Trying to replace my HID with LED

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revnedw

New Member
So I'm looking into LEDs, now that I got a little money to play around with. I am trying to replace a 600w HPS system right now.

I am currently growing in a 2x4x6 area, but honestly I have contained the actual growing area to probably more like 1x3x6, and with the LED, I honestly plan to reduce that by even more, especially the height; I intend to keep all my plants short and stocky and in as small of a growing space as possible of course. I am not really planning to grow more than maybe 4-6 plants at a time, relatively small, maybe an ounce per plant, anything more than that would be considered a bonus.

Right now I am currently using an Ipower HID HPS/MH digital balast. The 600w HPS that comes with it supposedly puts out about 85,000 lumens. Now, I'm not looking for an exact replacement of 600w as the 600w, in my opinion, was a bit of overkill for the small space that I'm growing in. I'm really only growing for head stash, this isn't really a commercial grow by any means. I'm more aiming for perfection of some connoisseur cannabis. I'm also trying to keep cost BELOW $400, would truthfully prefer to run around 250-300 if at all possible for the grow I'm going for. I understand there's quite a bit to take into consideration so I am all ears but again, cost is the main concern in it all


So I will number my list from most desirable to least and I would like opinions and reviews on each if anyone has the ability to give input in either way. I'm looking for best bang for the buck, reliability, and overall production value of the lights(better buds equals big points). If you have experience with a particular light, please share any pictures of grows with them. Mainly I need a legitimate judgment on what each light (what ONE individual light can do on its own) can do production-wise, how many plants/how much bud can I get out of each light... I specifically do not want to know anything that judges how well a light does by usage of several of them. I want to know what I can do with JUST ONE of each of these lights, or possibly two of such that would equal the same output, for instance 2x 150w vs 1x 300w. So:

~ P300 Platinum 11-band

~ Mars Hydro 300W

~ Lighthouse BlackStar 240W UV LED

~ G8LED 240W 8-band

So far, out of all of these I'm kinda leaning more toward the Platinum P300, but I would like to hear from people here about what they would choose out of these, or if there is another one I'm over looking that is better for around the same cost or cheaper. I also would like to take into consideration that if one light is cheaper than the others that I have chosen, I may be able to afford a second to make for even more output.
 
NanoGadget

NanoGadget

Well-Known Member
The answers you are going to get are going to come in one of three flavors.
flavor #1: "dude, all those are junk, build your own light! COBS and Cree ftw!
flavor #2: "dude, those lights will make the baby jesus cry. Apache Tech ftw!"
flavor #3: "dude, those lights will give your plants butthole cancer! Area 51 ftw!"

Just so you know....
 
D

deadgro

Well-Known Member
NanoGadget said:
The answers you are going to get are going to come in one of three flavors.
flavor #1: "dude, all those are junk, build your own light! COBS and Cree ftw!
flavor #2: "dude, those lights will make the baby jesus cry. Apache Tech ftw!"
flavor #3: "dude, those lights will give your plants butthole cancer! Area 51 ftw!"

Just so you know....
Click to expand...
This isn't toke n talk dude.

OP- Your footprint is only 1x3 ft, did I read that right?
 
R

revnedw

New Member
Yeah, I'm fully aware that there are gonna be plenty of dicks on here with nothing better to do than make a pointless post about how pointless my post is. So much easier just to let people who genuinely want to help, post in the thread and those who just want to tell me to UTFSE or expect me to sit here for another 2-4 weeks researching and beating myself up over trying to build my own light or whatever. When I get oo far into detail like that I have a REALLY hard time making decisions on things just because the choices are endless at that point. I just want to keep things plain and simple by going with some brand-name light. Well, I could do all that research and whatnot but honestly, I just want something that I can buy, plug in, and be done with it.I'm sure many people would agree with me on that. That's why we have manufacturers making the lights to begin with. I really don't feel like becoming an expert on lights, I can use that mental capacity for other things.

