Upgraded to a Black Diamond Perfect Sun Mini

BTzGrow

Well-Known Member
Hi all, new 420Mag forum member and first time indoor grower, so if I make any noob mistakes, please help and be constructive.

I started my grow with a 22 Sun Blaze T5 light fixture. 2foot by 2 bulbs. Only read about 120PAR at a distance of about 5 inches. I was actually researching after the new year the idea of DIY COB light fixture building and found that I could make one for about $250-300. However, at the last moment, my brother FelipeBlue here found a LED fixture to caught his eye and shared with me.

It was the Black Diamond Perfect Sun Mini. Company owned and run out of Oregon it looks like, offers free shipping and no sales tax, Yeah!!!

Here's a look at what I got first and then I'll go over some PAR readings.
IMG_247930.jpg
The fixture is well built from aluminum with no sharp corners. Most impressive is the stainless steel hanging system that has an adjustment feature that eliminates the need for the typical nylon cord with plastic ratchet.

Top -
IMG_247738.jpg
and bottom light face -
IMG_247829.jpg


This is my current set up for the initial first 7 days -
IMG_248030.jpg
The web site and owner Neil recommends a 36 inch separation between light and plant to allow for getting used to the new light spectrum. I currently only have enough height in my tent to allow for a 30" separation. Still at that height the PAR readings are as follows at 30 inches: 350-PAR directly below the center of fixture, 270-PAR directly below the fixture corners and 150 in each of the corners of a 2'x2.5' Gorilla Grow Tent. This is at a distance of 30inches below the light face. Very impressive considering the T5 par readings.

At 18" below the light face the following readings are recorded. Directly below the center of the light face 800-PAR, directly below the corners of the fixture 700-PAR. The light is mounted centered in the tent so I measured the front and back walls in the center and got 225-PAR. In the corners 85-PAR. Part of this drop off is related to the angle of the reflector of most LED lights is 120degrees or 60 degrees from vertical.

At 12inches below the face of the light the PAR numbers get a little crazy. Directly below and in the center of the light the readings came in at 1400-PAR!!! Directly below the corners of the light at 12" the readings drop to 600-PAR. Back and front center of the walls is 100-PAR and in the corners about 40. The perimeter readings are very much within the range I expected given the reflector angles.

Manufacturer distance recommendations are as follows: Young plants: 2 feet away, Older veg plants:Try 18 inches away and see how they react. Flowering plants: 16 inches away, Older Flowering plants: 16 to 13 inches away.

Initially my plant seems to be very happy
IMG_250230.jpg
and then at 5 days under the net she is pushing up quickly -
IMG_250826.jpg


My initial idea is to use this single light fixture for my first grow and see what type of yield I get. I would be very pleased with a 1gm/watt yield. I have written Neil at Perfect Sun and ask if adding a second fixture and mounting both perpendicular to my current setup with about a 6-8 inch separation between the fixtures would increase the yield enough on a single plant grow to justify the additional capital investment. If I could see an increase of a half a gram per watt for the additional fixture that would result in an additional 2 oz maybe, which would be in my opinion well worth the investment as it would pay for the initial cost of the light.

Here's the bonus in my opinion. For a small 2x2.5 tent the cost of this light is $180 not tax, no shipping. the out of the wall AC wattage draw is 110 watts AC. That works out to be about $16.50 a month in electricity on a 18/6 light schedule. Less than $11 on a flower 12/12 schedule, about under $13 for a 14/10 flowering schedule. Even considering two fixtures those costs are significant savings in comparison to some of the other high powered options that generate lots of heat and require venting especially in a small tent. Heat equals wasted watts/electricity.

Thanks in Advance for comments and questions, BT'z
 
I got the perfect sun 500 about a year and a half ago and it really does my girls justice. It has been replace by the dwarf star and now sales only in the uk I believe. It looks like yours but twice as big. Pulls about 210 watts from the wall.
 
Yes, I looked at the 500 and it appears that it's only sold in the UK and a 230volt fixture. There on 230 it's drawing less watts. The current cost of a 500 is over $500 US in the UK. The price point on the Dwarf Star was more than two of the Mini's by quite a margin and doesn't have the flexibility two Mini fixtures would have in placement and setup. Good to get some feedback from another Perfect Sun user.

The idea of having two Mini's and drawing under 225watts from the wall is very appealing. I have been considering the idea of buying a second Mini for my second grow and hanging the two of them perpendicular to my current set up and with a 6-8 inch separation. Since my first grow should hopefully generate about 1gm/watt I should basically be even on my initial investment, so the second light would come out of the second grows value and I should be ahead on my over all capital investment by 2nd grow harvest. I base my numbers on the idea that currently local dispensaries have bottom shelf ounces for $100. So if I can re-coup at least 6-8 ounces from my first two grows I should be even.
 
You're probably right about having the flexibility of 2 lights but I haven't the need for it with the PS500 to cover my 3x3 flood table. I use it in the flowering room to grow 4-6 girls and use a roleadro 2nd generation 300 watt for the veg tent that is a 2x4x6 with a 2x3 homemade ebb and flow system. having the 2 of them going all the time is a lot fun for me and the wifey (and rewarding as well)
 
Thanks dj, I only have the single Gorilla Grow Lite Tent 2x2.5 for all of my growing process right now. But my need and requirement for quantity is also fairly low. As it is I will be most likely giving away some of my buds as birthday and xmas presents. I always enjoy sharing my bud in the kindest giving way.

