Split lights on 6hr/6hr for flowering

[cfl...KING]

I remember reading in HT (at least 10years ago), about people with 4 1k hps lights(or more) running 2 on with 2 off then switching every 2hr iirc for the whole 12hrw of lights on with almost identical yields to having all 4 on for 12hr. Anyone tried this? I was trying to look it up but forgot what the technique is called.

 

[Creeperpark]

I gave up High Times when they dumped Danko and refused to stop using his name. I'm over it but F__k High Times.

 

[lemonade]

Ahh the ole checkerboard lighting style. I’ve never done it myself (yet) but had friends that claimed good results.

My one buddy was experimenting with a system where every ballast was connected to 4 bulbs/shades in a tight configuration, but a larger footprint then a 1k would usually cover (4x4 to 5x5). Dunno really how it turned out as we lost touch. Oh well.

Interestingly i’ve been thinking about bringing my outdoor plants inside and running my lighting as you describe. 2 on 2 off. I have 4 largeish plants that’ll need a 1kw each. I have a 15kw room but cant run my AC at the moment, so I'm gonna do 4 1k’s in batwings, but only 2 at a time. Ill probably just switch em once a day, so 6 hrs for lights 1&3, then 6 hrs for 3&4.

Maybe a vert 1k or 600w bulb in the middle too we’ll see how much i can run with a simple air in/out till I can run my AC

 

[cfl...KING]

Ahh the ole checkerboard lighting style. I’ve never done it myself (yet) but had friends that claimed good results.

My one buddy was experimenting with a system where every ballast was connected to 4 bulbs/shades in a tight configuration, but a larger footprint then a 1k would usually cover (4x4 to 5x5). Dunno really how it turned out as we lost touch. Oh well.

Interestingly i’ve been thinking about bringing my outdoor plants inside and running my lighting as you describe. 2 on 2 off. I have 4 largeish plants that’ll need a 1kw each. I have a 15kw room but cant run my AC at the moment, so I'm gonna do 4 1k’s in batwings, but only 2 at a time. Ill probably just switch em once a day, so 6 hrs for lights 1&3, then 6 hrs for 3&4.

Maybe a vert 1k or 600w bulb in the middle too we’ll see how much i can run with a simple air in/out till I can run my AC

I have 3 1k an was pondering the idea of adding 1 so it would be a checker board. But I'd have them on a 2hr switch for the 12hr period

 

[cfl...KING]

The idea is yielding more from the 4 1k but using less electric than running 3 the whole 12hr

 

[Cerathule]

Each startup causes a bulb degradation so all you gain by this is 5 times higher bulb replacement costs.
Bugbee did a study in 1K HPS DE and found after a year it's already reasonably with output at ~90% of the original.

 

[Cerathule]

Well, basically all studies on this topic confirmed the gain with increased photon count so it's hard to see how that magic can happen.
Esp. when a steady supply is actually beneficial as abrupt changes in the illumination causes an efficiency loss in light assimiliation as well.

 

[cfl...KING]

I replace bulbs after 3 grows so that wouldn't be an issue, with the electric saving I could replace after 2 grows.

The lights have over lap, the article had referred to it as being similar to clouds outside. That's why you'd want to switch back an forth every 2hr not only once as lemonade had mentioned. They had it backed be real world results. It was like a 10% decrease in yield using half the power, something like 1gpw to .9gpw. again this is what I recall from the article. I still have the HT somewhere in this house lol, I'll look for it later.

 

[cfl...KING]

Now that I'm thinking back I believe there was a 15min over lap with all lights on, each time before half would be turned off. No not quite 50% less electric

 

[cfl...KING]

@GMT

 

[GMT]

Same principle as a light mover. Get more angles of light to the grow from the same watts. In a multi light room I suspect you'd get less favourable results than in a "single light on" room. Due to the additional angles already in place. The returns on grows though, are such that any small increase in yield, normally pays for the extra running or setup costs. But in this case, I'd rather have additional lighting doing something, instead of sitting dead, waiting their turn.
9/10 times it's the turn on point that stuff fails, having high watt switches, going on and off constantly is going to put a much greater strain on the equipment than running it constantly, I would have thought. F-e could speak about that side better than I can.

 

[Ca++]

I saw a study that found 2 hours was the optimum cycle time to kill an LED the quickest. Allowing for a full thermal expansion and contraction. Having looked at many domestic lamps, they found most could be finished off in under 12 month. Even 5 year guaranteed ones.

 

[cfl...KING]

I saw a study that found 2 hours was the optimum cycle time to kill an LED the quickest. Allowing for a full thermal expansion and contraction. Having looked at many domestic lamps, they found most could be finished off in under 12 month. Even 5 year guaranteed ones.

This is a HPS topic lol

 

[lemonade]

Same principle as a light mover. Get more angles of light to the grow from the same watts. In a multi light room I suspect you'd get less favourable results than in a "single light on" room. Due to the additional angles already in place. The returns on grows though, are such that any small increase in yield, normally pays for the extra running or setup costs. But in this case, I'd rather have additional lighting doing something, instead of sitting dead, waiting their turn.
9/10 times it's the turn on point that stuff fails, having high watt switches, going on and off constantly is going to put a much greater strain on the equipment than running it constantly, I would have thought. F-e could speak about that side better than

Yea thats one reason I’m just gonna manually switch em off at 6 hrs, instead of every 2 hours. I’d have to rewire a bunch of stuff and I can’t be bothered as this is just a temporary/experimental situation.

