Recommend $300 budget light..... For a friend

TPTB73

Well-Known Member
Because blurples are cheap as hell on ebay and Amazon, why does he need new tech if old still works? Probably not really anything to anyone with first world electric prices and for less cost you can yeild more bud in a bigger space.

Growers here are lapping up the blurples.... to the shock of the new tech led fuck hps crew :-)
Why would he get old tech blurples when he can get quantum boards at a price that is within his budget? He's asking for advice, and that's bad advice. Obviously, he wants to know what is the BEST thing he can get for $300.

Why do you automatically assume that everyone who likes Quantum boards is in some sort of "fuck HPS" crew? Blurpes work pretty damn well, but they don't work nearly as well as Quantum boards or HPS. You can get Quantum boards for the same price as blurples, basically. I love the bud quality under HPS, but I get just as good of quality, or better, under quantum boards using 70% of the power that I would be using with HPS, and the buds are dense as hell. Plus, I prefer the qb coverage better than a single point source of light. Anyway, the world isn't in black and white. People can like more than one thing. It's very strange to me how so many people seem to operate constantly under some sort of "us against them" mentality.
 

xtsho

Well-Known Member
$155 https://www.amazon.com/VIVOSUN-Hydroponic-Light-Cooled-Reflector/dp/B00P8P51ZQ

600 watt digital ballast, MH and HPS bulbs, timer, ratchet hangers. Leaves enough money to get a 6" 400 cfm fan and carbon filter, ducting and clamps, and beer. Perfect for a 3 x 3. No noise from digital ballast like the loud hum from a magnetic. It's what I'm using in my tent right now. No complaints. I'm old school HID but have no problem with LED's. I'll probably make the switch once the market hype calms down and the pricing becomes more reasonable for high end gear.

HPS produces well and I have cheap power and am able to deal with the heat so I'm happy as a clam with my HPS. Pretty good for a $155 light.



 

TPTB73

Well-Known Member
$155 https://www.amazon.com/VIVOSUN-Hydroponic-Light-Cooled-Reflector/dp/B00P8P51ZQ

600 watt digital ballast, MH and HPS bulbs, timer, ratchet hangers. Leaves enough money to get a 6" 400 cfm fan and carbon filter, ducting and clamps, and beer. Perfect for a 3 x 3. No noise from digital ballast like the loud hum from a magnetic. It's what I'm using in my tent right now. No complaints. I'm old school HID but have no problem with LED's. I'll probably make the switch once the market hype calms down and the pricing becomes more reasonable for high end gear.

HPS produces well and I have cheap power and am able to deal with the heat so I'm happy as a clam with my HPS. Pretty good for a $155 light.



Beautiful buds!
 

TPTB73

Well-Known Member
$155 https://www.amazon.com/VIVOSUN-Hydroponic-Light-Cooled-Reflector/dp/B00P8P51ZQ

600 watt digital ballast, MH and HPS bulbs, timer, ratchet hangers. Leaves enough money to get a 6" 400 cfm fan and carbon filter, ducting and clamps, and beer. Perfect for a 3 x 3. No noise from digital ballast like the loud hum from a magnetic. It's what I'm using in my tent right now. No complaints. I'm old school HID but have no problem with LED's. I'll probably make the switch once the market hype calms down and the pricing becomes more reasonable for high end gear.

HPS produces well and I have cheap power and am able to deal with the heat so I'm happy as a clam with my HPS. Pretty good for a $155 light.



The price is already reasonable for high-end LED gear. You can fit out a 3 by 3 with Quantum boards for less than $200. Quantum boards are top-of-the-line in LEDs right now.
 

NGA

Well-Known Member
LEDs are great for match box grows ,but if you have a decent size room or rooms hps is the light ,that being said leds are pricey when trying too cover big areas ,now the power saving in the long run you will recoup your money over time , then if you need heat in colder months with leds you will have to run a heater ,been a grower for years hundreds of grows hps is the king
 

xtsho

Well-Known Member
The price is already reasonable for high-end LED gear. You can fit out a 3 by 3 with Quantum boards for less than $200. Quantum boards are top-of-the-line in LEDs right now.
It's getting there. But I'd still rather have my HPS. Besides, I already have all all the equipment so I see no reason not to use it and buy more equipment. $200 worth of quantum boards isn't going to be any better than a 600 watt HPS. If and when my ballasts go out I'll take a closer look at LED's. I'm trying to grow weed not spend money.

