New light - can't decide

Hello,

I’m setting up a 4x4 photo tent and can’t decide on a light. So I thought I get the input of this badass forum.

I currently run with 4 hlg 550s/600s and love them. The downsides are heat and canopy coverage.

The growers choice looks to have a comparable spectrum - but less known to me.

If you had your choice which would you choose?

Happy growing!

1 Like

If I were going to set up a veg tent I would probably go with 2 HLG XL heatsinks and put 2 HLG 4000k boards on each heatsink. You’d save a little cash going that way too.

I’m not familiar at all with the Grower’s Choice, but you can’t really go wrong with HLG. I’m just thinking that a 600 is somewhat overkill for a 4x4 veg tent.

I run the power supplies on my HLG lights outside of my tent. It really helps with the heat.

3 Likes

I should have noted, this will be a flowering tent for the photos. I have a Bspec tent set up for veg.

I love some hlg and it is where I was leaning. They are proven and have killer customer support.

Thanks for that suggestion @MidwestGuy exploring now!

This chat helped tremendously, I just needed a lil nudge. Bless up

2 Likes

I couldn’t find any 4000k boards on the website. There were Bspecs though. It won’t matter if you want to flower. You could just buy 2 HLG 260 Rspec XLs to flower with at slightly more than the 600. The benefit of having 2 XLs that I didn’t mention is that you can move the lights around in the tent to maximize the footprint of lighting to your canopy rather than just keeping the light centered.

Just a few things for you to think about. Congrats on your upcoming purchase, whatever it happens to be.

2 Likes

Yea, you know what I don’t know why I didn’t think of that. The two lights would curb the coverage and moving drivers the heat. @MidwestGuy I knew this would be helpful. Thanks for chatting this out, I can get lost in my thoughts hahaha.

Bless up!

2 Likes

I run two 260XLs in my 5x5 in the following configuration. It helps maximize the lighting footprint over the canopy.

2 Likes

I do see huge benefits to being able to adjust the height of a couple lights to accommodate different plants. I don’t know that I’d sacrifice efficiency or cost for it, but if the cost was similar and the only thing that changes is flexibility of lighting each plant… it’d be a winner for me.

1 Like

What would be the equivalent in LEDs?

All of the lights being discussed are LED. HLG uses a quantum board format while the Growers Choice used strips. The difference is the form of the delivery package.

1 Like

Plot twist:
I ended up meeting a local guy that builds custom lights. Headed down tomorrow to check out this beastly 500w build he has now.

Update coming following the visit!

Happy growing!

3 Likes

Check out the Covert Pro 630W LED. It’s worth considering, depending on ur budget.

1 Like

Checking it out now, appreciate the suggestion. Bless up!

Might want to look at ChilLed Tech. I just bought two x3 mini’s. Blasted away at how cool the temp of theses lights are.
They are a little more expensive than hlg but they are USA made.
Good luck! :+1:t2::v::sunglasses:

1 Like

If it were me starting a new set up, I would go with the growers choice they are sleek and give great coverage, I started with a 400watt MH/HPS in a 4x4 for veg and flower then moved up to a dual 600/1000 watt in a 4x8 for flower and continued to use the 4x4 for clones and veg to have perpetual harvests…… needless to say LED technology has come a very long way since I first bought my metal halide/high-pressure sodium set up with sealed/cooled XL hoods they work great,…… but heat was always an issue and maintaining consistent humidity in the room was always an issue that I had to consistently monitor and it was hard to keep in check, the growers choice has a great spectrum doesn’t take up a lot of space and gets people great results from what I’ve seen and heard either way led tech has come a long way and the growers choice would be the direction I would go

1 Like

Check out Pacific Light Concepts Photo Boost strips or see what your builder thinks.
Eight 22" strips at 1400ma
almost 300w and 800umols

1 Like




What about this beast :thinking::triumph:? It has 3 dimmers and blue led Samsung diodes I think is the light to have cause you have full spectrum power on all three light spectrum and it has uv in the panel with the blue, this the light I’ve been researching compared to the HLG Scorpion Diablo 650Rspec is what I’m tossed between right now , I’m undecided as of now , but I’m definitely favoring the 650 S dimmable on all 3 spectrums which is the trifector for bud , foliage , and Resin!

1 Like

Ohhhh I’m diving into this one now. Spectrum control, some next level ish…

Love all the suggestion/feedback yall!

I think the 650 S will out perform the HLG side by side over all best quality bud would come from under the light with the blue spectrum and uv everytime , especially for those who like crumble , shatter , butter , R.S.O. mainly you need more blue light if you growing for oil .

1 Like

@STC_Cultivator look up Apache Tech AT600 4 band lights panels design by a Nasa engineer , you talking about light and powerful strong canopy penetrating light, check out Apache Tech 400 watts and 600 watts AT panels and they come in 4 different light band spectrums is what I run out at one of the first mobile farm we built in the Connex many years ago . It’s not a brand yet I’ve found except one other commercial brand you can’t even Google search this thing but it’s insanely powerful D.E. hood concept , but it will burn :fire: your skin under 5 minutes of light exposure. But those 2 have been the cream for the small farm but it’s holding its own in state wide production compare to all them big hitters , we still producing high quality premium .

cot diggidy dang $2500. yowza!