Nichia diodes and drivers

Gquebed

Gquebed

Well-Known Member
I was in a grow shop today and the guy was pushing some lights strips that use the Nichia diodes and drivers. He went on about how these things won a Nobel prize... yadda yadda... 6400

These light strips have 96 diodes on 48" strips, 72 for 36", 48 on 24" and so on... they're 1/2 watt diodes... using a mixture of 6400k and 2700k, that are supposed to provide a superior spectrum.

Anybody know more about these? Has anybody tested these? Are they worth some attention?
 
BuddyColas

BuddyColas

Well-Known Member
Gquebed said:
I was in a grow shop today and the guy was pushing some lights strips that use the Nichia diodes and drivers. He went on about how these things won a Nobel prize... yadda yadda... 6400

These light strips have 96 diodes on 48" strips, 72 for 36", 48 on 24" and so on... they're 1/2 watt diodes... using a mixture of 6400k and 2700k, that are supposed to provide a superior spectrum.

Anybody know more about these? Has anybody tested these? Are they worth some attention?
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Sounds interesting. Have any pictures to share or brand name of this light?
 
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Gquebed

Gquebed

Well-Known Member
BuddyColas said:
Sounds interesting. Have any pictures to share or brand name of this light?
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No... sorry... the guy wouldn't shut up about them and I kinda lost interest so I didn't bother to remember the brand name. I think they might be locally produced (Calgary, AB), but they are pretty solid in build and professionally packaged up.

But here's a link to the shop and the lights are featured on the opening page - http://www.quickgrow.com/
 
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Rahz

Rahz

Well-Known Member
It says 95 LPW there on the main page, so it's nothing to get excited about.

Also regarding the claims of superior spectrum that pop up, I did a weighted study on several light sources from 2700K to 3500K, 70-90 CRI. The math is a little complicated but basically the range from 600-700 is worth about 2x the green/yellow range in causing photosynthesis. This would seem to indicate there would be some major variation, but while the 3500K sample is blue shifted when compared to the 2700K sample, it's only enough to provide about 3% less phototropic efficiency per par watt. The difference between these various cobs color spectrum in relation to plant growth is very small.
 
Gquebed

Gquebed

Well-Known Member
Ya... the guy seemed to be over-selling. It wasn't usual shop. I just popped in to kill time...
 
BM9AGS

BM9AGS

Well-Known Member
Rahz said:
It says 95 LPW there on the main page, so it's nothing to get excited about.

Also regarding the claims of superior spectrum that pop up, I did a weighted study on several light sources from 2700K to 3500K, 70-90 CRI. The math is a little complicated but basically the range from 600-700 is worth about 2x the green/yellow range in causing photosynthesis. This would seem to indicate there would be some major variation, but while the 3500K sample is blue shifted when compared to the 2700K sample, it's only enough to provide about 3% less phototropic efficiency per par watt. The difference between these various cobs color spectrum in relation to plant growth is very small.
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Thats really good info Rahz!! is there any way to compare the much loved burples? im wondering because the CLW SS 550s i have are only producing 1.7ish UMOL/W and are 400W for a 3x4 foot area so the actual par is in the low range especially for the footprint yet theyre doing quite well also my osram Zelion HL pannels with the go green in between has the best looking plant......oddly the plants on the edge of white and burple appear the best.....granted its just luck of the seeds but still similar wattage per sq foot of my burples are doing like my CXBs...... granted the CLW have white leds


sorry long ranting question
 
Rahz

Rahz

Well-Known Member
BM9AGS said:
is there any way to compare the much loved burples?
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Any spectral graph can be digitized and then weighted by a scale that favors red. The scale I used was the Mcree curve phototropic response and I'm still in the waiting stage to find out how well the math translates for whites.

I don't have plans to test blurple, but I am curious. Knowing the PPF of two different lamps would be a good way to judge the spectrum based on yield. If one lamp has 2X the PPF and yields 2.1X it could be postulated that the bigger lamp has the best spectrum for instance. Having a blurple with known PPF and a cob lamp you can run some interesting grow tests.
 
CobKits

CobKits

Well-Known Member
Rahz said:
It says 95 LPW there on the main page, so it's nothing to get excited about.

