Battery Powered 730nm Initiators and Micro Cabs

Nice thread. Does anyone know how many watts are needed? I have a 5x6. Also why does everyone stay around 13-13.5 on? Why not 14?

RedCarpetMatches said:

Nice thread. Does anyone know how many watts are needed? I have a 5x6. Also why does everyone stay around 13-13.5 on? Why not 14?

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it takes up to 30 min to go into phytochrome state. Plants need 10 hours of phytochrome stasis. So do the math. Plus indicas come from regions along the equator flowering outdoors is year round and shorter days year round. Sativas come from regions of higher elevations that have longer days

hyroot said:

it takes up to 30 min to go into phytochrome state. Plants need 10 hours of phytochrome stasis. So do the math. Plus indicas come from regions along the equator flowering outdoors is year round and shorter days year round. Sativas come from regions of higher elevations that have longer days

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Yep, takes two hours indoors to fully go into the phyto-mode (12/12). I think chaz or Hyroot just recently said this...

But isn't it the other way around 'root?

I thought sativas were mostly equatorial, isnt high intensity sunlight at those points (near) the equ.?

Indica's are so hardy because they are (usually) from an unstable climate (away from the equator, and usually North)

^^^^ actually you are right. I was thinking mid east was near the equator. Its not. That's where indicas originate. Some equitorial regions and some northern regions flower year round. Due to infrared light being there year round. Where in the U S. IR is there from late summer into winter

Many people say it only takes anywhere from a flash to several minutes. 5 min before lights off and 5 after at the most. 5 min. after just to make sure. So, I'll try 14 on. I can't find anything on how much light is needed.

In nature the 730nm wavelength is just a flash as the sun sets over the horizon. It is this short duration exposure that plants have evolved under to signal the end of day and time to flower. I've read where trials experimented with a varying durations of 730nm exposure @ lights out with chrysanthemums. The control plant had no exposure to the 730's while other plants were exposed to periods between 1-30 minutes. What they came away with was that the exposure periods over 5 minutes had no measurable difference in flowering production values compared to plants that had periods less than 5 minutes. With increased exposure up to 30 minutes they also did not report any negative influences either.

Keep in mind this is just one variety of plant but from what I've come to understand is that any plant which is exposed to 730nm at lights out actually communicates the signal to all the plants it's come in contact with that it's time to relax into the Pfr state. The plants just have to touch each and this signal is communicated. What IG did was build a 5 minute charge/discharge circuit into the Pontoon that saturates any plants that might be exposed to the 730nm wavelength. Sorta reminds me of the last union job I was on. There was always this one little Pfr electrician who @ 9:59 sharp, no matter what you were doing he would get us all to stop and slip into break mode so that each and every electrician was relaxing to their full potential in the limited amount of time it took us to to flower. Speaking from my personal experience; when plants, or electricians, are exposed to Pfr exclusively that relaxation transition takes effect within minutes.

Thanks Chaz. I talked to IG, and they also seed only a couple minutes is needed. I've been looking into some DIY LED panels lately, and now I feel stupid for any of my purchases. Shit's a cake walk as long as you know basic math, have simple tools, and descent parts. I just can't find anything about how much light is needed....anyone?!

Great read chaz, you ever find out about those battery packs from IG?

I asked but they are not interested in selling the battery/boards separately. Down the road they may build a separate Pfr switch but the current boards are built for the diodes they're using with current limiting resistors for this specific application.

I know people claim to have success with the halogens. Do these actually work with a broad spectrum?

I seen some cool solderless cree diodes on RapidLED, but of course they don't come in 730nm. Then again, how good does the quality have to be if your just running them minutes a day.

RedCarpetMatches said:

I know people claim to have success with the halogens. Do these actually work with a broad spectrum?

I seen some cool solderless cree diodes on RapidLED, but of course they don't come in 730nm. Then again, how good does the quality have to be if your just running them minutes a day.

