Olive Drab Green
Well-Known Member
So, I felt it might be prudent to create a thread for new jacks here getting into growing. I don't mean to insult anyone, but when I look around and see some CFL grows, I can't help but shake my head, because it's kind of sad. It's not just (in my opinion) pathetic due to yield potential, but you have to be so tedious with them, they can burn your plant, they contain mercury if I'm not mistake, and I just think if you can find an affordable LED horticulture light that at least grows above the standard of CFLs--taking efficiency and heat and alignment of your lights and labor required to do so--that people would find their growing endeavors can be managed much easier. I'm kind of shocked no one here's compiled anything for the new guys. No one wants to go out and spend a grand on an Amare or Kind if they don't know if they'll stick with it, so what the hell guys?
So, here goes. I originally started with 5-6 year old 3w Lighthouse Hydro BlackStars, a 240w and a 500w. I decided I wanted to check out newer lights to review and expound upon, and I wanted to buy an economy light to get some actual, quantifiable, and replicable data for the guys just getting into the hobby/biz. I looked through a few, and honestly seeing some recent grows with it, I think the backlash against MarsHydro's newer stuff is simply bias.
HOWEVER. Plenty of people have bought them before and there is evidence out there that it'll grow quality stuff relative to what a new or medical grower wants, but probably not for industrial scale. I chose a different light after looking into it for a month or two.
I bought a ViparSpectra Reflector Series 450w for $149 from Amazon, and I am surprised to say that it grows better than my 500w BlackStar flower light. I still have two weeks minimum left, but from what I'm seeing, I'm further ahead with two strains consistently than I was with what I had grown under my BlackStars. I'll include pics of specs with this post. But the ViparSpectra uses 5W Bridgelux and Epiled LEDs. Yes, the manufacturer is Chinese, but upon seeing the unit, you can tell it's a quality item. It has a large heat sink, built in fans, a specially designed reflector for better blending and dispersing of the light. It draws ~206w at the wall. PAR at 12" is over 1200. At 18, over 600. The diodes are a mix of mostly white and blue, with amber, red, and IR included that covers the entirety of the PAR spectrum. It has a veg switch and a bloom switch; you need both on in bloom, but if you want to save energy in veg, you can just run it with the veg on. I would personally just leave both switches on, because for 206 watts, why fuck with the spectrum? I ran some tests with a lux meter app, pitting my BlackStar against the ViparSpecta and found that, at varying distances, the ViparSpectra 450w was 2-4x more intense than the BlackStar 500w. The ViparSpectra also produced light that had more penetration and distance than the BlackStar, with ease. So, if anyone out there is interested in growing and are sick of the unprofessional looking and yielding CFLs they use, this is a viable option to start with. I'll be ordering a second one myself for better coverage. My only beef is it has a 3x3 coverage area with only a 2.5x2.5 core. So, hence the second 450. Why not, right?
So, all in all, I am really impressed with this light and strongly recommend it if you are just starting out. I will add current pics of my grow tonight (Tonight will be the end of 6 weeks, so 2-4 more weeks left. Keep in mind that the swell happens during the last 2 weeks of flower, so they're going to be much thicker than they are presently. Hope you all have blessed harvests! Cheers!
If any other visitor to this thread has any experience with economy-class lights that they think would HELP new growers, please feel free to share, to include MarsHydro. I want to compile as much information as I can based on actual experience with economy grade lights so that new growers who may not have the money to commit to growing by buying a more expensive brand of light. Please keep speculation and personal/emotional opinions out of this discussion, especially when you have no experience to either substantiate or refute the viability of a light. it doesn't help the new guys, it just fucks up the thread.
I am not affiliated with the manufacturer in any way. I just want to do what I can to help the new guys here.
My ViparSpectra Reflector Series 450w:
Lux Meter Test:
ViparSpectra
Lighthouse Hydro BlackStar 500w Flower Light w/ UV and IR
So, here goes. I originally started with 5-6 year old 3w Lighthouse Hydro BlackStars, a 240w and a 500w. I decided I wanted to check out newer lights to review and expound upon, and I wanted to buy an economy light to get some actual, quantifiable, and replicable data for the guys just getting into the hobby/biz. I looked through a few, and honestly seeing some recent grows with it, I think the backlash against MarsHydro's newer stuff is simply bias.
HOWEVER. Plenty of people have bought them before and there is evidence out there that it'll grow quality stuff relative to what a new or medical grower wants, but probably not for industrial scale. I chose a different light after looking into it for a month or two.
I bought a ViparSpectra Reflector Series 450w for $149 from Amazon, and I am surprised to say that it grows better than my 500w BlackStar flower light. I still have two weeks minimum left, but from what I'm seeing, I'm further ahead with two strains consistently than I was with what I had grown under my BlackStars. I'll include pics of specs with this post. But the ViparSpectra uses 5W Bridgelux and Epiled LEDs. Yes, the manufacturer is Chinese, but upon seeing the unit, you can tell it's a quality item. It has a large heat sink, built in fans, a specially designed reflector for better blending and dispersing of the light. It draws ~206w at the wall. PAR at 12" is over 1200. At 18, over 600. The diodes are a mix of mostly white and blue, with amber, red, and IR included that covers the entirety of the PAR spectrum. It has a veg switch and a bloom switch; you need both on in bloom, but if you want to save energy in veg, you can just run it with the veg on. I would personally just leave both switches on, because for 206 watts, why fuck with the spectrum? I ran some tests with a lux meter app, pitting my BlackStar against the ViparSpecta and found that, at varying distances, the ViparSpectra 450w was 2-4x more intense than the BlackStar 500w. The ViparSpectra also produced light that had more penetration and distance than the BlackStar, with ease. So, if anyone out there is interested in growing and are sick of the unprofessional looking and yielding CFLs they use, this is a viable option to start with. I'll be ordering a second one myself for better coverage. My only beef is it has a 3x3 coverage area with only a 2.5x2.5 core. So, hence the second 450. Why not, right?
So, all in all, I am really impressed with this light and strongly recommend it if you are just starting out. I will add current pics of my grow tonight (Tonight will be the end of 6 weeks, so 2-4 more weeks left. Keep in mind that the swell happens during the last 2 weeks of flower, so they're going to be much thicker than they are presently. Hope you all have blessed harvests! Cheers!
If any other visitor to this thread has any experience with economy-class lights that they think would HELP new growers, please feel free to share, to include MarsHydro. I want to compile as much information as I can based on actual experience with economy grade lights so that new growers who may not have the money to commit to growing by buying a more expensive brand of light. Please keep speculation and personal/emotional opinions out of this discussion, especially when you have no experience to either substantiate or refute the viability of a light. it doesn't help the new guys, it just fucks up the thread.
I am not affiliated with the manufacturer in any way. I just want to do what I can to help the new guys here.
My ViparSpectra Reflector Series 450w:
Lux Meter Test:
ViparSpectra
Lighthouse Hydro BlackStar 500w Flower Light w/ UV and IR
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