Noob trying to work out LED lighting

Hey guys,

I made the mistake of getting a chinese LED light (phlizon 600W to be exact). I will have to keep until i can get new lights as i have already started a grow:

I have went all over the place thinking other chinese lights were legit to find out there not all that when compared with other options. I think I am going away from blurple lights to white and leaning towards a couple of COB lights. The options I am considering are the Migro 100 and the Optic 1XL. The Optic 1XL is cheaper currently even with 30% tax but the Migro is UK based and can get fast. I'm not sure if the Optic 1XL will stay at $189 for long and may be able to stretch to getting both together but was hoping to maybe split the cost as buying starting gear for my grow has drained the funds and wished I had done more research in the first place.

Are these good choices? I plan to probably put one each side of the shitty light and if I get one now it can help with veg and then get the second in 5 weeks time when I am paid again and hopefully can start flower if things go well.

Edit: I forgot to mention I am growing in a 80x80x160cm tent.

I learned so much from watching and LISTENING to Prof. Bugbee.

If the specs are true, Migro 100+ has a very decent 2.48 µmols/watt, and the Optic doesn't list it (I might be blind). As a rule of thumb, if they don't give you the specs like Prof. Bugbee discussed, don't buy or even consider. If you can find them, look for lights with Samsung, Osram, or any branded diodes. As Prof. Bugbee explains in a video (might be another one) lights with some deep red diodes are to be sought after.

I also started with a "1000w" Chinese light that turned out to be a 70w in reality. So many Chinese companies bullshit with the wattage it has completely polluted the internet with crap.

Apologies, the Optic light does list as "PAR efficacy: 2.1 umol/j". This is also very decent.

Yeah been turned onto Prof. Bugbee recently. I understand a lot more after watching some proper experts talk about this. May have made it more difficult to choose a light however.
I'm waiting a bit as guy on here is going to find a post about diy. Getting told i can build my own for less and will be better. Only interested as been told that it doesn't require solder. If I don't feel I am equipped by the end of the week I will hit the button on one of these.
I seen the figure on the website as 2.1 µmols/J or 1.9. The Migro youtube has them both around 2.0 µmols/w if i recall correctly.
With the sale price the Optic is 2/3 the price of the Migro but that may not last long. Have emailed them to find out.

Have you not considered building your own? It’s really easy and it will end up cheaper and you’ll be able to design a light to fit your footprint

Samsung striplights come with connections no solder needed

From what I can see your price range is around a decent 100w light? You can always just add another one later.

I also have a similar-sized tent, but mine is 80x80x180. I completely lucked out and found a grow shop less than a kilo away from me. They stock decent stuff. I used my Chinese light until I found this place, added a custom 100W UFO (Samsung and Osram deep red diodes), and then another the next month, replacing the Chinese light. From what I've learned, you have more time than you think, and LEDs are too damn expensive.

SamWE19 said:

Have you not considered building your own? It’s really easy and it will end up cheaper and you’ll be able to design a light to fit your footprint

Samsung striplights come with connections no solder needed

Click to expand...

I have and I have been told its easy but I have absolute zero clue on where to start.

Ozymandiasza said:

From what I can see your price range is around a decent 100w light? You can always just add another one later.

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Yeah I can do about £200, give or take, in a week and then do another £200 in 5 weeks. I could stretch to going £400 in a week but would be tight for the next month. i.e. no purchasing bud as this is my first grow lol

Poobzilla said:

I have and I have been told its easy but I have absolute zero clue on where to start.

Click to expand...

https://www.meanwell.com/ makes some decent power supplies.

Here is a decent DIY build. This guy also has videos on his crops

Ozymandiasza said:

https://www.meanwell.com/ makes some decent power supplies.

Here is a decent DIY build. This guy also has videos on his crops

Click to expand...

Cool. Some of the numbers already sound like gibberish to me. It's all the amps, voltage and wattage requirements that's the daunting part.
The more i go on in the video the more I find out I need. Don't have cutting tools or a drill.

Would a DIY kit be an option or are they overpriced?

Poobzilla said:

Would a DIY kit be an option or are they overpriced?

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You won’t need a cutting tool if you use Samsung strips.

Go online and buy some aluminium baking trays as big as you can find or the size you need for your footprint

Go and buy some Samsung led strip lights

Buy some heat transfer tape

Stick the leds onto the tray with the tape

Buy a reel of wire And wire strippers

Cut wire to length with strippers strip the end, plug into the Samsung led in the correct chain (people here can help with that)

Buy a meanwell power supply rated to the power you want plug it into the led chain

Hang the trays and turn on

That sounds ghetto as fuck lol
You meaning the disposable aluminium trays or are you meaning something thicker?

Poobzilla said:

That sounds ghetto as fuck lol
You meaning the disposable aluminium trays or are you meaning something thicker?

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Not a disposable one, as they are more like tin foil but they may be ok. I wouldn’t use them tho personally.

Think more commercial kitchen, aluminium tray that they reuse for years

SamWE19 said:

Not a disposable one, as they are more like tin foil but they may be ok. I wouldn’t use them tho personally.

Think more commercial kitchen, aluminium tray that they reuse for years

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I wasn't sure lol
When you said aluminium tray it reminded me of the Mars Hydro that looks like its got one of them as a reflector but acts more like a heat sink from what I've heard.

Like this

Would end up looking like this

Although the guy mounted the leds on the wrong side of the aluminium imo. I’d mount them so the edges point up not down so heat doesn’t get trapped

I can't believe i might be considering this.
What LED strips would you suggest? When looking seen different models of them.
Can you get them shorter as seen the F series was 680mm length? That would almost take up my whole tent and would be concerned about filter and extractor as cannot mount outside tent.

sorry my bad, it was 560mm. but still concerning size as i would be wanting to be as square as possible

Op,check this site.For diy knowledge,guides and tutorials.