Mars LED lighting

[Diskokobaja]

How many of you brain dead idiots are out there..evet hear of google? Searching? Investigating? Informing your self.. Every idiot who is so lazy on 2017 to get him self educated deserves blurple leds..

 

[InTheValley]

Hell, that is across the board, not just blurple lighting,lol. You can learn to do anything by internet/utube research. from 2-92,

 

[InTheValley]

Ill tell you this much, change the diodes if you know how. This spectrum i put together is rollin, 30days from seed, day 3 of flip

 

[InTheValley]

the problem with the blurple, not just mars, is they dont stretch to plant to well, and missing the 540-550 NM and 800NM.

I have 12 factory white, which i think is 3500K, 3 factory reds, 6 full spectrum i put in, and 34 white 4000K, and 5 that are completly out. Not sure if they burned out or bad solder. About to break it down and check it out.

 

[Diskokobaja]

Or just buy thelos from grow northern..

 

[SoOLED]

ill say this,the lower end lights like MARS do better IMX: in soil/compost/planting mixes, then hydro mediums.

you don't have enough light to push higher plant metabolic rates

but what you do have is enough light to grow, at a rate soil can provide what the plants needs without much trouble.

given your sizes are in line, I think you can veg to flower in soil, with just a few feedings of P-P boost in flower. with some decent results.

 

[InTheValley]

Thats just it, Not enough light.

Im going to see how this light i have now does for flower, then im going to build 4 different lights with this spectrum with 3W diodes and lenses for a 5x3. Dimmable with Sleep initiation Reds.

 

[Johnny Lawrence]

The only area blurple makes sense(and even this is somewhat debatable) is in replacing 250w lights when you're on an extremely tight budget and can't wrap your head around DIY cobs.

Even then, DIY PCBs are basically plug and play at this point. Unless you want a legit frame, and still that takes little time with some halfway decent power tools(miter saw, cordless driver).

 

[Tim Fox]

Brother, I didnt say that man, Im here to agree Mars is SHIT, It just so happens, thats what I have to work with right now. But I also said, I changed the diodes and getting 700 par at 30 inches in my 2x2 with 125 watts, and its working for this small grow.

my bad,, i should have read the entire thread

 

[InTheValley]

going to make light bars more-less, but slidable side to side. 12 in a 5x3, gives me 84,000 lumens about 480 watts, 5,600 lumens persqft. and i can make them weekly, as a hobby. so in 12 weeks, i should have a badass light system, made, and spectrum to my liking.

 

[InTheValley]

OK, final plan.

making 3 panels, each with 98-- 3W diodes
50/50 mix 4000k and 3000k
280 watts each panel,
Going Old school, will have lenses on each diode, giving me 82,000 lumens and 6,800 lumens psft. in a 4x3
Going to be badass.

 

[InTheValley]

just cant get away from the fact my shit is growing like a monster on 4000k mars hydro hack/mod.

 

[ChefKimbo]

just cant get away from the fact my shit is growing like a monster on 4000k mars hydro hack/mod.

Great looking plants...how did you mod the MARS panel? I run a MARS 600 in a 2x2 for veg and I'm looking for some cheaper upgrade options.

 

[MJCanada]

When it comes to lights, my research shows that a true watt(from the wall) is a watt.

Now, you need to be careful with all the sales lingo and (in my mind) devious/false advertising.

Those Mars lights are junk, not because LEDs are junk, they are under powered, and over stated.

If money is a big problem, and heat isn't... MH/HPS is the way to go.

If DIY is an option, you can get comparable LED COBs for about 30% more on the HPS. Your heat goes WAY down, so depending on your environment, this may be more cost effective in the near future. In the end, it will be more cost effective.

Right now, I'm in a 2x3 grow space and my DIY light(2 passive cooled CXM-22 Gen 3's light engine kits from Cobkits.com) is enough light for that space. This cost me approximately $200 USD, both light engines + driver + shipping. The driver I got, allows for me to add 2 more CXM-22 Gen 3's once I have the money and I'm sure that'll be able to cover a 3x3.

 

[InTheValley]

Great looking plants...how did you mod the MARS panel? I run a MARS 600 in a 2x2 for veg and I'm looking for some cheaper upgrade options.

I changed the spectrum, ( soldered in new diodes ) and put lenses on it.

Did a great job in Veg, for only 125 watts. Now, I flipped 7 days ago, and probably know tomorrow the sex. Will be interesting to see how they do in flower now.

Building a 3x4, and deciding lights, cheapest route. Might end up getting acouple 600w $51 lights, changing diodes, and lens them, lol..

I have a plan, but cant figure out the whole driver thing.

