Led Users Unite!

HiloReign said:
'A'ole. With great shame, I can't speak my native language very well at all.

I second what BadKarma has to say, I've read many mixed reviews about Pro-Grow and have yet to see a full grow with one (I haven't looked either, mind you).

Personally, if I had $600 to spend A51 would be the first place I'd visit. (That is if I had chosen not to make one myself, which I wouldn't do, but for the sake of expressing my opinion...)

Let us know what you decide on.
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'Aue, Hilo! j/k :) I'm from Maui. Born and raised; freezing my 'olos off in Colorado! No worries, I only speak just enough to make people who don't know a lick jealous. Couple years at community college. Ok, nuff wala au, back to the topic at hand.

Thanks for getting back to me. As far as Pro-Grow LEDs, I could only find 1 grow journal, and its the one they advertise on their website: http://www.growmedical420.com/category/grow-journals/pro-grow-260x-medical-marijuana-grow/

Anyway, I think I'll be moving on from researching Pro-grow as it (the research) didn't really bear much fruit to begin with. Area 51 seems to be highly recommended in this forum. I am currently in email communication with them.

Will definitely keep you all informed. You've all continued to be very helpful.
 
MojoSlim said:
Thanks for jumping in with the input, folks. Very much appreciated! After a bit of measuring and negotiations with the wife on space, I am realizing I'm limited to a space closer to 2x3 (6-8 sq ft max). I'm guessing this changes a bit about my options, but more importantly, this opens the door to saving money on setting up my tent or building a box, which is money I can put towards lights!

Am in communication with A51 regarding their lights and recommendations.

David the Gnome, thanks for the tip on Rhino. Glad to hear an experience based recommendation. I'll add them to the research list :)

jubiare: thanks for the supplemental info on the rhino's potential for poor heatsinking.

HiloReign, you live in Hilo? 'Olelo Hawaii, 'oe? In any case, I appreciate your thoughtful response. I'm a little more confident about my budget now, especially with my space being a bit more limited, esp. in regards to your comment about it being "not a large stretch" (paraphrased) for a 4x4 area.

Do any of you echo BadKarma's advice regarding Pro-Grow? My focus is shifting away from them, in favor of researching more of the lights recommended here.


Thanks!
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Mojo I have a 3x2 space and I'm using blackstar 240 x 2 for that space with amazing results!! They are very affordable And work great for me!! One 240 is recommended for a 3x2 space. I think Gotham has them for like $260-$280 a light. Check it out and c what u think.

Good Luck!

Aslo: actual draw is 135w
 
Corso312 said:
Well I guess I am asking IS 90° led angle ideal? Is five Watt chip better than three? This Guy uses 3.....
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90 is a good angle that many manufacturers use. Is it ideal for every different type and color LED? No, but IMO 90 gives a good trade-off between penetration and footprint. My main panel, (Vipar), uses 60 degree LEDs but their latest models have switched to 80. Some companies use a combination of view angles, Blackstar use 60 and 90 for example. And if the 5 watt chip is made with a single die then it should be better for certain aspects of LED growing, i.e. larger footprint, more penetration, but it would also not be as efficient as lesser wattage LEDs. Plus if it is not of a certain quality it can't be driven as hard as a quality 3 watt LED, so 5 is not always better than 3 in all situations.
 
All the materials i used came to a total of around 120:00 US Dollars to make including the aluminum u channels. $120 per panel
 
MojoSlim said:
Anyway, I think I'll be moving on from researching Pro-grow as it (the research) didn't really bear much fruit to begin with. Area 51 seems to be highly recommended in this forum. I am currently in email communication with them.

Will definitely keep you all informed. You've all continued to be very helpful.
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Glad I was able to help point you in the right direction MojoSlim :D
You're in good hands with the Area 51 folks, I'm sure they will take great care of you.
Good luck with your grow.
 
Hey guys......I just want to say thanks to everyone who has posted on here. Been researching for months on setting up my first grow room (2 outside grows) and i can honestly say I read all 595 pages of this thread. Call me crazy or what you will but just trying to build my room right the first time around, with some expected tweaks as my experience grows.I have close to $1000 dollar budget. Ill be working with an estimated closet space of 53.5x23.25x74. Now I plan on growing no more than 1-2 plants using SCROG possibly. I have narrowed my selection to 3 lights.....240w Blackstar ($280), Vipar A100 ($240), or Area 51 A51-90 ($395). I appreciate the help!
 
V you get a medal for reading this whole thread and a demerit for reading this whole thread :).

Don't you dare pay $280 for a BS240. Don't pay more than $240. The Vipar is a good deal at the price. And we all seem to be big fans of Area51 around here and the 90 looks like a better fit for the area, though 2 A100s would rock. 2 BS240s would be good too, since they tend to shine with SCrOGs and even canopies IMO, but still are not the best long term choice compared to the other 2, especially Area51. Good Luck With the Choices Ahead and Happy Growing!
 
haha thanks FranJan.....does anyone know by chance what the estimated shipping cost for Vipar are from the UK to the east coast of the U.S.?? I figure thats going to be at least another $50, correct me if I'm wrong. I figured in the long run A51 might be the way to go when considering possible future repairs since they are a U.S. based company and this might save me money in future shipping costs. Also, anyone who has had experience with Vipar and A51 customer service? How do they compare? Thanks again
 
The heatsinks are 169 square inches, the rhino is kicking at about 85 degrees in my tent, my tent temp is at 78. What unit do you use agian? and what is the heat of yours?
I dont understand why all the companys put fans in them. The fans will break before the leds burn out and they suck dust and out stuff into the unit. Also the units with the fans run so cool that your most likely going to have to heat your room up which in return cost more. What are your thoughs on this?
 
