Lights For Grow

It has been awhile since I have set up for indoors.
In the past I used 1000watt HPS and MH bulbs but the energy cost got to be too pricey so I just doubled up when the weather was nice.
I would like to set up for indoor again but I am sure technology has improved.
Does anyone have input on LED bulbs, and lowest cost supplier etc.
If there are any links to past material I will take that also.
Thanks

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https://ilgmforum.com/t/lets-talk-diy-lights/13186/7921
Try this thread out, all kinds of stuff going on there! The man to talk to is dbrn32

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What size grow space are you looking to run?

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Probably a 3-3.5 Ft square space.
I am looking to start 10 plants and then thin out to 5.
It is a good hobby with great benefits.

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Thank you much I will.
Appreciate the feedback.

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You would be looking at a canopy of 10-12 square feet then. If wrapped in a reflective surface a 600 watt hps light would be plenty for that. Looking to get the most light for least amount of money, one of the Chinese quantum board knock offs will probably be your best bet. Some of them seem a little shady though, so i have pretty much avoided them.

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Are the lights led?
I have been watching the videos attached to link I received. The thread was dated 2017 so not sure if they are using led… I know that led has really taken center stage but not so sure if it applies to growing.
Like to get as much info as possible because cost to operate is much cheaper with led.

If you are a little industrious, you can get components and build a light that is exactly what you want and do it cheaper. No special talents required as long as you get right stuff. I am sure you could get plenty info( a lot of it not exactly true maybe) on perfect LED light setup for a 3x3.5 with Quantum Boards or Strips by doing a search, find something you like and will work and go from there! If you are using same light for veg and flower, it will make a difference in what you need!

If you are referring to the knock offs, yes. They seem like decent lights…but?

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Yes, they would be led lights. You can get to usable horticulture light intensity with leds and save some power. The better fixtures will have a healthy price tag though.

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I appreciate the input. I need more info so I will keep asking question and watching videos. Talk soon I’m sure.
T

What kind of budget for lights do you have. The main thing is to avoid buying cheap Amazon blurples. If you can afford it start by looking at Horticultural Lighting Group lights. They are considered one of the industry leaders for American made indoor growing led fixtures. There’s several others also that has quality led fixtures. BudgetLed grow lights are also a company you could check out. If the lights that these companies offer are out of your price range then you could consider something along the lines of Mars Hydro.

Thanks a lot I do appreciate the info,
Budget is flexible as I will have the equipment for a long time. That said I am always looking for value.
I have been watching reviews on you tube this weekend. Many new terms that were not around when I last had an indoor set up. 20 years ago to be exact. The LED is the direction I am going to go. I will check out Horticultural Lighting Group and BudgetLed grow lights. Have you grown a crop with either brand?

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I currently use HLG QBs to flower everything, and even though I am no expert at this, I am pretty sure some of my success is because of that fact! You can build a pretty nice light and save a 100 bucks if that is what you choose to do!

So HLQ is the brand what does QB stand for?

HLG is for Horticulture Lighting Group and QB stands for Quantum Boards,

The term “ quantum board ” was first introduced by Horticulture Lighting Group (HLG for short), a relatively new supplier of LED grow lights. It referred to a new style of light where a large number of small LED diodes are affixed to a flat board .
Thank you much. Learning more every day.

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You see a lot of cheaper lights advertise 600 watts and they have 120x5watt LEDs, thus the 600 watts. What they don’t say is they are on a 250 wat driver and can only produce 220 watts of light+12 watts to run cooling fans +18 watts of heat loss. The savings in LED is in the efficacy of having better and more LEDs and run them at a lower milliamp. Do a search for what is the best light for growing cannabis and you will see what all is out there. Here are some I built using HLG components.

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Looks good,
How are you determining height above plants for lights?

I try and let the plant tell me what she wants, I also am experimenting with heights and intensity to determine what works and what doesn’t. All grows are going to be a little different!

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I have an Aglex 2000 watt 408 watt actual. It works well for the price. It would be a bit much for that size tent but the brand produced great results. HLG is where its at.