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Newbie LED tomato setup


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  #1  
Old 01-06-2013, 06:20 PM
Parabox Parabox is offline
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Default Newbie LED tomato setup

This is my first attempt at hydroponics. So far so good, I must say. I just wanted to post my results thus far and see what happens. These tomatoes were germinated from seed, and transplanted into this setup 48 days ago. Flower buds just started appearing within the week. Is this fast, slow or normal growth? I do not know, but I havent killed the plant yet and that's all Ive been aiming for.

I am using a DWC with aeration. The light is comprised of 16 cree warm white XPG LEDs running at 700 mA, which is only half the max brightness of these LEDs. They say the red/blue LEDS are better, but I didn't want to stare at the purple light all the time. White light seems to be working just fine.

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Old 01-17-2013, 02:09 AM
smurf smurf is offline
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Blue are good for veg, and red helps with bloom. Red blue led systems help for flowering and veg, but more for boosting during flower time.
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Old 01-17-2013, 04:36 PM
NonCircNick NonCircNick is offline
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Do you have any updates? I am very interested in the outcome of the warm white leds.
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Old 01-17-2013, 11:49 PM
smurf smurf is offline
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...........
As i stated above. The white led colors are not the right K for blooming and or Veg.
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Old 01-19-2013, 10:29 AM
Parabox Parabox is offline
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Here is an update. I believe I have set these plants back a bit because I did not have any support for them. I noosed them with string and they seem to be growing and thriving again.

I had too many plants for the light I had hooked up. The LEDS were too close and left just a spotlight of light. The new light shown here is three times as wide with the LEDs set wider apart to create a bigger footprint of light. 20 Cree XTE LEDs are wired in serial here. This setup has 6 cool white, 6 warm white, and 8 nuetral white XTE/XPGs being run off a single 100 watt driver. This time they are being driven twice as high at 1400 mA for a brighter light. The lights cover the entire light spectrum and hit all the important wavelengths. The tomatoe flowers are blooming but I have not pollinated them yet. Not sure the point of smurfs comments as it is already blooming.

I am finding what others have commented on however. The effective throw of the LEDs seems to be about 18-20 inches. I am getting a lovely dense canopy within 18 inches, but more sparse foliage below that. I am thinking about building a reflector shield with more leds built in to the sides to throw light into those lower areas.
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  #6  
Old 01-27-2013, 03:46 AM
RainerRocks RainerRocks is offline
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Plant Looking good there Parabox .

Where you buy the CREEs at ?

I'm thinking of buying CREES for my set-up but they will be the solderless type. I've done soldering before (non-related to grows) and find it very tedious
plus nerve racking so the snap on connectors are so easy and less time consuming.


I been looking at Rapidled.com.

Check out the prices and let me know if you found them cheaper as I'm not locked into any website when it comes to my $.

Thanks

Quote:
Originally Posted by Parabox View Post
Here is an update. I believe I have set these plants back a bit because I did not have any support for them. I noosed them with string and they seem to be growing and thriving again.

I had too many plants for the light I had hooked up. The LEDS were too close and left just a spotlight of light. The new light shown here is three times as wide with the LEDs set wider apart to create a bigger footprint of light. 20 Cree XTE LEDs are wired in serial here. This setup has 6 cool white, 6 warm white, and 8 nuetral white XTE/XPGs being run off a single 100 watt driver. This time they are being driven twice as high at 1400 mA for a brighter light. The lights cover the entire light spectrum and hit all the important wavelengths. The tomatoe flowers are blooming but I have not pollinated them yet. Not sure the point of smurfs comments as it is already blooming.

I am finding what others have commented on however. The effective throw of the LEDs seems to be about 18-20 inches. I am getting a lovely dense canopy within 18 inches, but more sparse foliage below that. I am thinking about building a reflector shield with more leds built in to the sides to throw light into those lower areas.
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  #7  
Old 01-27-2013, 01:46 PM
Parabox Parabox is offline
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Thanks RR - I usually get constant current drivers and LEDs from LEDgroupbuy.com, RapidLED.com, LEDSupply.com or digikey. These sites market to reef aquarists mostly. They may find a new market in basement hydroponics!

LEDgroupbuy usually has best prices if you can find what you want in stock. They have easy solderless LEDs at a slight premium. Soldering is alot easier with a good soldering iron and not a cheap radioshack junker.
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  #8  
Old 02-14-2013, 02:55 AM
smurf smurf is offline
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Flowering LED color ....


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