We do LED lamp for seedlings
On the this moment, serious firms are not yet engaged in lighting fixtures
For seedlings. It is unprofitable for them due to the low demand and high cost of LEDs. Therefore, such products are produced in a semi-handicraft way in small volumes.
And this leads to the fact that in best case the price is greatly overestimated, and in
Worst - the fixtures do not correspond to the "vegetable" purpose, or
Simply a fake. At the same time, they will look quite
Respectably.
In the near future, it is hardly worth hoping that the situation is fundamentally
Will change. So beautiful boxes with hundreds of indicator LEDs stuck in them, "mowing" for plant ones, will be sold. It will grow under them, but not as it should.
And, if you realize that you are being offered at a dear price inappropriate
Product - then make it yourself. It will cost you many times over
Cheaper and will definitely please your stretch marks.
Before considering the manufacturing technology of such a lamp,
It should be determined what it is intended for:
The purpose of the lamp is supplementary lighting of seedlings, full illumination of seedlings without
Lights from windows, lighting for full cycle cultivation. This defines him
Power, number and ratio of LEDs by color.
Where will it stand - in a rack, on a windowsill, in a greenhouse, etc. This
Defines its construction.
What is the size of the illuminated area. This also determines the size of the luminaire and its wattage.
To make a lamp for plant seedlings, you will need:
1. LEDs with power up to 1 watt, blue (440nm) and red (660nm). In brackets
The length of the light wave is indicated, which determines the "vegetable" purpose
LED. Today there are more powerful LEDs. They are advertised as 3 watt, but at 750mA they are no more than two watt. This is how lucky the seller is.
Are they hard to find? - then read the article "budget lamp" and its continuation
2. Any aluminum profile: corner, channel, Tavr, strips, sheets, etc. -
Aluminum bowls will work too. Aluminum is needed as a heat conductor
Material. Copper is much better, but where to get it!
3. Insulated installation wire of small cross-section - 0.2 -0.5 sq.mm
4. Thermal paste or hot melt glue.
5. Power cord with plug
6. Power supply - there are many options here, so we will consider below.
Metal, file, drill or screwdriver, riveter, screwdrivers.
The manufacturing steps are as follows:
Calculation of the required number of LEDs.
Elaboration of the luminaire frame design.
Frame fabrication.
Acquisition of the specified number of LEDs.
Selection of power supply for LEDs.
Installation of LEDs on the frame.
Soldering LEDs into a circuit.
Checking the completed installation.
Checking the performance of the luminaire.
Safe installation of the power supply.
We are happy with the result.
Calculation of the required number of LEDs
Price is the only drawback of LEDs. And for "vegetable"
Especially. This is due to the fact that the need for "vegetable" is much less,
Than white LEDs for lighting. The smaller the batch produced is
The more expensive is the copy.
But one way or another, these LEDs should not cost more than 50 rubles per piece,
So keep looking. They are constantly getting cheaper. The cheapest are to buy them at
Ebay.com Search "led 1W 660nm" - and you will see hundreds of
Suggestions. The quality is strictly monitored there ..
The total amount depends on the area of your containers, pots and
Cups. On the one square meter enough seedlings 30-50 watts LED
Power. That is, 30-50 pieces of 1W LEDs. This is provided that you
You only need supplement seedlings in the presence of daylight. This is an experienced
Windows - the more you need to increase this rate.
There is no concept of brute force in this case. Bigger is better. How much to buy -
Decide for yourself.
While the seedlings are small, the minimum power is enough for it, but with growth
Stem and leaf demand for light increases. And the colors are also different in
Dimensions. If the lamp is universal, for any, then there should be
Power reserve. If only for petunias - then 40W / sq.m is enough.
Let's look at a specific example.
If you have a window sill 1.5 m long and 0.3 m wide, its area is 0.45 sq. M.
This means that 30-40 / 2 = 15-20pcs are enough for highlighting seedlings.
1. With confidence that planting of seedlings will occur on time, combination
Red-blue choose 2:1 .
2. If you not sure about the timing- better to use more blue, down to
Before 1 :2 or even 1:1 , which will allow the seedlings to last longer to better conditions... (this applies most of all to tomatoes, since it affects future yields)
So we get:
According to the first condition, 11 red and 4 blue - only 15 pieces.
According to the second condition, 8 red and 7 blue. It is wiser to buy to the maximum:
11 red (660nm) and 7 blue (440nm) + stock = 0 things. (1000 rubles).
Elaboration of the luminaire frame design and fabrication of the frame.
The convenience of LEDs is that you can arrange them in your own way
discretion over the illuminated area. If the width of the illuminated area
less than 250mm, then you can mount the LEDs on one "ruler".
In our example, 0.3m = 300mm, then we do it in two rulers to ensure
uniformity of illumination of the entire area. For my 400mm shelves, I take three
rulers.
The ruler is a piece of aluminum profile with a length of 100 mm less than the length
windowsill. For our example, it will be 140cm. Mark two rulers so
so that 15 LEDs are reasonably located on them (it would be more convenient to 16 pieces, but
we save).
Remember that each LED emits a light cone with an angle of 70-120
degrees, so place them at such a distance that these
the projections of the cones overlapped at least a little.
A frame is needed in order to hold the rulers together.
