LED

[moderngroroom]

Considering that is about 8'x8', you will want to use 4 lights that cover a 4'x4' area for the best intensity over your canopy. As moderngroroom mentioned, you need to use the wattage at the wall to compare power draw, not the name in the title of the light as it can be misleading. Also, consider the light output (in umol/s) and the recommended footprint. You will want about 500W-650W in a 4x4 area (depending on PAR efficacy). The best bang for your buck in terms of light output and quality parts in my experience is the HLG-600H. It's a DIY kit. Draws around 600W at the wall and will cover up to a 5'x5' area. Lots of good options out there. Just do your research!

I wrote this guide on how to choose an LED grow light. It includes lots of good REAL information and not marketing jargon. I also made a condensed checklist of this guide. You can find that right here. Hope that helps!

Yeah thats what i was mentioning just go by what it draws from the wall. That is a good DIY light kit

 

[CheesyDreamer]

Depends on how much you paid for it, it's well ancient tech crammed in a small box

What type of lights would you teccommend sir? I am in the market for a nice led light that works and cost is right. I was thinking the optic 4 bit you said not so much... what should I be looking at? Thanks in advance.

 

[PurpleGunRack]

What type of lights would you teccommend sir? I am in the market for a nice led light that works and cost is right. I was thinking the optic 4 bit you said not so much... what should I be looking at? Thanks in advance.

Sure, I'll help you out


If you answer these 3 questions, we'll be able to find what suits your needs:

What size grow room?
What budget?
What growing method?

 

[CheesyDreamer]

A frame area. 8 ft in the middle heigh. 6ftx9ft floor area.

500 ish.

Promix Remo nutes. Smart pots. Also only have one-two outdoor harvests under my belt couple autos couple photos. Advice always appreciated. TIA.

 

[Stunned]

6X9 for 54 sq ft
500 ish..... might be a little light

 

[CheesyDreamer]

Its A frame so I dont have the height over the whole 54 sq ft. The foot print I am going for is a 5x5 . I have a king led 1000w right now. Does ok but I want bigger and better. Lol

 

[CheesyDreamer]

I plan on doing a 5x5 scrog setup. Thats the plan and goal anyway. Lol. You still out there purps? Lol

 

[PurpleGunRack]

Are you working within some sort of legal limit in number of plants?

 

[NZwarrior]

Thanks everyone I brought two from my local grow shop it cost me 1500 for two 600w so far so good the two main reasons I want them are to bring my power bills down and regulate the heat it was gettting far to hot eventually I will buy the best out can anyone recommend the best LED that draws 600w at the wall??

 

[NZwarrior]

Considering that is about 8'x8', you will want to use 4 lights that cover a 4'x4' area for the best intensity over your canopy. As moderngroroom mentioned, you need to use the wattage at the wall to compare power draw, not the name in the title of the light as it can be misleading. Also, consider the light output (in umol/s) and the recommended footprint. You will want about 500W-650W in a 4x4 area (depending on PAR efficacy). The best bang for your buck in terms of light output and quality parts in my experience is the HLG-600H. It's a DIY kit. Draws around 600W at the wall and will cover up to a 5'x5' area. Lots of good options out there. Just do your research!

I wrote this guide on how to choose an LED grow light. It includes lots of good REAL information and not marketing jargon. I also made a condensed checklist of this guide. You can find that right here. Hope that helps!

HA that's cool I actually just looked at your website and the two LED lights I purchased you sell so I guess my grow shop buys from you guys. I'm using the horticulture brand

 

[KiwiGrown]

Hey mate been following in the shadows, another kiwi here and I'm curious to know exactly what led lights you ending up getting and where?
As ive recently brought a pair of HLG 260 V2 quantum boards, but I had to source them from aussie (got hit with import tax aswel) and would love to get more but not keen for that process again.
Cheers man good luck with the grow!

 

[NZwarrior]

I got the 550 v2 two of them..... Already came assembled.... So now I just run two hid 600w lights and 2 LED I'm hoping to get a solid yeild . Where are you based??north or south??? Yeah I was going to buy from America but I didn't because I know customs will do me over on the tax....

 

[NZwarrior]

I will link you my growstore but they led isn't on the website and I purchased the last two they are ordering more though since led is getting more and more popular

 

[GrizzWald]

Can't go wrong with the qb's.. cab also look at panda grow, cree cobs are great and great price.. look at 40w square foot, about extra 8w square foot from qb's but half the price, works out around even...

 

[KiwiGrown]

I got the 550 v2 two of them..... Already came assembled.... So now I just run two hid 600w lights and 2 LED I'm hoping to get a solid yeild . Where are you based??north or south??? Yeah I was going to buy from America but I didn't because I know customs will do me over on the tax....

Yes please, That sounds like an awesome deal man, would definitely be interested in having a look at that site. I'm based in the north island.
They sure seem to be living up to the hype these hlg qb's, definitely a great amount of light with out the heat issues at a reduced running cost. I've been running my two boards parallel with a 400w hps in between and they're loving the combo. (6 plants in a 1.4x1.4m tent)

 

[LEDXpert]

If you get a true 600W LED and you're using a 600W HPS you will have no energy savings. Watts are watts. You will however if the form factor is larger have heat spread out which may allow you to cut AC if you're doing extra cooling because your lights are really close to your plants.

Fardside05 is right, many of these cheaper lights post "equivalent watts" or post the maximum wattage that the LEDs could handle assuming they were heatsinked super well and driven that hard which they rarely are not heatsinked well or driven close to their max. Either way check wall wattage. Also the cheaper lights tend to have less brightness per watt. All LEDs are not created equal. If you're doing DIY any of the name brand chips will work well: Cree, Samsung, Bridgelux, Philips, Lumileds, Everlight, Nichia. Some of their highest rated products may be better/worse but are all good or good enough.

The quantum boards you are looking at will work well if you're good with a kit style light. A good LED can cut wattage in about half from HPS so you could do about 300w QB and get simliar yields. Less good lights like CBLs may be 2/3 instead of half so like 450W would be equivalent.

Modern AC units efficiencies vary (SEER ratings) and vary wildly based on load and outside air temp. A rough rule I use is 1/3. So for every watt you save in the room you save 1/3 watt in electricity. So if you go from 600W to 300W you save 300W of light power and 300*1/3 = 100W of cooling for 400W of wall savings. AC units don't defy the laws of thermodynamics, the power is the inefficiency power to move the heat from the inside to the outside.

Hope that helps

 

[Stunned]

The quantum boards you are looking at will work well if you're good with a kit style light.

You do not have to be an aficionado with "kits" to use Quantum Boards!
You can get them ready to go, and they will blow your mind!

 

[LEDXpert]

I'm not dogging their performance at all. Just pointing the build style out. If you're good with it then it is a good value light.

 

[KiwiGrown]

Hey man any luck on the info about the shop that had the hlg 550 v2's in nz?