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Upgraded Light. Worth it?

dalvis

dalvis

New member
Old light: VIPARSPECTRA UL Certified 450W... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015FLSOCE?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Expected power draw: ~200W

New light: SPIDER FARMER SF-2000 LED Grow Light 2x4 ft Flower Compatible with Samsung LM301B Diodes & MeanWell Driver Dimmable Grow Lights Full Spectrum for Indoor Hydroponic Plants Veg Bloom 606pcs LEDs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TVD1Y3K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ndqwFbJ33XBBV

Expected power draw: ~200W

Current set up is a 2x4x5’ tent. 4” 200 CFM inline duct fan.

Just trying to maximize the output for my space without cooking my plants. Thoughts? Thanks all.
 
I use a sf2000 and I'm more than happy with it. My veg time was reduced by over 2 weeks and my harvest more than doubled. I still use the off brand 600w blurples one on each end because my space is 2x6. So the improvement wasn't just the sf because it is an addition not replacement but I would much rather have one sf2000 @205w than the two blurples @ 117w each
 
Before you order from Amazon check the price on the spider farmer website, I was looking at the SF1000 and it was a lot cheaper direct from them (compared to UK Amazon anyway 😁)
 
Venkman said:
Before you order from Amazon check the price on the spider farmer website, I was looking at the SF1000 and it was a lot cheaper direct from them (compared to UK Amazon anyway 😁)
Click to expand...

Put it on my Amazon credit card. Only way I can justify the price right now 😅😅😅
 
Yeah I was thinking of getting sf2000 also. My setup is almost identical. Came with vivosun 300w (135w) and I got a mars hydro ts1000..
now I have 2 tents same size. So sp2000 seemed good.
what about quantum 240w w/ Samsung lm301h. They are cheaper than SP
 
I'm looking at the sf2000 but may just need sf1000 for my 3x3x6 hmmm what to do with the 2 boat anchors now in there now we got rid of all out boats.
 
I switched from some Viparspectras in veg to the SF 1000. I'm so glad this unit came with the dimmer knob. I set it to 100% at first and got leaf burn. Had to back it down to 60% @ 20". The light generates almost no heat at that setting, which is nice. If you buy direct from their website, it is $152 instead of $159 per light. They do 3% off, which is an odd number.
 
Looks like your dead set on the SF 2000. There's tons of quality LEDs on the market right now. Do you have a budget in mind?
 
Well i just got contacted by Vipar got email this morning i'm waiting to tell hubby see what his thoughts are? They want US to open the light up do something with something to prove it's the bloom driver?? So i'm not sure what they want from us but I nor my hubby are that savy to rewire the piece of S$&T.
 
I'm currently in the middle of warranty with Viparspectra. I had an led burn up and they asked if they could send the part and I fix it. I said no, I'm not a repair tech. They gave me a shipping label and I sent it in. Very quickly, they had another light back to me, only it too is defective. Like, they forgot to screw the light board to the chassis. Not sure how that made it passed QC. My point is, tell them you are not comfortable making the repair and they should send you a call tag.
 
So here’s what I did and I don’t know if this deserves a new thread but I’ll leave it here and I can always copy and paste.

Ordered the SF2000 on a whim and then took a hard look at my finances and $300 for a lamp for a hobby I’m sunk into just didn’t make sense at the time.

However I did what I usually do and became obsessed with learning everything I could about quantum boards and the different kinds of diodes and drivers and all of that technical stuff. Then I just happened to stumble on this:

Bloom Plus LED Grow Light BP1000... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082Y1PMWF?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Total Chinese knock off… BUT the diodes used are the Samsung 2835’s which seem to be quite comparable to the 301s. Also, the reviews section was overwhelmingly positive with many people comparing the lights to SF.

So I bit and grabbed 2 for half the price as the SF2000. I know it’s a gamble and more times than not you get what you pay for but if it’s total trash I have 30 days to return it. I’m hoping if I’ve made some terrible mistake someone will inform me.

My only real concern is the power “driver”. And if there are any electrical buffs in here please educate me. My initial thought was to hack these lamps and add my own driver from Mean Well or something UL certified. I’ve been in contact with the company through Amazon and here’s the information I’ve received so far:
-BP1000 is a high-voltage IC lamp
-The “Tanglin Power Supply” company that makes the drivers for the BP1500/3000 is not the same driver for the BP1000 (I googled this company anyways and can’t find anything on them)
-The BP1000 driver is something the company self made (eek)
-The power supply is constant voltage and current limiting.

They are pretty tight lipped about anything else but hopefully the company will at least tell me if the PCB board limits the current. I do know that the input voltage to the board is 94V. So now my issue with this idea is that I can’t seem to find a driver with that sort of V(out).

So, have I made some terrible mistake or is the risk/reward worth it? Is replacing the driver on these possible or even worth it and if not am I just asking my house to get burned down?

The lights are bright. The plants seem happy. Just hoping I can replace the electrical stuff with something I can trust and say I saved a few bucks.
 

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I did a quick glance at the Amazon add for the light and I can't see where you made a bad decision. I'm not one who has to have name brand shit so yes sir/ma'am I think you've got a couple of good lights. Your plants are lookin good as well. Good luck
 
I like your style MeEasy for what it's worth, that's why i went with the Vipar to begin with. I don't think i made any bad decisions, they work for what i need. Although the bloom drivers went out and they refuse to replace the units after use of 1yr on 1 and 3 months on another. dalvis lots of us are same as you with spending $$$$ for a hobby but we got to be careful also. I'm not spending over $ 200.00 and i'm getting fond of my vipar veg lights LOL. So i have a few i'm looking at.
 
I just grabbed a couple of cheap 100w qb leds to play with. The Viparspectra P1000 and the Vivosun VS1000. Both are dimmable, both use Sosen drivers, the P1000 uses cheaper SMD diodes while the VS1000 uses Samsung 301H diodes. I like the dimming knob on the Vipar slightly better, it is weighted and goes from ~5%-100%. the Vivosun has only 50-75-100% settings. The Vipar has a 4 into 1 mounting system and requires about 16.5 inches of clearance between the top of tent and top of light while the Vivosun model has a 2 bar mounting system and is designed to be able to hang directly on the roof support bar, taking only 4 inches from top of tent to top of light which is a huge plus for anyone running in those shorty tents or top shelf of JDU's rack system. The cord on the Vipar P1000 is hard wired whlle the Vivosun VS1000 is detachable and turns 90 degrees UP out of the driver so it is clearly made to go over the bar as well, a boon perhaps for short tents again but a slight pain if your receptacle is below the light. I had to run it up through the ratchet rope carabiner on that side and let it dangle to the outlet, this took all the weight of the cord off the connection but sacrificed several inches of the power wire which is already pretty short.
 
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