Illumitex DS 520 or BML Spydr 1000

Wanna make the right decision on multiple future purchases. I am going with BML ,but until the order day comes I might change my mind.

I might have already asked this few times ,but Man there F---ck-in expensive and I wanna get the best! Still have lumigro 650 on radar ,but that's been on my radar for 3 years. I have been buying middle of the road stuff for awhile now and I know theres better! Just $ talks! and man that's a lot of 100 dollar bills!

I think you chose right. I think the quality of the BML, the warranty, the free consultation, the configurable LED spectrum, heatsink (no fan to fail), makes it the top LED at the moment. Still hella $$

grats! Good luck with your new led

Big question though, did they warm up the fixtures before testing? Red leds do not do well with high junction temps and the BML appears insufficiently cooled which can decrease output and efficiency by 20-30%.

Neither.

Why are you buying lights to grow basil and lettuce instead of buying lights meant to grow MMJ? BML are a pale copy of Illumitex who are full of shit when it comes to their panel's performance IMHO. And I use and love Illumitex leds but you couldn't give me one of their NeoSols since they, and BML panels too, are not that great for growing weed like Apache, A51, Hans or some others from what I've seen.

Otherwise if you do keep the BML please run a journal. People would really dig that especially if you are going with their GrowMax spectrum.

great question, idk. Maybe post it in the youtube comments. I am not sure how neutral that test company is, but it is DOE certified so that may mean something. Pure speculation, I really don't know.

I don't have a BML, I am just passing on info I came across...

FranJan said:

Neither.

Why are you buying lights to grow basil and lettuce instead of buying lights meant to grow MMJ? BML are a pale copy of Illumitex who are full of shit when it comes to their panel's performance IMHO. And I use and love Illumitex leds but you couldn't give me one of their NeoSols since they, and BML panels too, are not that great for growing weed like Apache, A51, Hans or some others from what I've seen.

Otherwise if you do keep the BML please run a journal. People would really dig that especially if you are going with their GrowMax spectrum.

Click to expand...

All the blue in the spectrum inflates those par readings.

Blue doesn't inflate PAR, its the otherway around 95% of the time...negative errors with common meters, not positive. It's been misunderstood for a long time now.
Only licore s over estimated on blue...every other meter...specially the apogees most of us have...will error low in blue.

This misunderstanding/myth has been going around since licore was the only real player in the game...which is not the case these days. And the sensors used in other meters are almost the exact opposite when it comes to their area's of error.

http://www.apogeeinstruments.com/content/Quantum Sensors-LEDs.pdf

@SupraSPL ...check the note on the bottom under the graphs...apogee specifically not recommended for lights heavy in 660-700nm. Which is why when I teste illumitex their was the biggest difference between meters. But still wasn't that off after double checking. But just common sense once you know the how the meters react.

I remember seeing a video a few years back, I want to say by lumigrow, where they were testing lights with some kind of meter that would break down the par values by nm so it would produce a percentage saying x% par @ 660nm, x% par @ 630nm, etc. Wish I could find that video again. Essentially would tell how much of a lights total par values were coming from each nm. Thought that was pretty cool and I'd be interested to see something similar done on all white LEDs.

puffenuff said:

I remember seeing a video a few years back, I want to say by lumigrow, where they were testing lights with some kind of meter that would break down the par values by nm so it would produce a percentage saying x% par @ 660nm, x% par @ 630nm, etc. Wish I could find that video again. Essentially would tell how much of a lights total par values were coming from each nm. Thought that was pretty cool and I'd be interested to see something similar done on all white LEDs.

Click to expand...

yep, that's a spectroradiometer...and why they are so expensive. They are truley accurate and able to break it down too.

Here is the video you're talking about...

Yup that was it. Thanks for digging up the video. Crazy to see those numbers on LEDs from 5 years ago.

If Illumitex and BML dropped there prices to were they should be! There would be a lot more takers. They wouldn't even return my email when I offered 1200 for there spyder 600 with growmax!. Are they selling those things? because I don't see many!

Greengenes707 said:

yep, that's a spectroradiometer...and why they are so expensive. They are truley accurate and able to break it down too.

Here is the video you're talking about...

Click to expand...

I look like a spring chicken in that video. I'm still dumbfounded that the Monster Garden video has pulled over 400k views. The LumiGrow Pro 650 is turning out some excellent results for commercial grows. Check it out if you feel that the other manufacturers aren't quite hitting your sweet spot.