240 actual led watts or 315 cmh in 3x2?

Rocket Soul said:

HLG would most likely be a bit better in efficiency, they have a long ongoing collaboration with samsung. Samsung basicly built a factory in Vietnam for HLG to cherry pick the best diodes and avoid getting hit by trump tarrifs.
If theyre both 500 something id look around for other deals, thats quite expensive for both.
Also Vipar does not have IR afaik no led light have it, they do have some far red though.
But then again im all DIY, dont buy a light when i can build better for cheaper. And in the end i think im a bit predjudice against vipar, i dont know why anyone would choose them but thats me. If you can get over china fears theres lights for like 150$ plus shipping from community trusted alibaba sellers, meijiu and kingbrite are good.

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I would go kingbrite before hlg just because theyre both the same price and DIY but the kingbrite is like half the price, but they use the same diodes not sure about the kingbrite driver but viparspectra and hlg use the exact same and viparspectra is like 50 bucks less and i don't have to build it, the hlg 260 kit is like 330 i think...the vipar is 280 free Amazon next day shipping

Dapper_Dillinger said:

I would go kingbrite before hlg just because theyre both the same price and DIY but the kingbrite is like half the price, but they use the same diodes not sure about the kingbrite driver but viparspectra and hlg use the exact same and viparspectra is like 50 bucks less and i don't have to build it, the hlg 260 kit is like 330 i think...the vipar is 280 free Amazon next day shipping

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I've got a kingbright 240w it's a meanwell driver.

Dapper_Dillinger said:

I would go kingbrite before hlg just because theyre both the same price and DIY but the kingbrite is like half the price, but they use the same diodes not sure about the kingbrite driver but viparspectra and hlg use the exact same and viparspectra is like 50 bucks less and i don't have to build it, the hlg 260 kit is like 330 i think...the vipar is 280 free Amazon next day shipping

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My advice is to get a driver with actionable warranty, digikey or arrow and only get your boards and sinks from ali. Who wants to send a driver to china? But after that there is really very little difference in your situation: run it slightly dimmed around 180w and youll be golden. If you get KB you can get a couple of qb11 blues aswell rheyre like a tenner, nice for veg and transpiration.

Rocket Soul said:

My advice is to get a driver with actionable warranty, digikey or arrow and only get your boards and sinks from ali. Who wants to send a driver to china? But after that there is really very little difference in your situation: run it slightly dimmed around 180w and youll be golden. If you get KB you can get a couple of qb11 blues aswell rheyre like a tenner, nice for veg and transpiration.

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I'm totally new to led, what are qb11 blues?

Star Dog said:

I'm totally new to led, what are qb11 blues?

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11 diodes in series on a 560mm strip. This option uses Cree XP-E2 diodes.

Barristan Whitebeard said:

11 diodes in series on a 560mm strip. This option uses Cree XP-E2 diodes.

Kingbrite Kb11 Board Royal Blue Xp-e2 460nm Strip - Buy Kingbrite,Kb11,King Brite Product on Alibaba.com

Kingbrite Kb11 Board Royal Blue Xp-e2 460nm Strip - Buy Kingbrite,Kb11,King Brite Product on Alibaba.com

m.alibaba.com

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Thanks very much for the link..
I didn't realise just how simple they are to put together, it has crossed my mind should anything happen to my KB I've got a driver and heat sink.

Maybe you can advise me on another led matter, inside a 3x2 3ft high clone tent how much power should I use with a 240w 4k with rooted clones, I can't afford any mistakes with them, I made a mother sick at 100w so I'm a bit paranoid about changing from T5s but I expect the led will make them grow better/faster.

Star Dog said:

I've got a kingbright 240w it's a meanwell driver.

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Same as hlg and viparspectra xs 2000 if im not mistaken...

Star Dog said:

Thanks very much for the link..
I didn't realise just how simple they are to put together, it has crossed my mind should anything happen to my KB I've got a driver and heat sink.

Maybe you can advise me on another led matter, inside a 3x2 3ft high clone tent how much power should I use with a 240w 4k with rooted clones, I can't afford any mistakes with them, I made a mother sick at 100w so I'm a bit paranoid about changing from T5s but I expect the led will make them grow better/faster.

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You've hooked the light up to a watt meter then? How low can you dim it? Could be tricky, obv. you don't have a lot of height to work with.

I would hang the light as high as you safely can in the tent (you need some clearance between the roof and the heatsink, and a fan blowing air across the heatsink would be a good idea too), and gradually increase the wattage every few days as the clones get acclimated to the more intense light.

