Full Build of Building and Grow by NEWB
- Thread starter Anthrax-VX
- Start date
Anthrax-VX
Member
possibly,have you used these lights before? or similar full spectrum LED's, from what i can see the yields are quite a bit better per watt, ill be able to get some par numbers on thursday, and its not that much cheaping out, its 2 plants per 600 watt equivelent hps. 6 lights 12 plants.. but again you may be right, it is definitely a learning experience for me.
Yodaweed
Well-Known Member
I have used similar to those that you have, they aren't as good as hps in my opinion good luck to you.
Anthrax-VX
Member
what is it that you noticed different? what do you think about the cob style LED, spectrums seem to replicate a very good spectrum.
coreywebster
Well-Known Member
Nice set up.
For lights that outperform the actual wattage draw your going to need more efficient units. But you cant do that for the price of the vipar spectras or other similar, it will cost you around $315 per 3x3 or 2x4 area. Some of the most efficient are Quantum boards, at 285 true watts they match roughly 500w of hps. So when you read vipars or similar claiming 600w for 240w of draw you know its a gross exaggeration. Theres a lot of dodgy reviews on amazon, but the main problem with amazon reviews are, You buy a product, you turn it on, it works, you leave a review. Most people don't see a problem with cheap LED until it comes to flowering, by which time you already left a glowing review and so the cycle continues and the next 10 guys buy a light and do the same...
Cobs are great btw, but again its about the efficiency, that means more cobs ran soft and that also costs a chunk of cash, although they are getting cheaper. But if you do buy them, make sure you ask around first. The Chinese cheap builds have jumped on the bandwagon, now there are many "COB lights" that are not what they should be.
If the budgets not there for high efficiency lighting, go with HPS.
For lights that outperform the actual wattage draw your going to need more efficient units. But you cant do that for the price of the vipar spectras or other similar, it will cost you around $315 per 3x3 or 2x4 area. Some of the most efficient are Quantum boards, at 285 true watts they match roughly 500w of hps. So when you read vipars or similar claiming 600w for 240w of draw you know its a gross exaggeration. Theres a lot of dodgy reviews on amazon, but the main problem with amazon reviews are, You buy a product, you turn it on, it works, you leave a review. Most people don't see a problem with cheap LED until it comes to flowering, by which time you already left a glowing review and so the cycle continues and the next 10 guys buy a light and do the same...
Cobs are great btw, but again its about the efficiency, that means more cobs ran soft and that also costs a chunk of cash, although they are getting cheaper. But if you do buy them, make sure you ask around first. The Chinese cheap builds have jumped on the bandwagon, now there are many "COB lights" that are not what they should be.
If the budgets not there for high efficiency lighting, go with HPS.
Anthrax-VX
Member
ic, thanks for info, heres a question, so lets say a good LED system is twice as efficicent (runs 50% less energy for the same amount of par) than hps, and mine are lets say 20 percent less output than those good cob leds, so my true watts out is roughly 1500 true watts out x.8 for efficiency of the good LED ones = 1200 equivelent TRUE watts to a good cob system, and roughly as good as a 2400 HPS system, in your opinion (if the math is relatively decent) do you think it would suffice my 12 plant grow? its 12 plants with 6 of these lights, (and yes i know i can figure it out when i get my par sensor next week but i like peoples' opinions and value them. Thanks in advance, and next week i have an Apogee SQ-520 (usb) coming in, it wont give me the spectrum readout that "lighting passport" would give me, but might be good enough to get me through
Anthrax-VX
Member
agreed but is relatively easy to fix with light distance for 1 light per 2 plants, they were giving my plants light burn at 18 inches above with the "veg" mode on so i ended up having to raise them nearly to 48 inches above the canopy, probably because they are so young, 2 weeks now. and i did look at those lights u linked, they look great, BUT if i got them now i wouldnt know how much better they are than these until i finish at least 1 grow with them
also here is a pic at 2 weeks, fixed some issues with having water level too high and had some growth in the beginning because i was running bennies that someone recommended for my dwc but i ended up nuking it last week and going sterile, which has been MUCH better for the plants but i have definitely stunted them, however i would like some experience guys just to see these and see if they seem like they are where tehy should be at the end of 2 weeks from clones.
coreywebster
Well-Known Member
From what I understand cheap LEDs are roughly the same as HPS, I have seen it said they are less efficient, but I really couldn't say. They are so surrounded by misinformation and the relevant info is never given in the sales pitch.ic, thanks for info, heres a question, so lets say a good LED system is twice as efficicent (runs 50% less energy for the same amount of par) than hps, and mine are lets say 20 percent less output than those good cob leds, so my true watts out is roughly 1500 true watts out x.8 for efficiency of the good LED ones = 1200 equivelent TRUE watts to a good cob system, and roughly as good as a 2400 HPS system, in your opinion (if the math is relatively decent) do you think it would suffice my 12 plant grow? its 12 plants with 6 of these lights, (and yes i know i can figure it out when i get my par sensor next week but i like peoples' opinions and value them. Thanks in advance, and next week i have an Apogee SQ-520 (usb) coming in, it wont give me the spectrum readout that "lighting passport" would give me, but might be good enough to get me through
You have an Apogee coming so best thing is to take your readings. I would be very interested in seeing the numbers.