 

[InTheValley]

pics do no justice for this mess, lol..

 

[InTheValley]

Great looking plants...how did you mod the MARS panel? I run a MARS 600 in a 2x2 for veg and I'm looking for some cheaper upgrade options.

want to add, when my mars300 had just the lenses on, it was 1400 par at 18inches. But the footprint was around 2 inches out side the unit itself. BUT the higher up you go, it does spread a bit more. I have mine 36 inches above my canopy, and still getting 500 par.

it would cost you $15 for the lenses. well, and 17 days shipping.lol..

Then you have to burn a hole in each lenses to fit the zener resistor into.

Its really easy once you do 5 or 6. You just heat a small flathead screw driver on the stove fire, and make the whole. I can send a pic of one done, and maybe a step thru if i can find one not done yet.

Your par will be rockin if you do it, so you will need to move your lights a good 30 inches off the top. Doesnt VEG well, although Mars spectrum never really did veg good, for my liking anyways.

 

[InTheValley]

When it comes to lights, my research shows that a true watt(from the wall) is a watt.

Now, you need to be careful with all the sales lingo and (in my mind) devious/false advertising.

Those Mars lights are junk, not because LEDs are junk, they are under powered, and over stated.

If money is a big problem, and heat isn't... MH/HPS is the way to go.

If DIY is an option, you can get comparable LED COBs for about 30% more on the HPS. Your heat goes WAY down, so depending on your environment, this may be more cost effective in the near future. In the end, it will be more cost effective.

Right now, I'm in a 2x3 grow space and my DIY light(2 passive cooled CXM-22 Gen 3's light engine kits from Cobkits.com) is enough light for that space. This cost me approximately $200 USD, both light engines + driver + shipping. The driver I got, allows for me to add 2 more CXM-22 Gen 3's once I have the money and I'm sure that'll be able to cover a 3x3.

Why not just replace/upgrade the driver then? Even if it doenst fit, you can relocate it to the top of the unit.

Sweet setup by the way. Im not a hater of COB, its just not in my price, and Im looking for a more even distribution of light from several sources and not 1,2,3,4, fixed location, if that makes sense.

I actually want to build my own light, but im a driver idiot, cant figure it out for my plans. and needing a 600W driver for a 300(150watts) light, makes no sense. So, whats to say, adding a meanwell into these marshydros, would make them even more powerfull?

IF a diode is a diode, and these 5W diodes should be pushing 600LMs each, they arent because the lower Current? Forward current? Watts available?

actaully, the colored diodes are substanctailly less lms, where as the 3000k and 4000k are 600lm each. Thats why mine is so bright, i changed the diodes, even from 5w to 3W and they are rocking,lol..

I just cant figure it all out, lol...

 

[InTheValley]

so, looking at a Mars300w units, each driver has 86volts to put to use. at 5W 3000k diodes, which are used, with 12 of them, it would take 84 volts, just for 12 diodes, they still need to light up 48 more diodes. now, we need 32 red diodes, all reds, and deep reds run at 2.0-2.2 Volts each. So, weather they used 5W or 3W or 1W, the volts are always the same for them all for reds.

So, there is a positive 64 volts needed allocated definitely. now, we have 108 volts left in our volt bank. We know, whites diodes need either 84 volts @ 5W or 38volts with 3W diodes, If we went with the 5W diode, like advertised, 84 volts + 64 Volts = 148 volts, with 24 volts left, and still, need to 16 more diodes, which are blues. So, again, if we went with 5W, it would need 112 volts. Hummmm, Or 51volts for 3W? 1 watt is relative to 3W. so, looking here, we still dont have enought, if we went with either 3W or 5W, because we only have 24 volts left,..

If they did all diodes as 1W, it would need 146 volts to RUN this set-up. 172 volts available.

So, right there tells ya, they full of shit. If everything iv learned about volts needed and supplied, then they are BSn, lol..

because they would need 246 volts to run these lights at 5W diodes, like they say.. and the drivers are only 172 combined.

SO, Im thinking they are using 1W diodes, and saying 5W, and this is by proof of the drivers.

Am i wrong on this?

 

[Budzbuddha]

I put lenses on it too, forgot to mention. lol, they make a big difference. I think im actually still to close to the plants to be honest. I gave my other Mars300 away that had lenses, because it didnt really do shit for the plants. I did a timelapse on the grow to see response from the Mars300 with lenses and then my modded Mars with the 4000k diodes, and the difference was almost instant. I could of did the diodes in that one too, but it was a pain in the ass for 1, and then waiting for 3 weeks for the dam diodes made me say, Fk that. Plus, 2 mars300 in the 2x2 made a sht ton of heat.

You got pics on that " mod " ...