New Beginnings for Massachussetts and I

You can buy finished products, but they are pricey. $90 is tricky. QB's are $75 each and the driver is around a $100.

I've seen cob's as cheap as $12, but those need a heatsink. But 2 chinese cobs in a basic frame with a driver might come in around there. Not sure if would be dimmable though. Have to check.

Ax, what have you seen out there?
 
greg nr said:
You can buy finished products, but they are pricey. $90 is tricky. QB's are $75 each and the driver is around a $100.

I've seen cob's as cheap as $12, but those need a heatsink. But 2 chinese cobs in a basic frame with a driver might come in around there. Not sure if would be dimmable though. Have to check.
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IKES, I am already strapped for cash. maybe should just check around for another LED panel...and daisy chain it to the one I have. Son having issue with his bank card and it rejected his amazon order. ill call him later and see whats up. I am checking around craigslist and places to try and find used equipment from someone who has either stopped growing or upgraded, but not easy to find!!!
searching around for lights, and possibly new tent. thank goodness for my son :-)
 
Axle4worc said:
Quantum boards are the next evolution?


What is your budget? LEDs would be awesome. My plants love my 500w cobs as well as they did the 1000w hid.

Lower budget maybe T5s? Has anyone used vertical T5s?
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I believe they are. Inexpensive, powerful, cool operation, highly efficient, excellent spectrum.
 
JustCallmeMom said:
IKES, I am already strapped for cash. maybe should just check around for another LED panel...and daisy chain it to the one I have. Son having issue with his bank card and it rejected his amazon order. ill call him later and see whats up.
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Look on the HLG website for kits. They aren't too expensive and you'll actually get a top notch light for your money.

There's an incredible amount of crap out there, especially on eBay and Amazon. All LED lighting is NOT the same! Efficiency matters, both to keep heat down and save on AC costs.
 
ttystikk said:
Look on the HLG website for kits. They aren't too expensive and you'll actually get a top notch light for your money.

There's an incredible amount of crap out there, especially on eBay and Amazon. All LED lighting is NOT the same! Efficiency matters, both to keep heat down and save on AC costs.
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YES, really dont want to waste 100 bucks on crap. sigh.
 
greg nr said:
Ax, what have you seen out there?
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My 12 cobs with 3 drivers were $750. If she were to use my type of cobs for her 4x4 it would be $500 or more. Her veg tent would be about 1/2 that.

JustCallmeMom said:
I do need more light in my tent (3x2x5).
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I thought you were going too upgrade to a 4x4. If you don't count the electricity, I think 600w hid would be the cheapest way to light a 4x4. Proper ventilation & or cooling would be required.



ttystikk said:
I'm sure there's someone close by who would be happy to help you assemble one.
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If you find a cheap led kit or the components needed, I would be happy to help you put it together.
 
Axle4worc said:
My 12 cobs with 3 drivers were $750. If she were to use my type of cobs for her 4x4 it would be $500 or more. Her veg tent would be about 1/2 that.



I thought you were going too upgrade to a 4x4. If you don't count the electricity, I think 600w hid would be the cheapest way to light a 4x4. Proper ventilation & or cooling would be required.





If you find a cheap led kit or the components needed, I would be happy to help you put it together.
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4 Quantum boards, a driver and assorted bits, right around $400, 500W max and dimmable- and the more it's dimmed the more efficient it gets.

600W HID light is really best in a 3x3. Why would one not count the cost of electricity?? That's likely to be the biggest expense over time! And don't forget the cost of lamp replacements.
 
Ahh, I was working under the theory she wanted to keep her current light and add 200 watts of additional light. That's where my napkin design of 2 cobs running at around 90 w each came from. Max light for the smallest capital outlay. You pay higher elec costs because it's less efficient, but not by so much it hurts. We are talking a small percentage of a small number.

