Best 3x3 grow space LED

[The Physicist]

I’m going to be building my own uva/uvb bar for the same reason. The LEDs I want, would cost me a fortune to have custom made by someone as the diodes are over 10$ each at only 0.3W Is it worth it? Yes to the person who likes the tiny details, No to the person who just wants to grow some dank weed and call it a day.

 

[bluter]

I’m going to be building my own uva/uvb bar for the same reason. The LEDs I want, would cost me a fortune to have custom made by someone as the diodes are over 10$ each at only 0.3W Is it worth it? Yes to the person who likes the tiny details, No to the person who just wants to grow some dank weed and call it a day.

there are a couple folk here who built strip style lighting that matches or beats brand name QBs for pennies on the dollar.
if you are willing to do the homework and diy you can do some amazing stuff..

my flower room is under 4 x 4 - i stuffed a 600 watt true draw 12 cob 4000k/3500k rig in there and never looked back. thing will roll close to a decade with a near zero efficiency loss. i used citizen hort cobs, built by samsung, and i use mean well hlg drivers.


for folk interested led gardener dot com is a good learning resource. they cover a broad range of emitters and builds with example builds to follow.

 

[The Physicist]

there are a couple folk here who built strip style lighting that matches or beats brand name QBs for pennies on the dollar.
if you are willing to do the homework and diy you can do some amazing stuff..

my flower room is under 4 x 4 - i stuffed a 600 watt true draw 12 cob 4000k/3500k rig in there and never looked back. thing will roll close to a decade with a near zero efficiency loss. i used citizen hort cobs, built by samsung, and i use mean well hlg drivers.


for folk interested led gardener dot com is a good learning resource. they cover a broad range of emitters and builds with example builds to follow.

I like the way you think good sir. You hit the nail on the head. I’m going to check those out. The electrical systems I wire up for my laser diodes draw about 20kW from the wall. You can imagine the fun that is . Good luck on your grows btw

 

[bluter]

I like the way you think good sir. You hit the nail on the head. I’m going to check those out. The electrical systems I wire up for my laser diodes draw about 20kW from the wall. You can imagine the fun that is . Good luck on your grows btw

i have some veg burple and far red flower strips i add to the cobs as well. my veg rig is 1/3 the size of my flower rig - i run an hour of weak burple at either end of the light sched, included in total daylight hours. i'm kicking myself for not getting the far red added to the flower rig. it does increase resin production.


the strips are 5050 smds

 

[The Physicist]

i have some veg burple and far red flower strips i add to the cobs as well. my veg rig is 1/3 the size of my flower rig - i run an hour of weak burple at either end of the light sched, included in total daylight hours. i'm kicking myself for not getting the far red added to the flower rig. it does increase resin production.

Thank you for that info! I had a good feeing it did, but accurate chemistry publications are few and far between on the topic of far red.
Time for more research... down the rabbit hole I go.

 

[bluter]

Thank you for that info! I had a good feeing it did, but accurate chemistry publications are few and far between on the topic of far red.
Time for more research... down the rabbit hole I go.

they are old school and overkill mostly ...
veg light -

flower light -

in action -

the far reds would run about the same as the burples. when i have the full rig up the smds are for morning / evening ramp up / down. mimics day conditions a bit more than a hard on / off.

i could run arduino / pwm control and just use a slow up / down on the cobs themselves as well - the smds were a simple cheap approach.

 

[Mars Hydro]

Mars Hydro TS series doesn't have UV, only SP250 have UV

 

[Mars Hydro]

@SmokeSara can assist with some awesome Mars Hydro setups!

Thanks for your tag

 

[Mars Hydro]

Anything between 315-400 is considered UVA I believe right? The LED's in my China express are 390's. I would assume that's what Mars Hydro is using also. Lets get some confirmation shall we? @SmokeSara will fill us in soon.

We only added UV to the SP250, there is no UV in the TS spectrum

 

[The Physicist]

@SmokeSara can you please provide any details what so ever on the diode used. The spectrum we referenced was the sp 250 and from the heavy research we can’t find any evidence. Please provide some info. Thanks!

 

[The Physicist]

they are old school and overkill mostly ...
veg light -

flower light -

in action -

the far reds would run about the same as the burples. when i have the full rig up the smds are for morning / evening ramp up / down. mimics day conditions a bit more than a hard on / off.

i could run arduino / pwm control and just use a slow up / down on the cobs themselves as well - the smds were a simple cheap approach.

Man I like that setup. Have you measured the ppfd/par at all and check distribution? I assume you’ve got the divergence dialed in for the separation you have between them it looks like. Sweet get up man love it.

 

[The Physicist]

If any Hydroponics store in southern california has a SP 250 Mars Hydro I will bring my spectrometer which measures 200nm - 1500nm to measure the spectrum. Please.

 

[The Physicist]

Hey bluter, do you ever see issues with those digital timers? I’m skeptical but mechanical ones have their own issues, but digital always has risks. Any problems? I’ve wanted to switch for some time but ehhh on the fence.

 

[bluter]

Hey bluter, do you ever see issues with those digital timers? I’m skeptical but mechanical ones have their own issues, but digital always has risks. Any problems? I’ve wanted to switch for some time but ehhh on the fence.

no. zero. but good brands count.

don't have to be hydro brands, just decent hardware store, and only get three-prong even if what you power is two.
never, ever, ever, use them on any magnetic ballast - i would go so far as to ban them on anything hid - period. PERIOD.

they are fine on small air pumps and all digital lighting. the flower rig ( lightzilla ) is built as two separate banks - essentially two individual lights. each has their own dimming. i run a timer for each bank and do not exceed a 300w draw on anything. draw really has zero to do with the timing side though. could plug them in to the same timer if i really felt like it.


also i only expect a 5yr lifespan. all on top of that and good though.

 

[Pbass]

I just got a hold of 2 Viparspectra 300w's for $.34/watt. Stoked!

 

[bluter]

I just got a hold of 2 Viparspectra 300w's for $.34/watt. Stoked!

this is part of what i like about led tech ..

while top end may be hard $$ - there is relatively decent tech out there in lighting that is cut throat cheap for how it can perform - most particularly in used now.

take my cobs as an example - mine are 3+ yrs old on this build and have been surpassed in both efficiency and performance - even by other cobs - and they are barely beginning their useful life.

their will always be a decent deal out there if you can do your homework. regardless of brand.

 

[Cannacris]

Haha yeah mars for the win! I got a winner here, its in the box with a broken fan; grew me to one harvest. When it comes to spending over 200, i think you can do better player.

 

[Cannacris]

Better choice for sure pbas

 

[Pbass]

Hiya @Cannacris I didn't buy Viparspectras because of the brand. I bought it because it got me 260w of really nice light for $.34/watt.

I have 1 already and it's been awesome, but so have the 5 Mars Hydro's I have (all in use) of various shapes and sizes. I've flowered and vegged dozens of plants under them without a hitch. Not even a bulb out, and 3 of the five are not new units and came looking well utilized.

 

[Pbass]

its in the box with a broken fan; grew me to one harvest

I've observed Mars Hydro to be one of the easiest companies there is to get in contact with and support from for broken products. If you said I have 5 of them in the box broken, I might raise and eyebrow. I have 2 new that work splendidly. DId you try to contact them?