second led recommendation.

dr.smiley

Member
So I'm just getting started and had recently picked up a Galaxy hydro 300w (blurple) because I had read good things and it was on sale for $50. As I have been researching more it looks like I am going to need more light (I have a 3'x2' cabinet) so I'm wondering what I should get for my second.

I had been planning on just getting a second Galaxy hydro but I see for about the same price I can get their roleadro 300w COB or the white led 300w for a bit less. From what I have read here people seem to prefer COBs, but I am worried that using different lights will create uneven canopy growth.

Would it be best to stay consistent or go for the cob? Or would it be better to go a different route entirey?

This will be my first attempt so I am looking to keep to a lower budget in case I just kill everything.
 

GoatSoup

Well-Known Member
What he said. I bought a Vander '1500" actually about 235 watts and then add a Vander '1000' about 140 Watts. The problem is coverage. The little arrays don't give good coverage on the fringes. I should have bought strips and DIY'd a 2X4 setup.
The Vanders are doing well but have too small a sweet spot for me in a 2X2 Screen. About 500 umols at 13" with the '1500 and 8" with the "1000".
 

dr.smiley

Member
Thanks for the info guys! I hadn't heard of quantum boards prior to this and after reading up on them they do seem like they would be best for my setup, however from what I'm seeing as I am pricing it out, it appears that for a 320 they are going to be $400+ to buy a kit. I realize if I want good results I'm going to need to spend some money, but it's a bit more than I was hoping to spend right now (I was hoping for something closer to the $100 range)

I've done a lot of reading on the growing end of things, but even so, with lack of experience, I'm a little nervous about putting a bunch of money into it until I know that I'm not just going to kill all my plants.

Is there any way i could get a powerful enough quantum board without spending several hundred on it?
Thanks again for the help and sorry I'm kinda needing this spoon-fed to me here.
 

L30nPh3lps

Well-Known Member
You could buy the pieces separately as a kit and put it together yourself or they might even sell the pieces individually so u could spread out ur cost to a couple purchases. I would be careful trying to save money by buying cheaper chinese crap on alibaba or w/e, u wont get what is advertised and u really dont wanna shortchange urself on ur lighting of all things
 

L30nPh3lps

Well-Known Member
The upfront cost hurts a bit i know, im lighting with hlg 550s now, but itll pay for itself in return and efficiency, and quickly
 

shrxhky420

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info guys! I hadn't heard of quantum boards prior to this and after reading up on them they do seem like they would be best for my setup, however from what I'm seeing as I am pricing it out, it appears that for a 320 they are going to be $400+ to buy a kit. I realize if I want good results I'm going to need to spend some money, but it's a bit more than I was hoping to spend right now (I was hoping for something
Listen to l30. Save your money. Get away from the blurple and make the move to QBs.
SH420
 

StrawberryYields

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info guys! I hadn't heard of quantum boards prior to this and after reading up on them they do seem like they would be best for my setup, however from what I'm seeing as I am pricing it out, it appears that for a 320 they are going to be $400+ to buy a kit. I realize if I want good results I'm going to need to spend some money, but it's a bit more than I was hoping to spend right now (I was hoping for something closer to the $100 range)

I've done a lot of reading on the growing end of things, but even so, with lack of experience, I'm a little nervous about putting a bunch of money into it until I know that I'm not just going to kill all my plants.

Is there any way i could get a powerful enough quantum board without spending several hundred on it?
Thanks again for the help and sorry I'm kinda needing this spoon-fed to me here.
I'm going to throw out right up front that I'm on my first grow right now. I'm not trying to step on toes or say I know more about efficient lighting than the well-known growers here. That said, I'm literally in the situation this person is in - and started growing my first plant before I knew about this site. All I had to go on was anecdotal evidence on places like "GrowWeedEasy" and the books I could get my hands on (which all seemed to be geared towards commercial setups).

I sprouted my first seed because I've been putting this off for literally years and needed to light a fire under my ass to actually start setting things up. I've been reading around here now for weeks, and saving up the money for a full COB LED rig is not as easy as a lot of the experienced growers make it sound. There is still a lot to consider, and if you're working full time your motivation plummets if you spend too much time researching what the crap actually takes to run, plus how to build it, plus costs, etc. On TOP of learning about what nutes to give and what tents to use and what stages need which light - I think it's all just too overwhelming for someone who is just diving into it.

