I'm back after a protracted absence! Can I get some LED advice.

[mysticjim]

Hello y'all

After about 3 months intense poverty, I'm finally back in a position to do another grow now I'm able to finance some of the replacement gear I needed too. At the end of my last grow my already rock bottom setup suffered a couple of technical failure - my extractor fan failed completely and my Mars Hydro 300 seems to have a few failing LED's on it, and what with being about £200 a month down in income since Feb (thank you new employer pension contributions options, grrr!) my growing has stalled.

However, I'm finally in a position to start again. Still got my humble tent, airpots and few other still=working bits and pieces, new extractor ordered and en-route, but my attention is going back to lights.

To begin, I'm all LED at the moment, my environment is not the best it could be, so in terms of budget, bang for your buck, space and heating/temp considerations, it's the only logical and viable option. I'd previously been considering getting a second Mars 300 to supplement the one I already had. Then toyed with the Mars 600, then toyed with the idea of taking a punt on a cheape, unbranded light to see if I could more bang for my buck, however I've come across some interesting choices on Amazon and I wonder if you good people could give me some pointers.

So, I've found a series of LED's branded as CRXSunny. I know we're not to post direct links so I'll give you the titles as they listed on Amazon and if you feel inclined you can check them out. There are three that fall into my price range right now;

CrxSunny 1000W Double Chips LED Grow Lights Full Specturm for Indoor Plants and Greenhouse Hydroponic Flowering and Growing (10W LEDs) - currently selling for £115.99

CrxSunny 1200W Double Chips LED Grow Lights Full Specturm for Indoor Plants and Greenhouse Hydroponic Flowering and Growing (10W LEDs) - £135.99

And

CrxSunny 1200W COB LED Grow Light Full Specturm for for Hydropnic Indoor Plants and Greenhouse Growing Veg and Flower - £148.99

Their lights seem to compare reasonably similarly to the Mars range, though as is always the way, we have the usual array of confusing and sometimes misleading numbers!

The first two contain groups of High Efficiency Powerful 10W BridgeLux LEDs (no idea if that's good or bad????) whereas older LED lights seem to have gone for 3 or 5w LED's in their array.

The last one is interesting, I keep hearing about COB LED's - I'm assuming there is some kind of advantage to them as manufacturers make a big deal of stating that they're COB LED's in their spiel!

There are a few reviews of each model dotted around the web, and the comparisons with the Mars Hydro range, which is something of a proven known quantity, seem favourable. There isn't much price point difference between the models - but the fact that the manufacturer has a number of different models on the market and they're trying to promote a dedicated brand suggests they're fairly serious about it.

I wonder if you could give an opinion of;

1) What you think the genuine, true output of each model will be?

2) Whether the COB LED version will have a significant advantage over the others in a growing situation?

Very interested to hear what you think.

Jim

[kbag]

Just been looking at your old diaries Jim what would be my concern is your height of your tent 1.4m so look at the recommended light distance. Leds are a minefield mate do plenty of research before you part with your cash is my advice.

[mysticjim]

Just been looking at your old diaries Jim what would be my concern is your height of your tent 1.4m so look at the recommended light distance. Leds are a minefield mate do plenty of research before you part with your cash is my advice.

Yes mate, this became a concern in my last grow where I had the MArs 300 too close for a while and almost toasted the plant!

I found a good LST method last time out for keeping the plant very low, under a foot and half, so I'm pretty sure I can keep them low generally, and I can suspend the lights right to the top of the tent, but obviously with any of those newer lights should i buy them I'd be looking at double the output so it's a valid concern.

[M_C]

Any reason that a HPS is not in the picture?

[mysticjim]

Any reason that a HPS is not in the picture?

Principally heat.

[mysticjim]

Any reason that a HPS is not in the picture?

And digital ballasts scare the living s**t out of me!

[mrnice586]

Id be more scared of the leds since they are chinese made(the white metal case ones). And use cheap fans. And w for w hps is much better. And i bet 250w actual wattage led is near enough the same heat as the hps.

250's run pretty cool. Providing you have decent extraction. Id get a rvk with rhino pro.

The best thing about hps is that you can just replace the bulb with leds you cant. If your dead set on going the led route then get good quality ones such as the heilios or budmaster. Which id immagine you havnt got the cash for.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[mysticjim]

Id be more scared of the leds since they are chinese made(the white metal case ones). And use cheap fans. And w for w hps is much better. And i bet 250w actual wattage led is near enough the same heat as the hps.

250's run pretty cool. Providing you have decent extraction. Id get a rvk with rhino pro.

The best thing about hps is that you can just replace the bulb with leds you cant. If your dead set on going the led route then get good quality ones such as the heilios or budmaster. Which id immagine you havnt got the cash for.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

In theory, allowing for standard things, yes I'm confident that a 250w HPS lighting setup would be better. My problem that worries me most is that my grow room is served by a single socket feeding a high quality surge protected 4 gang adaptor. However, I'm aware that digital ballasts pull a higher than normal amount of amps at start up, and it's that sudden spike that worries me as I believe LED's (allowing for the obvious issue you've noted with cheap fans) are usually a tad more consistent.

It could be that they've been around longer, thus there are more horror stories to tell, but every incident of an electrical fire with growers gear I've ever been told, there has been a ballast involved somewhere, although ultimately I'm certain it's probably been crap electrics that was the true cause.

Briefly looking back at the main crux of the question - are modern COB LED's on balance, better? Or is their advantage in the distribution of the light?

[M_C]

However, I'm aware that digital ballasts pull a higher than normal amount of amps at start up, and it's that sudden spike that worries me as I believe LED's (allowing for the obvious issue you've noted with cheap fans) are usually a tad more consistent.

You are thinking of magnetic ballast as they start with quite a power spike The digital ballasts employ a 'soft start' to prevent a spike....

[mysticjim]

You are thinking of magnetic ballast as they start with quite a power spike The digital ballasts employ a 'soft start' to prevent a spike....

Oooookay - I think you're slightly selling me the virtues of HPS, although I'm still slightly terrified at the prospect.

So, I have an absolute budget of £150, ish...

Can I bring in what I need, complimenting my fairly awkward grow environment and limited resources, with a satisfactory degree of temp control and safety too?

So, I have a cheap and cheerful 5" extraction fan (brand new) to replace the old one. I need to replace my carbon filter, (£30-£50).

Can I bring in a budget HPS ballast, bulb housing (I already own a decent reflector but most kits seem to come with one anyway) and bulbs for whatever I have left?

All of my recent research has been based on LED, this feels like a scary new area! And obviously I'm worried about heat - with a small tent like mine, have I got the headroom?