As far as if its enough light to grow as you intended I would imagine you would have to condense your plant size and grow area to get the most from them, but I'm basing that only on the folks who struggled to light the area they expected with similar lighting.
If it they were true 600w replacements you would cover 4x4 per light, I think you might find they will cover a 2.5x2.5 in flower.
Dont take my word on it, let the Apogee tell it how it is. I would love to be wrong.
PetFlora
Well-Known Member
this will go a long way to optimum growing AND highest quality trichs
https://www.heliospectra.com/blog/forgotten-spectrum-and-importance-green-light-crop-quality
https://www.heliospectra.com/blog/forgotten-spectrum-and-importance-green-light-crop-quality
Last edited:
Anthrax-VX
Member
if they cover 2.5x2.5 ill be good, i have 2 strings of 3 above, basically in between each 4 pot set but a little to the outside of each row since i figured the center would be getting shared light from both sides, ill have to take my par measurements but i think it covers good, the pots are 24" on center so 60" deep x 48" wide (at center) i am curios to see if i get relatively even light on each plant with this setup, the lights are movable since i put them on turn-buckled stainless line and some d-rings to adjustable light hangers so no biggie.From what I understand cheap LEDs are roughly the same as HPS, I have seen it said they are less efficient, but I really couldn't say. They are so surrounded by misinformation and the relevant info is never given in the sales pitch.
You have an Apogee coming so best thing is to take your readings. I would be very interested in seeing the numbers.
As far as if its enough light to grow as you intended I would imagine you would have to condense your plant size and grow area to get the most from them, but I'm basing that only on the folks who struggled to light the area they expected with similar lighting.
If it they were true 600w replacements you would cover 4x4 per light, I think you might find they will cover a 2.5x2.5 in flower.
Dont take my word on it, let the Apogee tell it how it is. I would love to be wrong.
Anthrax-VX
Member
good read, thank god these lights have white in them
PetFlora
Well-Known Member
but not enoughgood read, thank god these lights have white in them
Kerovan
Well-Known Member
Good led's like Quantum Boards aren't quite as good as people say. Not saying that they are bad, they are good lights. But led users tend to exaggerate their performance. I have a 260W hlg quantum board and it is not quite as good as a 400W hps. In my opinion you will need ~75-80% led wattage to match hps. So you would need ~480W quantum to match 600W hps or ~400W quantum to match 500W hps. Viparspectra you will need a little more, but not much. Even though they get knocked a lot, they seem to grow decent weed and put out a decent amount of light, but not as much as quantum boards. You will want closer to 90% viparspectra to match an equal hps.ic, thanks for info, heres a question, so lets say a good LED system is twice as efficicent (runs 50% less energy for the same amount of par) than hps, and mine are lets say 20 percent less output than those good cob leds, so my true watts out is roughly 1500 true watts out x.8 for efficiency of the good LED ones = 1200 equivelent TRUE watts to a good cob system, and roughly as good as a 2400 HPS system, in your opinion (if the math is relatively decent) do you think it would suffice my 12 plant grow? its 12 plants with 6 of these lights, (and yes i know i can figure it out when i get my par sensor next week but i like peoples' opinions and value them. Thanks in advance, and next week i have an Apogee SQ-520 (usb) coming in, it wont give me the spectrum readout that "lighting passport" would give me, but might be good enough to get me through
Anthrax-VX
Member
ill do my par analysis tomorrow, cant wait for that damn thing to come in lol
Yodaweed
Well-Known Member
And it doesn't help that a bunch of people on this forum are the ones selling the LEDs and making outrageous claims, been like this since LEDs were released with targeted spectrums that were supposed to be better than full spectrum lighting, man things have changed.
coreywebster
Well-Known Member
How did your par tests go?
Anthrax-VX
Member
haha kinda forgot about that, i got it in and used it mainly to set my par on my canopy to 500, when lights go off tomorrow i will do a test and box it in etc with a good distance map
stawawager
Well-Known Member
Which would put out more heat? Or cover more area better?