The main requirement for the frame on which the LEDs and
connecting wires - stiffness. At the same time, when selecting a profile for
ruler, we must take into account the area of heat removal. We'll look at this later.
For our windowsill length 1.5m we calculated the number of LEDs:
According to the first condition, you need 11 red and 4 blue.
The second condition requires 8 red and 7 blue. Only 15 pieces, but we decided to
two line position - let it be 16 pieces.
So for each ruler, we need to evenly install 8 pieces
LEDs.
Let's mark it up first on paper, and then on a real profile. If the window sill
1.5m, then we take the length of the lamp 1400mm, divide it by 8 = 75mm. Means
the distance between the LEDs will be 75mm. Everything is ready!
Now let's return to the question of choosing the very profile for the ruler.
For normal heat dissipation from each LED with a power of 1 watt,
surface area required 25sq.cm
Having the length of the zone of the location of one LED 7.5 cm, we calculate its width:
25 / 7.5 = 3.3cm. This means that the width of our profile in expanded form, not
should be less than 35mm. for example, an aluminum corner 25 x 25 if
expand the width, it turns out 50mm. Suitable, and with a margin is good.
The thickness of the metal for heat transfer does not play a special role, it is not necessary
spend money on "thick" profiles - they are expensive. But the second condition is strength
- rigidity.
In our case, even the thinnest (1mm) corner is suitable. More convenient
use a U-shaped symmetrical profile for the rulers. He has an area
always more than a corner.
We mark the profile along the length: from the edge 75/2 = 37.5mm - the first LED, then
after 75mm we make 7 more marks. High precision not required.
In order not to damage the LEDs when turning the frame upside down,
it is advisable to provide stops along its edges with a height of at least 10 mm (above
LED). In the photo of a three-line lamp, the side of
square:
(disregard the interlacing of the wires - this is experimental
option with switching the ratio between blue-red)
So it's clear with the luminaire frame. You can fasten two rulers into the frame with screws,
I prefer blind rivets. They can be quickly and easily fastened
profiles.
Installation of LEDs on the frame. soldering LEDs into a circuit.
After the frame is ready, we proceed to the installation of the LEDs. If
LEDs "with asterisks", then it is necessary to drill for each LED on
two mounting holes according to the marking.
When installing, do not forget about the even alternation of red and blue
LEDs according to the selected ratio between them.
The LEDs must be pressed against the profile for thermal contact. Great effort
aluminum does not allow, therefore, a temperature compensating
pad. The simplest "thermal pad" is a viscous thermal paste, which
fills all irregularities and due to the presence of copper particles in its mass it is good
transfers heat from the LED to the bar (profile). Clamping methods
There are a lot of LEDs: screws, self-tapping screws, rivets and a finger with hot melt glue.
Hot glue "Alsil-5" or "Radial", I allow t mount LEDs without drilling and thermal paste -
smeared, pressed, held and ready. There is also
There are various self-adhesive thermal tapes, if you can get it - good
option.
The photo shows a "riveted" LED. I also use 2.5mm self-tapping screws,
which I screw into the profile. (Not the most aesthetic option ... but the flavors are not
against)
Pay attention - the rivet head with a diameter of 3.2 mm had to be bitten off
side cutters so as not to touch the conductive pads. If you find
rivets 2.4mm, you will not need to do this.
After installing all LEDs on the frame, remove with a cotton swab
excess thermal paste squeezed out from under the sprocket. Please note: do not
dirty the silicone lenses of the LEDs. A cotton swab with alcohol will help with this.
Let's start soldering the LED chain. The LEDs have
polarity marking, connect "+" of one with "-" of the next. Soldering iron not
more than 40W. Soldering technology is standard - clean, tin, solder,
rinse the place of soldering from excess flux.
Note: This is time consuming but the most efficient option.
Attached is my first article 2011.
Growing seedlings at home is not an easy task. Plants often lack natural daylight and sunlight for full and normal growth, especially in winter. The first task that needs to be solved is to take care of additional effective lighting.
What lamps are needed for seedlings
You can illuminate areas, shelves or window sills where plants are grown using different types lamps. An excellent solution phytolamp or phyto-lamp is considered. Infrared, fluorescent, sodium or LED seedling lamps are widely used. These devices, unlike conventional incandescent lamps, do not emit excessive heat and do not damage the plant stem. They save energy while minimizing costs.
Phytolamps
Such devices have important advantage- create radiation as close as possible to sunlight. At the same time, they provide a certain length of daylight hours. This guarantees the maintenance of normal life of the seedlings in autumn-winter period... The phyto-light emitted by phyto-lamps restores the natural process of photosynthesis, increases the amount of produced carbohydrates, oxygen and energy. This accelerates nutrition, growth, and supports the development and health of plants.
LED lamp
Unlike other phyto-luminaires, LED or LED plant lamps have minimal power consumption, providing a high intensity of artificial light. They can shine in the red and blue spectra of radiation, which guarantees the rapid development of plants, do not develop a spectrum not used by seedlings, significantly activating the process of photosynthesis.
LED phytolamps for plants have the following advantages:
- Profitability. The devices consume at least 8 times less electrical energy than standard seedling lamps.
- Durability, high efficiency work. In the presence of heat dissipation, the lamps can function properly for 50 thousand hours.
