2,5x2,5ft, is one Hans panel enough?

Hi.

Im looking into my first grow and are trying to establish what to buy, and if its enough.

I will grow in a 2,5x2,5ft tent, I want to grow 2-3 plants to get a "minimum" of 60g every 4 months. (I dont really expect 60g of my first, but I want to be able to reach 80-100g with tweaks and green fingers).

Ive been looking around for leds, and Im looking at either Hans or a Solarflare 100w. The question is, is this enough to grow 2-3 plants scrog?

I will supplement with ~100w CFL 2700k for the sides. I will probably add a Hans, or a DIY in a year or simething, but until then Im stuck with 300$ on lightning, HID and all Cfl is no option due to heat. Its gonna be a really stealth grow.

Cant really make up my mind, what do you guys/gals think?

if you have 300 go for a more powerful led. 200-300 watts min. youll pay about .50 cents a watt on ebay/alibaba. look into COB or chip on board technology, should help you with selecting a better light for the price. about 100 watts a plant (led) is good.

The Han's panel will most definitely get you 60+ grams per grow once you're dialed in. Though I can't see it covering 2.5x2.5.

2x2 is more like it based on what I've seen people do with it.

Stay away from Alibaba and Ebay crap, 60w of Han's will kill a 300w Alibaba/Ebay Chinese light. I'd pick the Han's over the Cali Lightworks as well. Newer and better tech.

karousing said:

if you have 300 go for a more powerful led. 200-300 watts min. youll pay about .50 cents a watt on ebay/alibaba. look into COB or chip on board technology, should help you with selecting a better light for the price. about 100 watts a plant (led) is good.

Click to expand...

Hmm, weird because in the threads here they say Hans/Solarflare massacres the ebay/alibaba-leds that are using cheap leds. From what Ive seen this far 1g/w seems like kindergarden for the Hans atleast, hence I should reach my goal "pretty easy", but I wank to grow multiple plants. That was I can have a "up" for when its time to socialize and a couch-locker when I need to sleep.

Ive heard like 60x60 should be a max, but if I can strech it to 75x75 with the additional CFLs until I can upgrade.
Maybe it seems like I "already have my mind set", but I dont wanna spend it all and find out I cant reach my goals.

Cheers

Eraserhead said:

The Han's panel will most definitely get you 60+ grams per grow once you're dialed in. Though I can't see it covering 2.5x2.5.

2x2 is more like it based on what I've seen people do with it.

Stay away from Alibaba and Ebay crap, 60w of Han's will kill a 300w Alibaba/Ebay Chinese light. I'd pick the Han's over the Cali Lightworks as well. Newer and better tech.

Click to expand...

Remember that there's a huge difference from 300W to "300W"

Eraserhead said:

The Han's panel will most definitely get you 60+ grams per grow once you're dialed in. Though I can't see it covering 2.5x2.5.

2x2 is more like it based on what I've seen people do with it.

Stay away from Alibaba and Ebay crap, 60w of Han's will kill a 300w Alibaba/Ebay Chinese light. I'd pick the Han's over the Cali Lightworks as well. Newer and better tech.

Click to expand...

Do you think my yield would be penalized if I squeeze 2 plants into a 2,5x2,5 instead of a 2x2? Thinking of angles and reflections.

I can supplement for now, but in the future Im most likely gonna add a panel and/or make a mother/stickling-chamber. But for now its gonna grow from seed.

Would the CFLs help, or save the few bucks for a panel?

is it true the 360w (120x3w) Hans Panel only uses 270watts?

I fully understand what "300w maximum draw" vs. "300w actual draw".

Most "300w" maximum draw LEDs are no where near 300w of absolute maximum.

Say there's 20pcs of "3w" blue and white, and 80pcs of "3w" red, which have a max of 700mA

20 x 3.4v x 700mA = 47.6w
80 x 2.4v x 700mA = 134.4w
Total watts sent to the LEDs = 182w
Fans will use anywhere from 1w each to 5w each
ac/dc conversion is anywhere from 10-20%
Total maximum draw for that panel with 20% blue/white and 80% red will be roughly 210-230w, max.

The actual draw will be closer to 150-200w, considering most Chinese lamps have close to 600mA drivers.

When I say 300w of LED, I mean when you plug it into a Kill-a-watt, it says 300w. I will take a Han's over 300w actual of Chinese light any day. 1) they are much more efficient LEDs, 2) they will not break like the Chinese could. 3) if it did, Han's would be on top of it to fix it asap.

JMD said:

Remember that there's a huge difference from 300W to "300W"

Click to expand...

If you're going to use the Han's in a 2.5x2.5, I'd add some extra lighting, CFL's are cheap and will help a lot. Just make sure to not put the CFLs in the path of the Han's light, that's basically replacing good light with mediocre light.

