Hello everyone, i would like to build a pc case for 2-3 bonsai mothers. I would only need 2-3 cuttings from each mom every 4 months, and would like to keep the case as low maintenance as possible. Would i be better off with 2x26w cfl bulbs or 3x13w bulbs? Or do you think i can get away with 2x13w bulbs? i live in Hawaii and heat can get humidity can get up there late summer early fall, so i would prefer an easy to manage setup temp wise. Also i don't think i would need a scrubber for 3 bonsai mother plants, so that should help with the ventilation. Thanks for the input.
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pc case bonsai light Question.
- Thread starter HiKing808
- Start date
M
Mr. Sparkle
If only wanting a couple cuttings every 4 month you could easily get away with 2x13w cfls heck even one, but i suggest picking up a new led bulb instead just for heat and efficiency reasons, but some of my old veg chambers in old boxes just use to run off one 13w cfl and did great.
But for example though in my smaller pc case, mind you im running more light, but when i had some mothers in there 6 or so months ago which they took up 1/4 to 1/5th of the space they could produce roughly 9-15 cuttings every 2 weeks off 3 small mothers.
You won't need much at all.
But for example though in my smaller pc case, mind you im running more light, but when i had some mothers in there 6 or so months ago which they took up 1/4 to 1/5th of the space they could produce roughly 9-15 cuttings every 2 weeks off 3 small mothers.
You won't need much at all.
Tbonegrower
Member
Mr. S hit the nail on the head. Go tiny. 1 - 75watt equiv. LED bulb would probably make for a happy little mom box.
In my old mom\clone box ran all of 3 - 10 watt CFLs.
In my old mom\clone box ran all of 3 - 10 watt CFLs.
Hey guys thanks so much for the responses
. Mr S. Your bogan is absolutely amazing! I've just spent the last 2hrs learning cob leds, and I gotta say it's a little intimidating. If you don't mind I got a couple of Qs.
1). I read about light bleaching with leds, but some of your pics have the plants pretty close to the emitter. I would like to keep the bonsai as squat as possible, I know how to achieve this with cfls and playing with distance from light. How close can you place the plants to the leds? Do they grow as short as with cfls?
2) I'm sure leds would be more efficient and cooler, but I figured that really starts to come into play with higher wattages. If I use 2x13w cfls will I see a noticable difference in heat and efficiency compared to leds? How many watts should I be using in leds?
Sorry if my questions/verbiage don't quite make sense. Still learning about cob.
Thanks!
. Mr S. Your bogan is absolutely amazing! I've just spent the last 2hrs learning cob leds, and I gotta say it's a little intimidating. If you don't mind I got a couple of Qs.1). I read about light bleaching with leds, but some of your pics have the plants pretty close to the emitter. I would like to keep the bonsai as squat as possible, I know how to achieve this with cfls and playing with distance from light. How close can you place the plants to the leds? Do they grow as short as with cfls?
2) I'm sure leds would be more efficient and cooler, but I figured that really starts to come into play with higher wattages. If I use 2x13w cfls will I see a noticable difference in heat and efficiency compared to leds? How many watts should I be using in leds?
Sorry if my questions/verbiage don't quite make sense. Still learning about cob.
Thanks!
Tbonegrower
Member
I have noticed a huge heat difference with even two cfls vs two leds
Ok so I read through all 31 pages of Mr Sparkles Adventures. I noticed he mentioned the vero 18, as well as he preferred several cob's run at 350ma Rather than 2 at 700ma. If I'm correct running at a lower ma increases efficiency and lowers heat. So if I run 3 vero 18s (forward voltage is 29.5) at 350ma, I use 10.3watts? At 113lm/w that would be 1130lm, is this enough?
I hope this makes sense. Would this be a good set up? Any suggestions for a driver? Sorry I just crash coursed COB lighting. If this doesn't make sense or sounds crazy for a pic bonsai mother case, do you have any recommendations for a COB and driver?
Thanks again everyone!
I hope this makes sense. Would this be a good set up? Any suggestions for a driver? Sorry I just crash coursed COB lighting. If this doesn't make sense or sounds crazy for a pic bonsai mother case, do you have any recommendations for a COB and driver?