Beautiful buds!
Thanks
 

TPTB73

Well-Known Member
It's getting there. But I'd still rather have my HPS. Besides, I already have all all the equipment so I see no reason not to use it and buy more equipment. $200 worth of quantum boards isn't going to be any better than a 600 watt HPS. If and when my ballasts go out I'll take a closer look at LED's. I'm trying to grow weed not spend money.



Thanks
Yeah, I wasn't trying to get you to buy anything, I was just telling you that top-of-the-line LEDs are very cheap and a very good option for people like the OP because Quantum boards do just as well as HPS, run cooler, and use less power
 

Prawn Connery

Well-Known Member
Dude im just going to leave you there, clearly your led buds are piss small compared to the hps and the only side of your led grow that is decent is the side that is on the hps side and not the side against the wall.

Dont understand grams per watss!? Obviously not an older member here and again its simply a scale us older growers used here heavily before you came along, well unless ive missed something in the years here.

Another issue would be penetration.

I go off s'soon as noobs keep quoting that 50% yeild increase in leds to hps, pure fakery and you really are the hater on this site because clearly your hps is kicking those skinny leds all over the place.

Gonna have to troll me because your the worst kind i meet here :-)
You clearly have no idea. You don't even talk sense.

The "age" jibe doesn't fly with me either - I've been growing far longer than you. And it shows. I see nothing you've produced so far. Nuff said

In any case, there are plenty of smart young growers who know what they're doing who can outyield people stuck in the Stone Age.

"Troll" you? Hahaha. Please don't flatter yourself.
 

Prawn Connery

Well-Known Member
LEDs are great for match box grows ,but if you have a decent size room or rooms hps is the light ,that being said leds are pricey when trying too cover big areas ,now the power saving in the long run you will recoup your money over time , then if you need heat in colder months with leds you will have to run a heater ,been a grower for years hundreds of grows hps is the king
So when your lights are off for 12 hours, do you not heat your room when it's cold? Or do you have two rooms on a staggered lighting schedule and recirculate warm air between the two? You do know LEDs also produce heat, right?

And can I ask, is it normal to assume that someone who has adopted LED technology hasn't been growing long? I've been doing this for 35 years. I've got more than hundreds of growers under my belt with HPS (digital/magnetic, SE/DE), MH, CFL, flurors - I've tried them all over the years.

Honestly, after growing with HIDs for 30+ years, do you think I would be wasting my time with LEDs if they didn't produce results?

I challenge anyone here to show me that they have grown with both HID and LED and compared the results empirically. Any takers? You can enjoy one of my old 1200W HPS vertical grows in the mean time . . .
HazeHarvestSide.jpg

CatpissHaze.jpg

SchnaCal.jpg

CalScnazz13.jpg
 

maxlev

Well-Known Member
You clearly have no idea. You don't even talk sense.

The "age" jibe doesn't fly with me either - I've been growing far longer than you. And it shows. I see nothing you've produced so far. Nuff said

In any case, there are plenty of smart young growers who know what they're doing who can outyield people stuck in the Stone Age.

"Troll" you? Hahaha. Please don't flatter yourself.
With you seeing the old tech & new tech growing shrubbery side by side in the real world, only the severely brain damaged could think you know less than the lobotomized caveman
PMSL
 

Prawn Connery

Well-Known Member
It's horses for courses - you use what works. What peeves me is when loud-mouths with no experience wank on about what's best when they've never tried it.

Like I said: I couldn't give a fuck who uses what, as long as they're growing weed and are happy with their results. But don't tell me what does and doesn't work in my own garden!
 

TurboTokes

Well-Known Member
Okay, here are the links to everything you will need. As this thread has been going, they sold out of the QB132s. There are ONLY SEVEN QB120s LEFT (packs of four) in 3000k, which will make some beautiful buds. So, I would suggest you hurry.

