rundlescunder
Well-Known Member
3 qb96s and a hlg 320h 54b driver will get you equal to a 600watt hps for roughly 275. use grow10 or riu10 for discount on hlg.com
Information Overload
- Thread starter medicaloutlaw
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medicaloutlaw
Well-Known Member
So much good information and advice! The wife gave me $500 for my project. I cant complain we are raising two grand daughters 9 and 14 from our son that is brain damaged from an accident and in a nursing home for the rest of his life so the family is always first! I've spent almost half that. All I have left is lighting $250-275. Ive got about 3 weeks to decide lighting before seeds arrive. Im leaning toward a 600 Watt HPS on one end of the 6x6x6 area with a Mars hydro TS1000 on the opposite end. Maybe I can get a good comparison between the two sources of light and from what I read mixing them can be beneficial. At least I can learn a little about both types. All the great grows Ive seen here are on 100 different lights. I think as long as I stay away from the cheapo China LEDS I cant go wrong. Next year I will have more cash to invest and I can take what Ive leaned and tweak on the setup some more. 
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Mate, I grow with LED lights and as far as efficiency goes without doubt, in the long run they're great. But... in your situation and with the money you have to spend, get yourself a HPS setup every time. It's simple as fuck, nothing to dial in, and cheap.
If you "save" some money by growing some stuff, you can invest that later on down the line on some LED bits and bobs and you'll have a better budget to do so.
With a 600w HPS you can pull 20oz of bud in a decent grow. You won't get near that with a SF1000
Forget the TS1000 too and get two HPS if it's between those two options, then get yourself a good LED further down the line. And don't be put off by buying from Alibaba. There are some solid Chinese vendors out there nowadays with some sick lights doing big numbers on this forum and others. Your mars is only a China light anyway, as are all the rest. Everything comes from there, so ditch that misconception brother, it's way outdated.
If you "save" some money by growing some stuff, you can invest that later on down the line on some LED bits and bobs and you'll have a better budget to do so.
With a 600w HPS you can pull 20oz of bud in a decent grow. You won't get near that with a SF1000
Forget the TS1000 too and get two HPS if it's between those two options, then get yourself a good LED further down the line. And don't be put off by buying from Alibaba. There are some solid Chinese vendors out there nowadays with some sick lights doing big numbers on this forum and others. Your mars is only a China light anyway, as are all the rest. Everything comes from there, so ditch that misconception brother, it's way outdated.
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I was surprised how painless the ordering process was with Alibaba. I got four of the Kingbrite 240W v4 boards and the company lowered the customs cost for way less tax and brokerage fees without me even asking. From ordering to having them at my door took about 3 days to Canada. I was amazed. lol
medicaloutlaw
Well-Known Member
Ive had a buyers account with Alibaba since around 2008. About 12 years back I used to have (mainly performance upgrades) online parts store for China Bikes. They were 150cc-200cc sportbikes and even China scooters took many of the same parts. They were very popular but no parts in the US. I got all my parts off of Alibaba. The Air Freight killed me but cheap enough that I could still make 200% profit and have parts in inventory that no one could get. I finally thought I would step it up and order a container of motorcycles. I let a US Broker handle the customs, transportation from port to my state etc.. He scammed me out of 19K (plus many others) and pretty much put me out of business. I warned buyers on Alibaba he was a scammer and he posted reverse scammer information about me saying it was untrue and he had been scammed by me. I had to travel to Kansas City and testify against him. He went to Federal Prison (again) but I never got a penny back from him or the FBI victim reimbursement program. Emotionally it just killed me and I sold out everything for pennies on the dollar just to wash my hands from the whole thing. It wasn't anyone's fault on the Alibaba end but Ive never logged in to Alibaba since.
hotrodharley
Well-Known Member
Buy HID, brother and good luck. You’ll get bud for that price and a lot of it. I’m a KISS guy. Keep it simple, stupid.So much good information and advice! The wife gave me $500 for my project. I cant complain we are raising two grand daughters 9 and 14 from our son that is brain damaged from an accident and in a nursing home for the rest of his life so the family is always first! I've spent almost half that. All I have left is lighting $250-275. Ive got about 3 weeks to decide lighting before seeds arrive. Im leaning toward a 600 Watt HPS on one end of the 6x6x6 area with a Mars hydro TS1000 on the opposite end. Maybe I can get a good comparison between the two sources of light and from what I read mixing them can be beneficial. At least I can learn a little about both types. All the great grows Ive seen here are on 100 different lights. I think as long as I stay away from the cheapo China LEDS I cant go wrong. Next year I will have more cash to invest and I can take what Ive leaned and tweak on the setup some more.
hotrodharley
Well-Known Member
It can be so cheap and so simple. It really can.
ptrzm
Well-Known Member
You're absolutely right, it's all made in China but there's a huge difference between the reputable brands and the total crap you can find on amazon trying to save a buck. Rebranded blurples from 10 years ago, COBs that will melt if you're lucky and electrocute you if you're not...
Fuckin hell mate that's shit, the little rat.
If you don't wanna go back directly to the site there are other options nowadays. Check out @HortiBloom Those lights look legit and a very decent price shipped to your door. I think they're talking $700 for a fixture that'd cost well over a grand from a domestic branded supplier. That's the kind of light you want to invest in when it's time for a proper upgrade, not the shitty Amazon lights
That's all down the line. For now get a HPS and get your grow on
I agree. I Should have been clear I'm not talking about the cheap Amazon shite - I'm sure people get some ok lights there and do decent grows, but with the reputable Chinese Vendors on other sites you'll get much more for your money than you will spending on something of similar build quality which is stocked domestically.
People talk about issues regarding China warranties but I haven't heard a bad story yet, all I've heard is positive reviews about the after sales. I forget who or what company but someone told me the other day about some diodes on a near two year old light going out and the rep sending a new bar out straight away. You'd struggle to get that from a local shop
SpideyManDan
Well-Known Member
You're not wrong, but that electric bill wouldnt be nothing to scoff at.