Best cheap $100 light?

Project Ponics

Project Ponics

Well-Known Member
I have a 300w viparspectra led, yeah I know... actual pull isn like 136w.

I'm looking to add another light to my 4x2x5 space. I was just going to order another $89 300w viparspectra.

But I'm wondering if there are a better options, I know $100 is not much at all to work with.

Looking for a cob possibly?
 
reallybigjesusfreak

reallybigjesusfreak

Well-Known Member
SwiSHa85 said:
You really want 50 wall watts per sq ft. So in your case 400 watts to cover the entire tent. Cheapest bang for buck would be HPS. Amazon has an entire 400w Cool tube setup for $125. You could use the led for a veg light and use just the HPS.

Link: http://a.co/3JQcaoB

Oh yea they have 400w wing style for $100 with everything
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as long as they also have the money to provide proper ventilation as well.
 
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growingforfun

Well-Known Member
Project Ponics said:
Yeah as great as that sounds I'm really leaning towards leds.

Heat is already a big concern in my room.
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A vented cool tube like swish recommended is going to run cooler than the same number of led watts. Yes you'll have to run a inline fan to pull the air out of the area through the tube but it's a much better solution.
 
reallybigjesusfreak

reallybigjesusfreak

Well-Known Member
Project Ponics said:
Yeah as great as that sounds I'm really leaning towards leds.

Heat is already a big concern in my room.
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if heats already a concern then address that before adding more light. You need more light, and thats gonna give off more heat, regardless of what option you choose. HID in a cooltube is a super easy way to vent it or other air cooled hood
 
Project Ponics

Project Ponics

Well-Known Member
SwiSHa85 said:
You really want 50 wall watts per sq ft. So in your case 400 watts to cover the entire tent. Cheapest bang for buck would be HPS. Amazon has an entire 400w Cool tube setup for $125. You could use the led for a veg light and use just the HPS.

Link: http://a.co/3JQcaoB

Oh yea they have 400w wing style for $100 with everything
Click to expand...
Looks like a good option, I have a split closet though it's about 4x2x5.5 on one side. It's 40"x20"x62" to be exact. Picture below to show, I turned it into a little veg station for now, as we just moved in a couple weeks ago. Still a lot of setting up to do, what do y'all think? The sliding doors on the closet have air vent slots for circulation but I'm not sure how I'd run duct in my closet... I also have my 2x2x4 grow tent I'm using as my flower tent with my 300w viparspectra. May just have to buy a 4x2x6 tent.

Now thinking about it I have a A/C window unit I can install to keep the room at a steady 75-80 if the regular a/c doesn't handle the job. It's a back corner room and right now the temp stays high in there compared to the rest of the house.

Also that reflector on that hps looks sooooo small lol.

IMG-1062.JPG
 
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SwiSHa85

SwiSHa85

Well-Known Member
growingforfun said:
A vented cool tube like swish recommended is going to run cooler than the same number of led watts. Yes you'll have to run a inline fan to pull the air out of the area through the tube but it's a much better solution.
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I can touch my old 400w cool tube with exhaust running. I only run it during the winter and it keeps my building warmer, I use my LEDs during summer.
 
Project Ponics

Project Ponics

Well-Known Member
SwiSHa85 said:
I can touch my old 400w cool tube with exhaust running. I only run it during the winter and it keeps my building warmer, I use my LEDs during summer.
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Well my original plan was to buy a 4x2x5/6 tent, and buy another cheap $89 300w viparspectra and put both in my 4x2 or closet whichever one I grow in. Then use my 2-tube 2' 48w ho t5 for my 2x2 as a veg tent, eventually was planning on getting a 4-tube 2' fixture with 4-54w blubs.

It's 95-100 everyday down here in the south US. With humidity that makes it feel like an easy 110. So it's pretty hot this summer lol.
 
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growingforfun

Well-Known Member
SwiSHa85 said:
I can touch my old 400w cool tube with exhaust running. I only run it during the winter and it keeps my building warmer, I use my LEDs during summer.
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Exactly. Everyone thinks HID is so hot and I dont get it... like.. yes I understand the LED companies and spreading lies like crazy, but I'd think more people would see through it.

Even on my large XXXL hood I can easily hold the back of my hand on the glass right under the bulb and it's fine. My infrared thermometer only reads like 78 at any part of the hood, and my canopy temps are about 76. Running 1000 watts in the summer at night. No A/C. It's in the mid 90's during the day here an around the mid upper 60's at the coldest at night but mostly low 70's at night outside. Cooling ducted hoods is actually so simple I really think it would be harder to cool a led area but to each their own.
 
SwiSHa85

SwiSHa85

Well-Known Member
Project Ponics said:
Well my original plan was to buy a 4x2x5/6 tent, and buy another cheap $89 300w viparspectra and put both in my 4x2 or closet whichever one I grow in. Then use my 2-tube 2' 48w ho t5 for my 2x2 for veg, eventually was planning on getting a 4-tube 2' fixture with 4-54w blubs.
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How many plants max are you going to flower at a time? Each one of those 300w will do 1-2 medium plants. If you look in my signature, "Random Auto Grow" you'll see 2 "300w" leds in a 2x4x6 flowing 4 auto's nicely.
 