Not a professional by any means, I just want to buy a light to replace what I have and out of what I have listed I would just like to know what people think about those specific lights and whether or not they have had any experience with them. I want a REALISTIC review of the products, not what is posted on the website or amazon or ebay or whatever because I do not find any of that trustworthy.

But I do thank those people who just want to post useless posts in my thread for the free bumps. :peace:
 
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revnedw

New Member
And yes, that is about the area, but I would say 2x3 just to be safe just in case these new plants I go with end up bushier than this current batch I have going now and honestly I might as well account for a slightly larger growing area. I think 2x3 is a reasonable grow space. Not sure how many plants I could fit in there, but I typicall do not allow my plants to get much larger than 3 ft. at the maximum at flower's end. 3 1/2 ft for high sativas/hazes.

The ones I have right now are all under 2ft and are about 2 weeks into flowering. Got 4 different strains: White Widow, Afghan Kush, Northern Lights, and Hawaii Maui Waui. But this is just bullshit information as these aren't going to be around for the next operation. Planning to go with a bunch of blueberry strains and a purple haze.
 
NanoGadget

NanoGadget

Well-Known Member
Of the lights you listed the only manufacturer that I have heard much about one way or the other is blackstar. Most people I've talked to that use them have relatively good things to say about them. I'd recommend the light I use to you, but it us pretty far outside the price range that you listed. any blackstar users out there want to contribute to the discussion?
 
C

churchhaze

Well-Known Member
revnedw said:
Yeah, I'm fully aware that there are gonna be plenty of dicks on here with nothing better to do than make a pointless post about how pointless my post is. So much easier just to let people who genuinely want to help, post in the thread and those who just want to tell me to UTFSE or expect me to sit here for another 2-4 weeks researching and beating myself up over trying to build my own light or whatever. When I get oo far into detail like that I have a REALLY hard time making decisions on things just because the choices are endless at that point. I just want to keep things plain and simple by going with some brand-name light. Well, I could do all that research and whatnot but honestly, I just want something that I can buy, plug in, and be done with it.I'm sure many people would agree with me on that. That's why we have manufacturers making the lights to begin with. I really don't feel like becoming an expert on lights, I can use that mental capacity for other things.

Not a professional by any means, I just want to buy a light to replace what I have and out of what I have listed I would just like to know what people think about those specific lights and whether or not they have had any experience with them. I want a REALISTIC review of the products, not what is posted on the website or amazon or ebay or whatever because I do not find any of that trustworthy.

But I do thank those people who just want to post useless posts in my thread for the free bumps. :peace:
Click to expand...
Keep your HPS lamp.
 
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A

az2000

Well-Known Member
The first question is: why do you want to go to LED? If it's to reduce heat or electrical consumption, then you're on the right path. But, it will have a large up-front cost that will take 3 years to pay back. (Area 51, Onyx, AdvancedLED (not platinum), Hans, Apache, Cree LEDs sold at Home Depot).

If you go with the brands you mentioned, you'll need almost as many watts per sq. ft as your HPS. You'll produce almost as much heat. For the initial investment, you'd be better off with CMH. More light for the energy used. (That's the common recommendation.).

The brands you mentioned all use epi-whatever diodes which aren't very efficient. They'll work ok in a short grow space where you don't need a lot of penetration. However, go for 3w LEDs mounted on white backboard. This will give you more diffuse light and not require as much vertical height as 5w diodes and/or reflector backboards.

In a short space, I would use Cree lightbulbs (and/or PAR 38 spot/flood) from Home Depot. This takes some DIY effort to mount/position. But, you can get good results with 20-25w/sq ft in a short space, where epi-whatever LEDs would have to be in the 30-35w range. (In a tall space, you'd need 30-35, where the epi-whatevers require 45-50.).

Vipar (eBay) is often recommended as an "if you really must go cheap import."

I'd stay away from Platinum. They're obviously trying to rip-off AdvancedLED's name. Advanced uses Cree chips. Platinum is just an epi-whatever light like Mars, Vipar, et. al. There's no reason to support a business that has to resort to a name-ripoff when you can get the same quality of light from less unethical sellers.