Four QB120s:
https://www.amazon.com/Horticulture-Lighting-Group-Quantum-Boards/dp/B077KHMZTC?crid=9L54FBLI9L7F&keywords=quantum+board&qid=1535714531&sprefix=quantum+board&sr=8-2&ref=mp_s_a_1_2

Driver (ELG-240-24A):
https://www.amazon.com/PowerNex-ELG-240-24A-Single-Output-Switching/dp/B01LWE0AQ3?keywords=elg-240-24a&qid=1535714741&sr=8-4&ref=mp_s_a_1_4

Wiring:
https://www.amazon.com/Southwire-64162122-Conductor-Thermostat-Power-Limited/dp/B0069F4H0E?crid=2UXHMJLT6YGVD&keywords=18+awg+thermostat+wire&qid=1535714998&sprefix=18+awg+ther&sr=8-2&ref=mp_s_a_1_2

Wago connector (goes between the power cable and driver input, and also goes in between the output of the driver and the quantum boards which will be wired in parallel, which means that each board's positive and negative will be connected to the driver's positive and negative (I couldn't find these as singles on Amazon, only in packs of 10, so if you can find them elsewhere you could get fewer for cheaper, however I'm trying to stick to only Amazon since you are in Canada and I'm not sure where else you can order from):
https://www.amazon.com/Wago-221-415-LEVER-NUTS-Conductor-Connectors/dp/B06XH47DC2?keywords=wago+connector&qid=1535715218&sr=8-17&ref=mp_s_a_1_17&th=1&psc=1

Power cable (cut the female end off and then connect it to the input of the driver):
https://www.amazon.com/C2G-Cables-Universal-IEC320C13-Compliant/dp/B00005113L?keywords=power+cable&qid=1535715376&sr=8-5&ref=mp_s_a_1_5

Hangers:
https://www.amazon.com/Bayyee-Hanging-Aquarium-Lighting-Stainless/dp/B01LWYAQ8E?keywords=ratcheting+hanger&qid=1535715849&sr=8-5&ref=mp_s_a_1_5&th=1&psc=1

I would also recommend getting a power strip/ surge protector that has a reset button on it simply as an extra layer of safety. It's only a few more bucks and why not have that extra layer of safety?


Also, in the case that you wait too long and all of those boards sell out. You have other options in the same price range ($169). For instance, check out this link, it is two of the qb288 boards with heatsinks. These two boards will equal four of the qb132s or the qb120s. They would require different drivers, so if you go this route, let me know and we'll do it again. I don't mind this at all. For me, it's fun to put these things together.

https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/collections/quantum-boards/products/qb288-v1-slate-2-single-combo


There is also this one, for a little bit cheaper ($149) but the only issue would be that the heatsink is one big piece instead of two separate pieces, meaning you can't separate the lights and have as much flexibility as to where you put them. But it would still work.

https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/collections/quantum-boards/products/qb288-with-slate-2-double-triple
Is there a 4k version of these
Okay, here are the links to everything you will need. As this thread has been going, they sold out of the QB132s. There are ONLY SEVEN QB120s LEFT (packs of four) in 3000k, which will make some beautiful buds. So, I would suggest you hurry.

Four QB120s:
https://www.amazon.com/Horticulture-Lighting-Group-Quantum-Boards/dp/B077KHMZTC?crid=9L54FBLI9L7F&keywords=quantum+board&qid=1535714531&sprefix=quantum+board&sr=8-2&ref=mp_s_a_1_2

Driver (ELG-240-24A):
https://www.amazon.com/PowerNex-ELG-240-24A-Single-Output-Switching/dp/B01LWE0AQ3?keywords=elg-240-24a&qid=1535714741&sr=8-4&ref=mp_s_a_1_4

Wiring:
https://www.amazon.com/Southwire-64162122-Conductor-Thermostat-Power-Limited/dp/B0069F4H0E?crid=2UXHMJLT6YGVD&keywords=18+awg+thermostat+wire&qid=1535714998&sprefix=18+awg+ther&sr=8-2&ref=mp_s_a_1_2

Wago connector (goes between the power cable and driver input, and also goes in between the output of the driver and the quantum boards which will be wired in parallel, which means that each board's positive and negative will be connected to the driver's positive and negative (I couldn't find these as singles on Amazon, only in packs of 10, so if you can find them elsewhere you could get fewer for cheaper


Also, in the case that you wait too long and all of those boards sell out. You have other options in the same price range ($169). For instance, check out this link, it is two of the qb288 boards with heatsinks. These two boards will equal four of the qb132s or the qb120s. They would require different drivers, so if you go this route, let me know and we'll do it again. I don't mind this at all. For me, it's fun to put these things together.

https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/collections/quantum-boards/products/qb288-v1-slate-2-single-combo


There is also this one, for a little bit cheaper ($149) but the only issue would be that the heatsink is one big piece instead of two separate pieces, meaning you can't separate the lights and have as much flexibility as to where you put them. But it would still work.

https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/collections/quantum-boards/products/qb288-with-slate-2-double-triple
I have those boards in m
Okay, here are the links to everything you will need. As this thread has been going, they sold out of the QB132s. There are ONLY SEVEN QB120s LEFT (packs of four) in 3000k, which will make some beautiful buds. So, I would suggest you hurry.

