LED light distance from canopy
- Thread starter mickfanning
- Start date
Greengenes707
Well-Known Member
If there is good journaled grows to show a lights worth...then it makes the list.
I know you hate the "Big 3" as you called them...but it is because they get the most use and have finished grows and proved their worth.
90% of us who hate on chinese lights say they can grow bud and sometime really well...but for how long is the question.
Easily able to switch out parts does not justify the fact that it failed to begin with. The best lights perform and don't fail in their expected time frame. Not just one or the other. And yes there are a few mistakes no matter the company...but chinese lights have a much much MUCH higher failure rate. Not only have I been told and shown this by peole in the industry but the countless accounts of lights showing up not working, missing parts, ext to people online as well.
So when it's between a chinese 300w panel that pulls about 200 actual watts for $350 and a51 at 190 true cree watts at $500...spend the extra 150 and get an a51.
I know you hate the "Big 3" as you called them...but it is because they get the most use and have finished grows and proved their worth.
90% of us who hate on chinese lights say they can grow bud and sometime really well...but for how long is the question.
Easily able to switch out parts does not justify the fact that it failed to begin with. The best lights perform and don't fail in their expected time frame. Not just one or the other. And yes there are a few mistakes no matter the company...but chinese lights have a much much MUCH higher failure rate. Not only have I been told and shown this by peole in the industry but the countless accounts of lights showing up not working, missing parts, ext to people online as well.
So when it's between a chinese 300w panel that pulls about 200 actual watts for $350 and a51 at 190 true cree watts at $500...spend the extra 150 and get an a51.
Yodaweed
Well-Known Member
I never said Chinese LEDs wont work I know they will because I use them. I am merely trying to help this guy buy the right light and not spend 400$ on a light that he would regret at a later date. A51/apache/advanced / blackdog/ etc would just be a wiser purchase with his 400$.
Gaius
Active Member
Hate is a word I don't use lightly, and have never been close to using it regarding any LED panels. I know they are proven. My comment is a result of the near-religious dedication that surrounds the "big 3". Even Area 51 users have reported receiving lights with assembly defects.
Greengenes707
Well-Known Member
Meant to say hate on.
And ya I know things happen from every company(even a51) occasionally covered that already...
DJ wimbo also had a fan cracked during shipping when the sgs came out and sent a replacement in 2 days...still worked while cracked technically though. Unlike chinese shit coming fully not operational.
And slightly different, but I have had a fan start buzzing after over year of use from AT. I went and swapped it out same day. Granted I live close, but you get that I know shit happens still.
Personally don't like hans panels...they have a place in the world...a niche in the market for confined spaces, but not too much beyond that IMO.
It gets redundant as hell for me too to keep suggesting them...but who else has stepped up and shown serious worth in the community??? Originally blackdog was bashed for some claims and what not, and poor grows with the originals. Then some good grows started happening and more frequently with the newer models...and thus they have been started to get suggested by people with secondary/watching experience not just die hard BD guys. 6months-1year ago I wouldn't trust them...and still don't as much as other companies because the lack of transparency, but they have shown results and that is the most important in the end.
Would love to see others show me a reason to support/try them...hopefully it happens soon.
Pico was the one who put cobs(quality cobs) on the map...Mrflux them came and quantified some things more detailed later...but pico proved their worth before that.
Long story short, if it performs and is quality(company and unit preferably) then it will get the recognition it deserves. A51 didn't just step up and run the show(popularity wise)...they built quality performing products that users then backed. Go outside this forum and a51 is not that big a name in the led world...but in here they showed their abilities as a product and company.
I imagine a51 has maybe one other official employee...the rest is contracted out as needed...but sales and customers service is all on him. So it is no a big surprise to me that there has been the occasional email issue jet as of late...specially since the XGS came out, that coat tailed and them some off the success of the SGS.
Similar situation for Apache...just two guys...owner/engineer and plant physiologist. The rest contracted as need. No major investors or corps funding...built from the group up out of his garage(probably same for a51 too).
So it would be like you taking your DIY you just made and getting to the point they are.