Thanks again everyone!
M
Mr. Sparkle
I agree completely, the newer store bought led put out just as much light but at quite a bit less heat, if anything they are making micro grows alot easier for people as you don't have as much heat to deal with compared to cfl days.
There worth the couple dollars to pickup, HiKing808 the local homedepot's out your way have the 60w equivalents for around $2 a bulb, they are worth it, also worth it around the house electricity wise and for the light they put out, i swapped some halogens in my place out back before winter which is a little more northern than you, but they have already paid for themselves and your area is seriously 4 times more pricey KW/h wise.
Hey guys thanks so much for the responses
1). I read about light bleaching with leds, but some of your pics have the plants pretty close to the emitter. I would like to keep the bonsai as squat as possible, I know how to achieve this with cfls and playing with distance from light. How close can you place the plants to the leds? Do they grow as short as with cfls?
2) I'm sure leds would be more efficient and cooler, but I figured that really starts to come into play with higher wattages. If I use 2x13w cfls will I see a noticable difference in heat and efficiency compared to leds? How many watts should I be using in leds?
Sorry if my questions/verbiage don't quite make sense. Still learning about cob.
Thanks!
First to question 2, light is light, if one source can produce the same amount of light but 30% more efficiently, which will go to waste as heat with the other source, and they cost the same, which way should someone go ?
Not to make that a basic question, but if it helps us its worth it, now back to cfl's, in the past with cfls and floro tubes if you could get your plants close enough which you could, you would produced quite well, LED's are a bit different in the sense that even though they produce the same amount of light if you pop the domes off and point them down or run COB's all that light is shining down in a 120-160 degree arc instead of like cfls where it shoots off every which direction that you then have to try and harness with either more plants or reflectors, it creates a better situation.
Saying that can you light burn or heat burn your plants with LED's, forsure but that comes down to more how much light each source is putting out, for example if you have say two sources like with my one box i can get buds to withing 2-2.5" or so of the diodes and closer as you rotate off to the sides due to the light beam, but in my other box where im running 4 sources at the same light output/wattage i can get them within 1-1.5", but guess which one produces better plants, the 4 source one does, because the plants get hit from multiple angles, which also helps keeping them more compact than them trying to stretch towards a singular light source.
Now do we need to get that close to the light no as the plants will grow happily a good 12" away, but the closer they are the more dense they will be so long as all sides of the plant are getting light equally.
But to come back around, say if your wanting to have a pc case to hold a couple of bonsai mother plants and to do some clones in every couple of weeks all you would need is two 8w led bulbs, which you pop the domes off, and put them in some keyless sockets attached to the roof, and wire a standard computer fan which might already be in the case to a 12v power supply and your golden.
You dont need more than that, and you can modify it from there to suit your needs if you need or want too.
If wanting something more, it become a bit deeper rabbit hole like my boxes.
M
Mr. Sparkle
Hiking808 for clarification i was writting the above post then went away and came back before reading your latest post, but more or less answered some of you other question.
the cobs aren't necessary for a veg box unless your now thinking you want to build something more.
the cobs aren't necessary for a veg box unless your now thinking you want to build something more.
M
Mr. Sparkle
HiKing808 no problems
And ill answer the last question abit more, my cobs for ashla are Vero 18's and are currently running at 700ma for the 2 of them, but they are getting swapped out to 4 of them running at 350ma this weekend, i just haven't mentioned that in my thread yet as i decided literally on tuesday to do so and have already ordered and received all the parts i need to do that upgrade.
But at 350ma they are actually running in the 190lumen/watt range, which for me is about 8000lumens/sqft, so if your looking at three of them your going to be growing "PLANTS" like screw veg box idea your looking for buds now.
And ill answer the last question abit more, my cobs for ashla are Vero 18's and are currently running at 700ma for the 2 of them, but they are getting swapped out to 4 of them running at 350ma this weekend, i just haven't mentioned that in my thread yet as i decided literally on tuesday to do so and have already ordered and received all the parts i need to do that upgrade.
But at 350ma they are actually running in the 190lumen/watt range, which for me is about 8000lumens/sqft, so if your looking at three of them your going to be growing "PLANTS" like screw veg box idea your looking for buds now.
