Got a new light from Growdaddy - No Instructions?

[treefarmercharlie]

I run mine at about 75% power always. Every time you up the wattage you change the environment a little. I'd rather have the environment dialed in and constant. I'm sure it's not the most efficient, but it's damn sure easy

I only change it by about 10% at a time and the fan and humidifier are automated.

 

[NoWaistedSpace]

My watt meter came in today.

I plugged the light in with the dimmer about 3/4’s up (where I have been running the light since I put it in the tent) and it was drawing just over 200 watts.

With the dimmer cranked all the way up, it was drawing just over 290 watts.

For the LED experts out there, with the light about 20-22” from the canopy, should I be running more watts or less? Or should I lower the light and run less watts? Or more?

This is only the start of the third light cycle under the new light, and I’ve lowered it a couple inches each day, and now You m at 20-22”.

What do you guys think? I don’t want to fry the plants, but also want them to have as much light as they can handle.

24 -30" 250-350 PAR.
I'd say you'd at about 400-700 PAR at full blast at 16-20".
12-16" full blast will get you into the flowering numbers. 700-800+
This is a ballpark estimate.
These would be your highest measurements, not your canopy average overall.

 

[Old ST1R]

24 -30" 250-350 PAR.
I'd say you'd at about 400-700 PAR at full blast at 16-20".
12-16" full blast will get you into the flowering numbers. 700-800+
This is a ballpark estimate.
These would be your highest measurements, not your canopy average overall.

This is very good info. Thanx!

 

[Old ST1R]

At 100% I’m pulling 280W in my 2x4 and 560W in my 4x4.

Sounds like your 2x4 light is about the same as my light which is also in a 2x4.

 

[treefarmercharlie]

Sounds like your 2x4 light is about the same as my light which is also in a 2x4.

I was running each light off of an HLG-150H-48A driver, but I got tired of having to adjust each one manually with the built-in pots, so I am now driving both lights with the same driver you have and an external potentiometer.

 

[High kev]

 

[High kev]

 

[High kev]

Keep tops of plants in those ranges and you should be good

 

[Old ST1R]

Keep tops of plants in those ranges and you should be good

Thanks for the PPFD info!

The trouble is determining where you’re at if you don’t have a PAR Meter.

 

[High kev]

just go to your local grow store buy a par meter for a million dollars. Use it on your light/ room. Know where you stand. Then return it to get your million dollars back

 

[Kulla380]

Thanks for the PPFD info!

The trouble is determining where you’re at if you don’t have a PAR Meter.

You can buy a cheap lux meter and convert the data to ppfd. It wont be exact but close enough.

 

[Old ST1R]

You can buy a cheap lux meter and convert the data to ppfd. It wont be exact but close enough.

Hmmmm, my understanding is that the two do not relate at all.

If you have 30,000 Lux, what is the ppfd on that?

 

[Kulla380]

@Old ST1R If all white leds then it should be ~ 450ppfd

 

[High kev]

Lux to PAR Calculator

Please Be Patient While Your Lux Conversion Calculator V1.0 Loads Below: If you need to get a Lux reading on your light, we suggest the…

sativauniversity.com

 

[Kulla380]

Okay sorry I should have gone back to check what light you had.. It's a mix of spectrums and using a lux meter to get a estimated ppfd of a wide spectrum is not the way to go..

White led however the math is LUX / 67.3

 

[NoWaistedSpace]

The PAR meter doesn't measure UV or IR in your spectrum. Measures 400 - 700nm.
It takes a special meter to measure out of the spectral range.
Keep your light around 16" and you should be good.
I run mine about 20 -24"+ and I push well over a 1000 PAR at those heights, plus I'm running CO2.
My set up is different than yours.

 

[Old ST1R]

The PAR meter doesn't measure UV or IR in your spectrum. Measures 400 - 700nm.
It takes a special meter to measure out of the spectral range.
Keep your light around 16" and you should be good.
I run mine about 20 -24"+ and I push well over a 1000 PAR at those heights, plus I'm running CO2.
My set up is different than yours.

I moved it down to about 18” this morning. Tomorrow I’ll move it down to 16, then I’ll turn it up a bit each day till it’s 100%.

 

[NoWaistedSpace]

1 of the Growdaddy 301H 660, UV strips is burning out. This is the very first light I have ever had go down in 5 years.
I haven't had it 3 or 4 months. Lets hope this isn't gonna be a common thing with these.

 

[Old ST1R]

Shout out to @Buddernugs for the link to the Photone App.

I downloaded it and paid the $9.00 for the mixed spectrum LED analyzer.

My light is about 18” off he tops of the plants, and the app said it was in the area of 750 umols. So perfect!

I also used the app son my veg light and ended up moving it up to 16” off the tops instead of the 12” I had been running it, and this morning the plants looked much happier!

Can’t beat $9 for a par meter. Even if it’s not 100% accurate, it’s good enough.

Thanks @Buddernugs!

 

[Buddernugs]

Shout out to @Buddernugs for the link to the Photone App.

I downloaded it and paid the $9.00 for the mixed spectrum LED analyzer.

My light is about 18” off he tops of the plants, and the app said it was in the area of 750 umols. So perfect!

I also used the app son my veg light and ended up moving it up to 16” off the tops instead of the 12” I had been running it, and this morning the plants looked much happier!

Can’t beat $9 for a par meter. Even if it’s not 100% accurate, it’s good enough.

Thanks @Buddernugs!

Ya buddy!! Shane from migrow tested that app on an iPhone 11 with 80 weight paper over the sencer and said it’s only 5% off from a apogee.he then said to add 5% to the reading on the app for a true number……let meh look for the link…..https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjz-v2Kh9_0AhUNT98KHU0hDXMQtwJ6BAgGEAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DK3grFZs8spc&usg=AOvVaw2R5UpWTrh6Jua5vNp_h46k