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you want them to last. shitty ones won't last

Put together a quick flower trigger with my 10w ledengin.

it warms up the aluminum strip just a bit near the led. I can touch right behind the led and it's just warm so looks like it'll work. Got it set for 5min before and after lights out, seems like a good compromise between a flash and 15 min or so. Really easy to put together, especially after building a light and having lots of leftover supplies around.

Used a 25w inventronics driver, measured it runs at 22w. The color is actually much redder than the picture shows...little darker red than 660nm

Positivity said:

Put together a quick flower trigger with my 10w ledengin.

it warms up the aluminum strip just a bit near the led. I can touch right behind the led and it's just warm so looks like it'll work. Got it set for 5min before and after lights out, seems like a good compromise between a flash and 15 min or so. Really easy to put together, especially after building a light and having lots of leftover supplies around.

Used a 25w inventronics driver, measured it runs at 22w. The color is actually much redder than the picture shows...little darker red than 660nm

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Awesome DIY flower "trigger" strip.............total cost???

Driver.....$30......http://www.ledgroupbuy.com/inventronics-25w-driver-700ma/
led.........$16 x 3......http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/LED-Engin/LZ4-40R300/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMu4Prknbu83y1kHJl487Qqny72oCEIKzh8=

Adhesive backed wire holder, solder, 3' aluminum strip, 22g solid wire, arctic alumina thermal compound, self tapping screws, heatshrink, plug and wire donated from old VCR .

tools...drill, screwdriver, solder iron, wire stripper

probably about $100 worth of stuff. I'm sure it could be done way cheaper but I feel better running it using all the good stuff. Nice thing about the driver it has a low min voltage so I can take one of the leds out if I want to make another one day. The 5w led version is probably good enough, I got the 10w as a test in always on flowering.

Positivity said:

Driver.....$30......http://www.ledgroupbuy.com/inventronics-25w-driver-700ma/
led.........$16 x 3......http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/LED-Engin/LZ4-40R300/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMu4Prknbu83y1kHJl487Qqny72oCEIKzh8=

Adhesive backed wire holder, solder, 3' aluminum strip, 22g solid wire, arctic alumina thermal compound, self tapping screws, heatshrink, plug and wire donated from old VCR .

tools...drill, screwdriver, solder iron, wire stripper

probably about $100 worth of stuff. I'm sure it could be done way cheaper but I feel better running it using all the good stuff. Nice thing about the driver it has a low min voltage so I can take one of the leds out if I want to make another one day. The 5w led version is probably good enough, I got the 10w as a test in always on flowering.

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Think you did a good job on your clean set up with that budget! Good to know that slim heat sink can handle those babies.

I ordered those cheap Epistars here http://www.ebay.com/itm/Free-Ship-12PCS-3W-Far-Red-LED-730NM-With-Star-Board-For-LED-Project-Decoration-/261350201530 I'll have some with my vert with this http://shop.stevesleds.com/Aluminum-Heatsink-tubing-T6063-1-1-4-Bare-Heatsink-Tubing.htm Maybe put one in each corner of tent with a mounting bracket.

for anyone looking for cheap cycle timers, i just got one of these to play around with:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Multifunction-Self-lock-Relay-Cycle-Timer-Module-PLC-Home-Automation-Delay-12V-/190938375297

you can get them in 12v and 5v versions (for powering the timer - I have lots of 12V ac/dc adapters laying around so I got the 12v)

I'm wondering how many 3 watters you really need? If those Epistars cover 180* then you would only need a couple stars.

RedCarpetMatches said:

I'm wondering how many 3 watters you really need? If those Epistars cover 180* then you would only need a couple stars.

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the pontoon have 3 5 watters on each side. driven to 2.2 watts. so 6 for a 4x4 -5x5.. I want to make one for my 3x3 led tent coming soon... or order one of those 730nm floodlights from grow light source.

These ones are crazy expensive:
http://www.greners.com/i/grow-lights/led-brand/lumigrow/lumigrow-ecc-fr.html