IF you are new to LED and want help choosing what to buy, POST HERE!

tstick said:

Onyx Bloom (? wattage)

Vero 29 ( whatever model is around the ~200 watt range)

Apache Tech AT200

Which, of these three choices, would have the highest quality components/build quality?

Which is the most established company?

Which of these would be the best value?

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DIY is going to be your best value, and quality components since you hand pick them and know how they are hooked up.

Apache is the most established company out of those. Using high quality components (meanwell drivers and nichia chips)

If you're looking at the prebuilt Vero panels I would get in touch with them and se what the efficiency of the lenses are, what drivers they're using and how hard their driven. They may be sacrificing efficiency to put out more light for a less up front build cost=bigger profit margin.

What I found out with my last project, which is currently a project, is that it may be cheaper to order the parts to create an equivalent light fixture when compared to a manufactured light, such as RW-150, meaning watt to watt, but without calculating the time it takes one to build such a luminaire, the overall calculation is ultimately skewed.

In other words, it may cost someone ~$300 to build their own light, which provides ~150W (say ~40% efficient), where as it costs $420 (really A51? not $425 or $415 but $420? lol) for similar wattage and efficiency. The difference is the latter product is finished, meaning all the user/buyer has to do is plug and play, while the former is required to spend ~5-20 hours, in labor, just to assemble their desired light fixture.

Keep in mind the hours it takes just to research the proper parts that work together and all the planning. How much is your time worth and how do you spend your time?

Ultimately, I enjoy planning and building, as I'm sure others do as well. It's not so much saving money as it is building my own fixtures to my liking.

I'd like to hear what others have to say on this subject and what they value most.

Or have Supra build you one

AquariusPanta said:

What I found out with my last project, which is currently a project, is that it may be cheaper to order the parts to create an equivalent light fixture when compared to a manufactured light, such as RW-150, meaning watt to watt, but without calculating the time it takes one to build such a luminaire, the overall calculation is ultimately skewed.

In other words, it may cost someone ~$300 to build their own light, which provides ~150W (say ~40% efficient), where as it costs $420 (really A51? not $425 or $415 but $420? lol) for similar wattage and efficiency. The difference is the latter product is finished, meaning all the user/buyer has to do is plug and play, while the former is required to spend ~5-20 hours, in labor, just to assemble their desired light fixture.

Keep in mind the hours it takes just to research the proper parts that work together and all the planning. How much is your time worth and how do you spend your time?

Ultimately, I enjoy planning and building, as I'm sure others do as well. It's not so much saving money as it is building my own fixtures to my liking.

I'd like to hear what others have to say on this subject and what they value most.

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Once ,Eraserhead ( Area 51 LED lights ) told me that ,at least for my designs,they take a lot of time and effort to make ,even for a company.I can totally understand that .Then the price would have been so high ,that the final product would not have been good/ideal for large scale market.
Decent companies like Area 51 ,have to keep lots in mind .Pay taxes ,the workers ,make a profit and sell high quality products.

From the other hand ,not everybody has the time or will to acquire some weird skills needed ,in order to make his own light ..
I was lucky enough ,to have an "instructor" and at the same time the "inspiration" from ..

Guod.

I owe much to this member of this forum .
Well,he has a weird sense of humor -sometimes-,he ain't the "talkative" type of guy ,
but his few words and advices were pure gold and diamonds for me.

He has showed me the way ..
The path ,I should follow..
From then ,I studied electronics ,teached myself to program Arduinos ,learned how to reflow tiny Oslons at my kitchen ,learned to etch my own FR4 pcbs and even my own MCPCBs ,metal-working and more ...

I took his original "modular " design light and based on that fixture I evolved my own designs ...
Quality LED grow light building ,for me started here ,at this very forum and the fuel to the initial spark ,was given by this single forum member,mainly.

I hope ,that like him ,it's my turn to inspire some DIYers,myself also.

Still,-thank God for that ,are people around like Eraserhead ,that own LED grow light firms ,
that actually are not stealing ,those who are not willing to go deep into the DIY world ...

My one cent .
Cheers.

I own an area 51 light already. It's a good light. But…. Anyway, I like the idea of checking out another company's good designs, next, and hopefully finding people I can do business with...

….My next step was to get the Apache Tech light that I wanted….but…the next day, my PM box was loaded with a lot of members who implored me to check out some other companies before spending the big bucks on the AT200. They recommended: Onyx Bloom, Vero 29, Amare and Lumigrow. DIY guys chimed in with instructions and parts lists….and even an Apache Tech owner, who assured me that it was still my best choice of them all.

And I completely agree about the factoring in "time spent" to DIY. It's just not for me, I guess.

So, I guess what I need to find out, now, is….Other than Area 51, what are my best choices for a manufacturer/company who builds a plug-n-play, ready-to-go, light that will give me the highest quality components, most efficient use of energy, best output for the plants to grow under in a 40" X 40" X 78" space, best warranty, best value…AND is super-easy to deal with and communicate with if there are any problems?

I'm thinking that since I already have the one light, I could just amend it with another light that's around ~200 watts.

Vero 29, Onyx Bloom and now, Lumigrow are on the table for consideration -in addition to the AT200.

I like working under white light, too and would like to avoid the "bluerple" colored lights -mainly for my own comfort and to be able to see things on the leaves with my failing eyesight!

