Mars-Hydro LED Grow Light Discussion

[Mars Hydro]

Hey Sara, quick user feedback message if you dont mind indulging me.

I've been looking through a lot of light units for my next purchase in a couple months and I dearly love the sp250 from the first time i saw it but a couple niggles I have with them simply stop me considering purchasing them seriously.

1. The lack of a low power switch

This is a biggie for me and as much as I absolutly love the sp250 units, i've pretty much ruled it out as a contender because of the lack of switch unfortunately.
In my 4x4 space i would need two of the sp250 units to provide proper coverage but if im to spend £500 ish, there is no way i'm taking a scewdriver and voltage meter to sort it so i can use it at half power for veg when a competitor model has h/l power switch or dial as standard.

2. Driver cable length.
This may not play to everyone but i want to mount the driver outside of my space, which means i gotta buy extra leads; but again, if i have to spend 500 quid on lights, i'll be damned if i'm buying leads too. Especially since the orignals will sit and gather dust.

This cable issue is to most light producers to be fair (not just Mh) - one n a bit meter leads are not adequate. EVER!
A minimum 3 meter leads needs to be standard.

Just my tuppence worth (imho)

Do know im not alone with these points, as discussed with a number of members here and friends alike, so perhaps you could feedback these points to the guys n gals in factory too.

Saw a link you posted regarding changing the power setting on the sp250, and if people accept that method, fine.
But for me, i want a switch and a longer lead 'as standard'.

Anyway , just my thoughts.

Oh, also anymore giveaways coming up?

Thanks for listening.

Hi WankirA, thanks so much for the input, I totally understand you.
For the first one, about add the switches, I am afriad it might not be done easily, it will have to change the design of the light, I am not engineer, but I suppose there will need to sort the pcb differently as well and might add the cost which in the end will increase the product price. Anyway, i will give feedback to them, if we can make the improvement in future, I will surely let you know.
For the second one, about the cable, we will solve this. In fact, already doing some change for current ones which are under production. We will add the length of the cable for the SP and TS series. And the driver won't be screwed directly onto the light, so that when you get the light, if you want to put the driver outside, it will be possible in future. And if you don't want to put outside, and just want to make it on the lights, and don't like the extra length of the cable, you can also move the extra length easily and hold the driver on the light.
We are listening to all the customers' feedbacks and as long as we can do improvement, we will.

I'm with Wankir, Ms. Sara. Smiles to you Ma'am.
Sending & .

So I hope I answered this question for you.

 

[Mars Hydro]

Although Mars Hydro shows the use of a voltage meter, that's not what I use. Voltage will not tell you the light output of the fixture. A light meter app for the smart phone is better way to go. I agree with your point regarding the location of the adjustments. An easily accessible potentiometer is in my opinion the best way to go.

That said, the vast majority of users will never change the factory setting, or move the driver out of the grow area. Mars Hydro made design decisions allowing them to offer these lights to us at what really is a low price. These lights are far better than the competitor's lights of a similar power draw with the dimmable feature. I used one of them for my first four grows. I do urge Mars Hydro to make a light available with the dimming feature. It will probably need a different driver, and the controls. This would add cost for Mars Hydro, and result in a higher cost to the buyer. They already have a kit to move the driver out of the tent. You can use it, or buy the components to do it yourself.

Just for laughs, why don't you cost out the components to build a light with similar specifications. I don't care if you use COBs. light strips, discrete LEDs, or sub-assemblies like the HLG QBs. It will give you a much better appreciation for the bargain Mars Hydro is offering. I've done it, which is why I don't complain too loudly.

Hi Old Salt, thanks for the input. At first, we don't think about making such a complicated light fixture. The future we believe will be the easier the better, and from our experience, the remote control or some dimming function is not very important for clients, but will increase a lot on the cost. From our experience and most of the customers' feedback, they would mostly like to stay lower cost rather than the advanced functions. And the most important for a light is how it can help with grow, the wattage, the spectrum, the PAR. So we don't add those funtions. Until someone ask if the light can be dim, hmmm, because you know meanwell driver can dim, so we just help with how to dim the lights on the meanwell driver. But that is not the main function on the lights, and I think as long as one handle the height during different growing stage correctly, they also don't have to change the settings. As for the design like HLG or other company, we would more likely to stick with our own instead of some imitation. But we will try to improve on the design.
BTW, we have also made an exactly same light like HLG in our factory, with sansumg chip, same board, same everthing, the light, definitely looks better, but actually not bright as our TS series, one thing is:
- As samsung is more expensive since they don't sell too much, so the manufacturer didn't add too much chips on the board, they use higher ma to drive the chip so that the chip is higher wattage and higher output,
- Another thing is the reflector cup design (looks very normal), but actually it increases like 20% output in the coverage area, helps the grow data better.
We also test orsam chips in fact, price similar to our current ones from Epistar, but the data shows lower. Hmmm, sometimes we might misleading by some famous brand, and didn't look into the data, but when you do comparision, you will be suprised. (That is how I act like when I see the comparison)
Anyway, I only want you to know, that every design of our light , every components we use, it is not just random choice, we made many experiencement and did a lot test, and find the most cost effective ones for you.

