver. We removed them because two burned out, then we needed even longer cables for the winches. The driver I’ll send in the morning when the other lights are back on.

Pretty sure CNY will screw any quick resolution.

HPS in the main room with the high ceilings it needs though! That’ll be fun. Sure I’ll be grinning when its switched on. With that lush warm light
 

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Dunno. Yesterday I tried switching OFF/ON and MAN. This morning the light comes on like its business as usual. Touched nothing.

Not finding it very reassuring. Its on the same bank as the lefthand light. Guess still points to the driver - its not a loose connection I don’t think. Nothing has moved 🤷🏽

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Its hot. My tents are hot, but VPD’s got me there because guess what? Its a dry heat. I’m hot and, well also, I’ve told on occasion that I too am hot. Jeez I’ve been hit on by some weird people. This deaf lady was funniest. One of my first trips to Phuket. German and blond. She got thrown out the bar for being drunk about 30 minutes after typing into my phone “Come back to my hotel room and ….”

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Plants are prettier. Bigger. Slow snd steady. Need to grow them deep. AC being hooked up at the weekend to finish them just this 4x4 one AC. I need more light - might put two 50w strips in there A but then this grow is reasonably everyman. Be interesting to see what gram per watt the @Mars Hydro FC4800 EEEEeeVVvvoooo’OOooo can do.

Nick

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It happened under a tangerine styled sky of winter as the sun sank.

These girls are really the star of the show at the moment. Maybe I can screw with the colour and make it better but the one there is this beautiful autumnal orange (its a Mim OP too) smallish buds but loads of them. Its a noice little tent that has had virtually no care or attention other than to cull a bunch of plants and steal the best for upstairs. Its the middle child getting hand me downs while the youngest gets all the attention.

But relentless culling and more space and the 9 or 10 I think are left are all fine beasts. Just waiting now Day #40 the Warlock will go 65-70 the MOP 55-60. Mulling flushing these the last two weeks. Just Cal-Mag. Then drought them. Dunno - its a tent outdoors in the tropics - low stress is probably best.

Upstairs - well the light is back. The environment banging and hopefully we’re past the disease crap. Our intrepid 15 venture on. They could do with a rearrangement of the trellis since they’ve lost some neighbours. Bunch them up tighter as well. Spread the light better. Assuming it comes back on tomorrow!

Nick

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Our intrepid 15 venture on
14 🤣

& Co has left one they she hacked the stem damage out of and has left it tiny. Along side a normal sized Ayahuasca Purple. Well normal to what the breeder says indoors, 100-120cm. All mine are 150cm plus.

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She wants to see if the Thai cream can arrest the spread. For now on though unless ai read anything untoward about it (its used on lots of fruit and veg all over the world - just not in California) I’m pinning my hopes on the Nativo.

Just ran Maintenance on the irrigation in here. The filter downstairs was at fault - had done its job depending on your perspective as the two manifolds were clear. But hands and knees job to pull them out.

& Co wants to see one through to check the stuff works.

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So we have one on the front door 😂

(That’s our Christmas tree going to storage finally)

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They’ll be Ok. Really wanting to pop the next wave for here but still waiting for them to arrive. 6 days from BKK so far. & Co’s family in charge of shipping so its a shit show. I want to pump out weight from here on out. Tick tock until it changes - our grow license is good for another year. Maybe we’ll get that - & Co reckons that the government is going to buy it all off us at a price that would still give us maybe a $1 profit. We’re here, we’re setup and enjoying it still so might as well ride it while we can.


Nick & Co
 
I’m not tagging them here. I’m too angry. Angry at myself angry at my sparky. But absolutely spewing fury at Mars Hydro

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This is the only set of original connectors left. The other two lights we replaced because they burned out. Sure my electrician was an idiot reusing these connectors after two previous factory fitted ones burned out. Its the only set remaining that came from the factory. I bought one FC6500 and a month later two together. They're not the same batch - one driver is a slightly different label but the connectors are the same

Here are the other two lights


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You can see the T Connector which is necessary as the light is two separate banks. But on the ones above we removed the connectors because THEY BURNED OUT TO FIRE CONDITIONS

My Sparky through haste to finish or whatever reused the last remaining not burned out one. Ours are permanent fixtures, we don’t need to disconnect the driver (besides in a tent they fit through a 6” duct anyway)

Here is the burned out one with the connector that’s burned out and the T join as well.

