I've just set up my Solar Storm in a brand-spankin'-new 4x4 AgroMax grow tent (hey, George says it's designed and tested for a 4x4 setup). Here's my proposal: I'm gonna finish off the manky second-story Pineapple Kush remnants I've got hanging on, as a means of getting the temperatures right. I'll be growing organically in soil of my own amending (I'm an organic farmer, and grow a large number of veggies annually, so expect a tomato report later this Spring!). I've been gardening for decades, but only started with Cannabis recently (the past few years, after a failed back surgery). I grow indicas only, as those are the plants which dull the pain and help me sleep (don't get me wrong: I work 50 hours a week and am finishing grad school; I'm not sitting around complaining). I'm fond of Pineapple Kush, Afghan Kush, Big Bud, and Hash Plant. I'm planning an 8-plant Hash Plant grow in the next couple of weeks -- this Pineapple Kush is taking longer to mature than I thought (grew them in re-used soil, caused hermaphroditism and had to prolong the veg, et cetera, et cetera). I find that two square feet per plant yields the best quantity per quality for me. As a healthcare professional, I appreciate the many benefits of vaporization versus smoking, and will take hash over leaf any day.
I've been growing under a variety of BlackStar/Lighthouse Hydro 90 and 180W LEDs. I've always used LEDs, and I've tried quite a variety of them. I like the ability to move the panels around as needed. The fact that the Solar Storm has both a Veg and a Bloom setting is a big plus for me, as I dislike switching my lights around; I'm very pleased with the UVB feature for the same reason. I don't know that a few extra days of UVB will improve the resin content of the Pineapple Kush, but we'll see! Again, I have never[u][/u] sold my crops; this is a labor of love for me, and a matter of survival. I live in a community where everyone contributes something: Goat cheese, herbal tinctures, beautiful winter salads, fabulous summer corn... While I'm not the local apothecary, I contribute MJ. Free. Always. I believe that growing is a patriotic act, and the only way to beat the Narcos at their own game. Where I grew up, pot is friendship; pot is trust; pot is brotherly love. We could do with more of that in our culture!
First impressions of the Solar Storm: Number one - when do you ever get to actually TALK to the guy who designs the hardware?! George has considered and responded to my suggestions (some of which were half-baked, some of which were just insane). The only lasting suggestions we haven't discussed are the ability to switch to green light and the issue of lenses, which George is against (they cause diminution of light output) and I am for (I'd rather have less light in the right areas than have to switch my plants all around and rupture those beautiful trichomes!) When I first unboxed the Storm, I was immediately impressed with how solid it is. This thing will outlast my grandkids. One weird quirk: one of the four panels flickers for about 60 seconds when first activated. It performs flawlessly after that. Number two - this thing is hot. Not MH hot (fun fact: Metal Halide, in grower's terms; Malignant Hyperthermia, in healthcare terms). I've never run my fans at 100% with the 540 watts I usually run; more like 50%. I'm now running about 80% fan speed on a 4" in-line fan to keep this thing cool; the 4x4 tent is in an insulated room which varies between 50 degrees F at night and 75 degrees F during the day. I'm switching to a 6" fan and tallboy filter immediately, and am planning an investment in a room air conditioner for this summer. Number three - this thing is sexy! It's heavy; it's red; it's quiet; and you can tan your ass while manicuring your plants - the UVB is that good! Seriously: If you're working with your crop and you've switched the UVB on, wear your RayBan sunglasses. The 120-degree LEDs throw photons all over the place; George has documented some areas of falloff (the "Q4" areas of the quadrants), but you sure can't see them with the naked eye. This is a glorious, magnificent light machine. I've packed up the 90W and 180W Lighthouse Hydro panels, and they won't be back. Anyone with Seasonal Affective Disorder should put their face in front of this beast for sixty seconds -- it'll make a believer out of you! Number four: It's heavy. I invested in a number of little 6Kg suspension gadgets, which worked beautifully for the BlackStar/Lighthouse Hydro lights. They work for the Solar Storm -- barely. Get some "real man" hardware for raising and lowering this thing. I believe a single "rope ratchet" device came with the Storm. You'll need two. It mounts supremely easily and is readily held by the crossbars on the AgroMax tent.
That's all I've got for now, folks. Let me get this Pineapple Kush out of the way, and we'll start the real experiment. I'm very familiar with the growing characteristics of Hash Plant; these are the same genetics I've used before (BC Bud Depot); I'll be using the same soil and compost I've used for years; and I'll give you the unvarnished truth as best I can. Based on how the PK is responding, I'm expecting great things!
Welcome to the forums, good to have more people posting!
Disclaimer: I still use HID and I'm NOT an LED expert. All of my LED knowledge is from other parties or research so I can't say from first hand experience one way or another. I also run a medical grow consulting business in SoCal.
