Good lighting for 1 plant
- Thread starter Zgerk
- Start date
http://www.ebay.com/itm/371874603623 would this light be good
Dr. Who
Well-Known Member
Crap, crappy crap - crap!
Nasty
In that space.....
Plow through these, to find your price goals. If you have to spend a few more bucks - Do it!
To bloom in that area.....You start with 1 - 600 and when you can. Add another.
LED is not going to cover your goals at that height and be more expensive for one that even gets close to being able to.
Your new focus is to being able to keep your heat down in that area....Even with other lighting systems...
While a closet is an attractive place to grow. Keeping it cool can be a pain...
Senior Smoke
Well-Known Member
I have a very similar light. I think It will work just fine for one short plant. your room is a little big for 1 light and 1 plant but at the end of the day you will have bud to smoke. People are telling u this light is junk, and in fairness compared to high priced top of the line lights it is.. I think my girlfriends New Kia Sorento is junk but apparently It starts, runs, and drives just fine. Its still junk compared to the Lincoln MRK tho... see what i'm getting at here.. lol
Carolina Dream'n
Well-Known Member
315w CMH
ZeroTrousers
Well-Known Member
The question at that price point is: Can you deal with extra heat?
If the answer is yes, grab a cheap iPower HPS setup - you can get the 400w version, though the ballast will probably only last a couple years at most.
If the answer is no... wait it out, spend a bit more and start with a good LED setup. This one from Rapid LED would be a decent start:
http://www.rapidled.com/vero29-triple-cob-array-kit/
It requires a little DIY, but it's like the short-bus version of putting together LED (very hard to mess up...) Get the "A" driver for plug-n-play or the "B" driver if you want to have a knob for dimming. Add on some reflectors and you've only spent maybe 80-100 more than you were initially looking for, and it'll still be good for you to use down-line as a veg light or as part of a higher power array.
While you can get decent results with those Chinese panels, you're going to want to get better lights sooner rather than later. and it's always cheaper to buy great quality once than buy shit quality over and over again.
If the answer is yes, grab a cheap iPower HPS setup - you can get the 400w version, though the ballast will probably only last a couple years at most.
If the answer is no... wait it out, spend a bit more and start with a good LED setup. This one from Rapid LED would be a decent start:
http://www.rapidled.com/vero29-triple-cob-array-kit/
It requires a little DIY, but it's like the short-bus version of putting together LED (very hard to mess up...) Get the "A" driver for plug-n-play or the "B" driver if you want to have a knob for dimming. Add on some reflectors and you've only spent maybe 80-100 more than you were initially looking for, and it'll still be good for you to use down-line as a veg light or as part of a higher power array.
While you can get decent results with those Chinese panels, you're going to want to get better lights sooner rather than later. and it's always cheaper to buy great quality once than buy shit quality over and over again.
Dr. Who
Well-Known Member
Good for veg, but not so good for bloom - at that height.
Dr. Who
Well-Known Member
COBs are nice for shorter plants.
Once you go tall - they lack needed penetration.
ZeroTrousers
Well-Known Member
I'm not having that problem, i get good canopy penetration. But i guess that depends on what kind of COB and optic/reflector you use.
Dr. Who
Well-Known Member
And just how tall are your plants?
I grow tall plants - 6ft+.
COBs are not penetrating enough....period.
ZeroTrousers
Well-Known Member
For most small scale (personal) growers like me... 3-4' tall. My current crop is just over 4' and the main issue I have is that i'm out of head space in my tent, penetration is fine.
So yeah, a 1000w DE HPS will penetrate more being a point source and all that, not denying it. It's also not a really good choice if OP either can't evacuate that much heat or doesn't plan to grow 6'+ plants.
Dr. Who
Well-Known Member
Part 1 = yup, your correct.
Part 2. Yes but, "I" told him to go 600w.....He doesn't need a 1K - especially a DE....
He has a LIMITED spending limit - you didn't take the time to actually READ that part, did you? For what he can spend. He can't touch a COB LED......
I gave him the best choice for his price limits......
Your love for COB's and the need to spread the word on them is noted......
ZeroTrousers
Well-Known Member
My previous response to OP specifically suggested picking up a 400w-600w HPS if he had a way to deal with the heat it creates and save up a bit more for a COB setup if they didn't. Not sure how that's a negative thing. HPS still has it's place as a decent low-cost lighting solution.
Dr. Who
Well-Known Member
Technically, you suggested a 400. No 600 in that post. Then you say to hold out for COB's....I answered that part "NoPants"
. (just having fun here)A 600 is perfect for his start up. He would not have to "upgrade" later - other then to add a second set due to the 6' length.
The resulting available Umal's would be more like a 1K in that space....
HPS will be around yet for a long time.. Until the lighting industry can produce something that can actually run a tall production plant, other then HPS. Every single commercial facility I've seen. Runs HPS DE or otherwise.
ZeroTrousers
Well-Known Member
Technically, you suggested a 400. No 600 in that post. Then you say to hold out for COB's....I answered that part "NoPants"
A 600 is perfect for his start up. He would not have to "upgrade" later - other then to add a second set due to the 6' length.
The resulting available Umal's would be more like a 1K in that space....
HPS will be around yet for a long time.. Until the lighting industry can produce something that can actually run a tall production plant, other then HPS. Every single commercial facility I've seen. Runs HPS DE or otherwise.
Thought i mentioned 600w... well that's what you get for dipping into your own supply....
Completely agree 600w would be a good start for the space OP has, the only reason i suggested holding out for COBs is because of heat; if OP's place is anything like mine it can get toasty in the summer even without lights (a big reason i didn't go HPS).
I disagree to an extent on the commercial production side of things though, there are COB setups which can punch through canopy almost well as HPS or MH, but they're different from hobby-size arrays; plus way too costly for initial set-up and not enough difference in electrical cost at business rates to be worthwhile.
In 5-10 years I expect that HPS will be overtaken by another technology (LED or otherwise) but I honestly believe small hobby grows in Canada will see more LED use as cost continues to come down; there's just too many advantages for the shorter plants that will be required by the purposed law.