It's certainly nice to have some great feed back by others using the Perfect Sun products and sharing their setups. B-):high-five:
 
I always enjoy sharing my bud in the kindest giving way.

That's a good thing. It's just 2 of us, but we do share with a few close friends and some of the wife's people.

To me sharing with them gives me about the same feeling it does when after they partake and tell me what a great job we've done.
 
Congrates on the Mini BTz, I have one also. Good stuff on the PAR readings. I think your the only one to post such numbers for the mini with a PAR meter that Ive seen.
 
I made my own PAR meter using a Lux meter and drilling a hole in the sensor cap. With your readings, I was able to calibrate my meter, and now my numbers match yours exactly on point. Using scotch tape, in layers reduced the intensity reading. You just saved me $140, thanks bro..
 
Here is a pic of set-up. The 3 smaller ones, are under my modded mars300, and half is out due to blown zener diode, but works good for seedlings and supplemental. I changed out most of the diodes and replaced with 4000K diodes and added lenses. They are 4 days old from seed. In 40oz cups. The far small one, is in a experimental container in which i cut the bottom out of 2 cups and stacked them, so the tap root has 15 inches to run to the bottom. Controlled experiment. all same strain, same water, same light. 12/12 from seed.
Mini2jan26.png

Mini1jan26.png


The taller plant is a 12/12 from seed grow. Its at day 41 flower, day 67 from seed. day 2 flush. The top buds are already 5% amber, going to chop in 12 days.

Then, the small bush, is FireOG, 70 days from seed. Went thru alot of stress at the beginning, and really babied her to life. She is going good now, topped 10 times already.
 
make sure you use calmag too, just a heads up. and you MUST wear some sort of sunglasses with UV protection, just a heads up. I use 1ML per gallon of calmag, with tapwater. if using RO, id use 2ML pergallon.
 
Nice set up and I appreciate you having to baby your bushy one. My plant is closing in on 2 months since seed and has gone through some tough beginnings but has really come alive since the new year. It appears your recommendation on calmag
IMG_251525.jpg
is spot on. I have had several times when some of the fan leafs have developed browning tips. After posting yesterday pictures the issue, the consensus is a lack of calmag. I have been using some glasses I believe have some UV protection, however I'm currently looking for some with a higher rating that perhaps don't darken things so much when I'm not looking in the tent.
 
Right on man,

Im in Cocoloco, and havent learned how to water it. Thought it was like coco, and pretty much soaked he right after i transplanted, well, seems she didnt like that, so havent really watered her since. She was originally in straight coco, so i pour a tad each day along the stalk. I use Megacrop 1 part nutes, but havent used them yet on these, seeing cocoloco has a great amount in it already, so should be good till i flip to flower. Might wait another 2 weeks for flip. I grew it before, and it was a nug crazy plant. I think i have pics,

I want to get as many tops as possible. Think i have around 60 right now,lol.. I just remember from last grow, i have to try to get the center branches to pop up before flip, or it grows a big rail instead of vertical colas. I started her in Foxfarm ocean forest/kindsoil mix, and i think early on, her tap root was on some powerfull nute clump or something, cause it stunted her bad. She is rolling now tho. Im contiplating on transplanting her again, for the 4th time, into a bigger , more sqaure container. I want to get as much as possible with her this run. Then im going to be going with Girl scout cookies forum cut, when this one is over.

also going to make a grow cab, dual use, probably next week.

To be honest with ya, Im selling my Mini, because Im going to build a COB light system for my new grow cab. Good light, just not big enough for what i want.

here is the last FireOG, this current seed is like 1 or 4 i got from this plant.
happy1.png

driz8.png

driz6.png

driz3.png

driz2.png

frost1.png

driz10.png

d31.png

d11.png
 
o, and this wasnt a PS mini grow, this is when i used 2x mars300, that i put lenses on.
sqiggy7.png
I'll tell you right now you would be a fool to dump that light perfect sun is the strongest led I have ever used I have the Goliath and seedlings need to be 7 FEET AWAY TO BE HEALTHY, that's a crazy amount of space, and last 2 weeks I get within 18" of it to dense and ripening colas look at this auto 2 heavyweight seeds natural growth autos and light nutes
2d1ab5317fbf1134df893043c70226ed.jpg
ab95287aef305736983d7d51f201dd2e.jpg
 
Hey man, dont get me wrong, the light does kick ass. Im a scrog type grower, and i need PAR averages over the entire canopy to be close. I also want to be able to dim down.

Im in the process of building a grow cab, so im going with Luminus cxm22's, 2 on each side, one veg side, 1 flower/dry side. The mini doesnt fit my needs is all im saying.

only used 2 months.

1 plant, light great for,

that 2 mars with lenses was rocking, just a ton of heat. I made those because I couldnt afford a bigger PS500 or dwarf, and it worked, lol.. I gave 1 away, and soon after i gave it away, my currrent one blow a zener.

Nice grow bignugz, Id love a goliath, to big, lol.. great light of scrog thats for sure.
 
Very beautiful photo's. Love the smiley faces and the last one is like a work of art!
Thanks BTz
lol, yeah, they looked like old viking soldiers,lol.. This current FireOG is going to be better hopefully. another month of veg, top probably 20 more tops, this is going to be a giant tumbleweed when its done, HUH. I have a technique that i use to top to get the branching to jumpstart growth, by letting the topped branch to be higher then rest of the plant ON THAT SIDE for 3 days, then tie down and do another. So i do 2 opposite sides at a time, and the new shoots grow fast. Its going to be a wild looking grow thats for sure.
 
Back
Top Bottom