- The ability to install LEDs of different spectrum and power. This guarantees the receipt of lighting that ensures the full and rapid development of seedlings at any time of the year.
- The ability to change the spectrum. To get blue, green, red or yellow light, which activates growth, nutrition and improves plant synthesis, you just need to replace the diode in the device with a suitable one.
- Minimal heating. This allows you to install lamps for seedlings above the plants, eliminating the risk of burns to their leaves.
LED lighting fixtures have one drawback - high cost. But if you wish, you can make them yourself, significantly reducing the cost of purchasing a finished device. Provided self-creation lamps for seedlings need to take into account the level of natural lighting in the room, the expected intensity of use, the type of plants grown and a number of other factors.
Luminescent
Lighting devices of this type for growing seedlings are preferred by 70% of gardeners. Lamps have a tubular shape, they create both the main lighting and are used for supplementary lighting, they give a diffused uniform light over the entire surface of the seedling box or cassettes. Ultraviolet light emitted by devices is absolutely safe for plants, it does not cause burns to leaves and stems. Fluorescent lamps should be installed 15 cm above the seedlings. In this case, their lighting will be absolutely safe.
Fluorescent lamps for plants have the following advantages:
- the whole range of colors necessary for the full growth and normal development of plants;
- generation of a small amount of heat by radiation;
- an economically profitable device designed for different financial capabilities.
Sodium lamps for greenhouses
Lighting for seedlings at home using lamps of this type is of no less quality than lighting with similar devices. Luminaires with sodium lamps can be installed on windows, placed above and below the seedlings without the threat of leaf burns. The advantages of such devices:
- minimum power consumption;
- development of a spectrum of rays necessary for the full development of seedlings;
- high radiation power;
- creating a warm climate in large and small rooms;
- availability of service and repair;
- relatively low price;
- high power;
- ergonomic and practical design.
When buying sodium lamps for seedlings, study their technical characteristics in detail. Pay special attention to the power of the device, it should not exceed 100W, otherwise the seedlings may burn out. If the window sills in the house are up to 1.5 meters wide, then to create a normal level artificial lighting just one lamp is enough.
Illumination of seedlings with energy-saving lamps
The advantage of LED luminaires is that the user has the ability to choose the desired spectrum. Distinguish between lamps with "warm", "daytime" and "cold" spectrum. The latter is used for additional illumination of plants during germination and vegetative growth. The warm spectrum is indispensable for the flowering phase. The daytime spectrum is applied throughout the plant cycle.
LED lamps as lighting for seedlings are placed taking into account the following criteria:
- if traces of burns appear on the leaves, the lighting equipment must be raised, otherwise the seedlings will die;
- elongated stems and pale leaf color indicate that lighting fixture located too far, in which case it must be omitted;
- If the lamp is mounted to the side, the seedlings can grow with a crooked stem, so it is best to place lighting equipment above the plants from above.
DIY lighting for seedlings
If the budget for organizing lighting for seedlings is limited, it is quite possible to make the necessary lighting devices yourself, there are many affordable and inexpensive ways. The main thing is to follow all the instructions from the instructions and take into account the peculiarities of the plants. The best option for home use- phytolamps. The materials required to make them are inexpensive and the equipment is not time-consuming to maintain.
How to make a phytolamp
- drawing up a diagram (a drawing is being developed taking into account all technical parameters, each diode must overlap each other, in this case, the entire area under the lamp will be illuminated evenly);
- preparation necessary materials(you will need an old lamp body, diodes - 20 white, 30 red, 10 simulating midday lighting, 20 blue, led drive);
- assembly of equipment (using hot glue, the diodes are attached to the aluminum plate, installed circuit breaker, the device connects to the network).
DIY LED lamp
This kind equipment that organizes effective lighting for seedlings at home is made in this way:
- The necessary consumables are prepared in advance:
- old energy saving light bulb;
- a piece of one-sided fiberglass;
- a set of radio components;
- LEDs - red, white and blue;
- capacitor, resistance.
- A diagram is being prepared:
- a circle with a diameter of 30 mm must be cut out of PCB or foil;
- draw paths on it with nail polish;
- make a solvent for copper and place a board there to clean the tracks;
- drill small holes in the board and solder all the parts.
- Assembling the lamp:
- it is necessary to disassemble the old lamp and remove all the insides, with the exception of the wires that go from the base;
- solder the manufactured circuit to the wires coming from the base.
Video: which light is better for seedlings
A bunch of experienced summer residents is engaged in the cultivation of seedlings of various crops at home. Thanks to this, they get stronger plants and an early harvest. However, growing seedlings is not the easiest thing to do, it requires specialized knowledge, experience and a certain investment of time and effort. Since for the majority garden crops this process begins at the end of winter or early spring; at the first stages of development, they are acutely experiencing a lack of sunlight. They desperately need an additional light source. How to ensure optimal lighting for seedlings at home, will be discussed later.
Sunlight is ideal lighting for seedlings of any culture. But if the time of the sun's exposure to the plants is less than 12 hours or the windows are located on the north side, additional artificial lighting is needed. Before you start installing lighting fixtures, you need to know something about the effect of certain rays on seedlings.
Red- affect the development of roots, the formation and ripening of fruits.
