Supplies, supplies, supplies!

[dbrn32]

Depends on what you want to spend? Hlg-300 is on sale for something like $480. The only way to beat that light at that price is to buy the parts and build it yourself. If you want to get a light and be done with it, that’s your best bet.

If you want a little cheaper than that check out tasty led t22. Has been listed out of stock for a bit, but he’s a pretty cool guy. If you like the light I would reach out to him. I think they are around $350.

Going to an amazon panel is going to be quite a bit cheaper, but also less performance. I’m pretty sure we’ve narrowed down to the mars 600 being a good balance of preferred light spectrum and overall light intensity. But you would essentially need 1.5 of them, so not a great option.

So I’ll resort back to my original question, how much are you looking to spend?

[PHamm]

Ok, got reply from company. They’re offering me an additional 300 like I received @ 40% off. It sound like a great deal; but will it work? I mean if I use both in my tent? 300+300=600 Or doesn’t it work that way?
Further description is: "Why Choose US ?

1. High power 3w Branded Epileds to ensure the Par Value. Definitely could replace the HID 600 watt light.Energy saving, environmental friendly and high brightness
2. Professional light proportion with best ratio of red ray and blue ray, providing better light environment for plants growth and improving the growth speed and output of plants.
3. Including IR(infrared) with the function of increasing the yield. ( not so brighter than other leds, but it’s normal and not quality problem)
4. UL approved Fans, high quality IC, well designed fan blades, anti-noise, powerful cooling performance ensured, lifespan extended
5. 9 bands: 430~440nm, 450~460nm, 610~615nm, 620~630nm, 650~660nm, white, IR(730nm) , UV 380~400nm, 470nm
   7.Zener, works as capacitor, protect the light keep working if there’s one LED out of work.
6. Six years’ experience in designing and manufacturing lights. Agents in USA, Australia, UK and so on
   Note: It is hard to see the lights of the IR leds clearly by eyes. Please don’t think they are not working. Instead, they play a very important role in flowering and fruiting stages of plants
   Using Tips:
   Suggested Continuous Working Time: 10～16 hours per day
   Recommended Height to Plant: 0.5-1.5m according to different growing stages"

[PHamm]

The least I can for the best I can around $50 or so. I’m seeing some 600s as low as $30+ right now in eBay. BUT they come from china, not going to do that.,

[PHamm]

If I understand what you’re saying, I need about 900 led? I see a 500 LED that sais it cover 3mx3x w 50 w

[dbrn32]

Do you have a listing of the actual watts drawn? Some people may disagree, but the majority of those panels using epistarl leds don’t produce much more per actual watt than the hid lights.

Those lights I posted above, they are the ones producing 30-40% more light per watt than hps bulbs. The others advertise in a very misleading way. Their 600 w has 200 three watt diodes, that are ran at about 1 watt each. Calculate driver efficiency and fan power, and their actual consumption is around 250 Watts give or take. If you go by that actual consumption, try to get to the 400 watt mark or so.

[PHamm]

I’m thoroughly confused

[dbrn32]

Sorry. About what? I can try to explain better.

[PHamm]

The lighting.

I found a 500 W Led for $36.95 but it comes from Shenzhen, China; that is described as:

500W LED Grow Light Hydro Full Spectrum Veg Flower Bloom Plant Lamp Panel Indoor
Therotical Power consumption：50W
Actual Power consumption:35W±10%
Spectrum of Light: Red (620-630nm;650-660nm),Blue(440-450nm;450-460nm),White(3500K;6000K)
LED Quantity：225pcs 2835 LED Chips
Input Voltage: AC100-265V
Input current: 1.4A~0.53A
Working Frequency: 47-63Hz
Working Temperature: -20-40℃
Storage Temperature :-35-80℃
Lighting Area ：1㎡
Lifespan: ≥50000hours
Lumen:2900LM
Materials: ABS
Cooling fan: 1pcs
Size：300X300X30mm

How dose the specific wavelength work:

Lighting time: 10-12hrs
Blue(wavelength: 400nm ~ 520nm): Help plants grow
Red(wavelength: 610nm ~ 720nm): promotes plant stems rooting, formation of chlorophyll, carbohydrate accumulation and absorption and utilization effect.It’s the key for flowering plants.
Orange(wavelength: 600-610nm): Good for fructification which would be more large and bright.
White(7500K): Increase intensity for vegetable plants.

