Half the LEDs Out on One of my Blackstar 240 Flower Panels

somebody1701

Well-Known Member
I have 3 of these. I wonder how long the other two are going to last? I bought these just over a year ago and of course, the warranty is only one year. I tried these by themselves on my first two grows. Since then, I've been running an HID with two of these on the sides providing supplemental light and one in my veg closet. I felt they were decent bang for the buck until this happened. :roll:
 
If they're a cool company, ask them if they'll still help you out. If the don't, focus on LED companies with 2+ year warranties. My 2 cents. Good luck and let us know what Blackstar says. I'd like to know what their customer service is like.
 

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
If they're a cool company, ask them if they'll still help you out. If the don't, focus on LED companies with 2+ year warranties. My 2 cents. Good luck and let us know what Blackstar says. I'd like to know what their customer service is like.
List a few with 2 year warranties. The technology is not there yet in an affordable form.
 

HiloReign

Well-Known Member
List a few with 2 year warranties. The technology is not there yet in an affordable form.
It depends how you define "affordable". LEDs start-up price can seem like a lot when you don't factor in replacing bulbs, electricity costs and heat generation. Not to mention , the best aptitude to develop high quality light (next to plasma...).

In short, if you did a little research first, there are a handful of companies that slang top-notch LEDs with warranties. CLICK
 

somebody1701

Well-Known Member
It depends how you define "affordable". LEDs start-up price can seem like a lot when you don't factor in replacing bulbs, electricity costs and heat generation. Not to mention , the best aptitude to develop high quality light (next to plasma...).

In short, if you did a little research first, there are a handful of companies that slang top-notch LEDs with warranties. CLICK
I did a lot of research first and I wasn't willing to risk thousands of dollars on a relatively new technology. I got these for 270 each. Two are still running so even with one down I feel like I got decent value. If this had happened with something I spent thousands on, I would be a much unhappier camper. As it is, I feel like I got to try LEDs without breaking the bank.

I'm not a big fan of spending top dollar and depending on a company to honor their longer warranties. They may go out of business or find some way to dick you around.
 

somebody1701

Well-Known Member
For anyone reading this considering a BS, they won't adequately cover a 2x3 space in flower. I'd say more like 1.5x2.5 max. But they do cover a 2x3 space in veg quite nicely.
 

somebody1701

Well-Known Member
If they're a cool company, ask them if they'll still help you out. If the don't, focus on LED companies with 2+ year warranties. My 2 cents. Good luck and let us know what Blackstar says. I'd like to know what their customer service is like.
I'm pretty good with electronics, I may open it up and see if I can fix it myself if I get some spare time (not likely, hehe).
 

HiloReign

Well-Known Member
I'm pretty good with electronics, I may open it up and see if I can fix it myself if I get some spare time (not likely, hehe).
Unless you're talking about a really large grow, you won't need thousands. In fact, used correctly, most units will pay for themselves and then some after your first grow. Also, if you consider yourself good with electronics, DIY is as cheap and viable (granted) as it is going to get.

If you did your research (even though I wasn't referring to you when I made the comment), you'd have known not to buy BS240s.

Regarding the warranty statement... I can't speak on personal knowledge. Some LED companies have been around for a very long time and a lot of them aren't going anywhere.

Have a good one.
 

FranJan

Well-Known Member
I'm pretty good with electronics, I may open it up and see if I can fix it myself if I get some spare time (not likely, hehe).
Hey Somebody1701. As a person who has fixed his BS240s on more than one occasion I can tell you one of two things has probably happened. Either one of your drivers has died or a LED is broken and is not allowing the circuit to be completed. If you open up a BS240 you'll see 3 drivers. 2 are for the lights and are interchangeable. Just swap them and see if the lights that are out have turned on. If so it's your driver and you can probably get one from Lighthouse Hydro or Gotham Hydroponics. Easy. Otherwise it's a diode and you'll have to unscrew 10 million tiny screws and test each diode on the circuit with a multimeter. Once you find the dead one de-solder it and then just jump the circuit by soldering a wire across the gap. In actuality you should use a resistor, but that's for the pro's, no;)? Then you'll have to carefully screw in those 10 million screws so they're not too tight as to make sure you don't short circuit your new soldering job against the heat-sink, frying everything. At that point you can get a replacement diode or let it run like that.

