Led Lights

[Pmoe90]

What's the best led light to buy? Looking to get a new light just need a little direction. I was looking for an hps but the only ones I could find came with a kit. I just need a good light for flower.

[Sheesh]

Lots of options and lots of opinions on LED lighting. I have a California Light Works SS440 which is a great light for a 4x4 but expensive at $800. I've had it for 4.5 hyears with no issues and it's going strong still. The new model is the SS550 and it's got all the modern digital control features. LED COB lighting is a great choice too. Optic LED, Spectum King and Timber Grow Lights are a few. Those will run $500 to $800 and rock your grow. For lower priced, Viparspectra is a good choice. Good luck.

[Weed Pharma]

I use the MarsHydro line- 300w gives rock hard buds and MarsHydro reflector series does well in overall growth. ( I have both LED types in the tent)
I routinely pull 9-10 oz (auto's) from a 2x4x6 tent using about 1000w total-
I grabbed another 300w last month when on a lightning sale @ $49- haven't taken out of the box

[starramus]

"For lower priced, Viparspectra is a good choice. Good luck." by Sheesh

Yes a Viparspectra will get you by. https://www.amazon.com/VIPARSPECTRA-...led+grow+light I have a couple of these, but for flowering I like the tried and true HPS https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...light&_sacat=0

[NAKEDGARDENER]

I’m a huge ceramic metal halide fan, can use em through veg and flowering with no bulb change needed, I switch my T5 fluorescent to bloom then finisher bulbs last couple of weeks.

[redbeard]

Chilled if u got the cash. Build it if u dont.

[Weed Pharma]

IMO- it's most important that the light's footprint matches/covers the shape and size of the tent.
ie: if you have a rectangular tent- then use LED(s) with that pattern - with required tent height available.

As you increase above 480w/fixture you will need additional height!

[MrStoker]

Quick question, is that 480W actual or rated value? If the house circuit can hold it and the cost is not too prohibitive, was thinking of diy fixture of actual draw around 500W over 8sqft. BTW...just talking out my head at the moment. Haven't run any specs yet. That'd be about 5.5A on the light alone.

[Weed Pharma]

It draws about 205w from the wall.

[MrStoker]

Thanks for the info. Thinking more about 500W, that's probably being over zealous. Will definitely spend some serious brain time on specs and Dangerdan's articles before building anything. I'm seriously OCD when it comes to this kind of stuff; too many years in engineering.

[Pmoe90]

Appreciate everyone's input it helped a lot!

[THComa]

I would recommend the KIND LED full spectrum, I use a K3 series L450 in a 4' x 3' closet for autos and works great.

[Buzzer777]

HLG Quantum boards..Build or buy assembled..Very simple to build, and the most efficient lights out there. (C.O.Bs) second for efficiency)..
.JUST SAY NO TO BURPLE!!

[Flockshot]

In my opinion, LED lights are not up to the task when it comes to flowering.

[furrysparkle]

I’m having a very similar problem, my grandma wants me to choose an LED for our flowering tent, however I want to use a 600w HPS what would get similar yields and wattage in the LED world

a sinple amazon search yielded viprasectra and this black dog light Black Dog LED PhytoMAX-2 600 Grow Lights | High Yield Full Spectrum Indoor Grow Light with Bonus Quick Start Guide https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072F2W1HJ..._qoxGBbBRY1ZE8

your thoughts?

[gbauto]

furry, the BlackDog is just an overpriced version of the Vipar. Both are entry-level led technology and are no more efficient than HPS/CMH fixtures. If you really want to see the benefits of led technology, you'll need to use cobs(real cobs, not those Chinese 'cob's) or something like quantum boards or light strips. Those diodes will give you more light for fewer watts.

[furrysparkle]

Could you link to product pages or info pages for further research

[DrPhoton]

Cobs are not more efficient than traditional SMD diodes, this is a misconception. They are actually less efficient due to their high concentration of energy and heat. I write about this in my article on grow light technologies.

[gbauto]

what I'm suggesting is that using a higher efficacy is the key to getting more light from each watt.

[furrysparkle]

gbauto DrPhoton Sheesh

So if I wanted 600w HPS light equivalent in the most electrically efficient way how would one go about that?

[DrPhoton]

Here is a list i made looking at the most powerful & efficient LED fixtures currently available. Cheap LED fixtures just do not compare to gas discharge at all, they have their place for small scale grows but they are most definitely, less efficient.