This video is a really good primer to differences in grow lights:

I took the chance and did veg with [8] 5000K CFLs. Tbh I didn't have faith in the video and what I read, and assumed the plant would die under the lights. So I put all my attention into learning as much as I could about other aspects of growing (lighting was out of my hands at that point). I started using low-stress training (LST) and did a TON of reading on the nutes I'd need throughout the stages. Took it one step at a time, and obsessed about the care of the plant all the way through.

After buying the tent and all the incidental things I needed for the coming stages (nutes, fans, dehumidifier, AC, etc.) I was strapped for cash and in a position where I NEEDED better light. I put off buying anything for a while but the plant had a HUGE growth spurt when I went away for a week on vacation. I talked to my caretaker as well as three separate grow stores in my area, and all of them said they had seen decent results with Chinese lights. If you think about it, spending the scratch right now on a "cheap" light will get you through a grow or two and save you a TON on buying. This will free up much more savings for you to go all out on a COB setup later.

Just my two cents. Here's the LED I went with, came in yesterday and I'm very pleased with it considering what I paid:
https://www.ledgrowlightsdepot.com/collections/mars-hydro-led-grow-lights/products/mars-hydro-reflector-96

I uploaded a few pics for reference - took them just now.
 

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L30nPh3lps

Well-Known Member
Thats not a bad mars light, i used the mars pro 2 cree before i made the switch, the QB comparable in that price range would be the HLG 135 for only $10 more and you wont be disappointed with the results, more light with less power, and when u can u can put another 135 in next to it (since that particular QB is rectangular it will work out well) and ull have that 3x3 rockin
 

blowincherrypie

Well-Known Member
I'm going to throw out right up front that I'm on my first grow right now. I'm not trying to step on toes or say I know more about efficient lighting than the well-known growers here. That said, I'm literally in the situation this person is in - and started growing my first plant before I knew about this site. All I had to go on was anecdotal evidence on places like "GrowWeedEasy" and the books I could get my hands on (which all seemed to be geared towards commercial setups).

I sprouted my first seed because I've been putting this off for literally years and needed to light a fire under my ass to actually start setting things up. I've been reading around here now for weeks, and saving up the money for a full COB LED rig is not as easy as a lot of the experienced growers make it sound. There is still a lot to consider, and if you're working full time your motivation plummets if you spend too much time researching what the crap actually takes to run, plus how to build it, plus costs, etc. On TOP of learning about what nutes to give and what tents to use and what stages need which light - I think it's all just too overwhelming for someone who is just diving into it.

This video is a really good primer to differences in grow lights:

I took the chance and did veg with [8] 5000K CFLs. Tbh I didn't have faith in the video and what I read, and assumed the plant would die under the lights. So I put all my attention into learning as much as I could about other aspects of growing (lighting was out of my hands at that point). I started using low-stress training (LST) and did a TON of reading on the nutes I'd need throughout the stages. Took it one step at a time, and obsessed about the care of the plant all the way through.

After buying the tent and all the incidental things I needed for the coming stages (nutes, fans, dehumidifier, AC, etc.) I was strapped for cash and in a position where I NEEDED better light. I put off buying anything for a while but the plant had a HUGE growth spurt when I went away for a week on vacation. I talked to my caretaker as well as three separate grow stores in my area, and all of them said they had seen decent results with Chinese lights. If you think about it, spending the scratch right now on a "cheap" light will get you through a grow or two and save you a TON on buying. This will free up much more savings for you to go all out on a COB setup later.

Just my two cents. Here's the LED I went with, came in yesterday and I'm very pleased with it considering what I paid:
https://www.ledgrowlightsdepot.com/collections/mars-hydro-led-grow-lights/products/mars-hydro-reflector-96
You buy a dehumidfier and an AC... and then a fukn mars LED?? smh

Shoulda just got a 4-600 and called it a day


OP - If youre going to get a space heater (blurple led) you really may as well just get a hps.. Since you're going to need a filter/fan anyways, it should be enough to vent the space properly..