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They know its an issue for sure.

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When ours full caught fire it was on powder coated steel so fortunately nothing to burn - though I guess risk of electrocution.

Just unsafe.

Dunno I guess its a quick fix. Sparky will be here this evening I think. He should have binned the last remaining connector but was probably thinking - c’mon what are the chances of three factory fitted connectors burning up?

They all did for the sake of a one dollar part.

Imagine is was an LG TV doing this? I say LG because they make the drivers.

Class action suits ahoy!

Dunno. Guess I fix the problem but there is a zero chance I am the only one this has happened to - or will happen to. I covered this issue in other journals.

Anyone got an opinion? They‘re a sponsor sure. But someone buys their light and burns their house down and I didn't raise awareness I’d feel pretty shit.

3 connectors on best possible practice installation, static fit. No movement other than a smooth winch control. What happens when they’re in a tent getting knocked around?

Nick
 
I’m not tagging them here. I’m too angry. Angry at myself angry at my sparky. But absolutely spewing fury at Mars Hydro

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This is the only set of original connectors left. The other two lights we replaced because they burned out. Sure my electrician was an idiot reusing these connectors after two previous factory fitted ones burned out. Its the only set remaining that came from the factory. I bought one FC6500 and a month later two together. They're not the same batch - one driver is a slightly different label but the connectors are the same

Here are the other two lights


IMG_1376.jpeg
IMG_1377.jpeg


You can see the T Connector which is necessary as the light is two separate banks. But on the ones above we removed the connectors because THEY BURNED OUT TO FIRE CONDITIONS

My Sparky through haste to finish or whatever reused the last remaining not burned out one. Ours are permanent fixtures, we don’t need to disconnect the driver (besides in a tent they fit through a 6” duct anyway)

Here is the burned out one with the connector that’s burned out and the T join as well.

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They know its an issue for sure.

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When ours full caught fire it was on powder coated steel so fortunately nothing to burn - though I guess risk of electrocution.

Just unsafe.

Dunno I guess its a quick fix. Sparky will be here this evening I think. He should have binned the last remaining connector but was probably thinking - c’mon what are the chances of three factory fitted connectors burning up?

They all did for the sake of a one dollar part.

Imagine is was an LG TV doing this? I say LG because they make the drivers.

Class action suits ahoy!

Dunno. Guess I fix the problem but there is a zero chance I am the only one this has happened to - or will happen to. I covered this issue in other journals.

Anyone got an opinion? They‘re a sponsor sure. But someone buys their light and burns their house down and I didn't raise awareness I’d feel pretty shit.

3 connectors on best possible practice installation, static fit. No movement other than a smooth winch control. What happens when they’re in a tent getting knocked around?

Nick
Its not a good look thats for sure .
 
I'm not sure if LG Led solutions is affiliated with LG the electronic company.
I think it's Mars parent company and the driver is inventronics or w.e with a label slapped on it.
I wanted to make the point about consumer electronics, rather than say its LG’s fault. Your TV turns up and the cables start catching fire after 12 months you’re gonna be pissed!

Mars is just a paying customer to LG, no affiliation. That I know for sure.

There is a rumour that they used to white label most their lights, they were made by another company. That changed when they changed from Meanwell drivers to these Mars Hydro labelled built by LG.

No sparky today. His phone has been off since last night 🤦🏻‍♂️
 
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Seeds all in. Popping tomorrow, which is a bit harsh on & Co as she’s gonna have to put 72 in peat on Tuesday when ai’m sippin’ on pina coladas by the beach 🤣

Here’s how it looks.

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We're focussing on the high THC stuff just because its immediately an easier sale. People are selling 34% stuff for $50+ a gram. One of dispensaries we sell to buys 34% from California (they don't test themselves take their word for it) at $6 and sells it for $55. All these illegally working dispensary owners, shop keeping for non Thai people is illegal, along with hairdressing and tour guides. A bunch of stuff. So how come all these Russian, American and Euros are working in these shops selling illegal import weed??

Anyway - soon it will be yesterdays problem. Its our last commercial grow, taking down the tents - this is going to be like Glastonbury on a Sunday night, your favourite bands dovetailing on an English summer's evening, still light til nearly 11pm.

This is it.