EDIT:
Spell and grammar check
hyroot
Well-Known Member
most of us that hate chinese led's actually have had them and used them at one time or another.. I have had 2 apollos. One I sold and a few months later it failed and that caused all kinds of drama. The other one failed after owning it for 15 months. It only had 8 months of use on it.. It would get set aside then put back up depending on plant numbers.. Then I switched to cmh. Then lost everything. Then dove in the deep end $$$$$. Came up with good results. In the end spending the extra money is worth not dealing with the head aches. Plus the higher end led's use half the watts of the chinese ones for same coverage and produce better results.
I dont think comparing a Toyota Carolla to a Ferrari is the right analogy. Honestly Corolla will have less issues than a Ferrari or even a BMW. A better analogy is buying a used car for $2k and spending $5k to keep it running vs buying a used car for $8k from a dealership that won't have any issues for years..
I dont think comparing a Toyota Carolla to a Ferrari is the right analogy. Honestly Corolla will have less issues than a Ferrari or even a BMW. A better analogy is buying a used car for $2k and spending $5k to keep it running vs buying a used car for $8k from a dealership that won't have any issues for years..
WDIK
Active Member
I have no dog in this fight, but you might want to use a better analogy. McDonalds is now known for mass production, not quality.
hyroot
Well-Known Member
diy led can be high end or low end depending on the parts you are using. If you run all cree, nichia, luxeon, or osram. With all other parts being of high quality. It's still a high end diy led.
If you run cheap drivers, shotty heat sink, epistar or epiled, sloppy soldering and sloppy wiring. Then you will have a shitty diy led.
Quality parts and quality craftsmanship is what makes for a good led panel.
If you run cheap drivers, shotty heat sink, epistar or epiled, sloppy soldering and sloppy wiring. Then you will have a shitty diy led.
Quality parts and quality craftsmanship is what makes for a good led panel.
Greengenes707
Well-Known Member
My days in the led world started off with a stealth grow 600...ya, where did they go, right? Times were different tech wise back then in their defense. But then I meet AT and my eyes were opened. And it took me plenty of time of learning before what they showed/told me clicked. I have gone on to learn and experience so much more since.
adrianjuaneli
New Member
Actually, The distance depends upon the lens of the angle, sometimes it will be consider on various things also. Most of the people gave more preference to Led lights.
[email protected]
Member
New L E D grower here. Thanks for the expertise and confusion, Life would be alot more boring without all the back and forth. I live in the desert and the fucking heat is a killer. I just bought a 336x Extreme from hydro grow and although it was a fuck pile of money.....it FUCKING KILLS.......AFTER ONLY 3 WEEKS ...I AM ORDERING #2
pSi007
Active Member
I bought a Blackstar500 clone (340w) for $275 on Alibaba.com.. the receipt said $90 from the factory and 100$ for express air mail from China.. fucking crazy.. still a little chinaman making 85$ on a deal is better than an American ass trying to make 400$ on a light.
btw, my chinese clone has 100+ 3w Cree LED. it out performs a 600w hps. i might have 1000 hours on mine, no prob other than a couple of IR and UV burnouts.
dbkick
Well-Known Member
bwhahahahahah
I'm trying a couple of these in my current grows. My specific units are missing white, UV and IR leds, so I supplement with T5s for those wavelengths (coral waves plus 2700k)
Mellodrama
Well-Known Member
bassboy, is that really your email address? If so you should contact the mods and have them delete your account. Start over with some meaningless nickname, not an actual email address!
kofidog
Active Member
Regarding how close to keep seedlings to your LEDs, I've got a grow going in a mrgrowpro pc case; it came with 3 LED rails. According to mrgrowpro.net: "Red(630nm): Blue(460nm) 2:1 ratio, perfect for veg and flower. Waterproof, yes you read that right, you get three waterproof light rails at 15W per, 45W total are 45 watts each." I currently have my seedlings about 6 or 7 inches from the lights. Is this not a good idea?
blowincherrypie
Well-Known Member
Please please please tell me I'm just not getting the joke..