I'm sorry, where did I do that again ? You're lashing out I'm not sure why. BTW the cobs we mentioned draw 54 W of power, not 150. Ohh man, did I just get baited into one of those VS/mars light fights
Here is an interesting read that can sum it up better than I. I found on the forms here, not sure how to quote it properly so I'll just copy/paste.
SupraSPL:
"Mars Hydro model 480 = $180, actual power consumption claimed 205W. Subtract fan and driver losses and maybe 165 dissipation W in the LEDs.
Assuming 20% LED efficiency you get 33 PAR W emitted = 30 PAR W in the canopy. 30 PAR W is good for a 1'X2' flowering space at 750 PPFD. 170W+ of heat into the grow space.
So that works out $5.45/PAR W, the same cost as premium CREE and Vero fixtures that are at least twice as efficient. On top of all that there may be reliability issues, there is a chance the LEDs or driver can literally burn out and require repair."
You're missing the point. A shitty grower and the best grower alike will still get increased yield more efficiently with better tools. The cobs are not much more expensive and easy to upgrade as you go. We get you are pretty excited about your 3.3 ounce yield with your mars. You coulda done it with half the power and got an increased yield for a few bucks more.
Okay I need to break down the amount of word crossing going on here:
1. No one is lashing out. If anything, you kind were initially. I never said someone on this thread stated that. This isn't the first thread to talk blurples and won't be the last.
2. I literally told people that they should spend the money if they could. I also made it clear that I didn't have "a few bucks more" at the time. You're more worried about taking shit personally and comparing pictures than reading words, it seems.
3. I'm seeing that 3 years ago the Mars hydro was getting around 25%. Still shitty compared to HID and better LED setups, but also still cheaper by far. I didn't personally spend $190 on mine, but I'll admit I don't remember what I got it for. With that said it's still better than CFLs which is what people are looking at using until they can save up for a 'good' light...another thing broke folks look at taking the time into setting up.
[Added: 4. You assuming that my decision to go with a Mars was because "I didn't feel like spending a little extra" is you talking shit. I didn't have the money at the time to buy a light for "a few bucks more". My alternative was going without.]
If we're going to be making any assumptions, I think it should just be that copyright licenses for the blurple tech are expiring so the intellectual property is public domain now and therefore market competition is so high that the prices have been driven down. These lights haven't gotten worse since people were pulling weight with them five to ten years ago, if anything they've probably improved in their own way. That said, there will ALWAYS been more expensive tech that people *could* invest in. That isn't what the OP was asking about.
Basically, I see the situation as being no different than TV's and computer monitors. There will always be a fancier, better working, more efficient model out there that you can pay more for up front and it "pays for itself in the long run". Bottom line is that some people are looking to fill a space for as cheap as possible up front and still walk away with something to smoke. That alone frees up a massive amount of cash that you can then go ahead and use to buy an *actually* decent LED to supplement and really get the party started.
That's why I was saying "I hate when people just say wait". It's not that simple. What do you cut out? Your coffee? The small amount of weed you're managing to buy? Food? Other medicine?
Meanwhile I just spent whatever small amount I did on the Mars and I'm getting plenty of weight to support myself and (like I said) saving is now a TON easier.