Nick
 
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Yeah whatever. I think being away for 4 nights will be helpful to me feeling better about these. As a Breeders strain - Seedstockers OG Kush I’m overall underwhelmed. Yes I got 12/12 but from the start two very different phenos. Big and tiny. Serious Seeds 100% the best here. The Farmer reckon there are 7 phenos of Seriotica. He’s grown 1000+ the last 18 months. Me 40 or so I see two. Purple or not. He accepts that this is really all a normal person should see. But as with all their other strains they physically present the same. Same node spacing, same size because they’ve been bred deep. For OG Kush - literally an OG strain to present so differently is a bit rubbish. Its the same in the Jon-test grow. Some giants some titches. TF there’s only 4 of them!

& Co is prepped to water them. schedules written down with fert mixes. Alexa has reminders for the times programmed.

Maybe ai’ll come home and they’re bouncing. I found half a liter of Advanced Nutrients Overdrive today so chucked 1.5ml/litre of that in for them and the ones below. Maybe that’ll be what they need to bulk the fk up!

Nick

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Yeah the leftovers still bossing it! What a happy slow burn tent this is. Everything not much taller than 1m, two stains even heights not because of any training!

Nick

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Connectors discarded. Lights maxed. 3-4 weeks to harvest. No more drama ta!

We didn't pop 80 seeds today.

& Co asked we wait until I’m back on Friday so that’s what we’ll do!

I have 15x @Barney's Farm Girl Scout Cookies. I killed 25 of them (different breeder) once as a noob. Never even tried the finished product once from another grower.

They were shit seeds that I know retrospectively. Even potting direct into coco (what a twat 😂) not knowing I was using Soil Dutch Pro Veg mix in coco (we flowered our Banners on it and pulled a pound off two plants first time out! But yeah the reciew sites have that breeder has 1”a one star rating. Like my old Grandpappy used to say - never trust a Dublin man. Though what everyone says about Cork men such as himself was far worse 😂

Anyway @Bill284 dropped in and said something like,

Sorry you’re having a bad time my friend, are you watering to run off and Ph’ing to 5.8 each time? Also try putting the seeds in soil to start? Maybe that was The Farmer. I know that at the same time the turned up and told his 9 year old to sort out my HVAC which he did in two minutes. Just asked for a piece of 6” duct and ran it at the bottom the 8x4 with two turns to prevent light ingress while providing fresh air.

Gosh I had no clue, must be last January? The journal that I abandoned is in my Completed Journals link. I re read it and cringed. 😂

I probably wasn't gonna quit, I left the site for a couple of weeks. I needed a screen name change too. Returned with 19 clones and a new journal and won JOTM.

Because of Bill really. Also me and the Farmer and we’re healthily competitive, couldn’t fail 😂

But Bill. Thanks mucker. Thank you for all the care buddy.

So to the point in hand.

12-15 GSC in standard solos in the 4x4 or in the 8x4 (the tent the first lot died in) ?

That’s my conundrum.

I was gonna run the 12 Barneys liberty Bells in the 4x4 but ai gave then to Farmer. He gave me stored with me a motorbike and a gold chain so seemed like a fair trade 😂

@Carmen Ray has seen a picture of me in the chain!

One emoji to describe it Carmen? Go on 😂

Anyway fly tomorrow lunch time. See what I come home to.

Nick

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Yeah whatever. I think being away for 4 nights will be helpful to me feeling better about these. As a Breeders strain - Seedstockers OG Kush I’m overall underwhelmed. Yes I got 12/12 but from the start two very different phenos. Big and tiny. Serious Seeds 100% the best here. The Farmer reckon there are 7 phenos of Seriotica. He’s grown 1000+ the last 18 months. Me 40 or so I see two. Purple or not. He accepts that this is really all a normal person should see. But as with all their other strains they physically present the same. Same node spacing, same size because they’ve been bred deep. For OG Kush - literally an OG strain to present so differently is a bit rubbish. Its the same in the Jon-test grow. Some giants some titches. TF there’s only 4 of them!

& Co is prepped to water them. schedules written down with fert mixes. Alexa has reminders for the times programmed.

Maybe ai’ll come home and they’re bouncing. I found half a liter of Advanced Nutrients Overdrive today so chucked 1.5ml/litre of that in for them and the ones below. Maybe that’ll be what they need to bulk the fk up!

Nick

IMG_1413.jpeg
IMG_1412.jpeg
IMG_1417.jpeg


Yeah the leftovers still bossing it! What a happy slow burn tent this is. Everything not much taller than 1m, two stains even heights not because of any training!

