If you only had $150 for a single plant grow light what would you do?

Chip Green

Chip Green

Well-Known Member
Serva said:
Go with LED strips. There is a thread here. Search for: Bridgelux EB series

It's pretty cheap, easy to mount and install, and you have some awesome coverage! Guess you will pay something like 150$ (with screws, and stuff like that) for a 100W Panel ;)
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I have a Meanwell ELG 240 C700 that draws 190+ watts from the wall (running on 120v input) that is driving 11 of the 560mm 3500k EB Strips....with no heat removal of any sort....
That's a $50-60 driver, and about $100 worth of EBs....
On paper, based on a guess of 45%(ish) efficiency, should be around 85 PAR watts, in an area of 4 square feet, should do nicely.....
 
Cletus clem

Cletus clem

Well-Known Member
MJCanada said:
I have been looking around and I could get an mh/hps 600w with 50/75/100% ballast for $100 to the door.

I have been really looking at LED because of me not wanting to worry about heat.

If I was scrubbing just enough for the sealed room and my ambient temp outside the sealed room is approximately 17C

Would I need to vent more?
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Dude..... forget HID lighting. Unless its cmh/lec youre working agsinst yourself. Cobkits has you with a spot on setup. Youre already on a tight buget leash, hps will be the gift that keeps on giving...bulbs, cooling cost, electric bill! That 100$ setup will cost you an easy 500 on top over a year with that factored in. I bet youre looking at 400$ total, give or take with the led cob setup cobkits suggested. I have 2 240 watt cob setups and a 630 watt cmh for flower and will not invest another dollar in hps/mh lighting.
 
MJCanada

MJCanada

Well-Known Member
I have been looking around and I could get an mh/hps 600w with 50/75/100% ballast for $100 to the door.

I have been really looking at LED because of me not wanting to worry about heat.

If
CobKits said:
check out the ~$40 luminus preassembled light engines. only a few bucks over the parts themselves and youre up and running quicker. 3 of those and a driver is under 200 and covers 6+ sq ft so room to grow
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Is this the correct driver for 3 luminous?

https://cobkits.com/product/meanwell-hlg-120h-48a/
 
Cletus clem

Cletus clem

Well-Known Member
MJCanada said:
I have been looking around and I could get an mh/hps 600w with 50/75/100% ballast for $100 to the door.

I have been really looking at LED because of me not wanting to worry about heat.

If


Is this the correct driver for 3 luminous?

https://cobkits.com/product/meanwell-hlg-120h-48a/
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I just went back and re read your initial post. A 600 watt in 2x3x8 is just insanity. And if its a closet, very difficult to run an ac in. Even at 50% you will struggle. My nursery is in a closet of the same dimensions. I run 1 of my 240 watt cob setups for my established plants and a couple single tube t5ho strips for clones and seedlings. I keep my led driver dimmed as low as it will allow and am teetering on the edge of too hot with rising summer temps. Always remember, regardless of what your light source is, a watt is a watt is a watt. Watts=energy=heat. Leds are great because they are not raining photons in the form of infrared heat on your canopy which means ambient temps can be a little higher without adverse effects. They still put out heat. Watt for watt the same heat, just a matter of how that heat is radiated on to your canopy. Hope this helps and makes sense.
 
Cletus clem

Cletus clem

Well-Known Member
This is my setup. Its actually 2x4x8, the growing area is 42" though. This is less than 300 watts total consumption. I have to be very aware of temps, both in the grow and the room the closet is in. With my experience in growing and caring for reptiles i have a keen sense for environmental control. I am pushing it. IMG_0562.JPGIMG_0563.JPG IMG_0564.JPGIf i were to replace my led light with a 250 watt hps, my guess is i would be dealing with alot of heat stress, though the ambient temp may not really be effected.
 
MJCanada

MJCanada

Well-Known Member
I have flip flopped back to LED.

The price was nice for an mh/hps but I really would rather put 100 bucks more into the beginning to ensure I don't have to do a huge revamp mid grow cause of heat issues.

Just waiting for the next pay cheque and cobkits.com will be getting my business.

Much appreciated everyone!
MJ
 
TacoMac

TacoMac

Well-Known Member
MJCanada said:
So, what would you do with $150, and you needed a grow light for a single plant grow?
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Here you go: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apollo-Horticulture-400-Watt-MH-HPS-Grow-Light-System-Set-Kit-for-Plant-Growing-/191055700117?var=&hash=item2c7bcea095:m:mljFqisr912xqGezKkF77Mg

You can do three good sized plants with that one and it's actually less than 150.