Blue- promote growth and development, but prevent pulling.
Yellow, green, orange- make a small contribution to the development of seedlings.
Seedlings need the entire spectrum of radiation
The task of any agronomist and summer resident who grows seedlings at home is to provide her with such lighting that will combine all these rays, that is, the closest to natural. For this purpose, various lighting devices have been created.
Lighting options for home seedlings
Incandescent light - the least beneficial effect on plants, emitting only yellow and red light. But it is quite budgetary and convenient option that does not require special connection systems.
Sodium - not particularly practical in the initial stages of seedling growth, but gives good results when applied to last stages its development. Requires special connection.
Sodium lamp illumination of seedlings
Luminescent is an excellent option for seedlings, since its radiation has the entire spectrum of rays. They usually require a special connection (ballast required).
LED - allows you to provide seedlings with radiation of the entire spectrum. Plants at home will grow especially strong if more blue light is included in the lighting in the early stages of the growing season, and yellow and red in the latter. The advantage is also low power consumption and no heating.
LED lamp
See also: What can you sow for seedlings in April?
Practical tips for supplementing plants at home
It is important not only what spectrum of rays will provide seedlings additional lighting, but also in what mode it will be produced. Here are some tips on this aspect:
Seedlings do not tolerate regime change well, therefore it is important that additional lighting is always turned on during the day and turned off at night.
If possible, place plants near southern windows, so they get the largest number best for them natural light.
Installation of reflective screens made of foil, mirrors or white cardboard, will allow you to use lighting more economically.
It is important to find out what intensity and duration each individual crop that is grown at home needs lighting for. An individual approach is needed here.
Lighting for seedlings at home is a factor that has a strong influence on the quality of plants that will later be planted in open ground... It is important that it is as close to natural as possible and is regulated in accordance with the needs of each individual culture. It is best to use fluorescent or LED lamps as additional lighting.
Types of lamps for lighting seedlings
No plant can live without light. This is a well-known fact. Therefore, the arrangement of good lighting in the greenhouse is a guarantee wonderful harvest... But many people prefer to grow a variety of plants at home, and sometimes even seedlings, or arrange a home garden on their own windowsill.
Houseplants suffer greatly without proper lighting, especially in winter, especially if the windows of the apartment overlook north side... In this case, the situation turns out to be even more difficult, since it is never possible to achieve a normal amount of sunlight here.
And all because to ensure the normal photosynthesis of plants, as well as their active growth daylight is simply necessary.
See also: How to make a mold for an artificial stone
Phytolamps for plants: features
Of course, there is nothing in the world that can serve as a means for complete replacement sunlight. Nevertheless, there is still some alternative. Just an inexhaustible source of a wide variety of ideas are modern technologies... Keeping up with the latter without much difficulty with your own hands at home, it is realistic to make a fairly high-quality lamp that could illuminate the seedlings at any time of the day or year.
It should be noted that the most common incandescent lamps are the least suitable element for plant lighting. The fact is that they are not endowed with a sufficient light spectrum, and during a sufficiently long work they are able to heat up strongly, thereby burning the plants.
Therefore, it is the LEDs that are considered the best choice for such a thing. And all because they not only emit the required spectrum, but also practically do not heat up. The most common monochrome LED boasts the most important spectra for plants:
- blue (stimulates plant growth);
- red (provides flowering);
- purple or magenta (supports the above processes).
All of these colors are emitted in a fairly narrow range, in connection with which the efficiency of LED seedling lamps is increased to the highest level.
Connecting phytolamp for plants
Connecting a special LED strip with a power of 220 V, do it yourself using a converting inverter for 12 or 24 Volts. When choosing this unit, it is necessary to take into account the number of LED lamps per one meter of tape length, as well as their RGB features and, of course, monochrome.
It is very noteworthy that it is with the help of this kind of tapes that you can make not only phytolamps for plants with your own hands, but also easy tuning of a car or motorcycle. However, they all have at least one, but a very significant drawback, which is their cost.
In this regard, many people prefer to make phytolamps on their own. Nevertheless, before you start making phytolamps for plants with your own hands, you must take into account some features:
- The opinion that colors other than those indicated above do not play any role is categorically mistaken.
And green and yellow are also necessary, and regardless of the fact that the overwhelming part of the radiation in a given light range is reflected by sheet plates.
- Having equipped phytolamps with your own hands, you must remember that each plant should also rest from the light. Therefore, it is most correct if the backlight will work for about 12-14 hours a day. The only time you need to provide round-the-clock lighting is until the sprouts hatch.
- For highlighting seedlings, it is important to take into account the distance between the plant and the lamp itself, since the higher the light source is, the lower the light intensity.
- To ensure correct light scattering, it is necessary to use a special matte screen, since diffuse light, firstly, will not cause overheating in plants, and secondly, it is absorbed much better by them.
Diagram and procedure for assembling phytolamps for plants with your own hands
The success of using this type of lamp directly depends on the correctly selected spectrum. So, for example, at the very first stage, red and blue diodes will be needed. By the way, plays an important role not only their correct placement but also the ratio.
