Lighting for a 4x4 raised bed?

welderjesus69

welderjesus69

Member
I'm looking into setting up a grassroots 4x4 bed using no till living soil. I was wondering what would be the best lighting set up for that? Hps or led? And could I get away with running just one light or would I need two? Most of my experience is outdoors so I'm not that knowledgeable on lighting setups. Also ventilation and climate control isn't an issue so the heat from hps wouldn't be a problem.
 
Trickyticky

Trickyticky

Well-Known Member
A 600w hps would cover that area sound, but a good led would have more benefits. Depends how much cash ya want to spend, if you have the cash to spare then go for 650w led
 
Rurumo

Rurumo

Well-Known Member
600 watt hps, 630 CMH, LED....all will work quite well, it's just down to personal preference here. I love the CMH lights, but look at the 4x4 tent grow diaries here and you will see equally gnarly buds growing in that space using each of those light sources. The biggest factor is cost. HPS will be cheapest, then CMH, then the "good" LEDs.
 
Trickyticky

Trickyticky

Well-Known Member
Yes biggest factor is cost . Hps cheaper now but not in long run . Same with cmh . Cheaper now but not in the long run . Led more cost up front now BUT cheaper in the long run .
 
xtsho

xtsho

Well-Known Member
Trickyticky said:
Yes biggest factor is cost . Hps cheaper now but not in long run . Same with cmh . Cheaper now but not in the long run . Led more cost up front now BUT cheaper in the long run .
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It also depends on how long a person is willing to wait to recover the higher upfront costs of an LED over an HID through electricity savings. I did the math and it would take me 4 or more years to recover the costs of purchasing a decent LED to replace my HPS. I run my light at night during off-peak hours and only pay 4¢ a KWH for electricity. Also growing in an unheated garage the added heat isn't an issue except for a couple months during the summer.

As for the OP's question regarding which light. I'd get a dimmable 1000 watt MH/HPS.
 
R

RadicalRoss

Well-Known Member
HPS or LED is like one of three big arguments on this board. Might as well asked if you should flush...

I grow LED, my thinking was that over time it would be cheaper to run since I wouldn't be replacing bulbs and they naturally use less energy.

Lots of people make single lights that will cover a 4x4. I've got a single light for my 4x4.
 
Rurumo

Rurumo

Well-Known Member
LED is only going to be cheaper if you use significantly less watts than a comparable hps/cmh for a long time. For example, the HLG 550 lights use around 500 watts at full power, but they cost over 3 times as much as a 600 watt HPS/MH. So yeah, the LED might save you some money a decade down the road, if you really believe they'll last that long...which, I do not.
 
Trickyticky

Trickyticky

Well-Known Member
4 years, wow , ya would make it back off first crop , not 4 years , that's just stupid time that . £500 ish for new led , ya gonna make that back off 2-3 oz if ya plan on selling ya weed , 600w is more sufficient for 4x4 than a 1000w ya will probs have some sort of heat issues ,
That's my opinion but others have there opinions
 
R

RadicalRoss

Well-Known Member
Rurumo said:
LED is only going to be cheaper if you use significantly less watts than a comparable hps/cmh for a long time. For example, the HLG 550 lights use around 500 watts at full power, but they cost over 3 times as much as a 600 watt HPS/MH. So yeah, the LED might save you some money a decade down the road, if you really believe they'll last that long...which, I do not.
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You can also dim LED's, though, which means you can use significantly less than full power until later in the flowering cycle than you would with an HPS.
 
welderjesus69

welderjesus69

Member
Trickyticky said:
A 600w hps would cover that area sound, but a good led would have more benefits. Depends how much cash ya want to spend, if you have the cash to spare then go for 650w led
Click to expand...
What is a good 640w led you would recommend? I dont mind to spend some money on a quality light. Something reliable but nothing over the top that is going to break the bank.
 
welderjesus69

welderjesus69

Member
Rurumo said:
600 watt hps, 630 CMH, LED....all will work quite well, it's just down to personal preference here. I love the CMH lights, but look at the 4x4 tent grow diaries here and you will see equally gnarly buds growing in that space using each of those light sources. The biggest factor is cost. HPS will be cheapest, then CMH, then the "good" LEDs.
Click to expand...
Thanks! I will check some of those out!
 
welderjesus69

welderjesus69

Member
xtsho said:
It also depends on how long a person is willing to wait to recover the higher upfront costs of an LED over an HID through electricity savings. I did the math and it would take me 4 or more years to recover the costs of purchasing a decent LED to replace my HPS. I run my light at night during off-peak hours and only pay 4¢ a KWH for electricity. Also growing in an unheated garage the added heat isn't an issue except for a couple months during the summer.

As for the OP's question regarding which light. I'd get a dimmable 1000 watt MH/HPS.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply. Can you recommend a reliable 1000 watt light?
 
welderjesus69

welderjesus69

Member
RadicalRoss said:
HPS or LED is like one of three big arguments on this board. Might as well asked if you should flush...

I grow LED, my thinking was that over time it would be cheaper to run since I wouldn't be replacing bulbs and they naturally use less energy.

Lots of people make single lights that will cover a 4x4. I've got a single light for my 4x4.
Click to expand...
Haha right? After doing some research through older threads it seems to be the age old argument. I'm cool with either one, just to see for myself. I just wasn't sure on how much wattage for my given area and reliable brands.
 
xtsho

xtsho

Well-Known Member
welderjesus69 said:
Thanks for the reply. Can you recommend a reliable 1000 watt light?
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The cost has dropped significantly with HID's and the less expensive ones are quite a bargain. I use a Vivosun. A 1000 watt dimmable 1000/750/600 with a sealed hood that runs both MH and HPS can be had for under $200 in the US. Price and availability is going to be different in different countries.
 
Rurumo

Rurumo

Well-Known Member
Also, just remember, your power bill is about to go up...a lot...depending on the light. I suggest adding up all the power you will be using-light, vent fan, circulation fans, etc- and calculating a rough estimate of how much more you will be paying. 1,000 watt lights are awesome, you will grow some top tier frosty nuggs with one, but your bill will go up a LOT no matter where you live, and some places have much higher electricity costs than others. Find out if your power company charges less during the nighttime hours, then you have the option of flowering at night. I did that when I lived in another state, but currently there is no difference for me, grrrr.
 
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