The one thing to be very careful of: There are a lot of brands that charge the prices of efficient lights, but use epi-whatever diodes. They do little more than rebrand chinese imports and sell them for 3-4x more. Kind, Lush, HydroGrowLED, Growblu, Blackdog, Blackstar (although not as expensive, it's still a rebranded chinese import for about 2x the price).

If you spend $200 on Vipar(ebay) or MarsHydro(topled), it won't be the end of the world if you find they're hot, use a lot of electricity, etc. Not like spending $600-800 on a rebranded hyped light.
 
R

Rentaldog

Well-Known Member
I have a small light from AdvancedLED and its worked great for me so far. I only use it for a veg light, but its one of the Diamond Series 3W lights. Im hoping to buy a few of the XML series that run 10W CREE, just haven't had the cash laying around lately ;)
 
Grandmah

Grandmah

Well-Known Member
NanoGadget said:
The answers you are going to get are going to come in one of three flavors.
flavor #1: "dude, all those are junk, build your own light! COBS and Cree ftw!
flavor #2: "dude, those lights will make the baby jesus cry. Apache Tech ftw!"
flavor #3: "dude, those lights will give your plants butthole cancer! Area 51 ftw!"

Just so you know....
Click to expand...
Exactly. A bad led light is not worth it. Quality lights will cost you more than 400 dollars a light.
 
R

revnedw

New Member
Reduction of heat is the main concern, if not really the only one. I mean the HPS I'm running now is basically a fire hazard in this tiny little area, especially considering the fact that I'm running in a closet, but I do keep the door open as it is on. Then energy consumption is next on the list. Lastly I would just prefer you use LEDs all around, I think the purple light is kinda cool, lol. I also hear that running LEDs can get you better results, especially from the fact that you can get your plants closer to the light.

I do plan to keep my HPS but I don't plan to run it until I can get a second grow room going. I want to experiment a bit, but my HPS will no longer be my main grow light. My LEDs will be what I put most of my effort, money, and time into. I do plan to add smaller lights as I go, as time goes on. A UFO here or there, if I come across any used ones for cheap, throw it into the mix. I'm really actually pushing for a full blown LED grow-op that will eventually equate to a 1000w setup, but it will take time to gather all the LEDs needed of course. Just for now I can work with 200-400w LED lighting and grow anywhere from 2-6 plants; I'll be happy.

And I'm really not in it to make money, to profit in any shape or form. I really am not concerned with producing enough to make it "worth it". I just generally would prefer LED over HID any day of the week, considering my grow area and inability to ventilate properly for HID. LED would jus make it so muh easier for me as I am trying to start closing the closet door as I'm sleeping and whatnot. I also figure even if I have to keep the door open, the LED is going to have a lot less of a light intensity and would be MUCH easier to cope with while I'm sleeping. I've got my "grow room" aka my closet, in my room....and when I go to bed each night the light is off but about halfway through the night it turns on; another reason I would prefer the LED, so I don't have to wake myself up in the middle of the night to open the door to reduce that heat.
 
dabhe4d

dabhe4d

Well-Known Member
You ain't gonna get anything "good" for 400$

Also if your footprint is 1-3 this may be a problem. 200 watt leds cover 2x2 for flowering, if that.
I'd recommend 2 200 watt led units for 3-4 plants.
You are going to be paying over a 1000$ if you choose to go this route
 
A

az2000

Well-Known Member
revnedw said:
Reduction of heat is the main concern, if not really the only one.
Click to expand...
As has been said, heat/energy reduction requires a significant up-front investment. Area 51, RapidLED/Onyx, Hans/Bonsai, ApacheTech. AdvancedLED might be in this category too.

Area 51 has a lifetime warranty, the ability to buy replacement parts at wholesale, anticipated upgrade path as LED technology evolves. I think that's handy considering the money spent on a long-term investment.

If you have free time and some skills, you could build a COB light. That's the least expensive way to get highly efficient (low heat) light.