I mean I do have a bunch of intermatic timers somewhere in storage; I suppose I could set them up to do 2 hr cycles, but I dunno if I have enough of those damn timer pins lol.

But yea, when turning a decent amount of juice on/off (40 Amps+) I’d deff recommend the use of contactors!

I use ones like this to control a breaker panel that controls my lights.

High temp shut off and timer are wired to the contactor. Simple. OldSchool.

 

[Ca++]

This is a HPS topic lol

10 years ago everything was.
Your the CFL king, but don't use them anymore.
I'm keeping it relevant.

Sodium lamps are not suited to short run times, such as two hours. Your namesake is rated for a 3 hour duty and 20 minutes off. With a more typical 5 hour nightly run, the life is extended a 5th. Purely due to less starts. The sodium lamp goes through a huge thermal cycle. This is expected once a day. Increase that to 6 and the service life will be effected.


Many people switched from a 6 to a 315 and did better. So moving the lights about might not be the real gain in some trials. In summer I have had 4 light rooms switching diagonally at the hottest of times. The yield didn't drop proportionately, but that's because full light was damaging through heat. Plus full light was getting to the point where extra watts were not being utilised fully anyway. If over lighting, then turning some off will be less noticeable.
There are many reasons why someone might lower the light power, and see a yield drop that's not proportionate. While there is no reason why they would see a direct watts=grams correlation.
Thus, I could do this 4 lights 2 lights and prove it works on the scales. While knowing I rigged the room to do this.

The light movers comment has great merit here, and we see it again with LEDs spread over the whole room. Where we are talking positioning and DLI.

Is a couple of 150s better than a 400? Or a couple of 4s better than a 1000. It's rolling around the same idea of spread. Keeping away from point source, where illumination that can't be fully utilised is often seen under a lamp.
Really like the light rail idea. Though I only found them useful with 1000s myself. Where it really is too much of a single point source to be kept still. With 6s they seemed to offer no gain.

I filled a box like a briefcase with 20 contactors, each bringing on the next with the auxiliary contact. It was like running your finger along a piano keyboard. Memories

 

[cfl...KING]

10 years ago everything was.
Your the CFL king, but don't use them anymore.
I'm keeping it relevant.

Sodium lamps are not suited to short run times, such as two hours. Your namesake is rated for a 3 hour duty and 20 minutes off. With a more typical 5 hour nightly run, the life is extended a 5th. Purely due to less starts. The sodium lamp goes through a huge thermal cycle. This is expected once a day. Increase that to 6 and the service life will be effected.


Many people switched from a 6 to a 315 and did better. So moving the lights about might not be the real gain in some trials. In summer I have had 4 light rooms switching diagonally at the hottest of times. The yield didn't drop proportionately, but that's because full light was damaging through heat. Plus full light was getting to the point where extra watts were not being utilised fully anyway. If over lighting, then turning some off will be less noticeable.
There are many reasons why someone might lower the light power, and see a yield drop that's not proportionate. While there is no reason why they would see a direct watts=grams correlation.
Thus, I could do this 4 lights 2 lights and prove it works on the scales. While knowing I rigged the room to do this.

The light movers comment has great merit here, and we see it again with LEDs spread over the whole room. Where we are talking positioning and DLI.

Is a couple of 150s better than a 400? Or a couple of 4s better than a 1000. It's rolling around the same idea of spread. Keeping away from point source, where illumination that can't be fully utilised is often seen under a lamp.
Really like the light rail idea. Though I only found them useful with 1000s myself. Where it really is too much of a single point source to be kept still. With 6s they seemed to offer no gain.

I filled a box like a briefcase with 20 contactors, each bringing on the next with the auxiliary contact. It was like running your finger along a piano keyboard. Memories

Was fucking 16 bro it was a "cool" screen name at the time, if I could change it I would. This thread is based on HPS. Take your led talk elsewhere. Thank you

 

[cfl...KING]

And it would be 3 starts a day per light not 6.

 

[cfl...KING]

Light 1&4 on from 0-2 then off from 2-4(1start)
Light 2&3 on from 2-4 then off from 4-6(1start)
Light 1&4 on from 4-6 then off from 6-8(2nd start)
Light 2&3 on from 6-8 then off from 8-10(2nd start)
Light 1&4 on from 8-10 then off 10-12(3rd start)
Light 2&3 on from 10-12(3rd start)

Add in some 15-30min over laps an still no light is seeing more than 3 starts in a day. No luck finding the HT article yet. Not sure what issue I'm looking for an I have probably 50 mags

 

[lemonade]

Hah I actually remember that HT article now that I think about it @cfl...KING

I remember people experimented with similar ideas on OverGrow and here on IC in the early days. Finding those threads might be difficult however! They were using PLC’s if I'm not mistaken to control the ballasts.

Unfortunately like alot of subjects regarding this passion of ours theres a distinct lack of scientific research. Or even simple experiments that follow the scientific method. Specifically, changing just one variable at a time and having proper controls. Thats a discussion for a other time however hehe.

What I’m getting at is i think were just gonna have to try it for ourselves and report back with the details.

 

[cfl...KING]

This would require me to buy a 4th 1k. Probably wait a couple grows to save up funds. I'll also need to wire up another 20amp outlet