Stuck on LED Choice for 4x4

RosinNikko

Active Member
Hello all! I'm in the market for new lighting for my 4x4 tents. I run two tents; auto pot setups. 4-5 plants a tent; usually 4. I've been using cheap burple leds and have 2 grows with fair results under them. My money situition has greatly improved so i'm looking to upgrade my lighting. I'm stuck between the HLG 650R; running 3 of there 270 watt boards; or going the bar style like FGI 640 Pro; or simlar. What do y'all recommend? Results from boards? I'm worried about light spacing running just the 650R.
I also feel that the bar lights may be under powered. Maybe I'm just thinking to much! Lol help steer my ship boys!
 

RosinNikko

Active Member
I wouldn’t worry about spread with the 650r. Just need to hang it up a little higher. If you do go bar style light the ones I recommend are photontek and gavita.

a third style which is my personal preference:

all of those lights kill it in 4x4 tents
Why do you recommend the Gavita over FGI? FGI seems to have a little bit better product; and the price is nicer. Just asking
 

pulpoinspace

Well-Known Member
Why do you recommend the Gavita over FGI? FGI seems to have a little bit better product; and the price is nicer. Just asking
Haven't seen or heard much about these. I recommend Gavita because they have been in horticultural lighting forever and the move to LED is bigfor them and their numbers are getting confirmed by 3rd party tests.

There are lots of bar lights available. For my money I would either drop the 1.3k and get the best of the best (gavita), Or if you wanna go a littler cheaper the photontek has been confirmed by 3rd party reviews as well.
 

RosinNikko

Active Member
Haven't seen or heard much about these. I recommend Gavita because they have been in horticultural lighting forever and the move to LED is bigfor them and their numbers are getting confirmed by 3rd party tests.

There are lots of bar lights available. For my money I would either drop the 1.3k and get the best of the best (gavita), Or if you wanna go a littler cheaper the photontek has been confirmed by 3rd party reviews as well.
So, I've heard a lot of negative stuff about Gavita; Can you link me some of your info? Very intrested; as I want the best of the best. The tests on the Photontek are really killer.
 

moonman33

Well-Known Member
So, I've heard a lot of negative stuff about Gavita; Can you link me some of your info? Very intrested; as I want the best of the best. The tests on the Photontek are really killer.
Only bad things I've ever seen about them is apparently Monsanto or some big wig bought them out and now people are butt hurt. Their shit is still top tier.

Those same people will go buy china all day long though, so I'd take their morals with a grain of salt.
 

RosinNikko

Active Member
Only bad things I've ever seen about them is apparently Monsanto or some big wig bought them out and now people are butt hurt. Their shit is still top tier.

Those same people will go buy china all day long though, so I'd take their morals with a grain of salt.
I've seen alot of those issues. It def seems like they are the best ones; wish they had a built in dimmer BUT I can add on no issues. I think I may go Gavita. I really want the best I can buy lol
 

moonman33

Well-Known Member
I've seen alot of those issues. It def seems like they are the best ones; wish they had a built in dimmer BUT I can add on no issues. I think I may go Gavita. I really want the best I can buy lol
Spoke with a member last night who did a huge grow with two. He said he dimmed with light distance and didn’t buy the controllers. He lists how far and all details in another thread, I’m mobile now so can’t get you the link sorry. But it is possible to go big without their controller o guess.
 

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member
Mammoth lighting, with UV might be a good alternative but i dont have experience woth them or aftersales. Last time i looked gavitas leds looked quite over priced. Maybe waiting for the HLG scorpion makes sense, 6 diablo boards made for rack lighting, low hanging.

Personally i dont go outside DIY, the satisfaction of buying right is an infintesimal fraction of building it your self, which also means youll never have to send it back for repair, you can just repair it if it breaks, and you get the light perfect for your space.
 

moonman33

Well-Known Member
Mammoth lighting, with UV might be a good alternative but i dont have experience woth them or aftersales. Last time i looked gavitas leds looked quite over priced. Maybe waiting for the HLG scorpion makes sense, 6 diablo boards made for rack lighting, low hanging.

Personally i dont go outside DIY, the satisfaction of buying right is an infintesimal fraction of building it your self, which also means youll never have to send it back for repair, you can just repair it if it breaks, and you get the light perfect for your space.
I know someone who grows with mammoths and gets good harvests and is very happy with them.

he even got the hat with his last order ha
 

RosinNikko

Active Member
Mammoth lighting, with UV might be a good alternative but i dont have experience woth them or aftersales. Last time i looked gavitas leds looked quite over priced. Maybe waiting for the HLG scorpion makes sense, 6 diablo boards made for rack lighting, low hanging.