Four QB120s:
https://www.amazon.com/Horticulture-Lighting-Group-Quantum-Boards/dp/B077KHMZTC?crid=9L54FBLI9L7F&keywords=quantum+board&qid=1535714531&sprefix=quantum+board&sr=8-2&ref=mp_s_a_1_2

Driver (ELG-240-24A):
https://www.amazon.com/PowerNex-ELG-240-24A-Single-Output-Switching/dp/B01LWE0AQ3?keywords=elg-240-24a&qid=1535714741&sr=8-4&ref=mp_s_a_1_4

Wiring:
https://www.amazon.com/Southwire-64162122-Conductor-Thermostat-Power-Limited/dp/B0069F4H0E?crid=2UXHMJLT6YGVD&keywords=18+awg+thermostat+wire&qid=1535714998&sprefix=18+awg+ther&sr=8-2&ref=mp_s_a_1_2

Wago connector (goes between the power cable and driver input, and also goes in between the output of the driver and the quantum boards which will be wired in parallel, which means that each board's positive and negative will be connected to the driver's positive and negative (I couldn't find these as singles on Amazon, only in packs of 10, so if you can find them elsewhere you could get fewer for cheaper, however I'm trying to stick to only Amazon since you are in Canada and I'm not sure where else you can order from):
https://www.amazon.com/Wago-221-415-LEVER-NUTS-Conductor-Connectors/dp/B06XH47DC2?keywords=wago+connector&qid=1535715218&sr=8-17&ref=mp_s_a_1_17&th=1&psc=1

Power cable (cut the female end off and then connect it to the input of the driver):
https://www.amazon.com/C2G-Cables-Universal-IEC320C13-Compliant/dp/B00005113L?keywords=power+cable&qid=1535715376&sr=8-5&ref=mp_s_a_1_5

Hangers:
https://www.amazon.com/Bayyee-Hanging-Aquarium-Lighting-Stainless/dp/B01LWYAQ8E?keywords=ratcheting+hanger&qid=1535715849&sr=8-5&ref=mp_s_a_1_5&th=1&psc=1

I would also recommend getting a power strip/ surge protector that has a reset button on it simply as an extra layer of safety. It's only a few more bucks and why not have that extra layer of safety?

Thanks for the informative link, I shared it to my friend and he is convinced a 4000k spectrum will be more suited for his autoflower goal, do you happen to have a match for a 3500 or 4000k light? If that is available, he will likely buy the needed components today

Do I also make a "simple" aluminum frame to hold the boards in the desired layout aswell as a mount for the power supply?

Just for pure curiously, can you not use more than 4 of these boards, perhaps 8, and put out alot more light and really rock a 3x3 or slightly bigger space? I like the simplicity of the boards that don't use heatsinks. Just curious
 

Budley Doright

Well-Known Member
That's where other arguments come in though, and where things can REALLY get interesting.

Take a led light that puts out exactly the same light as a, say, 400w HID, and I mean actually does that and not the wild claims made by some manufacturers, yet uses half the power or less. Instantly, over a longer term, there's some of that extra cost wiped out in savings on energy costs. Then add on how much replacing HID bulbs regularly costs versus maybe 5 years or more with led. There's more wiped off the initial costs. Unless you have problems keeping temperatures high enough, you bring in extra ventilation/cooling costs via fans, airco or whatever, and the energy costs running that, so that's more wiped off.

So you start adding all that up, you can easily see how a more expensive, initially, led setup can end up being cheaper in the long term, and, depending on design, gives you more flexibility over how you have your coverage instead of it being at a central point.

So both have advantages, both could be considered equal regarding total costs in the long term including energy, so which one is better?