Project Ponics

Project Ponics

Well-Known Member
SwiSHa85 said:
How many plants mfax are you going to flower at a time? Each one of those 300w will do 1-2 medium plants. If you look in my signature, "Random Auto Grow" you'll see 2 "300w" leds in a 2x4x6 flowing 4 auto's nicely.
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About that man, no more that 3-4 at a time in 3gal pots with photos, I may do like 4-6 in 2gal pots with some autos.

I mainly plan to run photos with a scrog.

/Your set up is exact what I'm looking to do, 4 plants in 2/3gal pots.
Looks good man, that's with two "300w" leds? Pretty much what I'm looking at and it looks like it's working out great for you.
 
PURPLEB3RRYKUSH

PURPLEB3RRYKUSH

Well-Known Member
Project Ponics said:
Looks like a good option, I have a split closet though it's about 4x2x5.5 on one side. It's 40"x20"x62" to be exact. Picture below to show, I turned it into a little veg station for now, as we just moved in a couple weeks ago. Still a lot of setting up to do, what do y'all think? The sliding doors on the closet have air vent slots for circulation but I'm not sure how I'd run duct in my closet... I also have my 2x2x4 grow tent I'm using as my flower tent with my 300w viparspectra. May just have to buy a 4x2x6 tent.

Now thinking about it I have a A/C window unit I can install to keep the room at a steady 75-80 if the regular a/c doesn't handle the job. It's a back corner room and right now the temp stays high in there compared to the rest of the house.

Also that reflector on that hps looks sooooo small lol.

View attachment 4164149
Click to expand...
I wouldn't put a HPS in a closet without a whole lot of ventilation, your plant will cook in that small closet. 400 watt HPS would increase temps up by atleast 20 fh
 
Project Ponics

Project Ponics

Well-Known Member
PURPLEB3RRYKUSH said:
I wouldn't put a HPS in a closet without a whole lot of ventilation, your plant will cook in that small closet. 400 watt HPS would increase temps up by atleast 20 fh
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Yeah I think I'm just going to stick to my original plan and keep it cheap. Buy a 4x2x6 tent and buy another $100 led, might get the new mars hydro eco 600w. 192w pull, it's great for a 2x4 coverage plus my 300w viparspectra that should be more than good to fill then tent with a scrog.

https://www.amazon.com/MARS-HYDRO-Spectrum-Hydroponic-Extremely/dp/B0773LNCNX/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1531438626&sr=1-1&keywords=mars+hydro+eco&th=1
 
PURPLEB3RRYKUSH

PURPLEB3RRYKUSH

Well-Known Member
Project Ponics said:
Yeah I think I'm just going to stick to my original plan and keep it cheap. Buy a 4x2x6 tent and buy another $100 led, might get the new mars hydro eco 600w. 192w pull, it's great for a 2x4 coverage plus my 300w viparspectra that should be more than good to fill then tent with a scrog.

https://www.amazon.com/MARS-HYDRO-Spectrum-Hydroponic-Extremely/dp/B0773LNCNX/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1531438626&sr=1-1&keywords=mars+hydro+eco&th=1
Click to expand...
Mars lights are alright for the price, i was pulling half pound under the old 300 watt reflector. Light paid for itself real quick.
 
Project Ponics

Project Ponics

Well-Known Member
growingforfun said:
So if your set on LEDs, what's the reason to not build one with Samsung strips? Pretty sure that dollar for dollar the strips are going to do you better than a Mars hydro

@nfhiggs can give you some accurate costs and help though possibly?
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Never thought about it... just trying to keep it very cheap and simple right now.

I'm a first time grower, just completed my first harvest ever not even two weeks ago. Have 3 autos growing atm, two seedlings and one in flower.
My first grow was two photos, just looking to upgrade my grow space a little on a budget so I can produce more than 2.5 oz next time in my 2x2x4 lol.

I thought about holding off on the tent for a bit, just get another light to put in my 2x2x4. Buy a better light and save a little money. Main point is to pull more than 68 grams on my next photo period grow, want to at least pull a qp.
 
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growingforfun

Well-Known Member
I haven't built a led fixture yet myself so take this with a dose of salt, but everyone says it's very easy. Buy some solid core wire, some connectors, pretty sure a lot of people are using a style you just jam the wires in each end an it grabs em an your done, they are under a buck each I believe. The driver is 25-35 bucks? Maybe less, nfhiggs will tell you for sure though. And the strips are like 17 bucks each. I want to say each strip is around 12 watts... so for 100 bucks I think that gives you a 60 some odd watt fixture, but as I'm saying nfhiggs will get you the real numbers.

So your gonna say, "why a 60 watt fixture an not a 120 watt i can just buy an have shipped?"
Well, because those strips are well over double as good as the Mars hydro, your going to get more, and better light out of them.

Anyways, give it some thought, those Samsung strips are pushing around 180 lumens per watt, have the best reading for light quality out there, an are relatively cheap and simple to build.

I'm a die hard hps fan, but if someone must go led, it should be something as good or better than a hps
 
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