Personally i dont go outside DIY, the satisfaction of buying right is an infintesimal fraction of building it your self, which also means youll never have to send it back for repair, you can just repair it if it breaks, and you get the light perfect for your space.
They have a fold 2020 edition that's full spec; looks pretty nice. DIY is def something I've looked into. I just don't own a soldering iron or drill and stuff lol I honestly don't know where to start.
I've fixed my cheap burples a few times now lol in the 2 grows. Hench why I wanna spend the money and get some decent lights. DIY def is an option if I can get pointed in the right direction!
 

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member
If youre set on hlg it could be as easy a buying some single boards and spacing them out, making a frame out of alu angle or even better t-channel. i think you are entirely right in being concerned about side and corner light levels with a Diablo or similar four-boards-stuck-in the middle.

One very good allaround fixture would be eight: https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/collections/all/products/qb96-elite-v2-quantum-board-engine, approx five hundred dollars with ten percent RIU10 discount code. You arrange them in three per side, the middle will get cross lighting. Or so for nine and have a middle one.
Use two drivers:
https://octopart.com/hlg-320h-54A-mean+well-18910137 . If you can find the one with model finishing in AB even better but make sure with the supplier that it actually has a onboard voltage regulation. Its supposed to have, but it has also been suggested that it dont. someone would need to check an acutal unit. If no joy there just go for a version, have the driver remote and use onboard dimming, with a screw driver instead of fancy of board dimming. Wow so much led geeking for just a driver recommendation. ive been here to long. This one would connects to all the corner boards and should give you around eighty watts each.

the rest of the boards dont need as much power since they have a fair amount of cross lighting.
use an xlg240-h-ab.

Awesome constant power driver which will squeeze out as much power as it can at a certain voltage. No lost power due to voltage not matching perfectly. Boards would run just over sixty watts or about fifty if you use a full nine boards. No, your efficiency wont be the same as the Diablo. But youll have better spread and all the light you need. you will be able to get any light level you might possibly want anywhere in the tent by raising and lowering the light.

Have a look at builds around and figure out if youll want any strips or flourescent uv tubes in your build in the future. If so plan your frame building accordingly. two mm alu t-channel works greaot.

And your done.

Edit: in order to not type this out again, this is my official and favorite US/reliable and relatively cost effective and ease of buildd 4x4 advice. The only thing to add is to build your frame with future upgrade in mind: the main possible upgrades would uv tubes or some kinda of 2 foot/ 560mm strip supplementation off whatever floats your boat. Make sure youre frame can accomodate whatever upgrade you want. If you want far reds, please look into growlight australias far red buddies: perfect spread covered diodes and you can litterally drive a truck over them and they work. They will be what you will salvage for your next build when you upgrade.

And in any case theyre worth a look cause of their next boards their launching, just waiting for pricing...
 
Last edited:

PJ Diaz

Well-Known Member
Only bad things I've ever seen about them is apparently Monsanto or some big wig bought them out and now people are butt hurt. Their shit is still top tier.

Those same people will go buy china all day long though, so I'd take their morals with a grain of salt.
Wow, you sure are good at lumping people into groups and making sweeping negative generalizations about them.

First off, Gavita is owned by Scotts, owner of Miracle Grow and the main distributor of Monsanto's Round Up.

Scotts also bought Botanicare a few years, which was very disappointing to me as a long time Botanicare user. I guess I'm one of those "butt hurt" people, since I don't like supporting companies who directly contribute to making people and the planet very sick. Yeah, I guess I got "butt hurt", because I had to go out and find a new nutrient regimen. I still do miss that Botanicare PureBlend Pro, but feel good knowing that I'm putting my money in someone else's pocket.

Now to your odd connection of people "like me" who get "butt hurt" over the evils of Scotts and Monsanto, also being the same people who "buy china all day long", I guess I must be some weird outlier in your massive generalization. Sure, I'm not gonna say that I don't buy things from China, but I do my due diligence to buy from US companies whenever I can, and honestly it's always paid off. When I bought my LED lights, I could have saved a little buying on Alibaba, but I spent maybe 10% more buying Quantum boards direct from HLG and Meanwell drivers from Arrow. I also recently bought one of those motorized stand-up/sit-down desks for my kid. I could have saved $200 buying something similar from China, but I bought from mojodesk.com. I did have one issue with a damaged part when it arrived. I called the MojoDesk office after hours, and left a voice message; they had a replacement part shipped out to me the next day. I believe in supporting US businesses, labor, and innovations as much as I believe in not giving my money to businesses who hurt people, like Scotts and Monsanto. Sorry to sound butt hurt about it.
 

moonman33

Well-Known Member
Wow, you sure are good at lumping people into groups and making sweeping negative generalizations about them.

First off, Gavita is owned by Scotts, owner of Miracle Grow and the main distributor of Monsanto's Round Up.