It's one of these never ending arguments, isn't it...
Is there such a light that puts out the exact same amount of light but uses less power and grows plants as good, or better? I’m actually thinking of switching to something else but Canada differs from the States in that the pricing is fucked. In no rush but I am curious as Heat is not an issue but power consumption is a huge concern. I hear a lot of “I use half the power and grow more/bigger/better plants but I have not seen a true unbiased side by showing this. Maybe I need to look harder lol.
 

verticalgrow

Well-Known Member
Is there such a light that puts out the exact same amount of light but uses less power and grows plants as good, or better? I’m actually thinking of switching to something else but Canada differs from the States in that the pricing is fucked. In no rush but I am curious as Heat is not an issue but power consumption is a huge concern. I hear a lot of “I use half the power and grow more/bigger/better plants but I have not seen a true unbiased side by showing this. Maybe I need to look harder lol.
HPS 15000W V LED 9000W

 

Prawn Connery

Well-Known Member
Is there a 4k version of these

I have those boards in m



Thanks for the informative link, I shared it to my friend and he is convinced a 4000k spectrum will be more suited for his autoflower goal, do you happen to have a match for a 3500 or 4000k light? If that is available, he will likely buy the needed components today

Do I also make a "simple" aluminum frame to hold the boards in the desired layout aswell as a mount for the power supply?

Just for pure curiously, can you not use more than 4 of these boards, perhaps 8, and put out alot more light and really rock a 3x3 or slightly bigger space? I like the simplicity of the boards that don't use heatsinks. Just curious
Sorry, I haven't been much help.

I've been running RTW for about 15 years; DWC and NFT prior to that. Pros of RTW are a little added insurance against pump failures and better buffering (cation exchange) of nutrients. Also deals with heat better as you don't have to control reservoir temps in summer nor worry about pythium root rot etc. RTW coco gives almost the same growth as DWC or NFT with some of the advantages of soil and other media grows (as above). You can also run organic-based nutrients if you're that way inclined (I am, and do).

I like the idea of 4xQB120s, but I went with the QB324s for a couple of reasons. Firstly, they have a mix of CRI 80 and 90 3000K Nichia LEDs that have a bit more red and deep red in them. The red end of the spectrum has proven itself for flowering and overall leaf/flower mass at the expense of slightly elongated nodes. We've actually found 4000K works well for veg for this reason. Initially we thought 5000K would work best - thinking along the lines of MH vs HPS spectra for veg - but found 4000K has enough blue to keep nodes tight and more red to promote leaf mass.

Those HLGs will over-drive, but IMO you want a minimum 320 driver for a 3x3 space. I run 2x 240s dialled down to 200W each in a 4x2 and it's about right (400W).

The QB324s are $139 with heatsinks at the moment. They bolt straight up to each other. You not only get 648 LEDs vs 480 with 4xQB120s, the QB324 LEDs are 6V/150mA Nichias vs 3V/200mA Samsung LM561Cs. The QB324s can be driven up to 250W each (500W total for $139) with active cooling of the heatsinks.

Pair this kit: https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/collections/quantum-boards/products/qb324-with-slate-2-single-combo

With this driver: https://www.arrow.com/en/products/hlg-320h-c1400a/mean-well-enterprises

Run them in series. You'll be able to crank them up to around 350-360W with no active cooling. Frames can be made out of a couple of lengths of aluminium L-frame, as per the photos I posted above.

Some bolt the drivers to the heatsinks, but I run all my drivers remotely to aid cooling the heatsinks and room/tent in summer.

You can do the maths on all the above. It will beat the hell out of a 400W HPS/MH. My experience is 400W of full-spectrum LED will yield similar to a 600W HPS horizontal grow (reflectors are not efficient; LEDs direct all their light downwards), so 350W may not beat a 600W HPS, but it will be close for less than 2/3 the power consumption, less heat, no new bulb purchases, and LEDs don't lose 10% of their light output after the first grow (and continue to deteriorate) like HID. The spectrum has a little bit more blue than HPS but it's not far off in the 600+nm range. It really only falls behind HPS in terms UVA/B output - I do think a small amount of UVA/B is beneficial for cannabinoid production.

Now, I'm only presenting you (and your friend) with options - and am happy to help (I'm far from an LED expert compared to others on this site) - but it's ultimately your decision. Nothing wrong with HPS at all, but for a 3x3 I'd want a 600W in there - and I'd want to keep it cool. Indeed, I'd be inclined to run it vertically with a floor fan blowing up . . . but that's another story.
 