Barristan Whitebeard said:

11 diodes in series on a 560mm strip. This option uses Cree XP-E2 diodes.

Kingbrite Kb11 Board Royal Blue Xp-e2 460nm Strip - Buy Kingbrite,Kb11,King Brite Product on Alibaba.com

Kingbrite Kb11 Board Royal Blue Xp-e2 460nm Strip - Buy Kingbrite,Kb11,King Brite Product on Alibaba.com

m.alibaba.com

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You guys would add 450nn or 60?
I doubt you mean that but to me the words blue, green & red are to vague to be thrown around these days. Now that we've passed the 450/660 Burple phase I'd like to talk Blue NM's. The ones that should've been key elements to the burples had tech allowed it. @Rocket Soul , you talk blue n i know you know you're blues. What they each do better then me I bet.
I'm Liking the idea of 390-430nm, (maybe in the violets a lil, I know) 470nm. One would think that one is obvious, being the color of the sky & the key nm that is used to fulfill life's Cyrcadian rhythms for the day time. (And why white leds are being redesigned for that reason) Also Chloro-Peaks n what not. Yet remains the "Cyan Gap" in the most popular leds?
A nice broadband 430 starting around 400 would be a nice addition to our existing 450 peaks. (Some have started the wide blue range) A few 470 or broadband chips again in the mix. I saw it n want it, the 450/470 double bump. Then fill in the rest below at lower amounts. Green about half of a white led & 630/600 double bump followed by the red tail out to 800.
You know wazup!
Soon we'll have all this n then some @ 3.0 umol/j.
Till then, I enjoy my leds man! Good to see your posts again! Hope all's well!

Star Dog said:

CMH hoods vary in size and function. Remote ballast.....bulb orientation.

These are both 315w.
View attachment 4714519
18x18 opening vertical - internal ballast - taller and bulky
Vs
11x13 opening horizontal - remote ballast - short and stealthy

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Bulb orientation makes a huge difference to the height from the plants, vertical can get much closer.
The heat is radiated over the canopy rather than into it with one hot spot.
If you have a horizontal bulb put your hand to the end of it to get an idea of the difference.
[/QUOTE]
You can measure from any part of the bulb you like lol

Star Dog said:

Bulb orientation makes a huge difference to the height from the plants, vertical can get much closer.
The heat is radiated over the canopy rather than into it with one hot spot.
If you have a horizontal bulb put your hand to the end of it to get an idea of the difference.

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You can measure from any part of the bulb you like lol
View attachment 4715563
[/QUOTE]
Reflector type also factors in, using extra wide batwings we could get about the same height as these vertical. But i believe the vertical reflectors have a bonus in how much light it throws down on the cannopy as it wont block as many reflections.

Rocket Soul said:

You can measure from any part of the bulb you like lol
View attachment 4715563

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Reflector type also factors in, using extra wide batwings we could get about the same height as these vertical. But i believe the vertical reflectors have a bonus in how much light it throws down on the cannopy as it wont block as many reflections.
[/QUOTE]
Yes I think so too, the parabolic reflector is one of my best buys, it's something I can categorically absolutely say it improved my yeilds considerably.
According to my light meter the parabolic has the widest most intense light spread, directly underneath the bulb there's a dimm spot but it's more than made up for with its spread of light and the plants don't reflect the dimm spot...see photos.

But they do reflect the wide spread of light lol.

Eta...
I should mention that I didn't intend to screen this grow, normally the screen would be bevelled/concaved for maximum light spread and intensity.

Star Dog said:

Reflector type also factors in, using extra wide batwings we could get about the same height as these vertical. But i believe the vertical reflectors have a bonus in how much light it throws down on the cannopy as it wont block as many reflections.

Click to expand...

