Hempstar 3 Stage LED Grow

dafoo

Member
http://www.gothamhydroponics.com/grow-lights/gotham-hydro-led-grow-lights/blackstar-240w-led-grow-light-3w-cree.html

Its a 240 W panel, ( Gen 7?) supposedly using 3W crees with mix of 60 and 120 degree for optimal penetration with 11 spectra but mostly the reds- I'm sure you can read their page. Says it will cover 4-6 sq ft and at $260 per looks a bit cheaper than the 357. May give it a shot and see what happens. Will probably keep UFos going too.

About to change the res out today. Flushing right now with reskleen Looks like I'm getting either Potasium def or nute burn with this trouble I have been having keeping pH down. Seeing tips browning on lower leaves and some spottting. I have been spraying with res water so that might have done it too. PPM is up to 1500 with all the damn pH down I have had to add with a little tap in the mix from my softener. Going to a 40ppm mix of DI and Poland Springs this am. Have it sitting and waiting to go at pH 5.8. Will add 400 pmm of the famous moon dust and 200 ppm of B-52 and see how they do. Have gotten some algea in tank and on starter plugs. Pulled all my non- starters and will cover up the unused pots with foil to block light in res- water isnt green though so I take that as a plus- just on sides on tank. Still on a 24 hr veg and my widows are thriving as are the two carms under the two 90w ufos.
Just to clarify like many people before... a Blackstar 240w draws an actual 140w and when planning space covering needs to be treated as a 140w LED.
When the companies say there base coverage area (4-6 feet in this case) it's at best for vegging. I'm not trying to call Lighthouse "liars" because almost all companies do similar inflated "w ratings", but it definetely is something to take in to account when pricing.
From what my understanding from many of the successfull LED grow through to harvest is that about %40-%50 wattage of HID needs to be used in LED's to do similar outputs... and also more success has been had using several smaller units as opposed to fewer larger... say 2 200w's having better results than 1 450w LED for example, but thats allways been the same case when I came to HID as well (600's over 1000's).
 

medicine21

Active Member
I don't actually own a magnum, but from what I can tell with even the top of the line LED's out now, they take about 40% of the wattage of hid to get ACTUAL results.... they aren't miracle workers yet but, they definetely can and do work.
So if I was you I'd budget on needing more like 5 of them, possibly 6 for super dense coverage.
That was an old post of mine you dug up. After much more research I cannot believe the 3x357Mag > 2X1000W claim. Now I am budgeting more 70%-80% LED power to at least match (and possible exceed) HID.
 

dunit

Active Member
So I was supposed to cut down yesterday but ended up having to go out of town so the ladies are sitting in darkness for 72 hours and will then get the chop. I don't usually do the 72 hour thing but couldn't exactly leave everything running for three days unattended so gonna give it a try :-)
 

shand

Well-Known Member
So I was supposed to cut down yesterday but ended up having to go out of town so the ladies are sitting in darkness for 72 hours and will then get the chop. I don't usually do the 72 hour thing but couldn't exactly leave everything running for three days unattended so gonna give it a try :-)
Aww! Haha.. I was looking forward to a Thursday harvest :P Can't wait to see it!
 

Devilspawn

Well-Known Member
looking great. my grow is a mess after my airstone clogged up and root rot took over. revegging now but what a heartbreak...widows were huge before getting wiped out
 

dafoo

Member
I'd run with ANYTHING other than a "crapstar"... stealthgrow, isis and 357 are your best bets... Buying LEDs is like buying anything else, you get what you pay for. Crapstar is cheap shit which is always an option but if you want results go with one of the quality lines out there.

Actually the only guy I've actually talked to who's finished a grow with one really was happy with the Blackstar 240w....
Yes they are the value brand in the (non-chinesed) LED market... but I think you're making assumptions on a branding you for whatever reason you don't like.
And for the record after considering all I got a Spectra... can't beat the 5 year warranty. lol
 

dafoo

Member
Anyone have the link for the Spectra website?
http://growledhydro.com/index.html

Ignore the old info, just click on the panels and read the first paragraph.
I ordered the 290w... call and talk to the guy for a deal, I got $40 off and free shipping.
What made me go with them was the warranty all said and done.
Do I know if they are any better than the rest... no not really, but at least my expensive shining toy from these guys will still be working in 5 years... lol
oh my I hope I didn't just waste 600 bucks!
HA
 

dafoo

Member
I actaully had to insulate my room better to get the temp up but it is currently -17F outside. I actually put down a sub floor over the concrete and will probably lift it (it is interlocking 2x2 panels) for the summer to manage the temps. I am running the Magnums and a propane powered co2 burner. It sits at 85F daytime and I have a small ceramic heater that maintains 72-75F at night.
ARGH!!! Whats with all the imperial?!?
Your a fellow 'nuck, use metric so I know what you're saying!!! lol
No seriously... keep the good work up.
Peace from Oil Country
 

dunit

Active Member
ARGH!!! Whats with all the imperial?!?
Your a fellow 'nuck, use metric so I know what you're saying!!! lol
No seriously... keep the good work up.
Peace from Oil Country
Everytime I use metric I get a zillion questions asking for the conversions from our southern brothers :-)
 

dunit

Active Member
We want harvest pictures!
Lol! I'm trying. Been a long weekend flying half way across the country, funeral, wake, recover, fly home. Anyway I got home tonite and got straight to stripping the plants. I have a Trip Reaper that I use (makes life soooo much easier) and I'll be putting them through the spin cycle tommorrow and laying them out and I'll take lots of close ups. I took a bunch of pics of the stripped plants tonite but used the wifes camera and it wasn't set up on auto so having focus issues I think but will ask her to look at them tomorrow and see what I can salvage.

They didn't fatten up quite like I would have liked and think the nute lock-out hurt me pretty good but the crystal is absolutely retarded. Looks like they were snowed on.
 

dunit

Active Member
dunit's back!
is it chopping time now??

you have my sword.. and my AXE
It must be harvest time considering how quick people are responding! lol
LOR quotes....sweet :-)

Looking at the crystal on these buds I'll be talking elvish pretty soon.

Yes it's harvest time. Just got back tonite and will def try to live up to my pictoral responsibilites tomorrow.
 
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