Best LED

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Texsun

Active Member
Who has the best fixture @ 4’ x 4’ veg/flower coverage? Growers Choice, Gavita, HLG? Don’t need the most expensive or flashy name. Electrician by trade, so I know what to look for and how to interpret the parameters of each fixture, I just don’t have time to dive into this for the next two weeks.
 
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Skillcraft

Well-Known Member
My personal opinion is GROWERS CHOICE. I personally run a roi-e420 and have no complaints. But I must say that you will be happy with any of those lights mentioned. But I must add that the #1 selling point for me was customer service and growers choice has some of the best in the business. If you decide to buy lights try led grow lights depot. They have some of the best prices around. At least it is a starting point. Good luck with your grow and light choice.
 
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Texsun

Active Member
7CardBud said:
Electrician by trade.....hmm,best fixture will be one you build yourself to fit the growspace. 48" LED strips, aluminum angle and a 480W driver would do a 4X4 space good. You'll also probably come in at 1/3 the price of a decent rig as well.
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I specialize in low volt control circuits. A lot of PLC, VFD, automation in assembly lines, etc. lots of ladder logic designs. With that said, I do feel confident in designing/building a fixture. However, I have no clue where to start sourcing material. I would also like some parameters to go off of without depending on a manufacturer to tell the truth about their own product specs. My dream would be to produce a fixture that is made in America, with American made components, by Americans, that kicks everything else’s ass. We can all dream right? Would you mind pointing me in the right direction to find a good website for hardware? Possibly some old drawings to work off if. Any info is appreciated.

P.S. Say, if someone had a successful grow with old viparspectra lights, let’s say the va2000’s. How much difference would a led retrofit make?
 
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GrodanLightfoot

Well-Known Member
The widest spectrum you can find. Meaning the most diverse array of diodes. No idea what those are, I was an early investor in quantum boards and haven't recouped for new lights.


That migro guy is a fucking weirdo. Not even American. What a weird job, to shill shitty Chinese lights for a living from some shithole island. Does he actually grow anything? What nutes does he use? How are his "evaluations" standardized when nutrition is a complete mystery?
 
7CardBud

7CardBud

Well-Known Member
I'm out of the loop on which LED strips are the best value these days as I did my build about 3 years ago. I also regret not doing the strip build. My 3 QB panels on extruded heatsink puts a big hotsptot in the middle similar to 600HPS it replaced.

If I remember correctly, there is a lot of build info in this forum for aluminum framed strip lights. The basics pretty much are make the square frame, lay the strips inside and then wire it up. Some people frame the driver into the fixture, some do remote mount. You can also look into extras like PWM and external potentiometer dimming, but it's not needed as the drivers have onboard trimmers.

This thread needs more @J232 ...I remember seeing a lot of his well built strips when I was researching builds.


10 strips, a driver and 2-3 angles is about $300 in parts
Findchips: hlg-480h-54 Price and Stock

SI-B8T521B2CUS Samsung Semiconductor, Inc. | Optoelectronics | DigiKey

Aluminum Angles at Lowes.com
 
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Lou66

Well-Known Member
Texsun said:
My dream would be to produce a fixture that is made in America, with American made components, by Americans, that kicks everything else’s ass. We can all dream right?
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The leadings brands are Samsung (south korean), Osram (german) and Nichia (japanese), but you can dream.
Digikey sell strips with leds attached. Or you can source chips and design you own pcb and have a cheap pcb manufacturer make them.
 
7CardBud

7CardBud

Well-Known Member
Lou66 said:
The leadings brands are Samsung (south korean), Osram (german) and Nichia (japanese), but you can dream.
Digikey sell strips with leds attached. Or you can source chips and design you own pcb and have a cheap pcb manufacturer make them.
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Cree is a US based, but I have no idea if they
manufacture oversees.
 
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Lou66

Well-Known Member
Cree has manufacturing facilities in the US and china. But I'm not sure if they will continue to be at the cutting edge. Last year they were sold to an investment company.
 
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HippieDudeRon

Well-Known Member
Lou66 said:
Cree has manufacturing facilities in the US and china. But I'm not sure if they will continue to be at the cutting edge. Last year they were sold to an investment company.
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Not sure how you could even say that. They have done nothing but put out new products and push the envelope in both high power and now midpower.
CREE 2.0 is what they call themselves and are doing better at making new products and market share than Cree1.0 did in the last 5 years. All while wolfspeed is prioritizing and strong holding them on certain die up till this year. Hence the moves to new fabs and new many products. No US die growing anymore. But have still managed to get better die and end prodcust out with out the overhyped SC5 tech. Saphire rules the LED world in every brand now.

The SGH CEO used to be the CEO of Lumileds and loves LEDs.
Speaking of Lumileds...chapter 11 on their way out.
Wouldn't surprise me one bit if Cree buys them and their IP outright.

Anyways...back the original point..CREE aint going anywhere...history, current market shares and current players all showing that.
 
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Texsun

Active Member
ismann said:
I'd go with what MIGRO recommends:
migrolight.com

The 15 best value grow lights for your 4 x 4 grow tent 2024

I have tested 16 of the best grow lights for a 4ft x 4ft or 1.2m x 1.2m grow tent and compare them for PAR output, efficiency and value for money.
migrolight.com migrolight.com
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If you can buy it off Amazon, ( I looked at migro’s website, they have an Amazon “store front”, and advertise it on their website) I’m not interested. I guess thank you for replying though. Kinda thought when I said AMERICAN made, that would instantly rule out Amazon.
 
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Badjem

Well-Known Member
Texsun said:
Who has the best fixture @ 4’ x 4’ veg/flower coverage? Growers Choice, Gavita, HLG? Don’t need the most expensive or flashy name. Electrician by trade, so I know what to look for and how to interpret the parameters of each fixture, I just don’t have time to dive into this for the next two weeks.
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HlG I used 2 HLG 100r 100 bucks a piece can't go wrong they don't put much heat out and do the job you can het 3 nice size plants with 2 of them.
 
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Badjem

Well-Known Member
Here I used one HLG 100 and a HLG 65 together they work like a charm threw veg and flower it a little under powered usually you want one hlg 100 per plant but 2 will do 3 plants pretty good for a good price. I got mine on sale a while back at Lowes for 125 each and they came with timer and 2 rope ratchets
 

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