 

[Mars Hydro]

Everyone has their opinions though to. the power switch is irrelevant to me since the second i plug it in its going on a timer anwyays. The driver part well maybe for him but it don't bother me at all.

High Huge.

 

[Mars Hydro]

Rather than a 2' X 4' (60 X 120cm) tent, I'd like a 28" - 30" X 5' tent. This will let me reach the back of the tent for plant maintenance. All tents I buy in the future will be 7' tall. A 5' tent would be the minimum height for it's door size, with a 2' extension available.

Hmmm, that is a different opinion on tent size, do you know if there are many growers also want this size?

 

[Mars Hydro]

As JW notes above HPH, i'm meaning a low and high power switch.

I get that what i'm saying here won't bother or affect anyone who has one or those for whom these points dont matter: but at £500 the pair, sorry, in this day & age I expect a low/high power switch, not least cause I can reduce leccy bill for 6 weeks. So frankly, im surprised the designers etc had a conversation along the lines of;

Person 1 "Doesnt this need a low power option"?
Person 2 "NAH! We'll hide a screw in the most difficult area on the driver to access and then make it more difficult by putting a second identical hole for shits n gigs"...!!!

Maybe not exactly like that, but SOMEONE at MH said 'No' to a switch - bad idea! Or even worse, the switch questoon never came up and that is just bad designing.
Its common place even in cheap ass leds that cost 50 quid now, so why not on a unit claiming to be (and charging accordingly) a premium product !?!

And same with the lead, if you are happy to have extentions running into your tent, great. Personally with hot n humid atmos around grows - I want the electrical gubbins outside thank you...


Mars Hydro have a reputation for quality and ive sought to own a (or two) unit of theors since ive known about them.

Well, time to step up and show the quality.. Otherwise they will be seen as 'just another Chinese LED company'.
Nobody wants that.

They make great lightning solutions but I want the best lighting solutions that take all situations where I'm gonna need this light to perform.

Not ragging on you or MarsHydro Sara, just asking if you can see it from the client's perspective.

Just mho.

Hi WankirA, every brand has its own marketing strategy, and Mars Hydro is aim to benefit more middle income class, We can make best lights, in fact we have made for some big company as well. But, we cannot make those lights under Mars Hydro. Very few growers can afford it, and those who afford it might prefer to choose a local brand. From my own, i would like to buy from local as well instead of buying something the same expensive online. The best we can do is to help improve our products as much as we can while still keep the light in a affordable margin for most customers. To be the most cost -efficient light brand, is our goal.

 

[Mars Hydro]

Hello everyone, thank you very much for the kind input yesterday , I look everyone's post, and I have kept notes, will give feedback to our factory. Please feel free to share opinions on our lights or tents, as long as we can make it, we will try to improve. Love you all!

 

[Dutchman1990]

Hi @SmokeSara
Here’s a quick couple of pictures of the girls on flower day 11! I’m just putting the final edits on the video update and l post it here as well!!

Hope your well!

CC552BDE-2E06-4999-9C84-FFA821468A1B.jpeg

• Dutchman1990
• Aug 7, 2019

53555CF7-665C-4E87-AA22-984AEA225F0E.jpeg

• Dutchman1990
• Aug 7, 2019

7F52DCF0-B6A2-44B0-B6DA-D5F5E97CFC21.jpeg

• Dutchman1990
• Aug 7, 2019

B1F1C75D-6EC3-4E09-B8A4-16A7C159245D.jpeg

• Dutchman1990
• Aug 7, 2019

 

[Mars Hydro]

Hi @SmokeSara
Here’s a quick couple of pictures of the girls on flower day 11! I’m just putting the final edits on the video update and l post it here as well!!

Hope your well!

CC552BDE-2E06-4999-9C84-FFA821468A1B.jpeg

• Dutchman1990
• Aug 7, 2019

53555CF7-665C-4E87-AA22-984AEA225F0E.jpeg

• Dutchman1990
• Aug 7, 2019

7F52DCF0-B6A2-44B0-B6DA-D5F5E97CFC21.jpeg

• Dutchman1990
• Aug 7, 2019

B1F1C75D-6EC3-4E09-B8A4-16A7C159245D.jpeg

• Dutchman1990
• Aug 7, 2019

Thanks a lot Dutch! the flower are starting to show off, and they look very happy!

 

[Mr. Krip]

As JW notes above HPH, i'm meaning a low and high power switch.

I get that what i'm saying here won't bother or affect anyone who has one or those for whom these points dont matter: but at £500 the pair, sorry, in this day & age I expect a low/high power switch, not least cause I can reduce leccy bill for 6 weeks. So frankly, im surprised the designers etc had a conversation along the lines of;

Person 1 "Doesnt this need a low power option"?
Person 2 "NAH! We'll hide a screw in the most difficult area on the driver to access and then make it more difficult by putting a second identical hole for shits n gigs"...!!!