Hope this helps.
 

jcmjrt

Well-Known Member
IF Blackstars lasted, they would be value but it seems that typically don't...as often as people post about burned out fixtures anyway.There are many fly-by-night LED companies that's for sure but there are some which are more than a person and a soldering iron. Kessil - part of a multimillion dollar corporation with real engineers and botanists on staff - is one of them and for $271 you can get 90 watts of good LED that will last...or will be replaced by the company. I'm not affiliated in any way and there are a couple of others which are stable. A few extra dollars and you can get something that works well and lasts.

Of course, if you have the knowhow to fix a Blackstar build a fixture for yourself and get top brand top bin LEDs, drivers and heatsinks and you will have fixtures that should give good service for years. I'm going to be building a few fixtures here soon. Boxes have started arriving! :)
 

somebody1701

Well-Known Member
Thanks a million, FranJan. I opened it up, swapped the drivers, and noted that the same half of lights still didn't work. I checked continuity from the driver connector to the board. I used a staple taped to a small screw driver to bypass leds one at a time and found the one that had failed. It happened to be the first/last one so I just resoldered the wire one spot over. I already gave you rep when you first posted this or I would give you some more!
 

somebody1701

Well-Known Member
IF Blackstars lasted, they would be value but it seems that typically don't...as often as people post about burned out fixtures anyway.There are many fly-by-night LED companies that's for sure but there are some which are more than a person and a soldering iron. Kessil - part of a multimillion dollar corporation with real engineers and botanists on staff - is one of them and for $271 you can get 90 watts of good LED that will last...or will be replaced by the company. I'm not affiliated in any way and there are a couple of others which are stable. A few extra dollars and you can get something that works well and lasts.

Of course, if you have the knowhow to fix a Blackstar build a fixture for yourself and get top brand top bin LEDs, drivers and heatsinks and you will have fixtures that should give good service for years. I'm going to be building a few fixtures here soon. Boxes have started arriving! :)
Now that I've opened this thing up and seen how simple it is, I could see building one myself.
 

Endur0xX

Well-Known Member
If they last as long as they claim they will last, then THEY ARE affordable, I am stoked that I dont have to spend any money for my lighting for the next 5-10 years.
 

FranJan

Well-Known Member
Now that I've opened this thing up and seen how simple it is, I could see building one myself.
Very simple device. That's the hidden beauty of BS's and cheap Chinese panels. With a little effort, some money, (and a bagful of those little screws in the case of BS's :)), you can keep them running forever. Just don't bust the PCB, though that is replaceable too I bet. Sheeet, let's face it, Blackstar IS the Volkswagen Beetle of the LED grow world! LOL

I opened my Vipar recently and that baby is even easier than a BS to repair and replace diodes on. And in 2 or 3 years I'll probably upgrade the diodes/drivers to more powerful and cooler running diodes and more efficient drivers. Maybe Vipar will do the upgrades themselves, so people who don't like to solder can upgrade them too. Vipar should think about that. DIY is cool, but upgradable panels aren't too bad either.

Good Luck and Happy Growing SB1701!
 

natro.hydro

Well-Known Member
I recently had 3 rows of my 300w magenta w/ UVB burn out and I have only had it about 8 months. I'm not super electronically inclined but I can wire some stuff up given a lil info. My question is are most LEDs like your black star becasue I bought this panel half price from the grow shop because I bought a second one so this isn't under warranty so I have to fix it myself or deal with it. I'm tempted to leave it since the other 7 rows of light are in tact and could just use it as supplemental but it the fix is as easy as you made it sound then i might give it a try in hopes of renewing my panel. Your thoughts are on this matter are appreciated and happy burnin
 

iiKode

Well-Known Member
I cant read any of your posts, i keep getting distracted by you're avatar, dam that is a hot pic
 

dbkick

Well-Known Member
I've seen a 50 percent faliure rate with bs500, I bought 5 used and one new, one smoked, dunno which one it was, could have been out of warranty. shipped it to them and they sent me a new panel.
 
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