TPTB73

Well-Known Member
Is there a 4k version of these

I have those boards in m



Thanks for the informative link, I shared it to my friend and he is convinced a 4000k spectrum will be more suited for his autoflower goal, do you happen to have a match for a 3500 or 4000k light? If that is available, he will likely buy the needed components today

Do I also make a "simple" aluminum frame to hold the boards in the desired layout aswell as a mount for the power supply?

Just for pure curiously, can you not use more than 4 of these boards, perhaps 8, and put out alot more light and really rock a 3x3 or slightly bigger space? I like the simplicity of the boards that don't use heatsinks. Just curious

Okay, first of all, yes, you could use eight boards and run them at a lower wattage. The cost up front would be more, but you would save in the long run on electricity. I would recommend getting the minimum amount of boards that you need for now, then after the first one or two successful harvests, re-invest in more boards and run them at a lower wattage for the same square footage of area. However, if you are thinking of putting more boards in that space than necessary just to give the plants more light, it wouldn't make sense to do that unless you are adding CO2 in a sealed environment. Otherwise, the extra light would just go to waste.

All of the boards that don't require heat sinks are sold out on Amazon with the exception of the qb120s in 3000k. 3000k is slightly better for flowering, and 4000k is slightly better for veg. However, either one will work fine for both flower and veg. Make sure your friend understands that it's really not that big of a deal which color temperature he gets.

If he is insistent on getting something in 4000k, then I would recommend getting these two boards which would be the equivalent of four qb120s or four qb132s.
https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/collections/quantum-boards/products/qb288-v1-slate-2-single-combo

They come with heatsinks already, and the good thing is that the heat sinks are two separate pieces so you can spread the lights as far apart as you deem necessary, or close together for that matter.

Unfortunately, they don't make a 54 volt version of the cheaper lrs drivers, so driver availability for these two boards is a slight disadvantage. You have a couple of options for drivers, all dimmable.

I would recommend this one for $90:
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/MEAN-WELL/HLG-320H-54A?qs=DNaZHaGatO34iLHvVd%2bT2w==&gclid=CjwKCAjw8ajcBRBSEiwAsSky_VgSqce1WOR-RQUzAcoQi92jQ96kszbzy45doq1trY_blIhDgsAsERoCHdkQAvD_BwE

Or, if you want even more flexibility with dimmable drivers, you can get two of these drivers, one for each board, and they cost $50:
https://www.amazon.com/ELG-150-54A-151-2W-Single-Output-Switching/dp/B06XHJHZQY?keywords=elg-150-54a&qid=1535828934&sr=8-9&ref=mp_s_a_1_9


Finally, the beauty of this is that you do not have to make any kind of a frame at all. You can hang the boards by themselves with ratchet hangers and either mount the drivers outside the tent, or suspend them in a way that they are a few inches above the board like in this picture
IMG_0681.JPG

If you want to make a frame just to keep everything neat or whatever, I would recommend just using strips of this. You can cut the pieces to whatever size you need:
https://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?pid=971&step=4&showunits=inches&id=62&top_cat=60
 
Last edited:

Flowki

Well-Known Member
Your setup is flawed with the lights a little, only standard comparisons here are short vegs, where 1 watt oer gram come from.

Interesting to know more when you tally up, many have performed this experiment here led/hps but members flawed theie results.

Still no led cob quantum has shamed the top hps growers here so thats where i stand, why hps wven gets sold would be a question many have.
Just to proof test, you are not a top hps grower. So in reality, you are like one of those chavs who put slick wheels on a 1.1 fiesta?.
 

TurboTokes

Well-Known Member
Darn I'm kinda bummed there are no lights without heatsink with a good veg spectrum

Because he is running autoflowers 18hr a day he is set of more blue spectrum that the 3000 board provides
 

Prawn Connery

Well-Known Member
What's the problem with heatsinks? They stiffen the main board, have pre-drilled holes for hanging, and make the LEDs run more efficiently (cooler = more photon output) and last longer. They also weigh bugger-all - there is absolutely no downside to them.

Also, 3000K LEDs have more blue in them than equivalent Kelvin HIDs - he would actually get better results auto-flowering under 3000K than 4000K.
 
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