Stupid Question about lights .........

Sun Ra

Baked
Community Member
User ID
2854
My grow space is a partitioned off laundry under my house - an old Queenslander. Anyway the space measures approx 3.5m x 2.5m with a height of 1.8m. For my past few grows I have used 2 x Spiderfarmer SF-4000 (450w) LED lights hung about 40cms apart.

So far it's been fine and I usually try to get 10 plants in the space in 5 gallon/20 litre cloth bag pots. Look - I know a lot of people here hang shit on these lights and if I had my time over I probably would have gotten something else but I was a bit of a newbie at the time of purchase just getting back into growing after 20 years off.

Anyway - funny thing - when I bought the lights from SF's eBay listings, one that they sent me looked like it had been dropped and had a corner where the aluminium body of the unit was grazed and bent on a 30% angle. The light worked/works fine. Anyway I sent them a message via eBay with a photo complaining about it and suggested they check their QC and they just sent me another one - which I've just kept as a spare.

So my question is - I'm thinking about hanging the third light in the room and wondering if that would be a good idea ? Would it increase my yield given I could fit a couple more plants in there. Or would the 3rd light be overkill for the space ? Thoughts ?
 

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Porky

The Dwarf Hermie King
User ID
17
My grow space is a partitioned off laundry under my house - an old Queenslander. Anyway the space measures approx 3.5m x 2.5m with a height of 1.8m. For my past few grows I have used 2 x Spiderfarmer SF-4000 (450w) LED lights hung about 40cms apart.

So far it's been fine and I usually try to get 10 plants in the space in 5 gallon/20 litre cloth bag pots. Look - I know a lot of people here hang shit on these lights and if I had my time over I probably would have gotten something else but I was a bit of a newbie at the time of purchase just getting back into growing after 20 years off.

Anyway - funny thing - when I bought the lights from SF's eBay listings, one that they sent me looked like it had been dropped and had a corner where the aluminium body of the unit was grazed and bent on a 30% angle. The light worked/works fine. Anyway I sent them a message via eBay with a photo complaining about it and suggested they check their QC and they just sent me another one - which I've just kept as a spare.

So my question is - I'm thinking about hanging the third light in the room and wondering if that would be a good idea ? Would it increase my yield given I could fit a couple more plants in there. Or would the 3rd light be overkill for the space ? Thoughts ?
That's a big space for 2x450w
Yeah I'd definitely hand the 3rd one!!
You could do what I do and just veg with the 2 and they turn the 3rd on when ya go 12/12
 

Old fox

Customs Avoidance
Community Member
User ID
28
Buy a 4th light, and put even more plants in that space 😄. I'm jealous, if I had that size indoor space I'd fill it wall to wall with lights and plants. Apparently TSE has recently opened a Marketplace, so you can sell any extra flowers through here 🤣Just not sure what % cut of sales the mods are asking 🙈
 

Sun Ra

Baked
Community Member
User ID
2854
Buy a 4th light, and put even more plants in that space 😄. I'm jealous, if I had that size indoor space I'd fill it wall to wall with lights and plants. Apparently TSE has recently opened a Marketplace, so you can sell any extra flowers through here 🤣Just not sure what % cut of sales the mods are asking 🙈
I still need room for my fans and to get in there and water the fuckers by hand. Yes, I know there are other ways .......
I think I'll put the other light up. Soaking some seeds now and have been cooking a soil mix for a few weeks so ready
for another crack after 6 months off. Today I sprayed the floor with crawling bug killer surface spray - left it for a few hours then turned on the fans. Getting ready. Even washed my cloth grow bags for the first time.
 

Sun Ra

Baked
Community Member
User ID
2854
Here are the seeds I'm soaking ........ all TSE this time ......... 4 or 5 of each ......... all Fems

* 10th Planet - testers - Old Fox
* Banana Hammock x Lilac Diesel - testers - Old Fox
* White Heat - testers - Old Fox
* Gelato x Pink Runtz - Old Fox
* Gelato XXL x Bangi Haze - Sedge
* Durban Poison x Salmon Berry - Cloud 9

- hoping for 12 to 15 out of this ? if I get more, I'll put a couple on the balcony and/or giveaway ?
 

Sun Ra

Baked
Community Member
User ID
2854
no matter which way a go SunRa,

please do a grow diary...(y)

i really wanna see how this goes!
No worries - planning on it - coming soon in a couple of weeks once I have some living seedlings
EDIT: those old QLDers burn down real easy.....just sayin...
I do worry about this. Should figure out a smoke detector with an alarm that goes off upstairs ?

I've only grown one or two strains at the same time before so this will be a leap into the dark. They will be getting the rough
treatment. I won't be fucked giving individual species, their own bespoke feeding, watering and care, maybe
watering via observation but that's about it. See how I go I suppose. Unless I burn down the house as you say,
pretty sure I'll still end up with a smoke mate.
 
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Sun Ra

Baked
Community Member
User ID
2854
Fill it with Autos Mate 😜
I did two runs of autos and they went pretty good. Now on my 2nd go at fem photos hoping for better yields than
running autos. I did consider doing a half a dozen autos for 4-6 weeks before starting the photos and finishing them
off and then switching to 12/12 ......... but too lazy to be fucked doing it.
 

OZIOZIAUTO

Baked
User ID
2870
I did two runs of autos and they went pretty good. Now on my 2nd go at fem photos hoping for better yields than
running autos. I did consider doing a half a dozen autos for 4-6 weeks before starting the photos and finishing them
off and then switching to 12/12 ......... but too lazy to be fucked doing it.
Looking forward to seeing your grow 👍
 

Hudo

Baked
User ID
1876
Just check the cable joiner isn't getting hot. This is the prob on 90% chinesium lights. 2 of my Chinese lights that I rebuilt with cutter boards had cheap light weight connectors and one was getting warm when I pulled it apart one of the screws holding the wires inplace was loose. I didn't like the look of the fuckers so I cut it there and added a plug better running an oz standards extension cord than using that dodgy shit
 

veritas629

Blooming
Community Member
User ID
1002
It might be worth buying or borrowing a PAR meter. The 450W specification tells you how much power you're using, but it tells nothing about how much light your plants are receiving. Planning by watts works well for HPS, but it doesn't work well with LED. Some manufactures have greater efficiency than others, meaning the same 450W from Spider Farmer will give a different output than 450W from another brand. The chinese lights are more likely to state wattage, because it sounds impressive, but often leave out efficiency where the higher priced brands excel. By measuring PAR, you will find out if adding another light is good for Veg vs Flower or overkill in general. No good wasting electricity, if you don't need to!
 

Sun Ra

Baked
Community Member
User ID
2854
OK - third light is now installed !

Seeds were 60-70% with tails after soaking for 36 hrs so they are now in seedling mix/soil in peat pots.
Have added another 4 x Bruce Banner fem seeds I soaked today. Just because. See how I go. May plant a few
in the wild in a gorilla grow if I can find the right place within the next 4 - 6 weeks.

My cat likes it.

cat bong.gif
 
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