CaliLightWorks vs Black Dog vs ???

S

Smokeage

Well-Known Member
Considering going back to LED after taking several years off. I was originally sold on the technology but ended up being kind of disappointed in the results; however if im being completely honest that could have been for a few reasons not associated with the light so I want to give it another go.

I feel like I should give CLW another run before I make up my mind on their products but I've also heard good things about Black Dog.

There's also all this new shit now about COBs and QBs that I know basically nothing about because those were still infants in this community 6-7 years ago.

I've got the income to get something nice but I'm also not one to overspend if I don't absolutely have to so I'm curious what you guys think of the two companies mentioned and their products and im also interested in hearing some opinions about COBs/QMs. I'm not opposed to making my own setup but at the same time I don't want to be fiddle-farting around with a million components trying to setup unproven "patterns" and then end up with a fucked up crop either.
 
Smokeage said:
Considering going back to LED after taking several years off. I was originally sold on the technology but ended up being kind of disappointed in the results; however if im being completely honest that could have been for a few reasons not associated with the light so I want to give it another go.

I feel like I should give CLW another run before I make up my mind on their products but I've also heard good things about Black Dog.

There's also all this new shit now about COBs and QBs that I know basically nothing about because those were still infants in this community 6-7 years ago.

I've got the income to get something nice but I'm also not one to overspend if I don't absolutely have to so I'm curious what you guys think of the two companies mentioned and their products and im also interested in hearing some opinions about COBs/QMs. I'm not opposed to making my own setup but at the same time I don't want to be fiddle-farting around with a million components trying to setup unproven "patterns" and then end up with a fucked up crop either.
Click to expand...
CLW is overpriced. Black Dog is shit. Definitely go COB or QB if you're looking for a pre-built fixture. Check out Timber or RapidLED for COB setups, and growerslights.com for pre-assembled QB lights. If you're up to DIY, Samsung strip lights are the cheapest way to get into top-quality LED. What size is your grow space?
 
I've got another thread in Grow Room about how I should setup my area so I'm not really prepared to answer that question 100%. The most recent concept is attached.

(The tables in the Veg/Clone room will be double stacked; First floor will have 4' vertical height (for veg) and the top floor will have 3' vertical height for clones/mothers. The flower room will have 4'x8' of grow space and 7' vertical height.)

Needless to say I'll probably be looking for a few different styles of light to fit each table/grow area :sweat_smile:
 

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Humple said:
Two of these would be ideal for your flower room (if you decide on pre-built instead of building your own).



600+ watts of Quantum Boards for $700 will beat the pants off CLW's most comparably priced unit.
Click to expand...

How would this compare to the Solar System 1100 UVB? I was thinking about picking up two of those for flowering and then run some SS 275 VEG or SS 550 VEG for the veg.

I'm definitely a fan of the price reduction but I want to make sure that I'm getting equivalent lighting.
 
Smokeage said:
How would this compare to the Solar System 1100 UVB? I was thinking about picking up two of those for flowering and then run some SS 275 VEG or SS 550 VEG for the veg.

I'm definitely a fan of the price reduction but I want to make sure that I'm getting equivalent lighting.
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If you want the UV, there are far cheaper ways to get it. Add some reptile bulbs to your grow. All those CLWs are waaaay overpriced (in my opinion). Quantum Boards use the best, most efficient diodes on the market - you will not find better.
 
Smokeage said:
Considering going back to LED after taking several years off. I was originally sold on the technology but ended up being kind of disappointed in the results; however if im being completely honest that could have been for a few reasons not associated with the light so I want to give it another go.

I feel like I should give CLW another run before I make up my mind on their products but I've also heard good things about Black Dog.

There's also all this new shit now about COBs and QBs that I know basically nothing about because those were still infants in this community 6-7 years ago.