Fluence

Spyder X Plus
PPF 1500 umol (True Measurement)
2.3umol per watt
$1500
$1 Per umol

Spyder X
PPF 810umol (True Measurement)
2.5umol per watt
$900
$1.11 Per umol

Spectrum King

SK602
PPF 1376umol (Calculated)
2.15umol Per watt
$1349
$0.98 Per umol

SK402
PPF 924umol (Calculated)
2.15umol Per watt
$779
$0.84 Per umol

Kind LED

K5XL1000
PPF 850umol (True Measurement)
1.3umol Per Watt
$1900
$2.2 Per umol

K5XL750
PPF 560umol (True Measurement)
1.3umol Per watt
$1400
$2.5 Per umol

Black Dog

Phytomax2 1000
PPF 1600umol (True Measurement)
1.5umol Per watt
$2250
$1.4 per umol

Phytomax2 800
PPF 1280umol (True Measurement)
1.5umol Per watt
$1949
$1.5 Per umol

Phytomax2 600
PPF 960umol (True Measurement)
1.5umol Per watt
$1549
$1.6 Per umol

Phytomax2 400
PPF 640umol (True Measurement)
1.5umol Per watt
$1099
$1.7 Per umol

Chill LED

Gen2 800
PPF 2000umol (True Measurement)
2.6umol Per watt
$2000
$1 Per umol

Gen2 600
PPF 1900 umol (True Measurement)
3umol Per watt
$1499
$0.8 Per umol

Gen2 200
PPF 615umol (True Measurement)
2.9umol Per watt
$599
$1 Per umol

NextLight

Mega
PPF 1400umol (Calculated)
2.15umol Per watt
$1695
$1.2 Per umol

Mini
PPF 255 (Calculated)
1.7umol Per watt
$595
$2.3 per umol

California Lightworks

SolarSystem 1100
PPF 1700 (True Measurement)
2.2umol Per watt
$1599
$0.94 Per umol

SolarSystem 550
PPF 888umol (True Measurement)
2.2umol Per watt
$799
$0.9 Per umol

SolarSystem 275
PPF 439umol (True Measurement)
2.2umol Per watt
$489
$1.1 Per umol

Here is gas diacharge technology for comparison

600watt HPS
PPF 1100umols (True Measurement)
1.8umol per watt
$200
$0.18 Per umol

1000watt HPS
PPF 1400umols (True Measurement)
1.4umol per watt
$250
$0.18 per umol

1000watt DE HPS
PPF 1700umol (True Measurement)
1.7umol per watt
$300
$0.17 per umol

600 watt Metal Halide
PPF 780umol (True Measurement)
1.3umol Per watt
$200
$0.25 Per umol

315 watt Ceramic Metal Halide
PPF 491 (True Measurement)
1.5umol Per watt
$500
$1 Per umol

As you can see, these high end LED fixtures are more efficient than traditional gas discharge, but the cost per umol is much higher. Which is why large scale commercial growing is still mostly gas discharge. Its very difficult to recover investments for higher priced fixtures over a rational timeframe. Which is why, until the cost per umol comes down (which through haitz law it will, eventually), gas discharge is still top dog for the time being.

If you just want the best of the best, then i recommend either fluence, california lightworks or nextlight. This is because of both their great efficiency but also cost per umol. Although chill LED has great efficiency, these fixtures are more approapriate for large scale cultivation. Not small scale. But they would still do well if used approariately.

Please check my articles if you have not already, there is plenty of good information surround light technology and plant science.

If there are any further questions, please feel free to ask.

[DrPhoton]

I was thinking about it, but not sure how to do it yet without making it too messy. I want to actually look into the cheaper products and make a list for consumers that are after more affordable products. But because they are less efficient than standard technology, manufacturers almost never provide metric data to analyze them. They likely all have the data, as you have to work this out before actually putting designs to prototypes. But they know it will make their product look inferrior, because it is. So it requires i look at end user results and reviews to analyze them. Very difficult. I might create an entire article for light product recommendations.

[furrysparkle]

DrPhoton do it do it for all the future growers!

[DrPhoton]

Ahh so much work though ^.^

I tell you what, you make a thread asking people to post their most recommended LED brand (under $600), and il use that data to compile a list and start the research.