Lol... because its not worth the bickering! the only other guy I know that can speak to it on both ends, is puff. once you have both panels setting in front of you, then you know to what extent I am speaking to, or trying to explain...
1.)One is a closer to a square, the other a rectangle, and their footprints show that respectively.Both do not give off a perfect square footproont- but one better than the other.
2.) and I think this a good, obvious point where it starts speaking to the people in the company itself, the time and thought, effort and work they put into the actual design AND performance of their panels.... 2.) Fans, One uses smaller fans, running faster (assuming), and on the side of the panel itself, pulling air THROUGH, or OVER the fins of the heatsink, whereas the other uses the accustomed "out-the-top" move, and if you look in SDS' thread, he drew up a shmancy little schematic of what happens to the air..... just pulled right out the top, not necessarily drawn over/through the fins, yes this still cools things down, but is the air's temps that is drawn over the fins risen enough on the short path through and out the top? Or could the draw/pull on those big fans be used more efficiently? IDK (for the record) but, I have a gut feeling they did it right the first time, Apache has not redesigned SHIT since they released their first panel, which again, tells me they did their homework (and Im sure trial and error- BUT behind the curtains before release, and not "along the way...") before they decided to release ANY generation of their panels, the SGS is what... the.. 5th? Again, not ragging on any one at all, I enjoy all my panels, but it is what it is.
3.) Speaking to the design/thought/time/price put into the panels, one panel uses what I am assuming is custom fitted lenses. That would require a custom Mold/Casting to make, so not only did they get their hands on some "cool looking, or different" lenses, they went through all the shit to find a business or person(s) to make they Mold so then they could take THAT to a press and have their lenses made... or however those things are made. Either way, the point is there. Whereas the second company uses lenses that look like the ones I could purchase from Digikey/Mouser/whatthefuckever, and covered with a frosted plastic (which is STILL effort- EH still had to go thorugh and get those custom cut/made, but to the same extent or cost of the custom lenses...?) <-- see my point?
4.) Drivers, my AT200...yea..... here we go, get ready. has x2 96w Meanwell Drivers in them, and VERY tidy work. Now, I have not opened my SGS, but it wouldn't matter if I did- he doesnt redeem secondhand warranties, just so you all know. but I have rebuilt, tore down, etc the 2012 A51's, and those were not any better in a "wiring sense" than my ProGrows, chinese drivers, but I didn't see any resistors? So hey, plus there? ?Anyways, but I have noticed the wiring strung across the PCB through the fan ports on my SGS while its on- more noticeable when teh reds are on but they are there. Makes me wonder, again, whats in there. Supra has brought Driver Efficiency to the table in another thread.
5.) Warranties, I asked one about the warranty- at the time It was a lifetime (on my older panels), that QUICKLY went out the window entirely for some reason, even if only 1 out 3 were faulty. When I sold those they made it a point to remind me those didn't carry over. And the second company I was on the phone with laughed and agreed that if anything ever happened to the panel they would take care of it. Not really cocky but kindve surprised I even asked...
6.) LEDs, I don't know. Whatever, they both use reputable brands and thats the only reason I have em. Best of what we can get, pre assembled.
7.) and you gotta think about what kind of application these things are for... I think THATS what puts me so off on this comparison, one is OBVIOUSLY a greenhouse garden light, narrow lenses for high hanging--> to cast a smaller shadow over your crop, but still get as serious of light from em as you can. Fans on the side, im assuming to AT LEAST help with moisture not settling in the wrong spot, The other light is the quietest thing I've ever been able to put my ears to the test with (bullshit, but it IS the quietest panel I've had to date, and the only one I see topping that are a group of Hans) and the wider style of the panel suggest a smaller space, such as a closet footprint, or cabinet.
Idk, in the words of Kat WIlliams, I got shit ta do today! I really like both companies, and use each of them for their respective purposes to fill my needs, <-- yes, I do love my panels. and they love me too. Im using my SGS over my 3 (actual probably 1) seeding right now, because I can give em all white, and runs quiet (for my quiet part of the area), and lower draw/intensity more suitable for what I am doing.
Ta-da.
Sorry Green :/ I know... you're just trying to do your thing, we should just start a fucking sticky for this already, I vote chroni, psu and Hy to come up with the Title.
Edit: sorry puff I hadn't meant it in a radical way, it is all about preference and as for cap'n I could never come at him the wrong way, much respect in his direction.