I can’t afford this ones that are $100’s. now I’m trying to decide if I send back the 300 W one or just order this one or what. I guess I need a lesson in plant led lighting 101

Or this one:

Description:
Our led grow light could make your plants thrive in the night or under the condition without sunshine! It is made of high-quality and environmental-friendly material, and adopting high-grade led light source. It has much advantages, such as super brightness, low heat, low power consumption, high luminous efficiency and long lifespan up to 50000 hours. You could hang over your plants with included metal hanging wire, very easy and convenient to use. And it can be perfectly used for gardening, family balcony seedling/breeding, Greenhouse planting and so on.

Features:
Our plant grow light is adopting high-grade led light source with double led chips, total 60pcs led beads(36Red, 8Blue, 8White and 8Sodium).
Environmental friendly, low heat, low power consumption, high luminous efficiency, super brightness and long service life up to 50000 hours.
Aluminum face shield design, cooling fan with Aluminum alloy heat sink panel, good for heat dissipation.
You could hang the grow light over your plants with the included metal hanging wire, very easy and convenient to use.
Using our plant grow light, it could enhance plants’ photosynthesis, help plants absorb nutrients, especially some trace elements, shorten the growth cycle, prevent the rampant growth of plants, resulting in huge yields.
Specifications:
Condition: 100% Brand New
Material: Aluminum + Metal + Glass
Shell Color: White
Power: 600W
Actual Power: 60W
Voltage: AC85-265V
Light Source: LED(Double Led Chips)
LED Quantity: 60pcs(36Red + 8Blue + 8White + 8Sodium)
PPFD: 30cm-564μ.mol/㎡-s, 60cm-146μ.mol/㎡-s, 90cm-74μ.mol/㎡-s, 120cm-44μ.mol/㎡-s
LUX: 30cm-18760LUX, 60cm-5080LUX, 90cm-2400LUX, 120cm-1400LUX
Beam Angle: 120 degree
Lifespan: 50000H
Irradiated Area: 1㎡
Plug Type: US Plug
Size(L x W x H): Approx. 31.1 x 21.5 x 6cm / 12.2 x 8.5 x 2.36inch
Package Weight: Approx. 2570g

[dbrn32]

You’re probably going to be better off staying with what you have over either of those.

[PHamm]

Why is that?

Pamela
Heir to the Throne

[dbrn32]

The light you have is advertised as having 135 watt power consumption. The two you posted are advertised as having 35 and 60 watt consumption. It doesn’t make sense to go from a light that we figured you would need two of, to smaller lights. Not to me anyways, unless I missed something?

[PHamm]

But aren’t the 2 last ones higher output? 600 watts as opposed to 300w? It seems to me the last two are higher output for less power consumption. No?

[dbrn32]

It would be nice if it worked that way. All they are doing is being even more misleading with their advertising than the first light company. A watt is a unit of energy found by multiplying the voltage and current within an electrical circuit. That energy is then transferred into light energy by the diodes. This transfer has by product of heat. So out of all the energy consumed from the electrical circuit some becomes light, and some becomes heat. The higher the ratio of light to heat we consider a more efficient led. But it’s still consuming Watts and putting out light and heat, not Watts.

The manufacturer wants you to believe that the leds in those panels are efficient enough to put out as much light as an hid light of much bigger size. I promise they don’t. Those type of leds do exist, but not at a 10-1 ration as they suggest. It’s more like a 50% increase in light, and those are much more expensive.

When comparing the budget style grow lights I would almost always suggest comparing the light spectrum and the amount of actual power consumed.

[PHamm]

Ok, I tried to read that, & now I understand it! Kinda sorta…So, let me see if I understand what you’re trying to say 1. Ratio of higher light to heat is best. 2. Where does it tell about the spectrum

[dbrn32]

Out of likes. Yes you pretty much have it, the light spectrum you kind of rely on the manufacturer to supply. Building my own lights, I rely on the actual led manufacturer to supply a graph like this

The highest photosynthetic efficiency happens between 450-460nm (blue wavelengths) and 660nm (red, usually specifically called photo red just for that reason). So you want to pay special attention to those areas. Getting beyond them, there are some values in the other wavelengths. But we’re talking pretty advanced stuff there, but some representations of the uv, yellows, greens, and near infrared do have some value.

I can go and copy paste a bunch of lengthy reading, but I don’t feel that’s what you’re looking for. I’ll be happy to answer any specific questions that I may not have covered.

Edit… if it matters, that purple line in the graph above is the spectrum I grow with. In my opinion, it’s about as good as I’m going to get without going to mono diodes.

[PHamm]

Now I’m really lost. I’m no engineer or electrical gadget kinda person. I just wanted to know of the 3 I put above which is best & do I need 2 of the first one, if that’s your choice of “best for space (I) have”?

[dbrn32]

I’m sorry. What is the cost of the last one?

[PHamm]

Got it!

Pamela
Heir to the Throne