- each individual LED emits light beams in the shape of a cone. In order for the entire area of the plant to be evenly illuminated, the cones must overlap each other;
- the color ratio should be 2: 1. That is, for every two blue LEDs, one red is required. It is this ratio that perfectly contributes to the development of the root system. As a result, the plant is rather short in stature, while its stem and leaves are well developed. Thus, the seedlings are ready for picking.
But already at the second stage of plant growth, the ratio of red and blue diodes will need to be changed by 1: 1.
Remember that the next few days after the pick, the illumination of the seedlings should be less intense.
Home / Human life
Last year, among the products persistently offered to flower lovers, so-called phytolamps appeared. The sellers assured that ordinary light is not suitable for plants, that it is almost inferior, but the agrolamp will immediately fix everything. Her light is the most correct, the plants from this will grow and riot. These lamps themselves shine with a nasty purple light, which is annoying even as a night light. Well, there are such wonderful lamps, of course, more expensive than ordinary ones. Let's figure out where is the truth, and where is deception.
The sun is the usual light source for us. It is thanks to him that life on our planet flourishes in its present manifestation. The solar spectrum is the most complete for all available forms of life, we are all adapted to it.
But it turns out that plants do not need the entire spectrum at all. Green chlorophyll does not absorb green light. For this reason, plants do not need the green part of the spectrum. And white light, as you know, consists of a mixture of blue, red and green. That is, if you turn on three light sources of the above colors at the same time, the result will be white. And if green plants is not needed, then we can remove it from this trinity, saving 33%. What will be left? There will remain blue and red, which together will give the same nasty purple.
What do we get? The light emitted by the phylo lamps is actually just defective, it just doesn't contain the green part.
How does such a lamp work? They are of two types: fluorescent and LED.
Lighting for seedlings at home
They look exactly the same as regular lamps. What is the difference? Fluorescent lamps differ from conventional lamps only in the composition of the phosphor. It gives not white, but purple light. So why are fluorescent phytolamps more expensive than conventional ones? Instead of white LEDs, LED bulbs contain blue and red, which add up to violet. So why are LED agrolamps more expensive than conventional ones?
Of course, this is an example of the injustice that arises from the cultivated ignorance today. To put it simply, it is a deception of the townsfolk. The prices of phyto lamps should be the same as for ordinary lamps, because they are arranged in the same way.
The luminescence spectrum of such lamps is not some kind of particularly useful for plants, but it simply does not contain a part that they do not need. With the same success, flowers can be illuminated with ordinary light from ordinary lamps, without saving 33%.
Copying is prohibited! Why?
Do you have questions, comments, additions? Please write a comment:
White light is a combination of blue, red and yellow. Green light is a combination of blue and yellow.
See also:
Further in the section Human life: Hypnosis 
Lighting for seedlings - how to choose the right color and spectrum of lamps for lighting?
1. Always carry a flashlight or lighter with you.
The fastest and easiest option, ideal for smokers, especially since they are now available gas lighters with a built-in LED flashlight, which is much more convenient to shine than a lighter. However, there are many compact and cheap flashlight models for non-smokers. Seemingly, perfect way solutions to the problem, however, it is not always convenient to attach a flashlight to a keychain with keys, and it is even harder to find a flashlight in a handbag than a switch in complete darkness, besides, the flashlight can be lost, and the battery can go down.
2. Install an autonomous light source with a sensor that reacts to movement or heat
Advantages of installing stand-alone luminaires with a sensor:
- Low price. Stand-alone lamps powered by batteries or rechargeable batteries are not expensive - $ 10-15.
- Ease of installation. All you need to do is drill a couple of holes in the ceiling or wall above the door. And if the surface on which the lamp will be mounted is iron, and there are magnets on the bottom of the lamp, as in the model shown in photo 1 on the right, then you do not need to drill anything at all.
- Settings. Some lamps have the ability to set the brightness, operating time after switching on, sensitivity and light sensitivity, for example, in the daytime, in good lighting conditions, such a lamp will not light up.
Disadvantages of stand-alone luminaires:
- Limited design options. If you have overall design the apartments are designed in a classic, antique or rustic style, then lamps of the following type are unlikely to fit into such a design:
Photo 1... Standalone LED luminaires with built-in motion sensor. The sensor is in the middle, the LEDs are at the edges.
On the left is a lamp for 2 batteries or accumulators and 8 LEDs, the size of the lamp is 88 x 88 x 25 mm. On the right is a lamp for 4 batteries or accumulators and 6 LEDs, diameter 85 mm, height 50 mm.
- The level of illumination from such lamps is quite low, in fact it is the same flashlight, but suspended from the ceiling, and this also does not suit everyone.
- The need for service. No matter how economical a stand-alone lamp is, the batteries will still have to be changed from time to time.
- Relatively low availability. It will not work to buy such a lamp in the nearest construction market. So far, such lamps have not received wide distribution.
3. Connect a luminaire with a motion sensor to the electrical circuit.
Advantages of installing luminaires with a sensor:
- Great design possibilities. Lamps for additional lighting in the corridor, hallway or vestibule can be not only LED, but whatever: for ordinary lamps, energy-saving, fluorescent, halogen, etc. In addition, it is not at all necessary to buy a luminaire with a built-in motion sensor. The motion sensor can be purchased separately and connected to any standard luminaire.
— Good level illumination. In principle, this is a full-fledged lighting, like any other lamp.
