DIYers try to recreate CREE vs Gravita?

Rider509

Rider509

Well-Known Member
I'm just a small-time tent farmer that takes pleasure in the grow, the tech, and the whole DIY aspect of it all. Were I growing on a large scale for profit I'd definitely take a more cost-centric approach and be shooting for max efficiency and reliability. I'd probably also not enjoy it nearly as much.

@AliCakes, there are some very knowledgeable people here. I'm not one of them but I can rub two sticks together. Determine your design criteria first and then it makes it easier to choose the components and structure of your build rather than copying some other design. The beauty of DIY is that it fits your particular needs. I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
 
MeGaKiLlErMaN

MeGaKiLlErMaN

Well-Known Member
Rider509 said:
I'm just a small-time tent farmer that takes pleasure in the grow, the tech, and the whole DIY aspect of it all. Were I growing on a large scale for profit I'd definitely take a more cost-centric approach and be shooting for max efficiency and reliability. I'd probably also not enjoy it nearly as much.

@AliCakes, there are some very knowledgeable people here. I'm not one of them but I can rub two sticks together. Determine your design criteria first and then it makes it easier to choose the components and structure of your build rather than copying some other design. The beauty of DIY is that it fits your particular needs. I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
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If you do well on a small grow you always have the option to advance, I'll soon be moving from 12 plants to 38 and that is not than enough to let me do that for a job.
 
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mauricem00

mauricem00

Well-Known Member
MeGaKiLlErMaN said:
You said high quality light, Blackdog, and platinum in the same sentence.. Please don't. Not good lights.. Not sure about clw yet but there's a grow going now running them.

As for why you would hit 1700ppfd... To get the most yield out of a given area and adding co2. I plan to do just that in my next lighting addition. Having around 11ppf/W and 900W in a 4x4 running 48 cobs. The point being that I ran my cobs within 3-6 inches from top colas with no bleaching. The bid was massive and the PPF in that spot was well over 2000. Not saying all the light was used but the plant didn't seem to mind.

Co2 next run.
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I said high end referring to the cost of these lights. with so much contradictory information out there it is impossible to judge quality without buying the product and doing a number of well controlled test grows. I have better things to spend my money on.
 
MeGaKiLlErMaN

MeGaKiLlErMaN

Well-Known Member
mauricem00 said:
I said high end referring to the cost of these lights. with so much contradictory information out there it is impossible to judge quality without buying the product and doing a number of well controlled test grows. I have better things to spend my money on.
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People of lesser intelligence associate higher cost with a higher valse product which isn't always the case. I'm just happy you get that, I've have so many talks with other growers that show they will pay way more for a lesser quality product because of marketing... Beats by dre for example compared to Audio Technica.
 
mauricem00

mauricem00

Well-Known Member
MeGaKiLlErMaN said:
People of lesser intelligence associate higher cost with a higher valse product which isn't always the case. I'm just happy you get that, I've have so many talks with other growers that show they will pay way more for a lesser quality product because of marketing... Beats by dre for example compared to Audio Technica.
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my $92 T5s ( 3 light, 2 closets and one $52 tent) total cost less than $350. T5s keep the medicine bowl filled with high quality meds for me and my S.O. thats all I care about. I even have surplus that I give away to low income cancer victims.im too old to care about whats COOL or flashy.
 
Rider509

Rider509

Well-Known Member
Growmau5 said:
I really wish you had been around 2 years ago to post this. I think you are right, what are we doing here? This is pointless, all this diy led bullshit. its more expensive, you have to build it.
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And build it we will! Without forward thinking people pushing the envelope we wouldn't have many of the products we now take for granted on our grows.
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CobKits

CobKits

Well-Known Member
MeGaKiLlErMaN said:
Not if you go by PPFD, also depends on how many in the matrix. If it's 1 vs 1 then you should only need 800ppfd in a 4x4 to beat it out, what ever that works out to in watts depends on your budget
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in a 4x4 thats still only 1200 ppf vs the gavitas 1700
 
mauricem00

mauricem00

Well-Known Member
Rider509 said:
And build it we will! Without forward thinking people pushing the envelope we wouldn't have many of the products we now take for granted on our grows.
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a few years ago some of us were building our own 2G11 CFL fixture and many growers still build CFL fixture using materials from home depot.for every great invention there are many failures. induction and plasma lights were new technology that never caught on with growers.CMH is a new technology that many growers are testing and having good results with.LEDs are an evolving technology and there is no consensus as to what works best with that technology. nothing is the best option for everyone. we all end up using what works best for us in time.the only established fact about LEDs are that cheap grow light sold on E-bay or amazon are low quality, poor performing lights that don't last long. it would be surprising if a group of stoners discovered a radical improvement that engineers, scientist and horticulturalist missed.
 
mauricem00

mauricem00

Well-Known Member
Growmau5 said:
I really wish you had been around 2 years ago to post this. I think you are right, what are we doing here? This is pointless, all this diy led bullshit. its more expensive, you have to build it.
thanks for your contribution to the forum.

