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Re: Meowlocked's Human Catnip Adventure

PostPosted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 11:10 am
by MissingCow
Alright, meow is back! Mainline looking good, can't wait to see more pictures! How long do you think you'll veg them?

Re: Meowlocked's Human Catnip Adventure

PostPosted: Sun Jan 11, 2015 1:53 am
by Meowlocked
Hi guys

I do apologize for the lack of posting here. A lot has happened since my grow and I believe I owe an explanation!

Since I started my grow - I finished up my semester in college. Shortly after I decided to fly home for a long Christmas to spend time with my grandparents, who are old and sick. They don't have a lot of years left, and is more important to me.

Before my departure I trained my significant other before and he has since looked after my plants. I currently do not have any photos of any progress in between our last conversations; however the plants were harvested today and are now on the drying rack.

From my observation, the top cola's from the mainline came out wonderful, but the bottom half of the Blue Dream and Afghan Kush were not as fat in comparison. In the end, we decided not to use the UV part of the device.

Over the next few days, after they've dried, and before the curing process, I will weigh my harvest from all 3 plants and post results, with pictures :)

Again, I apologize for not being very active, however mental recovery time has been more important and I had no access to my garden during it.

I will post my full review of the SolarStorm 440 after things settle down, and hope to start a new Journal in this thread with everyone in the near future. Harvest photos will follow as well.

Much love,
Meowlocked :)

Re: Meowlocked's Human Catnip Adventure

PostPosted: Sun Jan 11, 2015 5:05 am
by TeeJay1952
Do you have similar strain with the UV light to compare? I have really liked what came from SS400 but always wonder is it strain, LED or UV that makes it special.

Re: Meowlocked's Human Catnip Adventure

PostPosted: Mon Jan 12, 2015 6:55 pm
by Meowlocked
I do not have a comparative grow from with UV and without UV. Every strain is different so I would have to plant the same 3 seeds at the same time to have fair results (genetics play a big factor, so lets do it right). I do plan on doing the same 3 strains at some point this year, so I will report back the difference I saw (if any, most believe it's a myth) with the UV light in a separate entry when that time comes.

Re: Meowlocked's Human Catnip Adventure

PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 2015 7:08 pm
by Meowlocked
Final Thoughts:

After fondling with many lights, I feel as if The California Lightworks 440w light is a pretty decent light in some departments, and fails in others. The light all throughout vegetive growth flourished and could not be happier, however, during flowering, it could use an extra push. I feel that this is partially due to the Veg/Bloom switch. While its scientifically better in terms of plant growth for the light to flourish under these conditions, you are losing power while they are turned off (the more lights off = less power). If they were all supposed to be on, I had a defective unit. If all LED's were on while keeping that spectrum (in terms of initial technology circuits) it would be much better. As a side thought, this light is also *not modular*, so if something goes wrong and breaks, you cannot repair it yourself. You need to send it in. I am unsure if the company covers shipping both ways to cover a defective unit under warranty still. The light is heavy, so you may be shelling out at least 35 if you're on the same coast just to return it. Further if you're mid-east coast. Hopefully they will cover it!

With all that said, if you're in a pickle and you're looking to save $money, #power, have a small grow space, and want to be plug n play friendly to the end consumer, this light is for you. Small grow is key here.The 440 while advertised in the videos can cover a 3x3 grow tent spectrum during flowering, is probably close to 2.5 x 2.5. It can definitely reach 3x3 in veg, but does not have that extra push in flowering it really needs for a full 3x3. If you're not particularly picky about your harvest and want an great overall light for a small space, I'd definitely pick this up.

Here are the spec's and conclusions on the Final Harvest:

Amnesia - .50 - did not like being mainlined
Blue Dream ~ 1 oz - loved being mainlined
Afghan Kush ~1 oz - loved being mainlined

So how does this compare to a normal light?
With a normal light you will definitely be pushing your grow much further and have better results. However, you will pay the cost quite literally on your electric bill and need ways to rid of heat easily.

What's the verdict?
TLDR: 3x3 Grow; Amnesia, Blue Dream, Afghan Kush, SS440
Save Money: Yes
Heat: Minimal
Harvest: Decent
Coverage: Veg 3x3 Flowering 2.5x2.5
Overall: Want to save money, have little to no heat, a decent personal harvest, and have a small space? DO IT
Need a light as just a nursery for clones and mother plants? DO IT

Else: Traditional Light
Save Money: No
Heat: Not an issue
Harvest: High
Coverage: V3x3, F3x3
Overall: Money doesn't matter? Have ways to deal with heat? Using this harvest to provide to patients? Space doesn't matter? Use this light instead.

Will I be keeping the light? Yes.

Other thoughts: I did not use the UV bulbs for my grow, as currently the UV light is a "growers myth" and many growers do not use these bulbs. If you are not a fan of UV or don't care about it, I would maybe look into another supplier for your needs. I would prefer if they just got rid of the UV bulbs entirely, which is part of the marketing for this product, so it probably wont happen, in replacement of extra LED diodes for that extra push the flowering process needs. I will be doing a separate grow later this year that will utilize the UV, but I am not expecting much from it. In general, however, I do feel that that the extra diodes instead would push my overall feelings towards the lamp beyond what it currently is.

On a side note, I really hate the way this site is designed. It's slow to respond to requests, uploads are constantly distorted in posts, and posting is a pain in the ass - 1 meg files are very restrictive for grow journals if you want to show a lot of detail. It's unfortunate.

See you in the litterbox next time!
Meow