Disadvantages of installing luminaires with a sensor:
- New wiring. This is the biggest drawback. Under the wires, you will have to scrape the walls if the repair in the apartment is not finished yet, or let the wires into plastic boxes, and this kind of room also does not improve. In order to hide the wires as much as possible when wiring without striking, they try to hang the lamp directly above the door, and not on the ceiling, and then you can run into next disadvantage:
- Sensitivity. Like any other device designed to partially replace human intelligence, motion sensors at this stage of human development are imperfect. For example, if such a lamp is fixed on the wall above one of the doors to the apartment in the vestibule, then it will clearly work only when the door to the vestibule opens.
Lighting for seedlings and flowers
Therefore, leaving the apartment, sometimes you have to wave your hand near the sensor to make it work. Not everyone likes this kind of automation.
- Working hours. The luminaire sensor, as in the case of an autonomous luminaire, can be set for a certain operating time. However, a person does not always spend the same time in the vestibule or corridor. Sometimes it is necessary to sweep in the vestibule, wash the floors, or even paint the walls, but you will not be able to do this in those 30-60 seconds for which the sensor is exposed. Therefore, again, you have to additionally wave your hands.
4. Install an additional switch near the door to the existing luminaire.
In this case, you do not need to buy new lamp, but here you cannot do without chipping and pass-through switches. How to connect pass-through switches is described separately. In this case, the light will have to be turned on and off by hand.
5. Use the door as a switch.
Since the possibilities of teleportation are still very limited, in order to enter the apartment, it is necessary to open the door, and after entering the apartment, close the door. If you cut a special button into the door frame, which, when pressed, opens electrical circuit, and in the normal (not pressed) state it closes, then the light will come on every time the door is opened; to turn off the additional lighting, it is enough just to close the door. More correctly, such a button is called a push-button switch with an open contact. The advantages of this option are the same as when installing luminaires with a sensor or pass-through switches. Look button on door frame will be something like this:
Photo 2.
View of the button for additional lighting.
Moreover, when the door is closed, then, of course, no button is visible:
Photo 3. General form doors with integrated button for additional lighting.
In addition to a push-button switch, a conventional switch can also be used to turn on the auxiliary lighting. In the photo, such a switch can be seen on the right (next to the door handle).
How this whole system works can be seen in the following video:
Schematic diagram connecting a push-button switch with an NC contact is no different from the wiring diagram of a conventional switch:
Picture 1... Schematic diagram of the connection of a conventional switch (A) and the wiring diagram in the junction box (B).
Here is just a button switch with an NC contact is shown differently:
Picture 2... Designation of a pushbutton switch with an NC contact.
and therefore the connection diagram will look somewhat different:
Figure 3... Schematic diagram of the pushbutton switch connection (A) and wiring diagram in the junction box (B).
And if, in addition to the button, a conventional switch is used, then the connection diagram will look like this:
Figure 4. Schematic diagram of the connection of push-button and conventional switches (A) and the wiring diagram in the junction box (B).
As can be seen from the above diagram, the number of pushbutton switches can be arbitrarily large, i.e. you can embed pushbutton switches into all doors that go into the vestibule.
Disadvantages of installing luminaires with a button:
New wiring. This is the biggest drawback. Under the wires, you will have to scrape the walls and make a hole in the wall for a new junction box. If an additional conventional switch is made, as shown in photo 3 and in figure 4, then in some cases it is possible to do without junction box by connecting the wires in the socket.
- Limited mounting options. It is most convenient to put the pushbutton switch on metal box doors, but even in this case, it is not always possible to fix the switch with a nut. For example, the button switch shown in photo 2 is installed without a fixing nut, so a neat hole had to be made under it so that the button fits very tightly. The design of the door may be such that the sidewall of the door may not fully press or not press the button at all, but increasing the height of the button by gluing the appropriate adapter is not a problem, but choosing the height of the adapter may be more difficult.
- Low availability. Buy push button switch in the nearest hardware store will not work. For this I go to the radio market, but even there it is difficult to find a push-button switch designed for 220 V. I usually install pushbutton switches rated for 110V and 5A, which is more than enough for a 60W light bulb.
- Working hours. When I am going to leave, I often turn on additional lighting, and it is advisable to turn it off when Entrance door is already open. In this case, the lighting remains on, since the door is open and if you are distracted, you can forget to turn off the additional lighting.
As you can see ideal options no, which of the proposed to choose is up to you.
Everyone knows that plants cannot live without light. Good lighting is important not only in the greenhouse, but also at home, where many owners besides indoor plants grow seedlings for summer cottages or arrange a mini-vegetable garden on the windowsill of dwarf tomatoes and peppers.
Without the right light, especially during the cold season, houseplants have a tough time. And if the apartment is oriented with windows to the north, the situation is aggravated - here all year round there are no sun rays.
To ensure normal photosynthesis and vigorous growth at every stage of development, plants need daylight, containing the entire spectrum of illumination. Of course, it is impossible to find an artificial replacement for the sun, but caring owners will still be able to do a lot to make life easier for plants.
Modern technology is an inexhaustible source for original ideas. In the conditions of home workshops, you can build a completely high-quality lamp for illuminating seedlings. For success in this business, you need to figure out which artificial light for plants will be the best, that is.
