Light rec

I recently expanded my veg room and I want to replace my old lighting. This room is primarily for vegging clones and moms. Footprint will need to cover three separate 4x6 tables. There's good air exchange and a couple of wall mounted fans. I don't want to break the bank, but I do want adequate coverage. (I use a smaller 2x4 tent in another area for quarantine and/or seedlings)
I know similar questions are asked daily but I didnt want to hijack someone elses thread.

I've tried to search, really, I have, but the tech is evolving rapidly and I'd like to get the most up to date info available.
If anyone can offer advise or first hand experience, I'd be grateful.

Thanks in advance.

4000k led is what people normally rec.

I like the vesta strips: dual spectrum with 2 channels gives you the options of 5000k/4000k/2700k all in 90 cri. Not the most efficient but then again i suppose you wont drive them very hard. But it would mean being cool with diy, is it a legal grow with code and all i wouldnt knownif it would be ok

Rocket Soul said:

4000k led is what people normally rec.

I like the vesta strips: dual spectrum with 2 channels gives you the options of 5000k/4000k/2700k all in 90 cri. Not the most efficient but then again i suppose you wont drive them very hard. But it would mean being cool with diy, is it a legal grow with code and all i wouldnt knownif it would be ok

Click to expand...

Thank you.
Lookin at the vesta strips now. There's a lot of data to take in.

You can also get separate drivers for cold white and warm white to dial in exactly how much stretch you want

Rocket Soul said:

You can also get separate drivers for cold white and warm white to dial in exactly how much stretch you want

Click to expand...

Using the vestas my last run my plants stretched 10", I ran a cct of 4100K during first few weeks of flower and last week about 3800k. This run I'm running a cct of 3350K during first 10 days of flower and 12" of stretch. I'm thinking for stacking about 3700k would be just about right for flip

Bignutes said:

Using the vestas my last run my plants stretched 10", I ran a cct of 4100K during first few weeks of flower and last week about 3800k. This run I'm running a cct of 3350K during first 10 days of flower and 12" of stretch. I'm thinking for stacking about 3700k would be just about right for flip

Click to expand...

Very nice info, doing a vesta build for a friend this next few weeks. However i was more thinking about in vegg.

I tend to do vestas without individual control over the 2 channels, just able to switch grouping. So 5000k/2700k or both and half current for around 3700k. Found 3700k 90 cri was very similar in stretxh/growth/yield to 3000k 80 cri, or at least according to my growbuddy using them. Seems to be enough control to me, full flower spectrum, full cycle/vegg spectrum, and 5000k for stretch control spectrum.

In the next build im adding some red though, about 12-15% of 660/630 which will throw cct off a bit. Moving into cc drivers, damn parallel got me so tired of the spiderweb of cables.

Bignutes said:

Using the vestas my last run my plants stretched 10", I ran a cct of 4100K during first few weeks of flower and last week about 3800k. This run I'm running a cct of 3350K during first 10 days of flower and 12" of stretch. I'm thinking for stacking about 3700k would be just about right for flip

Click to expand...

How do you figure out what your CCT is? Do you have a spectrometer or do you estimate it (does an Inventronics app help with this) ?

I'm also curious which Inventronics drivers you're using and how you wired the Vesta strips.

Barristan Whitebeard said:

How do you figure out what your CCT is? Do you have a spectrometer or do you estimate it (does an Inventronics app help with this) ?

I'm also curious which Inventronics drivers you're using and how you wired the Vesta strips.

Click to expand...

There is a graph in the vesta datasheet that tells you the cct based on the 2700k current. There is also a second way, I derived the formula from their graph so I can put it in excel or calculator and it tells me what it is.

An example using their graph, if you run 1 A total with 0.7 A on the 2700k channel then 70% of the total current then the cct is 3390 as seen on the graph.

The second way is the formula CCT= - 2300 x warm current ratio +5000. So like above with 0.7 (70%) you'll get cct = -2300 x 0.7 +5000 = 3390.

I no longer use the graph as I have the formula memorized and find it easier to use.

