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HYDRO Questions for a 'first timer ' LED lamp

DW2

DW2

New member
I am going to 'get into the 21st century' and get a couple of LED grow lamps. I have been using CFL bulbs with some good results, but due to heat problems, supply, and costs (both environmentally and monetarily), I am going to get a couple (or more) LED lamps.
I have been looking at the following units:
Viparspectea P1000
Vivosun V100
Spider Farmer SF1000D
and some units that I have not ever heard of like Bloom Plus.
The lamp cannot be larger than about 20 (22 max) inches to fit into my grow space.
I would greatly appreciate any and all advice and / or experiences with any of the above (or even in the not above! lol)
Thanks,
Good luck with Your growing
 
I've been using the SF4000 and I am happy with it. What ever you get, if you are shelling out, don't skimp on it. Get as big as you can afford. A dimmer is a nice feature. What ever you get, I think you will be happy with the upgrade. Lots if good info on the main site.
 
Thanks, I appreciate Your input. The 'research' phase is, at least, the less expensive part of it (lol!). Some of the higher wattage lamps just will not fit into the grow area (converted closet) that I have. I'm considering two smaller units for each reservoir so to fix in the available space.
 
Coverage is important. Your space may dictate that you use say 2 x 200W instead of 1 x 400W. 22in is narrow for a big light. Maybe some of the bar style lights would be better for your use.
 
Ckbrew, my thoughts were kind of along that very idea, two (or three) smaller lamps 'daisy chained' over each reservoir. I am just not sure whether the lower priced no-name units are worth the risk. some of them have veg/bloom switches or or listed as 'full spectrum'.
Thanks for Your input!
 
I stayed away from the knock off brands. It is all coming from China, and you never know what you're going to get.
 
Well, I've gone and dun it, I have two Mars Hydro TS1000W full spectrum, dimmable, LED lights. They are listed as 150 watts actual usage. If they do not turn out to be enough light, they are daisy chainable, and I can add a couple more lights.
 
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I've been using Bestva lights with great results. I know you already pulled the trigger but if you can look at the Bestva B2000 Pro. 2000w light with dimmer, Meanwell Driver, Samsung LM301H diodes. $219 on Amazon.
 
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Thanks alltatup, that is what I was hoping to hear. Last grow I changed the four 55-watt cfls (per planter) into 16 23-watt cfls (all were mixed 50/50 with 27000° K and 5000° K bulbs) all to increase the wattage, but the temperature increased too much and gave problems.
 
DW2 It takes us some time to figure out the logistics of our grow environment: I certainly learned to keep the doors of my boxes open during flower, unless it's the middle of winter (mild here anyway). Whatever it takes to get that heat down... I look forward to hear how this works out for you.
 
alltatup, the lamps will not be here until next week (i hope). I will still have to figure out changing out the mounting setup for the new Leds in order to get as much height clearance as possible (this was also a problem with the CFLs as some of the plants grew up past the reflectors!). The next grow (#12) will start in late October, if the weather cooperates. I'll keep You posted on the (hopefully) progress as it progresses.
Thanks for all of Your input and insight, You have been a great help to me and all of the other growers!
 
Eurika! The new Mars-Hydro TS1000W (150 watt actual) were delivered yesterday! Now is start planning for their installation in the grow room. If anyone has suggestions on some ways to mount the lights such as, how close can they be to the celling, etc. Any and all information would be greatly appreciated.
Also, any advice on distances to maintain between the lamp and the plants would be welcome as well.
 
Short answer is as close as you can get'm without burning them. It really depends on what growth cycle the plants are in. Seedlings I wouldn't put them any closer than 24" but it also depends on the lamp power.
 
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Howdy Rootsruler. Thanks for response. The data that came with the lights said that they are actual 150 watts but will replace a 250-watt HSP or MH. the data also listed distances above the canopy of 12 inches to 18 inches and dimmed at 25%-50% for the seedling stage, 50%-75% for the vegetation, and 100% for flowering. I could get the CFLs (that I used to use) as close as 3 inches without much light burn, in fact, the leaves just about had to touch the bulbs to get 'fried'.
 
I have a 2000w LED light that equates to roughly a 600w HID. For seedlings I hang them at around 22" - 24" to start and let them get hardened off. After that I lower them a little each day until they start to complain. At that point is where I use my dimmer to fine tune the light intensity.

I try not to use the manufacturers data literally. Moreso as a guideline than anything else since many factors will determine what the plant likes in a given situation. Just trust your eyes and your instincts and you should be fine.
 
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