Ordinary incandescent lamps are the most unsuitable lighting element. They have an insufficient light spectrum, and with prolonged use, they heat up and burn the foliage.
The best choice is LEDs. They emit the desired spectrum and do not heat up. Monochrome has the most important spectra for plants:
- blue - stimulating growth,
- red - providing friendly flowering,
- magenta (or purple) - supporting both of these processes.
Colors are emitted in a narrow range, which increases the efficiency of LED lamps for illuminating seedlings.
is carried out through a 12 or 24 volt converting inverter. It is necessary to take into account the density of the placement of LEDs per 1 meter of tape length, as well as its monochrome or RGB features.
With the help of tapes, light modern cars are made. At self-installation of such LED structures, attention should be paid to the same parameters: type, density, power and color of the tape.
Unfortunately, such lamps are an expensive pleasure that not everyone can afford. Therefore, home craftsmen resort to self-assembly.
Before you start making lamps for seedlings with your own hands, you need to remember the following features.
- It is a misconception that colors other than blue, red, and magenta are less important. In fact, yellow and green are also necessary, although most of radiation in this light range is still reflected by the sheet plates.
- Including lighting, do not forget that plants need rest from light, so it is inappropriate to illuminate seedlings for more than 12-14 hours a day. 24 hour lighting required only before sprouting.
- It is also important to consider the distance from the tray to the lamp for additional illumination of seedlings. The higher the light source is, the lower the illumination intensity (it is proportional to the square of the distance).
- For correct dispersion, a matte screen must be used! Diffuse light is better absorbed by plants and does not cause overheating.
For example, having 1000 lux at a distance of 1 meter, if we move the light source 1 meter further, we will reduce the illumination intensity to 250 lux.
DIY LED phytolamp: diagrams and assembly procedure
Having made a choice in favor of the LED phytolamp design with your own hands, you need to understand that the success of its use depends on the correctness of the spectrum. And he is chosen in accordance with the development of plants.
On the initial stage blue and red diodes are required. Their ratio is just as important as correct placement.
- Each diode emits light in a "cone" and these cones must overlap each other so that the entire area under the luminaire is illuminated evenly.
- The color ratio is two to one: one red is taken for two blue diodes. This spectrum contributes to the development of the root system. In this case, the plant turns out to be low, with well-developed leaves and a thick stem. That is, the seedlings are ready for picking.
In the second stage, plants require rest and a ratio of blue to red in a 1: 1 ratio.
For two to three days after picking, the seedlings should be illuminated less intensely. One red diode takes one blue one.
Let's analyze first way how to make a seedling lamp. For this you will need:
- the body is old;
- diodes: 30 red (3GR-R); 20 white (3HP2C): 10 pieces for 3800-4300 Kelvin, simulating midday lighting; and 10 more, with "morning" light, at 4800-5300 Kelvin; 20 blue (3GR-B).
- led drive in the amount of two: HG2217 and a PWM driver RLD10.
The diodes are attached with hot glue directly to the aluminum plate.
By are determined by the rated current and the group. To understand the principle of operation of such a device, it is necessary to consider how the machine acts in case of network overload and short circuit.
After that, you can make the correct one for the home power supply security system, and then - the device.
At second option how to make a phytolamp yourself you will need:
- industrial building fluorescent lamp;
- two inverters for 24 and 12 Volts (suitable, for example,);
- cooler;
- 10-watt LED matrices, two red and one blue;
- strip of anodized aluminum.
Assembly order:
- wires to matrices taking into account polarity;
- the resulting structure is connected through wires to the power supply (the total power of the diodes must be selected taking into account the power of the inverter);
- a cooler, which will be used for cooling, and its 12 Volt power supply are attached to the aluminum strip using hot glue;
- holes are drilled on the body from the fluorescent lamp - warm air will be blown out from here;
- diodes are fixed on the aluminum strip with epoxy glue;
- the strip is bent to give it the shape of a reflector and is installed on the prepared body.
DIY LED phytolamp for seedlings is ready!
The main reason homemade plant lamps are, of course, the high cost of this type of product offered in stores.
There are few firms producing phytolamps based on diodes on the market. Therefore, the risk of getting a low-quality product for a lot of money increases. This is another reason to assemble a lamp with your own hands, controlling the quality of all its parts.
How to make a phytolamp with your own hands on video
Lighting is essential for plant life and growth. Without enough light, the seedlings turn pale and wither.
What should be the lighting, prices for different kinds lamps and how to make a device for supplementary lighting yourself from inexpensive materials and LED strip we will tell in this article.
Lighting for seedlings
The most popular plants grown as seedlings are tomatoes, cucumbers, Bell pepper and cabbage. Many decorative flowering annuals are also sown first in small containers and only after reaching a certain size are transplanted into open ground.
This need is associated with a discrepancy climatic zones and the duration of the growing season of certain species, or the need to pick the main root to improve the development of the root system.
Seedling illumination with LEDs
There is a fairly significant difference between lighting for mature plants and seedlings. Seedlings capture light not only with chlorophyll for photosynthesis. Phytochrome and cryptochrome also absorb light and are responsible for the division, elongation and specialization of the cells of the future plant.