Rrog said:

Or have Supra build you one

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??????

Forum member builds lights for people?

Speaking of purple lighting, I feel more at ease with white lighting, as there is no suspicious aura given off from warm and cool white lights.

If you (just anyone) don't know what I'm talking about, you need to check the forum your on.

tstick said:

what are my best choices for a manufacturer/company who builds a plug-n-play, ready-to-go, light that will give me the highest quality components, most efficient use of energy, best output for the plants to grow under in a 40" X 40" X 78" space, best warranty, best value…AND is super-easy to deal with and communicate with if there are any problems?

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I don't think any product like this currently exists. DIY for the same price almost always includes higher bins, more aluminum mass, the more efficient drivers, and is generally the level of underdriving DIYers do (twice as many cobs).

Sorry no discounts tho...prob avoid...

tstick said:

??????

Forum member builds lights for people?

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uggghhh!

AquariusPanta said:

Speaking of purple lighting, I feel more at ease with white lighting, as there is no suspicious aura given off from warm and cool white lights.

If you (just anyone) don't know what I'm talking about, you need to check the forum your on.

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no idea….Is it a joke? Clue me in, please.

I'm just saying that I can't see very well, anymore and white light is easier for me to see things under -like potential insect invaders, mold, etc. So I'm looking for a light that leans to the white range as opposed to purple.

churchhaze said:

I don't think any product like this currently exists. DIY for the same price almost always includes higher bins, more aluminum mass, the more efficient drivers, and is generally the level of underdriving DIYers do (twice as many cobs).

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okay then…same question as I asked before -except in regards to second-best option to DIY?….

tstick said:

I'm looking for a light that leans to the white range as opposed to purple.

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I think most of us are on the same page here! White with a yellow tinge is good imo.

tstick said:

uggghhh!

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Either choose which way you wanna go diy or bite the bullet and buy a premade from a light co. If you want I have a Mars II 1600 I'm selling. I'd take the time and learn I did and I'm glad I did you will be to. Nothings better than to look at something you made that's better and if something goes wrong you'll know how to fix it and repair it.

Yeah, I'd like to think I could do something like that….but I think it would end up costing me more than to just buy a pre made light. Thats where I'm at with it right now -looking for a pre made light that would be a good alternative company to A51. I already own one of those and I am looking for something else to add to it.

REALSTYLES said:

Either choose which way you wanna go diy or bite the bullet and buy a premade from a light co. If you want I have a Mars II 1600 I'm selling. I'd take the time and learn I did and I'm glad I did you will be to. Nothings better than to look at something you made that's better and if something goes wrong you'll know how to fix it and repair it.

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Unless what goes wrong is your heart stops.. lol

I can definitely see why a lot of people would just straight up avoid led...

So much drama...lol. You really have to look past a lot of bull to see that its simple and works. But simple and works is more a diy thing.

I have a feeling it will become clear and a better market soon, once a few companies have a nice cob light out. I really can't believe its taking so long...amazing given the need

Its nice being on the cutting edge, even if for a little while...


Back to what light right now?

The optic i guess...

Can't believe i said that... I just like to see more work put into something..

It'll work. Plus, you can open it up and see how simple the process really is..

At least it should, i've never used it myself

tstick said:

no idea….Is it a joke? Clue me in, please.

I'm just saying that I can't see very well, anymore and white light is easier for me to see things under -like potential insect invaders, mold, etc. So I'm looking for a light that leans to the white range as opposed to purple.

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T, LED grow lights are typically bright and unless covered, leak a bunch. You may know this from experience. How many people do you know use red or blue or purple LEDs in their houses for simply lighting instead of horticulture-related purposes? I don't know of any but white LEDs are becoming more and more popular. Just the other day I was getting gasoline at the gas station. I happened to look up and lone behold, an array of tiny COBs fitted in a circular pattern. It was mid-afternoon, so the lights weren't turned on.

So my point was just bringing up the fact that red/blue/purple lighting inside a residential home is naturally suspicious for any outsiders, which poses a threat to any grower of any illegal organisms. Just because it's legal in your state doesn't diminish the fact that it's federally illegal in the United States; you can never be too safe.

churchhaze said:

Unless what goes wrong is your heart stops.. lol

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I'm only making one death sentence it will only have 10 CXB's on it and 2 HLG-185H-C500A's lol

AquariusPanta said:

T, LED grow lights are typically bright and unless covered, leak a bunch. You may know this from experience. How many people do you know use red or blue or purple LEDs in their houses for simply lighting instead of horticulture-related purposes? I don't know of any but white LEDs are becoming more and more popular. Just the other day I was getting gasoline at the gas station. I happened to look up and lone behold, an array of tiny COBs fitted in a circular pattern. It was mid-afternoon, so the lights weren't turned on.

So my point was just bringing up the fact that red/blue/purple lighting inside a residential home is naturally suspicious for any outsiders, which poses a threat to any grower of any illegal organisms. Just because it's legal in your state doesn't diminish the fact that it's federally illegal in the United States; you can never be too safe.

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Very true. I just had a friend tell me how his kids were asking about the strange light. I'm building him a light right now so he can throw that thing away. At cost, no profit...maybe if he wanted a bunch it'd be another story..lol

I gave him a spectra i had sitting around. Worked when i turned it off, year later and a bank of leds are out. His grow shop led he already had lasted 1 month before leds went out.