Scotts also bought Botanicare a few years, which was very disappointing to me as a long time Botanicare user. I guess I'm one of those "butt hurt" people, since I don't like supporting companies who directly contribute to making people and the planet very sick. Yeah, I guess I got "butt hurt", because I had to go out and find a new nutrient regimen. I still do miss that Botanicare PureBlend Pro, but feel good knowing that I'm putting my money in someone else's pocket.

Now to your odd connection of people "like me" who get "butt hurt" over the evils of Scotts and Monsanto, also being the same people who "buy china all day long", I guess I must be some weird outlier in your massive generalization. Sure, I'm not gonna say that I don't buy things from China, but I do my due diligence to buy from US companies whenever I can, and honestly it's always paid off. When I bought my LED lights, I could have saved a little buying on Alibaba, but I spent maybe 10% more buying Quantum boards direct from HLG and Meanwell drivers from Arrow. I also recently bought one of those motorized stand-up/sit-down desks for my kid. I could have saved $200 buying something similar from China, but I bought from mojodesk.com. I did have one issue with a damaged part when it arrived. I called the MojoDesk office after hours, and left a voice message; they had a replacement part shipped out to me the next day. I believe in supporting US businesses, labor, and innovations as much as I believe in not giving my money to businesses who hurt people, like Scotts and Monsanto. Sorry to sound butt hurt about it.
You’re butt hurt but don’t buy China, you’re a okay with me friend 8)

I do the same thing with a lot of brands. But a lot of the guys I see here bashing gavita go right to their alibaba knock off suggestions.

I applaud your diligence and effort to make choices that work for you and I’m being sincere in that.:clap:
 

Halman9000

Well-Known Member
They have a fold 2020 edition that's full spec; looks pretty nice. DIY is def something I've looked into. I just don't own a soldering iron or drill and stuff lol I honestly don't know where to start.
I've fixed my cheap burples a few times now lol in the 2 grows. Hench why I wanna spend the money and get some decent lights. DIY def is an option if I can get pointed in the right direction!
I was reading an article on the internet that says blue / red dual spectrum of the LEDS is the current concept that is fading .
The article went on to say that the new LED wave that is already taking place in huge greenhouses is that they are now proving that a full spectrum is better , that they say that some green light is actually useful . They are also designing and building LED lights that emit infra red or on the very low end of red , and on the high end of blue , which is UV . They say that is why the prices are starting to go down on LED system that have red / blue . The article also said when you use the current
light widely available that the plants look black when they are lit up , I guess because they are not shinning green light on the plants . They also said in the article that HID lamps where you can do both metal halide or sodium or a full spectrum HID , is just as effect of the current LEDs we see on google searches . I think they claim that these massive greenhouses have first crack at trying the newest ones . These huge grows the are massive greenhouses that cover like 10 acres . They say they have computers controlling recipes for the life cycle of a specific plant and they run the computer and controls light , humidity ,Co2 , nutrients , etc. and that these computers document the results of these results of each recipe , making hundreds of micro changes in all of the variables . and they are mostly huge , massive hydroponics operations that make roses or tomatoes , stuff like that , in Arizona , or the Dutch people .

Halman9000,
 

moonman33

Well-Known Member
I was reading an article on the internet that says blue / red dual spectrum of the LEDS is the current concept that is fading .
The article went on to say that the new LED wave that is already taking place in huge greenhouses is that they are now proving that a full spectrum is better , that they say that some green light is actually useful . They are also designing and building LED lights that emit infra red or on the very low end of red , and on the high end of blue , which is UV . They say that is why the prices are starting to go down on LED system that have red / blue . The article also said when you use the current
light widely available that the plants look black when they are lit up , I guess because they are not shinning green light on the plants . They also said in the article that HID lamps where you can do both metal halide or sodium or a full spectrum HID , is just as effect of the current LEDs we see on google searches . I think they claim that these massive greenhouses have first crack at trying the newest ones . These huge grows the are massive greenhouses that cover like 10 acres . They say they have computers controlling recipes for the life cycle of a specific plant and they run the computer and controls light , humidity ,Co2 , nutrients , etc. and that these computers document the results of these results of each recipe , making hundreds of micro changes in all of the variables . and they are mostly huge , massive hydroponics operations that make roses or tomatoes , stuff like that , in Arizona , or the Dutch people .

Halman9000,
We have a lettuce farm a few towns over and it lights the sky up purple at night for miles around. I think its for sale for 10 million. The big growers deff are on a different level.
 

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member
We have a lettuce farm a few towns over and it lights the sky up purple at night for miles around. I think its for sale for 10 million. The big growers deff are on a different level.
Youre correct, green house supplementation is almost allways blurple, its what works best when adding to sunshine. Its been fairly well studied, i think theyve even nailed down that you want 20 to 1 ratio of red to blue iirc. Also lettuce is not the same as weed, its a fruiting light loving flower, not a leafy green.
 
Top