Nick

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Connectors discarded. Lights maxed. 3-4 weeks to harvest. No more drama ta!

We didn't pop 80 seeds today.

& Co asked we wait until I’m back on Friday so that’s what we’ll do!

I have 15x @Barney's Farm Girl Scout Cookies. I killed 25 of them (different breeder) once as a noob. Never even tried the finished product once from another grower.

They were shit seeds that I know retrospectively. Even potting direct into coco (what a twat 😂) not knowing I was using Soil Dutch Pro Veg mix in coco (we flowered our Banners on it and pulled a pound off two plants first time out! But yeah the reciew sites have that breeder has 1”a one star rating. Like my old Grandpappy used to say - never trust a Dublin man. Though what everyone says about Cork men such as himself was far worse 😂

Anyway @Bill284 dropped in and said something like,

Sorry you’re having a bad time my friend, are you watering to run off and Ph’ing to 5.8 each time? Also try putting the seeds in soil to start? Maybe that was The Farmer. I know that at the same time the turned up and told his 9 year old to sort out my HVAC which he did in two minutes. Just asked for a piece of 6” duct and ran it at the bottom the 8x4 with two turns to prevent light ingress while providing fresh air.

Gosh I had no clue, must be last January? The journal that I abandoned is in my Completed Journals link. I re read it and cringed. 😂

I probably wasn't gonna quit, I left the site for a couple of weeks. I needed a screen name change too. Returned with 19 clones and a new journal and won JOTM.

Because of Bill really. Also me and the Farmer and we’re healthily competitive, couldn’t fail 😂

But Bill. Thanks mucker. Thank you for all the care buddy.

So to the point in hand.

12-15 GSC in standard solos in the 4x4 or in the 8x4 (the tent the first lot died in) ?

That’s my conundrum.

I was gonna run the 12 Barneys liberty Bells in the 4x4 but ai gave then to Farmer. He gave me stored with me a motorbike and a gold chain so seemed like a fair trade 😂

@Carmen Ray has seen a picture of me in the chain!

One emoji to describe it Carmen? Go on 😂

Anyway fly tomorrow lunch time. See what I come home to.

Nick

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Just make sure you get your tucas back safe and sound. :Namaste:
No Mucken about.;)
Your wonderful wife can handle the team , no problem. :love::thumb:



Stay safe
Bill284 😎
 
Nice to see you back in action! I never run my 6500 at 100% but any info on parts used to make your repairs would be handy just in case?

I saw one of your posts talking about earthing your side lights so probably in the comp but remember I bought those lights from AliExpress and I could feel current through the body 🤦‍♂️ I don't know how they get away with it.

Whilst I'm here too.. you know how crap we are for anything grow wise, I managed to get some dripper manifolds like yours 👌

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Alot less clutter then my home made ones. This one is only 2L/hr & 3mm pipes so I'm de-restricting it and will see if the stakes that come with it will mist at force or I'll exchange them all for misters. 👍
 
For the connectors we just took them out and Sparky soldered them and sealed with that rubber shrink wrap.

After then first two sets burnt out last year dunno prettybsure ai said get rid of them. They’re actually not needed.

Leave the driver attached - put the cable through a vent hole to the plug.

Place the driver outside tent - pass the driver through the duct.

Not feeling the soldering then those cut off bricks - two brass screws in join like that and wrap in electrical tape or heat wrap. Anything is safer than those connectors. Is yours FCE or FC 6500? They have very different cable setups. And I guess would you mind sending me a picture of it? Just dump
It in my OT?

Manifolds! Yeah I did a run through of my setup in the contest thing and could’t find ours somised them as an example. Our come with coloured rings inside, regulate the flow, 2l/4l/6l we remove all of them.


All pur drippers/emitters are Netafim and regulated to 2L/hr we have the mushroom shaped black and red ones not spikes like yours

BUT - in solos we use 2 drippers so its 4/L

You have Netafim Netbow same as us, right?

The 12.5 dia have 4 2/L an hour drippers in them for 8L per hour and the 25cm ones 8 for 16L per hours.

Only found that out a couple of weeks back.

So we just take max pressure at the manifold head and rely on the delivery Netafim to distribute it. 3mm Netafim pipe but the manifold is 4mm so take your favourite clipper lighter and get busy!

Your straight down pipe design looks preferable to ours where they are on the horizontal and can get knocked about.

Mine is covered a bit in the video I posted yesterday.

Nick
 
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