I've got the income to get something nice but I'm also not one to overspend if I don't absolutely have to so I'm curious what you guys think of the two companies mentioned and their products and im also interested in hearing some opinions about COBs/QMs. I'm not opposed to making my own setup but at the same time I don't want to be fiddle-farting around with a million components trying to setup unproven "patterns" and then end up with a fucked up crop either.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't consider either of those today. The LED landscape has changed and high efficiency white LEDs are the way to go. Either COB's, Quantum boards or Samsung F series/Bridgelux EB series strips are the top dog these days.
 
Humple said:
If you want the UV, there are far cheaper ways to get it. Add some reptile bulbs to your grow. All those CLWs are waaaay overpriced (in my opinion). Quantum Boards use the best, most efficient diodes on the market - you will not find better.
Click to expand...

Let me rephrase: If price wasn't a variable would the SS 1100 outperform the one you linked?

If so, what would be an equivalent to that model?

Also, ignore the UVB for conversations sake.

nfhiggs said:
I wouldn't consider either of those today. The LED landscape has changed and high efficiency white LEDs are the way to go. Either COB's, Quantum boards or Samsung F series/Bridgelux EB series strips are the top dog these days.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's what I've been picking up on and I don't think I will be using either BD or CLW. Right now I'm just using the CLW as a comparison since that was my original first pick.
 
Smokeage said:
Let me rephrase: If price wasn't a variable would the SS 1100 outperform the one you linked?

If so, what would be an equivalent to that model?

Also, ignore the UVB for conversations sake.



Yeah, that's what I've been picking up on and I don't think I will be using either BD or CLW. Right now I'm just using the CLW as a comparison since that was my original first pick.
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I'll put it this way - even if the Quantum Board rig cost every bit as much as the CLW, I would still choose it (if money was no object, and there wasn't a better light out there). CLW isn't using the best-of-the-best in the diode department, and that matters.

In the real world I, personally, would build my own
 
You'd think after this many years, people would stop asking about these 6 year old lamps. Nobody here would recommend blackdog...

Use search!
 
Humple said:
I'll put it this way - even if the Quantum Board rig cost every bit as much as the CLW, I would still choose it (if money was no object, and there wasn't a better light out there). CLW isn't using the best-of-the-best in the diode department, and that matters.

In the real world I, personally, would build my own
Click to expand...

Gotcha and thanks for the reply! If I could like your post I would but apparently I don't have the perms for it yet haha.

I'm still going to look into possibly building one but at least for getting started I think I'm going to go with a plug-and-play model.

churchhaze said:
You'd think after this many years, people would stop asking about these 6 year old lamps. Nobody here would recommend blackdog...

Use search!
Click to expand...

I've been looking up nothing but lighting info for the past 3 days :shrug: Thanks for contributing to the thread.
 
Those LEDs are ridiculously expensive and there are cheaper options on the market today. I would be looking into the fluence Spydrx honestly.
Blackdog is shit. Any company that needs to make a website to publish their own 3rd party testing to prove their led works, doesnt work.
And if you want UVB you can just buy a UV bulb designed for that for 20$.

If money isnt a problem. Fluence systems are the way to go for sure. The spectrum they have out is just ridiculous. You can search people using their products online and they are doing work.

Other than that I would say Quantum Boards.
 
Aolelon said:
I disagree, if you had the money I have no doubt a fluence would outgrow samsung diodes.
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You wouldn't happen to have a link to a side-by-side comparing a Fluence fixture to Quantum Boards? Because I have yet to see anything that really convinces me that Fluence has an edge.
 
I do not, but all the videos I've watched on them. Plus their spectrum is far superior to samsungs
 
Aolelon said:
I do not, but all the videos I've watched on them. Plus their spectrum is far superior to samsungs
Click to expand...
See, I have my doubts about the value of these mixed-spectrum lights. Plenty of growers here have tried it in their DIY builds, but the results I've seen don't appear to be measurably better than straight white (3000k or 3500k).
 
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