I've had on my roadmap for some time to delve into alternate lighting (I now have seven tents: three 4x4' for flower, three 2x4' for veg and one 2x3' clone). I've always used HID.
However, due to circumstances outside of my control, I'm suddenly needing to enlarge my spaces, so I'm going to build out some rooms in the remaining portions of my basement and put the tents away into storage. I'd like to build my own lights for the project and lower my electrical costs a bit. After I build out the basement, it'll cost me far less to heat the basement with gas than it will all the tents with HID lamps.
I've got up to $6,500 CDN capital left over after all of my basement renovation supplies are paid for to deal with lighting. I'm not saying that I want to spend it all on lighting (enough left over for a case of beer would be nice), but it's there if I need it.
Could people share some DIY ideas for such a project?
I'm an Electrical Engineer and former electrician along with many other things, so putting things together and doing fabrication is something that not only can I do, I enjoy doing it.
Although I'm fine with soldering, I definitely don't want to be soldering individual LEDs to a board. I've seen interesting things with COBs, and they interest me greatly but I have no idea which ones are effective.
Per my title, I am building one 12x12' and one 8x8' flower room, and one 8x8' veg room (for now). I will grow on tables (or rather elevated spaces, even if they're 12-18" from the floor), spaced out to the requirements of the best suggestions for lights I receive, so long as things fit to my particular ways of getting around the plants. My basement ceiling is 6'10" from concrete to bottom of floor joist.
All opinions welcome. I will perform due diligence with mass research for all reasonable thoughts and ideas provided.
However, due to circumstances outside of my control, I'm suddenly needing to enlarge my spaces, so I'm going to build out some rooms in the remaining portions of my basement and put the tents away into storage. I'd like to build my own lights for the project and lower my electrical costs a bit. After I build out the basement, it'll cost me far less to heat the basement with gas than it will all the tents with HID lamps.
I've got up to $6,500 CDN capital left over after all of my basement renovation supplies are paid for to deal with lighting. I'm not saying that I want to spend it all on lighting (enough left over for a case of beer would be nice), but it's there if I need it.
Could people share some DIY ideas for such a project?
I'm an Electrical Engineer and former electrician along with many other things, so putting things together and doing fabrication is something that not only can I do, I enjoy doing it.
Although I'm fine with soldering, I definitely don't want to be soldering individual LEDs to a board. I've seen interesting things with COBs, and they interest me greatly but I have no idea which ones are effective.
Per my title, I am building one 12x12' and one 8x8' flower room, and one 8x8' veg room (for now). I will grow on tables (or rather elevated spaces, even if they're 12-18" from the floor), spaced out to the requirements of the best suggestions for lights I receive, so long as things fit to my particular ways of getting around the plants. My basement ceiling is 6'10" from concrete to bottom of floor joist.
All opinions welcome. I will perform due diligence with mass research for all reasonable thoughts and ideas provided.
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