Yes, LED's are fancy and pretty and blah, blah, frikitty blah...but at the end of a day people have been growing quality weed with HPS/MH for decades.

They're cheap.

They're powerful.

They work.

Guaranteed.
 
coreywebster

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
MJC, If your issue is not having to vent lots of heat then your on the right track. 4x citi 1212s @700mA is less than 100w and would give you a PPFD in a 2x2 space of over 600. Which is fine. Looks like Cobbys got you covered with some ideas anyhow.

If you were all about budget and venting heat wasn't an issue I would suggest HPS but that's not the situation.
 
MJCanada

MJCanada

Well-Known Member
coreywebster said:
MJC, If your issue is not having to vent lots of heat then your on the right track. 4x citi 1212s @700mA is less than 100w and would give you a PPFD in a 2x2 space of over 600. Which is fine. Looks like Cobbys got you covered with some ideas anyhow.

If you were all about budget and venting heat wasn't an issue I would suggest HPS but that's not the situation.
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Unless my scrubbing can vent the heat enough... then yes heat can be an issue. (Scrub is a priority, so a slow draw through to ensure smell is gone)

I have A.C. in the house and the ambient room temp in this area of the house is 17C.

I just am worried that mh/hps will require external exhaust or in room cooling. Both of which aren't options.
 
Cletus clem

Cletus clem

Well-Known Member
MJCanada said:
Unless my scrubbing can vent the heat enough... then yes heat can be an issue. (Scrub is a priority, so a slow draw through to ensure smell is gone)

I have A.C. in the house and the ambient room temp in this area of the house is 17C.

I just am worried that mh/hps will require external exhaust or in room cooling. Both of which aren't options.
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Scrubbing would be indicative of no venting. Scrubbing is where you are recirculating the air in your grow space through a carbon filter to clean or "scrub" it to remove odor. My closet pictured is scrubbed because i really have nowhere to vent. Keep in mind when scrubbing your fan will actually create heat. Thats what i meant by total wattage in my closet. It will help to distribute the heat in the form of convection but it is another source of energy=heat.
 
MJCanada

MJCanada

Well-Known Member
Cletus clem said:
Scrubbing would be indicative of no venting. Scrubbing is where you are recirculating the air in your grow space through a carbon filter to clean or "scrub" it to remove odor. My closet pictured is scrubbed because i really have nowhere to vent. Keep in mind when scrubbing your fan will actually create heat. Thats what i meant by total wattage in my closet. It will help to distribute the heat in the form of convection but it is another source of energy=heat.
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Ah, my bad... still learning all the lingo.

I will be drawing air through my carbon filter located inside the grow closet, and venting to the external room. I'm basically converting half a closet into a stealth grow room. The venting will go into a room beside, and I'll be insulating the ducting to minimize noise in that other room. It will be drawing in from the room the closet is in. If I draw from the floor, I'm drawing in air at about 15C. If I draw from the ceiling, I'll get approximately 17C. I got enough ducting to do whatever.


If I used HPS/MH, I'm thinking that ambient room temp is going to be low enough to keep the temp down, but I'm not confident. I can't afford the space or $$ for an A/C unit inside the grow room, which is why I flip to LED.

At least with LED, I can add a small heater if I need(cheap, and can be combined with a tiny fan), so I can give JUST enough heat, and no more... while maintaining the minimum CFM to maximize the odor removal on the carbon filter.

$200 gets me 3 CXM22's, and a dimmable driver.

I could get a 400W HPS/MH for $125(bulbs, fixture, batwing reflector, fan cooled ballast and rachet hangers). Even if Apollo isn't great, it's enough to do the job for my first few grows.

I could probably be fairly confident if I went with a vented hood... but I'd be spending another $50 and personally would rather just kick the extra $25 to get the LED. ($125 + $50 for venting hood... +$25 fk it... LED time :P)

If I was confident that heat wouldn't be a factor (both in the grow room, and the exhaust room/rest of the house), I wouldn't spend the extra $75.... because I can't really figure this issue out, I've been convinced to spend an extra $50 over my budget, and take an ass kickin from the wife...
 
brewbeer

brewbeer

Well-Known Member
For $150 + shipping you could get a 90 watt quantum board kit when they are back in stock, (June 14 at 6:00 pm EST), includes driver and heat sink. Twenty bucks more will get the 135 watt kit.
 
