Hey man!
So this was a perfect answer and I really appreciate it. To clear the air, I wasn't looking for a "pat on the back". BUT... JESUS I wasn't looking for the flame war that MrTwist1 brought to the table lol... that guy needs to smoke a bowl of his, no doubt, perfect weed that is God's gift to man apparently... big genius!
Really I was looking for more of a "OK so I bought this, I am aware that it is cheap... but will it work and produce buds without killing my batch?" The feedback I got from you and Tim Fox answered my questions, alerted me to some challenges in my setup, and gave me some info for the future. Will definitely consider a different brand... *
when I can actually afford it, which is not now*. I'm new to LEDs so I'm reading up more on COBs, but a lot of people have said a lot about "bang for your buck" with regard to the Mars Hydro 300W, so I thought "what the hell, for $60 I should try it". And I am. And I will post pictures.
When I have a new place with a bigger closet footprint, I'll upgrade, but I didn't see the point investing like crazy in what I see as a temporary situation with a, frankly, sub par floorplan to spend a lot on since I'll be limited in space anyway. If I get even one ounce, these puppies have paid for themselves. If I get 2 ounces, all the better! I've grown a lot under fluoros and HPS though, when I had a bigger closet, so all should be fine.
Namaste all. Special thanks to Tim and Danielson999. You gave me the info I needed.