Lets get a group rate on some DE HPS.
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is this sarcasm? I thought you were one of the high priest of the COB cult
 
D

Dr.Nick Riviera

Well-Known Member
mauricem00 said:
is this sarcasm? I thought you were one of the high priest of the COB cult
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It's his weak ass attempt at sarcasm, It's the same story for YEARS, they make claims, then get butthurt when they can't compete with HPS, LED was suppose to do this and do that and be less expensive and less heat and grow magical unicorn farts. LED today, tomorrow something new.
meanwhile,my 2 yr old tech is still pumping out 3 lbs a light.
 
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MeGaKiLlErMaN

MeGaKiLlErMaN

Well-Known Member
Growmau5 said:
I really wish you had been around 2 years ago to post this. I think you are right, what are we doing here? This is pointless, all this diy led bullshit. its more expensive, you have to build it.
thanks for your contribution to the forum.

Lets get a group rate on some DE HPS.
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L
CobKits said:
in a 4x4 thats still only 1200 ppf vs the gavitas 1700
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Nooo you miss read, or I miss typed.. PPFD in a 4x4. Not PPF. I only ever talk in PPFD, and for a Gavita in a 4x4 that's around 750ppfd at max with one light. Yes there's overlap with more but that's not the point I'm talking about. The PPFD of my light is 1200 in the same area for example
 
mauricem00

mauricem00

Well-Known Member
Dr.Nick Riviera said:
It's his weak ass attempt at sarcasm, It's the same story for YEARS, they make claims, then get butthurt when they can't compete with HPS, LED was suppose to do this and do that and be less expensive and less heat and grow magical unicorn farts. LED today, tomorrow something new.
meanwhile,my 2 yr old tech is still pumping out 3 lbs a light.
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I just googled 1GPW with CFLs and found all kinds of techniques so it's not just limited to LEDs. my 300 watt T5 give me an honest 1/2 pound with a high yield strain but I have been growing for a few years.I do believe the new CMH bulbs will produce better quality if not higher yield than standard HPS bulbs because of the better spectrum they provide but this is still HID technology and with time every thing gets improved.even HPS (enhanced spectrum HPS)
 
Rahz

Rahz

Well-Known Member
I've been around since the Vero gen5 and CXA days. Back then the Vero 18s were running about 35% efficient at nominal current. I know of a 720w rig that was pulling over 2 lbs at 35% efficiency. That was 1.25 GPW and isn't overly impressive compared to other examples. Around a year and a half ago people started building 50% efficient lamps and I started selling them. My current lamps are 57% efficient at full power. The story has changed over the years and only gotten better for LED. My 300w LED meant to cover a 2x4 provides 970 PPFD at full power and can easily hit 55 g/sqft since that's what achieved with the 35% efficient lamps.

I don't get butt hurt about it because I have seen it and know but don't care to have an emotional investment in trying to convince others. By the same token, there is still a price premium for good LED lamps and even kits at startup. It does pay off through electrical cost over years OR produce more for a given wattage but if a person get's what they need and electrical use isn't a concern they may not find that overly impressive.
 
REALSTYLES

REALSTYLES

Well-Known Member
Rahz said:
I've been around since the Vero gen5 and CXA days. Back then the Vero 18s were running about 35% efficient at nominal current. I know of a 720w rig that was pulling over 2 lbs at 35% efficiency. That was 1.25 GPW and isn't overly impressive compared to other examples. Around a year and a half ago people started building 50% efficient lamps and I started selling them. My current lamps are 57% efficient at full power. The story has changed over the years and only gotten better for LED. My 300w LED meant to cover a 2x4 provides 970 PPFD at full power and can easily hit 55 g/sqft since that's what achieved with the 35% efficient lamps.

I don't get butt hurt about it because I have seen it and know but don't care to have an emotional investment in trying to convince others. By the same token, there is still a price premium for good LED lamps and even kits at startup. It does pay off through electrical cost over years OR produce more for a given wattage but if a person get's what they need and electrical use isn't a concern they may not find that overly impressive.
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Well said. I on the other hand I have 600w panels that 2 of them outperforms Gavita by a long shot. Watt for watt Gavita loses but you have to make that investment. There's no shortcuts when it comes to lighting.
 
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