Usually people prioritize heat and/or energy because they live in a hot climate or they pay a lot for electricity. It sounds like you're prioritizing it based upon limitations in your ventilation. There are other (less expensive) ways to fix that problem. Install a real extraction system. Or, if you can't drill holes in walls, etc., you could buy an Arduino kit and rig up a photo sensor to open the door when the lights come on. (Maybe just wire a servo motor to the timer which turns on the lights.).

IMO, LED isn't quite cost competitive yet. The ones that appear to be cost competitive aren't very efficient. They'll produce as much heat as your HPS. The DIY COBs may be cost competitive, but that's not an option for everyone.

SunSystems CMH 315 runs relatively cool for HID. (Produces more PAR light per watt than typical HID.).

You talked like you're willing to reduce your grow space to a smaller footprint and shorter plants. If you do that, an inexpensive Chinese light could be effective. A smaller/shorter space makes sidelighting with less intense lights feasible. Taller spaces you have to throw a lot of inexpensive Chinese light. But, in a short space, it works fairly well. If you're going to do that, consider the "lightbulbs" I linked to in my previous response.
 
R

revnedw

New Member
Realistically, what exactly could I do with just 1 100w AdvancedLED?

How many plants could I grow and how big?
 
D

deadgro

Well-Known Member
The a51 rw150 is $420 plus shipping and is an excellent light. It'll take 2-4 plants through to harvest and only consumes 100W during veg and 155W during flower. Technically it is a 288W light for comparison. You can expect to get 3-6oz out of that light depending on medium, plant training, etc.

http://www.a51led.net/product/rw150
 
DirtyMcCurdy

DirtyMcCurdy

Well-Known Member
revnedw said:
So I'm looking into LEDs, now that I got a little money to play around with. I am trying to replace a 600w HPS system right now.

I am currently growing in a 2x4x6 area, but honestly I have contained the actual growing area to probably more like 1x3x6, and with the LED, I honestly plan to reduce that by even more, especially the height; I intend to keep all my plants short and stocky and in as small of a growing space as possible of course. I am not really planning to grow more than maybe 4-6 plants at a time, relatively small, maybe an ounce per plant, anything more than that would be considered a bonus.

Right now I am currently using an Ipower HID HPS/MH digital balast. The 600w HPS that comes with it supposedly puts out about 85,000 lumens. Now, I'm not looking for an exact replacement of 600w as the 600w, in my opinion, was a bit of overkill for the small space that I'm growing in. I'm really only growing for head stash, this isn't really a commercial grow by any means. I'm more aiming for perfection of some connoisseur cannabis. I'm also trying to keep cost BELOW $400, would truthfully prefer to run around 250-300 if at all possible for the grow I'm going for. I understand there's quite a bit to take into consideration so I am all ears but again, cost is the main concern in it all


So I will number my list from most desirable to least and I would like opinions and reviews on each if anyone has the ability to give input in either way. I'm looking for best bang for the buck, reliability, and overall production value of the lights(better buds equals big points). If you have experience with a particular light, please share any pictures of grows with them. Mainly I need a legitimate judgment on what each light (what ONE individual light can do on its own) can do production-wise, how many plants/how much bud can I get out of each light... I specifically do not want to know anything that judges how well a light does by usage of several of them. I want to know what I can do with JUST ONE of each of these lights, or possibly two of such that would equal the same output, for instance 2x 150w vs 1x 300w. So:

~ P300 Platinum 11-band

~ Mars Hydro 300W

~ Lighthouse BlackStar 240W UV LED

~ G8LED 240W 8-band

So far, out of all of these I'm kinda leaning more toward the Platinum P300, but I would like to hear from people here about what they would choose out of these, or if there is another one I'm over looking that is better for around the same cost or cheaper. I also would like to take into consideration that if one light is cheaper than the others that I have chosen, I may be able to afford a second to make for even more output.
Click to expand...
In that small of a tent i would just use T5's. Pack as many in there as you want or can. You can mix match bulbs/spectrums, you'll save a shit load of money, you can actually see your plants without wearing stupid ass glasses and your plants will love you for the UV light. UV light makes more trichomes. But if you're stuck on LED, either one of those will disappoint you equally. However, this is just my opinion
 
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