Personally, I'd do 1 plant per 1 lamp, but if you did 2 smaller plants of the same canopy size, it will work fine.

dtrip said:

Do you think my yield would be penalized if I squeeze 2 plants into a 2,5x2,5 instead of a 2x2? Thinking of angles and reflections.

I can supplement for now, but in the future Im most likely gonna add a panel and/or make a mother/stickling-chamber. But for now its gonna grow from seed.

Would the CFLs help, or save the few bucks for a panel?

Click to expand...

I would build a panel over buying one any day of the week. You get to pick top of the line components for a fraction of the price.

I agree with going hans. Then upgrade or get more after some initial success. Sounds like you are in the UK so maybe check vipar before ever hitting up ebay.

The canopy area and wattage are going to be your yield limiting factors, whether you grow 1 or 2 plants, the space they take up would be the same and so would the available light.

Just for theory/visual...
1 plant=60g's
2 plants= 65g(32g each).
That is a very elementary way to look at it but you get what I'm saying.

For supplemental I would looking to the cree house globes over CFL.

bbspills said:

I would build a panel over buying one any day of the week. You get to pick top of the line components for a fraction of the price.

Click to expand...

Building a whole panel would be to much, but actually looked into the "100w array" LED, since I got an old watercooling from a PC, but I would have to have heatsink outside of the tent the stealth is gone.

Greengenes707 said:

I agree with going hans. Then upgrade or get more after some initial success. Sounds like you are in the UK so maybe check vipar before ever hitting up ebay.

The canopy area and wattage are going to be your yield limiting factors, whether you grow 1 or 2 plants, the space they take up would be the same and so would the available light.

Just for theory/visual...
1 plant=60g's
2 plants= 65g(32g each).
That is a very elementary way to look at it but you get what I'm saying.

For supplemental I would looking to the cree house globes over CFL.

Click to expand...

Ah, I see. Thought 2 would yield more than 1 plant.

Yes, I live in Europe. Makes the Vipar B2x3 interesting and affordable...

dtrip said:

Building a whole panel would be to much, but actually looked into the "100w array" LED, since I got an old watercooling from a PC, but I would have to have heatsink outside of the tent the stealth is gone.



Ah, I see. Thought 2 would yield more than 1 plant.

Yes, I live in Europe. Makes the Vipar B2x3 interesting and affordable...

Click to expand...

I was trying to make an easy visual, but 2 can defiantly yield more than the single plant if things are good, and also do it in less veg time. But it won't be like "I get X amount of one plant...so I should get XX amount of two plants"

If you go Vipar, I would suggest the 3x3. 1 or 2 plant coco/pearlite/airpot scrog.

I am testing 2 Hans in this moment in airpots. 2 plants in one pot and 1 in the other in a 2 x 4 area. 2 x 2 is the best they can cover but they will be frosty. 4 will completely cover a 1.2 meter tent easily. Most companies cover 2 x 3 or 2 x 4. Apache is supposed to cover 4 x 4 but for 2k. I know for fact Hans can cover 4 x 4 for under 1000 and frosty so far as Santa Maria tells me.

To be honest there needs to be a grow off with the best panels but the manufacturers are either small time or don't want to be involved in something like this. It still comes down to money when the dust settles.

Greengenes707 said:

I was trying to make an easy visual, but 2 can defiantly yield more than the single plant if things are good, and also do it in less veg time. But it won't be like "I get X amount of one plant...so I should get XX amount of two plants"

Click to expand...

Yes, got it now. Since Im a complete beginner, having a hard time taking care of the orchids my better half brings home, but the interest is way higher when it comes to Mary. What Im mainly after is quality, not quantity. And LED seems to compare to HID these days, atleast when buying a quality LED, correct? Atleast they trump CFL.

ellydee said:

If you go Vipar, I would suggest the 3x3. 1 or 2 plant coco/pearlite/airpot scrog.

Click to expand...

Have looked into it, but the B3x3 is over my budget. Maybe its possible if Santa is nice to me, but with those kinda money my senses is tingling after 2 Hans. What kinda leds are they using in the B-series?

Would you recommend coco over soil for a beginner?

El Tiberon said:

I am testing 2 Hans in this moment in airpots. 2 plants in one pot and 1 in the other in a 2 x 4 area. 2 x 2 is the best they can cover but they will be frosty. 4 will completely cover a 1.2 meter tent easily. Most companies cover 2 x 3 or 2 x 4. Apache is supposed to cover 4 x 4 but for 2k. I know for fact Hans can cover 4 x 4 for under 1000 and frosty so far as Santa Maria tells me.

To be honest there needs to be a grow off with the best panels but the manufacturers are either small time or don't want to be involved in something like this. It still comes down to money when the dust settles.

Click to expand...

Frosty buds is what Im looking for, Ive seen good stuff from the Hans and not much when I search for Vipar at the web.

-----------

A alternative to CFLs and a more sustained solution could be the DIY 100w array 3000K ("Cheapo 200w led array"). Dont know how they really perform thou.