I know.. been there done that.. If you're not wiring up your own board/cob you may as well get a hps.. just my opine
 

L30nPh3lps

Well-Known Member
I sound like an advertiser for them haha but seriously i just am very impressed with their products and would like to see other people skip the shitty intermediary steps of buying ok lights until they stumble onto the real
 

blowincherrypie

Well-Known Member
with that said.. Mars Hydro tent > SJ.. Im still kickin myself for spending that much on a fukn tent..

Secret Jardin :finger:

Came with pin holes and there zippers were jankey as hell
 

StrawberryYields

Well-Known Member
You buy a dehumidfier and an AC... and then a fukn mars LED?? smh

Shoulda just got a 4-600 and called it a day


OP - If youre going to get a space heater (blurple led) you really may as well just get a hps.. Since you're going to need a filter/fan anyways, it should be enough to vent the space properly..

I know.. been there done that.. If you're not wiring up your own board/cob you may as well get a hps.. just my opine
You need to ask more questions and make fewer assumptions. I said I researched those costs. I'm planning to get an extra AC unit (I already have one), and I borrowed a dehumidifier for now, but still need one of my own.

This is why people hate forums. sMdh.
 

L30nPh3lps

Well-Known Member
with that said.. Mars Hydro tent > SJ.. Im still kickin myself for spending that much on a fukn tent..

Secret Jardin :finger:

Came with pin holes and there zippers were jankey as hell
Yea i second that, my 4x4 is a mars for $140 and i have no complaints, fuck buying a gorilla grow or w/e for $400
 

blowincherrypie

Well-Known Member
You need to ask more questions and make fewer assumptions. I said I researched those costs. I'm planning to get an extra AC unit (I already have one), and I borrowed a dehumidifier for now, but still need one of my own.

This is why people hate forums. sMdh.
I'm not assuming shit.. Im reading the words that you typed

...

After buying the tent and all the incidental things I needed for the coming stages (nutes, fans, dehumidifier, AC, etc.) I was strapped for cash and in a position where I NEEDED better light...
then you go on to recommend a shitty ass mars led.. nowhere did you say "planning".. or "borrow"..or "researched"

People hate forums because they buy a crappy LED because of crappy recommendations :bigjoint:
 

dr.smiley

Member
Thanks for all the feedback. Does this look like a decent one for a 3x2 space? It has 336 LEDs with a draw of 168W and a mixture of 3500k and 5000k leds. They don't list par values, umol, or recommend space.

It won't let me post a link but its labeled on Amazon as
Japanky Quantum Board LED Grow Light Panel 336 LEDs for $99 without driver.
I know theres better stuff out there but do you guys think this would give me good enough quality/yeilds?
Am I likely to find anything decent without spending serveral hundred on it? And since I already have that 300W blurple will it be worth running it in addition to the QB?
 

StrawberryYields

Well-Known Member
I'm not assuming shit.. Im reading the words that you typed



then you go on to recommend a shitty ass mars led.. nowhere did you say "planning".. or "borrow"..or "researched"

People hate forums because they buy a crappy LED because of crappy recommendations :bigjoint:
Now you're getting on a high horse and arguing syntax. I'm *so* sorry I misspoke and didn't have time to correct the typo before you decided to hop on me for a light.

No one said the light was top of the line? No one said it was fantastic? We said it's affordable and will get you through. Being an elitist jerk and judging people for doing what they can doesn't make you a better grower, fyi.
 

Bear420

Well-Known Member
I have 2 CLW Solar System 550s So Called Blurple and I surely don't need and AC unit or Dehumidifier I don't know what they're talking about heat issues, My 550s don't put out hardly any heat. Not sure about the Mars Hydro,
Not sure why people are dissing those I know things are changing, But the ones I am using are great lights I am not in a little tent my room is big and my Blurple Solar System 550s are outgrowing my 3 600 hps and with hardly no heat at all.
I am surely not saying the QBs are bad because they're not, and either are the So Called Blurple I can testify to that.
My 550s, I have full control over with controller can turn reds up blues up whites up or down with a dusk to dawn feature one controller adjusts all lights up 1000 lights with one timer, I can't say enough about these lights.
 

L30nPh3lps

Well-Known Member
Without driver being the key words here, so ull have to buy that and install it, and trust that everything is what it says it is, good enough is subjective but im gonna go ahead and say no, just get the hlg
 
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