Super helpful. Just to clarify, I was told above that 10watts HID is about 7 watts LED. One of the boards is 135watts, meaning if I buy two I'll be at 270. Which is just under 400 watts HID. Are two of them really going to be enough for veg? I currently use 600watt MH. I'm thinking best bet is to buy 3 of these lights, but I wont be able to afford the 3rd for abit and I'm curious if I can start my grow with just two.
I would keep on with the mh
Since your area is 3 ft wide you might want to consider the 260's. I have a 3x8 closet and 5 of them would be perfect. I have 4 total, but only 2 in there now with a couple 100's and a 135. I'm gonna replace the 100's with more 260's. I just haven't done it yet. I have a 135 in the middle because a 260 might be a little crammed since I have a fan right there.
horticulturelightinggroup.com
$550 for a Chinese light? No thank you!
As far as Chinese lights, very few are worth mentioning but Mars hydro and viparspectra both are some of the better ones.at half the cost of other comparable lights..
And if you look at his light choice it’s 99 bucks he’s obviously on a budget. Honestly dude that 99 dollar light is crap..stick to viparspectra or Mars hydro for the cheap LED lights
Vivosun is another good “cheap light” but you would need several of them to light up your space with a good ppfd / DLI as vivosun only has a smaller unit with the Samsung LM301b diodes.
There is also a app called Korona for iPhone.. it reads kelvin, ppfd, DLI for a lot of different grow lights like HPS, blurples, full spectrum LED, MH etc..you need to make a diffuser, I hollow out a 2liter soda cap and place a piece of computer paper over my iPhones camera and the apps numbers are very accurate like this actually compared to the apogee par meter it’s within 2 to 3% sometimes 5 percent but that could be my “operator error”. If anything it will get you in the ballpark for sure.
Your math sucks. I can get 2 HLG 260 Rspec's for $630. So why would I was spend $550 for a shitty single Vipar one? Makes no sense to me.
Where do you get them at that price? I see them listed at 350 for 1..that would be 700 for 2 and I guess when your only lighting up a few sq ft 80 bucks is 80 bucks but when you have to light up whole grow rooms it’s no longer 80 bucks it’s thousands.
The HLG site. After code "RIU10", it's $315 each.
horticulturelightinggroup.com
That’s good but 630 is a long dark tunnel from $99. That’s what made me think of other cheap lights that actually work for the guy just starting out.. let’s be honest everything you need to do a decent grow is expensive accumulatively. Most people can’t start out with the best of the best, they start out with cheap Chinese crap and piece better parts as time goes on..The hlg are great boards but my choice is LED light strips. You get a better even light distribution with the strips..so if this discussion is really what’s a good light, quantum board or strips it’s strips hands down..The HLG site. After code "RIU10", it's $315 each.
260W QB® V2 Rspec LED Kit
Ultra High Efficiency LED Boards for DIY. QB288 has 288pcs Samsung 301H or 561C LED
@Bosgrower Would I be able to put one of these - https://www.amazon.com/MARS-HYDRO-Coverage-Hydroponic-Spectrum/dp/B0855QW8FK
That light is only 135 watts. you'd need a lot of them. It's also not much more $ to get the HLG shit instead. I've seen a lot of complaints about Mars, and nothing really ever bad about HLG. Just my 2 cents. But ultimately it's your decision.
You can get a refurbished HLG 550 for less.. https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/collections/all/products/refurbished-hlg-550-v2-eco
Hell ya. $450 after the discount code.
The tent is only 32" wide