I'm screwing this up badly -- I had lost my initial login and (single-use) email address as "usernamedindica," and come back around as "RudyRuderalis." I don't know where that post ended up!
That was screw-up one. Here's the second: I moved my grow outside, then the temperatures plummeted. I had a cheap-o heater fail last night, and my plants are sitting at 45 degrees right now... Any words of advice? They are Pineapple Kush; that suggests some hardy Afghani genetics, which to me conjures up images of snow and cold... And they were finishing their 10th week of flowering, so they are achingly close to being fully mature... Anyone got any thoughts? Seems like I'll be harvesting today...
Welcome back... Maybe one of the moderators or admins can help you get your old name back.
45 is mighty chilly but if that's as cold as it gets it might be ok, warmer is better of course. If it's going to get colder, you could move them inside or harvest early, it's really up to you...
Disclaimer: I still use HID and I'm NOT an LED expert. All of my LED knowledge is from other parties or research so I can't say from first hand experience one way or another. I also run a medical grow consulting business in SoCal.
On the heat thing well 700 watts is 700 watts be it a T5, HPS, CFls whatever...gonna generate some heat. I also had a 4 inch inline fan and had to run it at max to keep it at 80. The solution was upgrading to a 6 inch one. You can run a 6 inch one at half speed which moves the same air as a 4 inch at max and considerably quieter do to the bigger blades inside the fan. Pain that I had to buy a bigger one but like I said 700 watts is 700 watts.
I also opened up a side flap and have a tornado fan pointed right at it. That helped like a ton. No heat issues anymore.
Rope rachets I bought work well. Box says 150lbs more then enough for a Solarstorm. Ive had mine for a couple weeks now and already seeing a difference between that and my Blackstar I have.
In terms of heat...the light should generate plenty but if not oil based radiator works well. I use that since I am to cheap to run heat. Keeps my room a nice 70 degrees with it on low setting.
Been to Afghan many times...depends where your at. (US Marines) Yes it does snow there but not often cannabis is not growing there during the winter. Afghan has like 8-10 months of searing heat which is when everything grows. Most of the stuff that grows grows in valleys. 90% of Afghanistan is like living on the moon nothing but sage brush and endless sand. There people are so primitive the Afghans that came on base to work...if they were new we had to show them how to use a portajohn or then would just go to the bathroom on the ground..lol. All in all a hellious place where humans should not live.
Back again, under yet another username... I can't seem to keep track of my user id and password!
The Pineapple Kush (PK) was NOT killed by the cold; in fact, it flourished! I've never used UV before; I'm guessing that's part of the eventual outcome of the PK, which was insanely resinous - absolutely sticky. Got some of the best charras off my fingers I've ever encountered during the manicure. A friend who finished off an overgrown White Widow (WW) in the grow was blown away by the resin, as well. For various reasons, the CO2 was never installed, and yet the crop came out vibrant dark green and purple, crazy full and bushy and beautiful. I'm 100% sold; I will never go with another light.
In the interim, I got another grow going with some Widow, some Hash Plant, and some BubbleGum. The Widow is looking spectacular at 4 weeks bloom; the BubbleGum is superbly healthy and bushy; and I've got another of the friend's plants going, a mystery but clearly a sativa or heavily-sativa blend. It's now hotter than hell in my location, and the poor plants have hit 95 degrees several times; they don't seem to care a bit. I've just turned the UV on last night; I'll get some pics up.
I also had a bit of a problem, and a very gracious and speedy fix: two of the light panels quit driving every LED except the deep red ones. Put out a "HELP!" email and received a response within hours: A new unit will be boxed and shipped immediately, no charge: Put the old one in and mail it back. Superb customer service! It turns out this is a known issue with the earliest units, and has already been fixed in production. My power supply to the grow location is crap, so I've got to wonder if I'm not mostly to blame; I'm taking steps to remediate that, as well.
In the absence of photos, let me remark that I LOVE this light; it has everything growing better, bigger, stronger than any I've used before. I've already sold my old lights (seven of them!). It is truly perfect for a 4x4 tent. I ended up putting in an 8" fan and filter to keep the heat down (I run it at 50%) and used my old 4" fan and filter to suck in cool air and blow it on the plants, kind of a scrubber setup. As long as I pay attention, the heat is fine. Once the power supply situation is rectified, I'll get some air conditioning going.
I like the light and the customer service so well that I'd seriously consider going the full price for it; given the choice between giving it back or forking over another $999, I'd have to get my wallet out. Great Job, California Light Works!
Disclaimer: I still use HID and I'm NOT an LED expert. All of my LED knowledge is from other parties or research so I can't say from first hand experience one way or another. I also run a medical grow consulting business in SoCal.