First Grow! ~2'x4' Closet with LEDs
- Thread starter Closet-Gardenholic
- Start date
Closet-Gardenholic
Well-Known Member
Middle of the road price point and decent results. As I stated earlier, if I'm not getting the results I want at any point, I'll switch to HPS. The lights run really cool and cover the space that I need. If the lights were that terrible, no one would be getting results
Closet-Gardenholic
Well-Known Member
Wow, so glad you came across my thread! Thanks again!! I can't believe how great she looks just 24 hours after taking that half-dead top off! This is 24 hour growth with the Single LED 30" above the tops. I will be lowering the light back down to 24" today, but I wanted to see if I could get just a little stretch on this 4 way. (I'd say mission accomplished!)
The other 2 are coming along nicely. However, I shorted myself on soil when I planted and the leaves are outgrowing the circumference of the cup before they are tall enough to clear the sides. I have enough soil to transplant into a slightly bigger container now, or if I wait until Friday, I will have the final pots and plenty of soil.
Thoughts?
Final Phase
Well-Known Member
Looks like you are having a good time in this learning experience. Go strong, go long.... Hope you get em to the finish line!
Closet-Gardenholic
Well-Known Member
I'm pretty determined and there's not much stopping me now. I definitely don't see me losing interest, although I need to! lol
Olive Drab Green
Well-Known Member
Not to talk shit on OP, but Mars and all panel LEDs have serious problems competing with other lighting systems. You might get 2-5 ounces if you're lucky. Mars, in particular is known for terrible craftsmanship and failure. If you absolutely HAD to go with an LED panel, I used to use ViparSpectras for my home grow (they are now in use elsewhere) and I liked them. $150 for a ViparSpectra V450 (206 real watts), solid work, not really prone to failure, similar aesthetics and standard options as Platinum/Advanced Platinum, however! For $50 more, you could get a COB from Tasty at $205 that would provide more PPFD than two V450s put together, using only 85w. You would probably get closer to 1.5gpw pretty easily using COB. I use 3 single emitters with their own individual drivers, and I am getting the PPFD of a 600w HPS for only 241w. And I could visibly see the difference, from the first day my plant was above ground and upright.
A single COB will probably be good for one decent-sized plant, but if you can get 3 emitters,you can do at least a 4.5x4.5 grow area as long as you have a high enough amperage.
A single COB will probably be good for one decent-sized plant, but if you can get 3 emitters,you can do at least a 4.5x4.5 grow area as long as you have a high enough amperage.
Closet-Gardenholic
Well-Known Member
What makes these lights so bad besides the bad craftsmanship? Of course, if diodes burn out, I understand that. However, if these lights are 260 real watts and I'm going to have two of them, what would make you think only 2-5 ounces are possible? People are still getting .5-1g per real watt with these panels. Do you really think I'll only average .05-.2 gpw with Mars Hydro? Why would people continue to buy them?
Olive Drab Green
Well-Known Member
Yes, very likely. And 2-5 ounces is typical for panel LEDs when used by someone who knows what they are doing. They just don't typically have the PPFD required to grow more.
And people continue to buy them because they find RIU after the fact and because the Chinese company that makes them talks them up in their advertising.
Closet-Gardenholic
Well-Known Member
Well it's not like my money is wasted. The light seems to be doing just fine for seedlings and veg growth. Very fast growth with no heat problems. Luckily, I haven't even bought the second one yet. You're pushing me back towards HPS for flowering though. I'm out of the loop as far as cobs, drivers, emitters and such, but I'm sure Its nothing more than a quick google search away.
Like I've said before, I want the highest quality yield for my space, and if two of these lights is going to cause me the disappointment of only 2-5 ounces, I definitely want to change out for something better. 600w HPS?
Olive Drab Green
Well-Known Member
Get COBs. Timber, Tasty, GrowMau5/Cutter, Johnson, etc.
241w harder-driven (over 1400mA Per emitter) COB is equival or pretty damned close to 600w of HPS. With negligible heat and much lower electricity cost.
@Rahz @Stephenj37826 @CobKits @Growmau5
Closet-Gardenholic
Well-Known Member
Gotta find something in the $200 range for this first grow. Once I get back to work and have to worry about heat and electric this Summer, I will definitely check these out! Just can't justify dropping 500-600 on a light right now with a few more months of Winter left for me. I know it will save me on electric in the long run, and I love not worrying about heat, so when I expand to my bigger flowering room this is most likely what I will use. What's my $200-$300 alternative that will beat out the yield from the original 2 LEDs?
People get results from CFL to
dj crane
Well-Known Member
I remember getting a 400W HPS with a sunwing reflector ballest, and grow light for around that price. CFL great for flowering but If you want that next level yield you will prob switch to HPS eventually. With that being said, go with what works for you. This should be treated as a learning grow anyway. If CFL is best for you because of: heat, price, stealth or whatever then you know whats gonna work for you.
You will be disappointed in yeild I promise you that but your quality will probably be really good it would be cheaper to retrofit what you bought with some quantum boards than it would be to switch to hps
Closet-Gardenholic
Well-Known Member
I'm looking at dogital ballasts from HTG. I'd like to get a 600w system for when I expand, but will this be too much light for 3 plants in a 2x4 space? I may be better of going with 400w
Closet-Gardenholic
Well-Known Member
So much for the title of my thread lol
dj crane
Well-Known Member
600W should be fine you just need to make sure you can exhaust that heat, that's gonna involve investing in an inline fan.
Closet-Gardenholic
Well-Known Member
I currently have 4" ducts with inline exhaust fan, but no intake fan. If I do go HPS, I will change exhaust ducting to 6" and get a stronger fan. And I'll use my 4" inline to push cool air in from outside. Heat shouldn't be an issue.
Closet-Gardenholic
Well-Known Member
Masters pack is on it's way. "5 ML Master Pack 16 oz Buddha Grow, 16 oz Buddha Bloom, 16 oz Trinity, 8 oz Amino Aide, 8 oz Big Swell, 8 oz Ancient Amber, 8 oz Extreme Serene, 8 oz HP2, 8 oz HPK, 1.8 oz Oregonism XL. This nutrient line is designed to be used in potting soil."
Thanks for the info on the kit! Still working on improved lighting for flowering. Glad someone finally decided to talk crap about Mars