"Yes I think so too, the parabolic reflector is one of my best buys, it's something I can categorically absolutely say it improved my yeilds considerably.
According to my light meter the parabolic has the widest most intense light spread, directly underneath the bulb there's a dimm spot but it's more than made up for with its spread of light and the plants don't reflect the dimm spot...see photos."
View attachment 4715894
But they do reflect the wide spread of light lol. - That is not me it's a qoute.
[/QUOTE]
EDITTED:

This is me: I always thought the Parabolic cmh hood with the mirrored corners was the shit but never used one. Probably lays a nice dense 3x3. I had not thought about bulb heat or hot-spots when I purchased mine recently. Which are in small, widened hoods made to give off a 4x4 print. Commercial style hood some may say but with a different shape then most cmh hoods.
There is quite the hot-spot under each one yet the spread is a hell of allot better then I thought it would be using them crosslapped.
I have x4 over 5'8" x 7' and have more then enough light whereas a single 1200w DE could not provide both plants with the exact same high #'s. And would only cover a 5x5 effectively w/o other lamps to crosslap.. I firmly believe x4, 315's will crush a DE & cover a 7x7 area with the right hoods.
Now, can 900w of led hang with 1260w of CMH In one area? Idk growers but we're about to find out.
Maybe Shane's video using the Parobolic hood w/ hps is what turned me off to that style. Admittingly now that I gave it some thought. They are x2 totally different monsters & should not be compared that way. Hps parabolic & cmh parabolic, that is.

hybridway2 said:

"Yes I think so too, the parabolic reflector is one of my best buys, it's something I can categorically absolutely say it improved my yeilds considerably.
According to my light meter the parabolic has the widest most intense light spread, directly underneath the bulb there's a dimm spot but it's more than made up for with its spread of light and the plants don't reflect the dimm spot...see photos."
View attachment 4715894
But they do reflect the wide spread of light lol.

Click to expand...

I always thought the Parabolic cmh hood with the mirrored corners was the shit but never used one. Probably lays a nice dense 3x3. I had not thought about bulb heat or hot-spots when I purchased mine recently. Which are in small, widened hoods made to give off a 4x4 print. Commercial style hood some may say but with a different shape then most cmh hoods.
There is quite the hot-spot under each one yet the spread is a hell of allot better then I thought it would be using them crosslapped.
I have x4 over 5'8" x 7' and have more then enough light whereas a single 1200w DE could not provide both plants with the exact same high #'s. And would only cover a 5x5 effectively w/o other lamps to crosslap.. I firmly believe x4, 315's will crush a DE & cover a 7x7 area with the right hoods.
Now, can 900w of led hang with 1260w of CMH In one area? Idk growers but we're about to find out.
Maybe Shane's video using the Parobolic hood w/ hps is what turned me off to that style. Admittingly now that I gave it some thought. They are x2 totally different monsters & should not be compared that way. Hps parabolic & cmh parabolic, that is.
[/QUOTE]
That’s some serious lighting power you have there, it'll be interesting to see/hear how it goes for you, do you have any pics of your plants?
I think the 4x light is a better option over a De, I'm not familiar with cmh but I think the better light spread will work out better + you can get them closer than the 1000w.

A few years ago some growers were using 4x 150w mini grow star hps and reckoned they were superior to a single 600w.

Star Dog said:

I always thought the Parabolic cmh hood with the mirrored corners was the shit but never used one. Probably lays a nice dense 3x3. I had not thought about bulb heat or hot-spots when I purchased mine recently. Which are in small, widened hoods made to give off a 4x4 print. Commercial style hood some may say but with a different shape then most cmh hoods.
There is quite the hot-spot under each one yet the spread is a hell of allot better then I thought it would be using them crosslapped.
I have x4 over 5'8" x 7' and have more then enough light whereas a single 1200w DE could not provide both plants with the exact same high #'s. And would only cover a 5x5 effectively w/o other lamps to crosslap.. I firmly believe x4, 315's will crush a DE & cover a 7x7 area with the right hoods.
Now, can 900w of led hang with 1260w of CMH In one area? Idk growers but we're about to find out.
Maybe Shane's video using the Parobolic hood w/ hps is what turned me off to that style. Admittingly now that I gave it some thought. They are x2 totally different monsters & should not be compared that way. Hps parabolic & cmh parabolic, that is.

Click to expand...

That’s some serious lighting power you have there, it'll be interesting to see/hear how it goes for you, do you have any pics of your plants?
I think the 4x light is a better option over a De, I'm not familiar with cmh but I think the better light spread will work out better + you can get them closer than the 1000w.

A few years ago some growers were using 4x 150w mini grow star hps and reckoned they were superior to a single 600w.
[/QUOTE]
600w was the most electrically efficient of the hps bulbs when I used hps. Had x1 , per plant for the #.
Did well off scrap 250's n 400's on unsafe beater mag ballasts when I first started though . If it came to a bunch of 150 bulbs I'd think I'd go T-5 Instead. Here's this rounds ceiling. Changes up allot aside from the Bars.