2 x 315 LEC lights via a Dual Sun System for 4x4 tent?

d1no311

d1no311

Active Member
Hi Guys,

Just started getting into growing, finished my first hydroponics grow lat week and ready for more. Going with a RDWC setup inside a 4x4 tent this time. I'm hearing LECs are the way to go now, more efficient and better spectrum than HPS apparently? I'd like to go the LEC route, but happy to hear other suggestions.

I have a few questions for any experienced growers who could give me some advice:

Should I go with 2 x 315 LEC lights in dual light fixture or just 1 the entire time for a 4x4 tent?
Should I veg with 1 and then flower with 2 -- and if so, 3100 or 4200 switch from veg to flower, combo of both, two of one?
Would having just one light in the dual fixture cause issues as far as the evenness of the light spread?
(I'm looking at the "Sun System 630 Watt LEC Fixture with Dual 4,200K Lamps" by the way -- I also see "with dual 3100k lamps" option and 208/240V, versions, etc.)

My tent's about 7' feet tall, so given my 5 gallon buckets and the foot or so the suspended light setup will take up, plus I'm reading 30" from the canopy for LECs, would having this much light cause stronger growth and sooner tight height issues in there? is 30" even correct?

Overall, I'm willing to invest in a quality grow given my space.
 
Airwalker16

Airwalker16

Well-Known Member
d1no311 said:
Hi Guys,

Just started getting into growing, finished my first hydroponics grow lat week and ready for more. Going with a RDWC setup inside a 4x4 tent this time. I'm hearing LECs are the way to go now, more efficient and better spectrum than HPS apparently? I'd like to go the LEC route, but happy to hear other suggestions.

I have a few questions for any experienced growers who could give me some advice:

Should I go with 2 x 315 LEC lights in dual light fixture or just 1 the entire time for a 4x4 tent?
Should I veg with 1 and then flower with 2 -- and if so, 3100 or 4200 switch from veg to flower, combo of both, two of one?
Would having just one light in the dual fixture cause issues as far as the evenness of the light spread?
(I'm looking at the "Sun System 630 Watt LEC Fixture with Dual 4,200K Lamps" by the way -- I also see "with dual 3100k lamps" option and 208/240V, versions, etc.)

My tent's about 7' feet tall, so given my 5 gallon buckets and the foot or so the suspended light setup will take up, plus I'm reading 30" from the canopy for LECs, would having this much light cause stronger growth and sooner tight height issues in there? is 30" even correct?

Overall, I'm willing to invest in a quality grow given my space.
Click to expand...
If you're gonna spend money on 2, I'd really advise going with LED in a tent situation. You can't duct LECs
 
d1no311

d1no311

Active Member
I thought LECs don’t require as much cooling?

And how much better are LECs honestly than an HPS setup? The price difference seems substantial — especially factoring in the different fixture/ballast etc.
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
Top quality LED is the first choice. Expensive up front but they'll pay their way in energy savings, not to mention quality.

Next best option is 315W lamps- be CERTAIN the system you choose uses low frequency square wave ballast. Also, get two separate units, each with its own fixture. This will allow you to spread the lamps further apart and gain improved light distribution benefits.

If you have the option, I'd recommend a 3x6' tent rather than a 4x4. It gives you more room and more options, especially if you ever want to do perpetual style growing. You'll make better use of the two separate 315W fixtures as well.

Best of luck and above all, have fun!
 
diyled

diyled

Well-Known Member
I preferd a 50/50 mix for flowering. Make sure it a LFSW ballast and Philips lamps. A decent parabolic will run fine at 18"-24".

But there's many led options that will give you more light for the same money as cmh.
 
d1no311

d1no311

Active Member
diyled said:
I preferd a 50/50 mix for flowering. Make sure it a LFSW ballast and Philips lamps. A decent parabolic will run fine at 18"-24".

But there's many led options that will give you more light for the same money as cmh.
Click to expand...
When you say 50/50 for flowering, you mean between the 3100 and 4200 bulbs? Like you're switching them in and out during flowering only?

And do LEDs really work as well yield-wise as something like an HPS, MH, LEC etc? Local hydro shops keep hyping up the LECs and have already been on the HPS game for a while over the LEDs. How hot would a big LED in a 4x4 run because I'm reading a lot that's saying LECs don't require as much cooling as HPS for instance -- but how about compared to LEDs?
 
Humple

Humple

Well-Known Member
d1no311 said:
When you say 50/50 for flowering, you mean between the 3100 and 4200 bulbs? Like you're switching them in and out during flowering only?

And do LEDs really work as well yield-wise as something like an HPS, MH, LEC etc? Local hydro shops keep hyping up the LECs and have already been on the HPS game for a while over the LEDs. How hot would a big LED in a 4x4 run because I'm reading a lot that's saying LECs don't require as much cooling as HPS for instance -- but how about compared to LEDs?
Click to expand...
Yield-wise, watt for watt, modern white-light LED will outperform either HPS or CMH. They are unequivocally more efficient, and therefore provide more light per watt than HID.

The heat doesn't depend on the lighting technology used, but rather the total wattage, and your extraction setup. A "big LED in a 4x4" would normally mean 500-600 watts, so if you're having issues with a 600w HPS, depending on how you've set up your extraction, you could have the same issues with LED. That said, you would generally want higher temps when using LED anyway, because they lack significant infrared (which means leaf temps will be lower). Most of us are running our spaces between 80-85 degrees F. Also worth noting is that LEDs throw a good portion of that heat off the heatsink rather than radiating it all down towards the plants, so placement of your exhaust fan can mitigate higher temps if you find that you're having issues.
 
OneHitDone

OneHitDone

Well-Known Member
Humple said:
Yield-wise, watt for watt, modern white-light LED will outperform either HPS or CMH. They are unequivocally more efficient, and therefore provide more light per watt than HID.

The heat doesn't depend on the lighting technology used, but rather the total wattage, and your extraction setup. A "big LED in a 4x4" would normally mean 500-600 watts, so if you're having issues with a 600w HPS, depending on how you've set up your extraction, you could have the same issues with LED. That said, you would generally want higher temps when using LED anyway, because they lack significant infrared (which means leaf temps will be lower). Most of us are running our spaces between 80-85 degrees F. Also worth noting is that LEDs throw a good portion of that heat off the heatsink rather than radiating it all down towards the plants, so placement of your exhaust fan can mitigate higher temps if you find that you're having issues.
Click to expand...
Are you aware that the master growers producing the dankest flowers are pretty much all in agreement that temps over 80 degrees cause volatilization of terps? :dunce:
 
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