But if you want a 400-500 watt solution, there ain't no way to do it for $90 except by finding someone with a trunk full of lights who needs cash now. ;)
 
ttystikk said:
4 Quantum boards, a driver and assorted bits, right around $400, 500W max and dimmable- and the more it's dimmed the more efficient it gets.
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That sounds like an improvement on my setup but I was thinking about something closer to her lower budget at $150 new for a 600w hid. Operation costs would be higher but it could give her time to save up for better equipment.

ttystikk said:
Why would one not count the cost of electricity??
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Some don't pay for it.

greg nr said:
Ahh, I was working under the theory she wanted to keep her current light and add 200 watts of additional light. That's where my napkin design of 2 cobs running at around 90 w each came from. Max light for the smallest capital outlay.
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I got off track when she mentioned the 400w. Smallest capital outlay looks like a priority. If she can get 200w quality cobs I don't see where she would need more in a 2x3. Then maybe save up for the quantum boards in the bigger tent.
 
greg nr said:
Ahh, I was working under the theory she wanted to keep her current light and add 200 watts of additional light. That's where my napkin design of 2 cobs running at around 90 w each came from. Max light for the smallest capital outlay. You pay higher elec costs because it's less efficient, but not by so much it hurts. We are talking a small percentage of a small number.

But if you want a 400-500 watt solution, there ain't no way to do it for $90 except by finding someone with a trunk full of lights who needs cash now. ;)
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Yes, I meant in ADDITION to the Mars Hydro 300w led I already have :-)
If i were to go HPS I would ditch the mars hydro and prob get a 600....but I would rather stay away from that bulb and the heat (and the $200!)....LED seems the way to keep going. I am getting a 4x4x6 tent next week, and my measly mars hydro wont cover that size area. It hardly covers my current 3x2x5!

I am going to be gifted some auto seeds from some great dudes on this site, and I cant wait to get them going in my new tent, woo hoo!!.....but now for more light....hmmmmmmm....I can do CFL's in the meantime till i figure something out. (ive got like 40 hanging around here somewhere!)
 
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I hate to rain on your parade, but moving to a bigger tent without the resources to upgrade all the attendant accessories like lighting and ventilation is just asking for trouble. Don't rush things. Stay in your existing tent until you can really afford to do all the upgrades instead of setting yourself up for necessary expenditures you don't want to make. I'm just saying ...
 
Bosgrower said:
I hate to rain on your parade, but moving to a bigger tent without the resources to upgrade all the attendant accessories like lighting and ventilation is just asking for trouble. Don't rush things. Stay in your existing tent until you can really afford to do all the upgrades instead of setting yourself up for necessary expenditures you don't want to make. I'm just saying ...
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yes, i was thinking that myself. dont put cart in front of horse. as be4me said, KISS. leave things the way they are until I have all the proper items to set up the new tent, thanks :-) I have a tendancy to over think things and move to fast. my friend is bringing the tent next week and I will just store it until i can figure out what i want to do. knowing me i will change my mind 100 times anyways :shock: god this growing is such a rush...i absolutely love it :-)
 
QUESTION, YES ANOTHER!

I was cleaning my tent tonight, and just messing around with my ladies. I love doing that.
I had my cell phone in my hand and decided to just use my lux app and move it around my tent
for sh**s and giggles. Over and over these were my approx. readings:

3" under and between my (2) 23w 6500K/1600 lumen cfl's it was reading around 9-10,000 lux
3" under and between my (2) 42w 6500K/2600 lumen cfl's it was reading around 4-5,000 lux
(and 8" under the poor 300w LED only was pulling about 4,000, if)
both sets of cfl's are positioned exactly the same way, in a splitter, but they are from different companies.
HUH?
I know that lumens it is the amount of light radiated and perceived by the human eye, not plants... and I know that Lux is the illumination intensity of an area...but logically wouldnt more cfl watts/lumens mean more lux in the same area tested? I even downloaded a second app and got same results. is it that the little ones are more compact, smaller, designed differently and their light is more intense in a certain area?

so, if we are talking cfl's in growing, which would be better, having the larger more watt cfl's with less lux intensity below them....or the little ones with less watts but more lux?

I think to much.
 

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my disabled, special needs yet num-num stinky mephisto hubbabubbasmelloscope....her approx. harvest date is June 7th (???):-( Looks like mommy overtrained and shocked her. sigh.
 

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Stated $90 dollar budget- another Mars 300 or my Viparspectre 300 will work VERY well in current tent or 4 by 4( if I can veg. 4 plants to 2+ ft. and finish them in flower @ 55") -She's on a tight budget guys and I've already proven out my 2 Vipars on 2 grows, Cob builds are Way up the road for her budget-wise-Hid-too much heat in her setup.I am all for Cob builds(better than sliced bread) but we have ALL levels of grows going on here-some with seemingly unlimited funds and time and she has neither. Hope I didn't piss anybody off, but we are here to assist as best we can.
 
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