169 square inches for 172w draw? mmmm you haven't counted the fins? I am sure it's more total dissipating area for the 172w (?)

All the companies put fans in them because they'd rather actively cool than spending the money on massive heatsinks!

I don't like fans either, but It looks like the Rhino hasn't taken into consideration a proper passive cooling of the array, I am not trying to be a dick but it really looks like the design calls for premature degradation of the LED's
 
jubiare said:
169 square inches for 172w draw? mmmm you haven't counted the fins? I am sure it's more total dissipating area for the 172w (?)

All the companies put fans in them because they'd rather actively cool than spending the money on massive heatsinks!

I don't like fans either, but It looks like the Rhino hasn't taken into consideration a proper passive cooling of the array, I am not trying to be a dick but it really looks like the design calls for premature degradation of the LED's
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I'm starting to think that it's not 172 watts actual draw Jubiare........yeah I agree the heat sink is too small for that wattage, but not for 135-140watts.......

hey david do you have a kilo-watt meter to see if the actual draw is correct.......????
 
Vtek08 said:
haha thanks FranJan.....does anyone know by chance what the estimated shipping cost for Vipar are from the UK to the east coast of the U.S.?? I figure thats going to be at least another $50, correct me if I'm wrong. I figured in the long run A51 might be the way to go when considering possible future repairs since they are a U.S. based company and this might save me money in future shipping costs. Also, anyone who has had experience with Vipar and A51 customer service? How do they compare? Thanks again
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I'm pretty sure that all Vipars include shipping. Mine came with 3 day international, straight from the UK. The thing that sucks if you use a CC or PayPal, you'll have to pay an international transaction fee usually, so watch for that. Mine was like 20 bucks, which kinda sucked. And my experience with Vipars are they are built like tanks. I've modded mine a bit and this thing is built head and shoulders above any of my other panels and lights I own. Even the hangars are better. And customer service was spot on, answering all emails. I consider them to be a very cool company to deal with. But if you're in the States and you're not getting a great price on a Vipar like I did, you have to talk to Area51.
 
Vtek08 said:
haha thanks FranJan.....does anyone know by chance what the estimated shipping cost for Vipar are from the UK to the east coast of the U.S.?? I figure thats going to be at least another $50, correct me if I'm wrong. I figured in the long run A51 might be the way to go when considering possible future repairs since they are a U.S. based company and this might save me money in future shipping costs. Also, anyone who has had experience with Vipar and A51 customer service? How do they compare? Thanks again
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Brother Vtek Area-51 Has Free Shipping To Any Country That DSL Serves And I Would Rank Their Customer Service Top Notch.Ive Also Seen Some Good Grows With Vipar Also But I Cant Vouch For Them However From What Ive Read Their Customer Service Is Good Also.So In Short No matter What Led Company Let Me Be The First To Welcome You To The Wonderful World Of Led Growing
 
They draw pretty damn close to 170. 169-171watts. I have 6 units but are all pretty close to what they claim. The model claims thats the lights will last around 80,000 hours so im not to worried,ive talked to customer service and they are pretty cool. Again what model are you using and what is the temp? I've been looking at these A51's, seems to be what everyone is buying, i would like to see how they perform against a rhino. What kind of yeilds have you been getting with your units?
 
You maybe want to tell the people at rhino that they "must" (if they care its a must) provide more heatsink for that 170w .. It's not a claim I am making, it's tech from datasheets and the whole led characteristics. I am afraid you are very naïve in being at peace of mind when the 80,000 lifespan claim assures you.
But I don't blame you, especially since the panels are kicking some ass!

I make my own arrays by the way!

Anyway, honestly, I really like the rhino golden dragon thing.. Also made in USA.. I am actually shocked that the heatsink is that minimal!
 
You prob want to literally count all the heatsink area you have on the unit, both sides and all the fins... But maybe you are just concerned about your results in your garden which is fair enough! But if you count them you'll know more about the whole thing;)
 
hey jubiare......we must also keep in mind the wattage of the Meanwell remote driver which isn't adding any heat to the leds...it could be up to 35 Watts that are separate from the unit


maybe David can ask rhinogrow how much the driver consumes alone.....
 
Psua, it doesn't really work like that. The driver is never gonna add any watts like a ballast, Dependent upon its efficiency yes it's going to burn some extra watts . it can radiate heat especially when driven by the Max amount of LEDs! . The heatsink has to deal with 170w, regardless the driver is mounted on the heatsink or not. Yes it's separate from the heatsink, that potentially saves the heatsink from some heat, generated by the driver only, so nothing to really do with the heat one's has to properly dissipate.
 
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