Light, its intensity, color temperature, spectrum and duration of illumination are very important for germinating seeds and growing viable seedlings. With a lack of light, the plants stretch out, become pale or turn yellow, their development slows down, the timing of flowering and fruiting is postponed.
In conditions when the seedlings are on the windowsill, passive illumination can be arranged for them. A reflective screen (white paper or cloth, foil on a substrate) is installed between the seedlings and the room. Light coming from the window bounces off the screen and illuminates the plants from the other side. But all these are half measures, since natural light is completely insufficient.
Backlighting with old incandescent lamps, despite the brightness, gave a very low result, since plants need a certain spectrum, and the necessary blue and red remains in general luminous flux far less. Incandescent bulbs get very hot, requiring additional ventilation and watering.
Artificial plant lighting options
For artificial lighting of plants (in particular, seedlings), the following types of lamps are recommended:
- Luminescent. The time-tested option is still used by most greenhouse farms. It is inferior in other types of lighting for seedlings.
- Metal halide. Economical, but they do not give enough light in the blue spectrum.
- Sodium. Quite an expensive type of lamp that requires the installation of additional control equipment. Luminescence predominantly in the orange and yellow spectra.
- LED. Of all types of artificial lighting, the future belongs to LED plant lamps. They deserve a separate listing of numerous advantages. For plants located on racks, it is convenient to use, for example, such as in.
Advantages
The advantages of supplementary lighting of seedlings are:
- Economical- use 8 times less electricity than standard lamps.
- Durable- in the presence of heat dissipation, they can work up to 50,000 hours.
- Repaired - a LED that has stopped working can be easily replaced. Agree, this is much cheaper than buying a new lamp.
- LED installation of different power and spectrum allows you to get exactly the lighting that best meets the needs of a particular seedling at a particular time. If you need to change the spectrum, just replace one with another in the same lamp.
- Turns on instantly and gives an even glow without flicker.
- Heat very little, which makes it possible to place them lower above the plants without the risk of causing burns on the leaf plate.
- Low voltage operation improves security parameters.
- Environmentally friendly- do not contain harmful chemical substances and do not need special conditions for disposal.
It can be assumed that the ever-increasing consumer interest will affect production volumes and prices will begin to fall.
Consider in more detail.
Popular models
The choice of a specific model depends on where exactly the lighting will be installed, for which crops, at what distance from the tops of the plants.
Professional LED Plant Light 75W (10 Spectra)
Where phytolamps for LED seedlings can be used:
- in greenhouses and farms;
- in private homes;
- apartments;
- in summer cottages.
Depending on the types of shelving and the number of seedlings, LED lamps can be of different shapes:
- Pipe- suitable for supplementary lighting of seedlings in narrow long rows, often used on window sills.
- Tablet or phytopanel- the shape of the lamp is in the form of a rather large square. This is a professional luminaire designed to illuminate wide shelving units.
- Single lamp- supplementary lighting in this form is used when growing a small amount of seedlings for personal needs.
- - illuminate from a greater distance and large area than single fixtures.
- LED strips- can be configured in any order. They are more often used for making phyto-lighting with their own hands.
When choosing a phytolamp, read the instructions carefully. Good manufacturer necessarily indicates from what distance what area can be effectively illuminated by a specific phytolamp model. This information will be very useful when planning the number and power of purchased lamps.
Example: "Topaz", the parameters and the price of which are given in table 2, depending on the distance to the plants, gives the indicators indicated in table 1.
As you can see from the table, prices are not encouraging. This main reason the fact that LED backlighting is not so popular, despite the obvious advantages. But you can significantly reduce the cost of the lighting device if you make it yourself.
How to assemble an LED seedling light
The simplest version of LED phytolamps is made of LED strip.
Materials for work:
- Panel, the size and shape of which coincide with the area on which the seedlings will grow. You can use a lamp from a damaged fluorescent lamp.
- Aluminum profile.
- Red and blue LED strip with Velcro. Do not forget to correctly calculate the proportions of blue and red spectra recommended for your plants before buying. Most often it is 1 length of the blue spectrum for 8 lengths of red.
- Power supply or driver.
Diy phyto tape assembly diagram
When choosing between a driver and a simple power supply, keep in mind that the first not only transforms the standard 220 volts into the required 12 or 24 volts, but also stabilizes the voltage. Drivers are available for specific LED wattage.
Luminaire assembly consists of the following sequential steps:
- We clean and degrease the panel surface.
- We attach an aluminum profile to the panel - it is needed to dissipate heat and extend the life of the LEDs.
- We cut the tape into the required lengths. You need to cut between the soldering - it is visible on the tape.
- We connect the segments with a connector or with a soldering iron.
- We shoot protective covering from the inside of the tape and glue it with slight pressure on the aluminum profile. Avoid kinking the tape too much to avoid damaging the tracks that power the diodes.
- We install the panel on a stand-legs that will hold the lamp above the seedlings at the required height.
- We place the power supply at the required distance from the outlet and connect it to the LED strip. It is important to observe the polarity.
- You can use it.
The price of an LED seedling lamp shouldn't force you to refuse such high-quality lighting. If you have hardworking hands, you can make a completely high-quality lamp with your own hands.
Video
This video will tell you how to make led lamp for do-it-yourself seedlings.