Maybe not exactly like that, but SOMEONE at MH said 'No' to a switch - bad idea! Or even worse, the switch questoon never came up and that is just bad designing.
Its common place even in cheap ass leds that cost 50 quid now, so why not on a unit claiming to be (and charging accordingly) a premium product !?!

And same with the lead, if you are happy to have extentions running into your tent, great. Personally with hot n humid atmos around grows - I want the electrical gubbins outside thank you...


Mars Hydro have a reputation for quality and ive sought to own a (or two) unit of theors since ive known about them.

Well, time to step up and show the quality.. Otherwise they will be seen as 'just another Chinese LED company'.
Nobody wants that.

They make great lightning solutions but I want the best lighting solutions that take all situations where I'm gonna need this light to perform.

Not ragging on you or MarsHydro Sara, just asking if you can see it from the client's perspective.

Just mho.

If the High/Low switch is the "deal-breaker" for you, you should checkout the Mars Reflector 144's, which is one of their "blurple" lights. I've run them for quite some time (since 2016), never had a component failure, and all the plants in this post were grown under 144's, except the last one (Platinum Cake) which was part of a sponsored grow for another lighting company:

Sponsored Grow: Krip Keepers Frost Fest Featuring Mars SP-250 In Mars 4' x 4' Tent

The Reflectors have both Veg and Bloom modes and the 144's are essentially the same coverage, same wattage, and same price as the SP-250's.

 

[Mars Hydro]

If the High/Low switch is the "deal-breaker" for you, you should checkout the Mars Reflector 144's, which is one of their "blurple" lights. I've run them for quite some time (since 2016), never had a component failure, and all the plants in this post were grown under 144's, except the last one (Platinum Cake) which was part of a sponsored grow for another lighting company:

Sponsored Grow: Krip Keepers Frost Fest Featuring Mars SP-250 In Mars 4' x 4' Tent

The Reflectors have both Veg and Bloom modes and the 144's are essentially the same coverage, same wattage, and same price as the SP-250's.

Wow, how silly I am didn't think about that! Thank you Krip!

 

[Mr. Krip]

Wow, how silly I am didn't think about that! Thank you Krip!

Gotcha covered!

 

[Ganjagrandaddy]

Hi WankirA, every brand has its own marketing strategy, and Mars Hydro is aim to benefit more middle income class, We can make best lights, in fact we have made for some big company as well. But, we cannot make those lights under Mars Hydro. Very few growers can afford it, and those who afford it might prefer to choose a local brand. From my own, i would like to buy from local as well instead of buying something the same expensive online. The best we can do is to help improve our products as much as we can while still keep the light in a affordable margin for most customers. To be the most cost -efficient light brand, is our goal.

And you do it so well Sara. No competition is even close with the cost=value and results. Seeing the quality of the parts used and the design is not a dissapointment.

 

[WankirA]

I genuinely like some of the Mars lights so will, for sure, keep an eye on upcoming models - but as of right now, they do not offer the functions I want.

Their performance has never been in question, and with the sp250 I was pleased MH used the form factor they did & with stats quoted, (so much so I'd be very surprised if within a year a sp500 'spyder' style light for a 4*4 space doesnt appear in their range). And if it does, I'd be all up in it immediately - if it has a low power switch (as opposed to switching certain lights off as a low power option).

But for now, all I can do is hang fire until features I want become available.

The name Mars Hydro is deserving of its reputational significance and long may it continue as they supply items and features consumers are after.

 

[Mars Hydro]

Gotcha covered!

 

[Mars Hydro]

And you do it so well Sara. No competition is even close with the cost=value and results. Seeing the quality of the parts used and the design is not a dissapointment.

Thanks a lot Ganja, I simply enjoy everyone's growing with our lights. Seeing you get great results, makes me happy.

 

[Mars Hydro]

I genuinely like some of the Mars lights so will, for sure, keep an eye on upcoming models - but as of right now, they do not offer the functions I want.

Their performance has never been in question, and with the sp250 I was pleased MH used the form factor they did & with stats quoted, (so much so I'd be very surprised if within a year a sp500 'spyder' style light for a 4*4 space doesnt appear in their range). And if it does, I'd be all up in it immediately - if it has a low power switch (as opposed to switching certain lights off as a low power option).

But for now, all I can do is hang fire until features I want become available.

The name Mars Hydro is deserving of its reputational significance and long may it continue as they supply items and features consumers are after.

Thanks WankirA for your understanding, as long as we can make those functons upgraded on our new Series, I will definitely let everyone knows. Hopefully the day won't be too long

 

[Dutchman1990]

Video Drop!!

 

[Mars Hydro]

Evening everyone! How is your day?

View media item 1701945

 

[Dutchman1990]

Great Sara how are you today?

 

[Mars Hydro]

Video Drop!!

That is a quick one! Yesterday we are talking about video, and now here it is! Well done brother! I also hope to see how they flower like later.