Strocat

Strocat

Well-Known Member
people may call me crazy but I would get a mars hydro 600.. it is right at 280 actual watts. my friend owns 3.. he started with one and I saw him grow 1 plant amazing with that single light.. The best part is shipped to your door its 140$.

I know they work as I've seen proof. my friend used one on a single plant and scrog'd it. he got right at 4 oz dry.


I use a mars 300 and a 180 watt ufo and get similar results.


heres a link to the light im telling you about... mars 600..

https://www.amazon.com/MarsHydro-Mars600-Spectrum-Certificate-Hydroponic/dp/B00XC3LBIW/ref=sr_1_24?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1497373958&sr=1-24&keywords=led+grow+lights



You could also check out the mars reflector 48... its only 102 actual watts though.. I soon will be buying a reflector 48 and using it with my mars 300




IMO- HPS or MH is pointless if you're doing a budget grow because if you cant get the heat out then its pointless.. with LED's you will have some heat but not nearly as much.. I have a tiny closet that holds 2 plants and one very small intake and exhaust and a small fan is all i need.
 
Cletus clem

Cletus clem

Well-Known Member
You are on the right track in going with the diy cob setup, the quantum board option would be slightly better though they sell out quick so availability is the limiting factor. The cheaper chinese blurple leds are not worth it imo. You will see better results with the cob or quantum board setup.
 
MJCanada

MJCanada

Well-Known Member
Wow, those quantum boards are pretty bad ass... and I really like the idea of spreading the light source more evenly across the canopy.

1 board, and supplement with some far red... or the extra cheap chinese LEDs I got kicking around during flower...

God damn it man, you guys change my mind every single day!!!
 
Cletus clem

Cletus clem

Well-Known Member
MJCanada said:
Wow, those quantum boards are pretty bad ass... and I really like the idea of spreading the light source more evenly across the canopy.

1 board, and supplement with some far red... or the extra cheap chinese LEDs I got kicking around during flower...

God damn it man, you guys change my mind every single day!!!
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There really are alot of options! The lights i use are kits from rapid led, great lights but they are what they are. The complete diy light i have desgned will use quantum boards, cobs and be expandable. I went with the kits because ultimately they cost less (enclosure/mounting materials bening the difference) and i felt it was a great way to learn how to put it all together. I will be building my design and getting my components from cob kits down the road. I think in your situation the diy component build will be a great option to begin with because initially it will be within your budget but it will be easily expandable. Lets say you go quantum board, get up and running, things go well and you want to build a bigger light. You will be able to design and build your new light, even incorporating the quantum board you are running, without shutting down. Just use the dimensions off of the qb and give it a home. I could really scramble your brain and show you what i usually use for a veg light but will save that. My veg light needed a little work so im currently using the cob kit in the pics but that was purchased for a flowering light and i intend to use it as such.
 
Strocat

Strocat

Well-Known Member
If you are willing to go COB then give it hell.. I know COB's are amazing.. I'm not good with soldering etc.


question for COB guys... Do they make like a prewired plug n play COB kit.. like where u just plug in connectors to a driver and bam you're good to go?

If I could find a cob kit that is wired and I don't have to solder I would jump on it. I've never been good with electronics/diagrams etc.
 
MJCanada

MJCanada

Well-Known Member
Strocat said:
If you are willing to go COB then give it hell.. I know COB's are amazing.. I'm not good with soldering etc.


question for COB guys... Do they make like a prewired plug n play COB kit.. like where u just plug in connectors to a driver and bam you're good to go?

If I could find a cob kit that is wired and I don't have to solder I would jump on it. I've never been good with electronics/diagrams etc.
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There are push in cob holders. Check out cobkits bjb holders. Pretty sure those are push in style
 
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blake9999

blake9999

Well-Known Member
Strocat said:
If you are willing to go COB then give it hell.. I know COB's are amazing.. I'm not good with soldering etc.


question for COB guys... Do they make like a prewired plug n play COB kit.. like where u just plug in connectors to a driver and bam you're good to go?

If I could find a cob kit that is wired and I don't have to solder I would jump on it. I've never been good with electronics/diagrams etc.
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http://timbergrowlights.com/
 
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