Wiring: 4px4s reduces the wiring by a lot and stays within the max of 120V as per their note in datasheet.

I have two of these lights,

First light I'm using two EUG-150S210DT drivers, one for 2700k the other for 5000k. 8 vestas in a 2px4s config. 107 volt driver max compared with approx. 100 volts needed by 4 vesta in series. Current is 1400 ma from driver split into 700 ma per parallel leg, (the max is 1000 ma on each vesta channel). I top out at 3850 k for my area with this light.

Second light I'm using three EUD-320S320DT drivers. 32 vestas with each set of 16 has their own driver for 2700k and all 32 driven by the third driver on the 5000k channel. Kicking myself for this division of wattage now as its 1/3 of total wattage on 5000k and 2/3 on 2700k. I top out at 3465 k in my area.

In the future I'd go with a 50% on 2700 and 50% on 5000k like the first light, gives you better stretch control.

Rocket Soul said:

Very nice info, doing a vesta build for a friend this next few weeks. However i was more thinking about in vegg.

I tend to do vestas without individual control over the 2 channels, just able to switch grouping. So 5000k/2700k or both and half current for around 3700k. Found 3700k 90 cri was very similar in stretxh/growth/yield to 3000k 80 cri, or at least according to my growbuddy using them. Seems to be enough control to me, full flower spectrum, full cycle/vegg spectrum, and 5000k for stretch control spectrum.

In the next build im adding some red though, about 12-15% of 660/630 which will through cct off a bit. Moving into cc drivers, damn parallel got me so tored of the spiderweb of cables

Click to expand...

Go with 4 in series and group those, way nicer to wire. Way back before I built my light I remember reading your build experience which made me inquire about making a combo circuit. Although I haven't tested them with a multimeter my temp gun temps are very consistent across the array of strips.

Bignutes said:

Go with 4 in series and group those, way nicer to wire. Way back before I built my light I remember reading your build experience which made me inquire about making a combo circuit. Although I haven't tested them with a multimeter my temp gun temps are very consistent across the array of strips.

Click to expand...

I agree. 4 in series

Bignutes said:

There is a graph in the vesta datasheet that tells you the cct based on the 2700k current. There is also a second way, I derived the formula from their graph so I can put it in excel or calculator and it tells me what it is.

An example using their graph, if you run 1 A total with 0.7 A on the 2700k channel then 70% of the total current then the cct is 3390 as seen on the graph.

The second way is the formula CCT= - 2300 x warm current ratio +5000. So like above with 0.7 (70%) you'll get cct = -2300 x 0.7 +5000 = 3390.

I no longer use the graph as I have the formula memorized and find it easier to use.

Wiring: 4px4s reduces the wiring by a lot and stays within the max of 120V as per their note in datasheet.

I have two of these lights,

First light I'm using two EUG-150S210DT drivers, one for 2700k the other for 5000k. 8 vestas in a 2px4s config. 107 volt driver max compared with approx. 100 volts needed by 4 vesta in series. Current is 1400 ma from driver split into 700 ma per parallel leg, max is 1000 ma on each vesta channel. I top out at 3850 k for my area with this light.

Second light I'm using three EUD-320S320DT drivers. 32 vestas with each set of 16 has their own driver for 2700k and all 32 driven by the third driver on the 5000k channel. Kicking myself for this division of wattage now as its 1/3 of total wattage on 5000k and 2/3 on 2700k. I top out at 3465 k in my area.

In the future I'd go with a 50% on 2700 and 50% on 5000k like the first light, gives you better stretch control.

Click to expand...

Another way of doing this is by mixing 2700k and 5000 on the same series, but it has to work with your spread. its a good hack cause you only have to switch the wires. But only of you can get it even.

How about the eb2 , 3500k , 4ft, 8 ish bucks on digikey. If its only for veg, it has plenty of blue and will help to keep them stout.

Warpedpassage said:

How about the eb2 , 3500k , 4ft, 8 ish bucks on digikey. If its only for veg, it has plenty of blue and will help to keep them stout.

Click to expand...

That will work but for veg I'd want 4000-5000k, buy some 5k and throw in there