Also regarding the claims of superior spectrum that pop up, I did a weighted study on several light sources from 2700K to 3500K, 70-90 CRI. The math is a little complicated but basically the range from 600-700 is worth about 2x the green/yellow range in causing photosynthesis. This would seem to indicate there would be some major variation, but while the 3500K sample is blue shifted when compared to the 2700K sample, it's only enough to provide about 3% less phototropic efficiency per par watt. The difference between these various cobs color spectrum in relation to plant growth is very small.
Click to expand...
hey @Rahz , what do you think of this spectrum (CLW550):
https://www.rollitup.org/t/3-clw-solarsystem-550-and-4-timber-cxb-3590-diy-kits.919164/page-4#post-13014895

the fixtures have a not-all that impressive 1.55 umol/J rating but again they are pounding the red band.

i almost feel like at this point umol/J is not even a useful number outside of comparing within a given tech (cob/mono/hid/etc), as it weights evenly 400-700

what do you think of the citizen "A-PPF" charts where they weighted certain wavelengths only. i think they were in jorge's thread
 
Stephenj37826

Stephenj37826

Well-Known Member
CobKits said:
hey @Rahz , what do you think of this spectrum (CLW550):
https://www.rollitup.org/t/3-clw-solarsystem-550-and-4-timber-cxb-3590-diy-kits.919164/page-4#post-13014895

the fixtures have a not-all that impressive 1.55 umol/J rating but again they are pounding the red band.

i almost feel like at this point umol/J is not even a useful number outside of comparing within a given tech (cob/mono/hid/etc), as it weights evenly 400-700

what do you think of the citizen "A-PPF" charts where they weighted certain wavelengths only. i think they were in jorge's thread
Click to expand...

I've been saying this for a long time and catching Flak a lot as well. The hps industry had pounded into everyones head that spectrum doesn't play a role in yield. Well as I've stated 1million and 1 times lps would be king if umols was all that counted. We will all look back and laugh at how Phillips got us into this belief through some great marketing strategy.
 
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CobKits

CobKits

Well-Known Member
more to the point, do we have/will we ever have a better yardstick for photosynthetic response than mccree?

in the modern day and age it should be relatively easy to put a live branch in a sealed chamber and measure ppb of CO2 and water consumption and calculate response based on photon intensity and wavelength
 
Rahz

Rahz

Well-Known Member
CobKits said:
hey @Rahz , what do you think of this spectrum (CLW550):
Click to expand...
It's beautiful, almost perfect perhaps but there are real world indicators that spectrum isn't that important beyond a certain point. HPS yields being one along with the preliminary data worked from the Mcree curve. I might digitize blurple soon just to see what the numbers look like. I suspect the factor would be just over 90, which would give it about 15% bonus over it's rating compared to white if the factor ends up being accurate. That would bring 1.55 up to about 1.8 but if I were to build a lamp for myself right now, I wouldn't settle for anything less than three. :)
 
Gquebed

Gquebed

Well-Known Member
Rahz said:
It says 95 LPW there on the main page, so it's nothing to get excited about.

Also regarding the claims of superior spectrum that pop up, I did a weighted study on several light sources from 2700K to 3500K, 70-90 CRI. The math is a little complicated but basically the range from 600-700 is worth about 2x the green/yellow range in causing photosynthesis. This would seem to indicate there would be some major variation, but while the 3500K sample is blue shifted when compared to the 2700K sample, it's only enough to provide about 3% less phototropic efficiency per par watt. The difference between these various cobs color spectrum in relation to plant growth is very small.
Click to expand...

Pardon my noobishness/ignorance on the finer points... but while 95 lpw isnt very impressive... what happens when you start stacking these lights together? Is there not a cummulative effect?
 
Rahz

Rahz

Well-Known Member
Gquebed said:
Pardon my noobishness/ignorance on the finer points... but while 95 lpw isnt very impressive... what happens when you start stacking these lights together? Is there not a cummulative effect?
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It would just be more lights with 95 LPW, unless you can reduce the current they're being powered at. It would be a step up from T5 since they have directional optics. Maybe that's why they are listed as being "double the lumens" of a T5, but unless that's a typo on the main page they have about the same LPW as T5 with better efficacy for growing plants. Not a good deal for the money though when there are better options.
 
OLD MOTHER SATIVA

OLD MOTHER SATIVA

Well-Known Member
here is my update on nichia j130b's

i used a hydrogalaxy par meter

hlg -120-48

kingbright reflector

3 nichias at 1 ft approx 550 u-mols= 103.1 w=34w each

2 nichias 1 ft approx 650 u-mols"=106.1 w=53w each
 
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