What to buy.. 1200 or 1600 LED Q..

Cannafeld

Cannafeld

Member
Hi Folks , wasup?

I'm interested with becoming an Indoor farmer, considering purchasing from Mars-Hydro the grow tent and LED light, now the combination crossed my thoughts is 3' 11''x 3' 11''x 6' 7'' for the Grow Tent (120x120x200cm) along with the MARS II 1600W.

- Has anyone have an experience with the light which can advise any thoughts (PM r welcome as well)?
- Is the 1200W more than enough or does the 1600W important for much better harvest?
- Regarding the direct voltage - I'm a bit addled here - is it real 1600W or what? trying to figure out the deal between the HPS to LED from the electricity bill POV ..

Thanks in advanced
 
BenSeiDank

BenSeiDank

Well-Known Member
How big should be your room for 1200W or 1600W? This is a lot of Power! I would say your space should be something like 8x4 feet, if one lamp can handle this space? I had a look on their page, but difficult to find anything. Maybe you can try one with Cree Diodes from them, but do not take any with Epistar. Also no information which Cree Chips they use. If you american and can not DIY, I would prefer you some reseller from RIU like GoGreen or Pacific Light Concept or the others. For europe I prefer SpectraLab or BensHorticultureLighting

Energy safe could be around 30%, but not with cheap chinese lamp. So I do not know, if MarsHydro is cheap chinese or quality, but if they sell Epistar Chips, they should be cheap chinese lamp. I also think you take tent and lamp from them, because it is cheap, right? So spend a "little" bit more, for long time use and be happy for many years.

EDIT: Know I saw, they use 5W epistar. So they also say it use around 550W and is equal to 600W. I am sure this is not equal! Because HPS is more efficient than the best Epistar binning leds.
 
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D

DocCox

Well-Known Member
Just don't use the MARS or other cheap lights. You are literally throwing away your money if you chose to go that route. First off you need to spend the time to read their website, its completely full of lies but it does tell you the true wattage draw. Secondly, you would be better using any other lighting technology vs a cheap LED. With LED's you pay big upfront, or you use something else. A cheap LED (mars, and everything from china) is garbage and actually far worse than any other option out there. Use a T5, use a HPS, or use a DE HPS if you want a nice crop but never use junk leds.

Now some of the clowns that don't know what their talking about or want to make themselves feel better about their mistake will tell you mars can grow good bud, and surely even an incandescent bulb can grow good bud. The problem is with mars your using double the electricity, have a substantially higher upfront cost, and at no point ever in the history of the world do you recoup costs. Worse yet, when it starts to fall apart your basically SOL. Maybe the very worst, everyone knows your a moron forever if you do chose MARS.

Please for the love of everything holy buy a real light. The law of the conservation of energy disproves basically every mars advertises, so you c an start there.
 
daillman

daillman

Member
Marshydro,populargrow if on a tight budget and just have to have led technology. T5ho work great don't cost much either, both will grow pot it just depends on your preferences and situation.
 
BenSeiDank

BenSeiDank

Well-Known Member
If you have small budget use CDM. If budget no problem, buy quality, not cheap chinese growlights like Mars. For this Price, they use cheapest Epistar Led they can get. So you will get what you paid for.
 
A

az2000

Well-Known Member
Cannafeld said:
considering purchasing from Mars-Hydro
Click to expand...
For the electricity used, and heat generated, a CMH will produce more light. The up-front cost is equal or the same. And, it's a long-term fixture, not a disposable. Just replace the bulb.

That's definitely true for the older models Mars is closing out(?) through eBay. The newer models on their official website might be improved. A year ago it was a reported that the Chinese government mandated that the LED industry improve because its reputation was horrible. I'm wondering if that's starting to reach the consumer.

You could avoid that kind of speculation and confusion and buy an LED that uses diodes backed by datasheets. But, that costs more. So, CMH is the best option if you're not motivated to reduce energy use, heat management.

Someday epi-whatever lights will trump CMH and T5HO. As the Cree/Osram/Phillips technology advances, I'm sure epi-whatevers will follow too (although, still behind). So, it's going to happen. But, with the lack of datasheets (and a consumer market that doesn't care) we'll never know when that point is reached. It could be right now, for all I know. But, that's the problem with epi-whatever diodes. Nobody knows.
 
BenSeiDank

BenSeiDank

Well-Known Member
az2000 said:
For the electricity used, and heat generated, a CMH will produce more light. The up-front cost is equal or the same. And, it's a long-term fixture, not a disposable. Just replace the bulb.

That's definitely true for the older models Mars is closing out(?) through eBay. The newer models on their official website might be improved. A year ago it was a reported that the Chinese government mandated that the LED industry improve because its reputation was horrible. I'm wondering if that's starting to reach the consumer.

You could avoid that kind of speculation and confusion and buy an LED that uses diodes backed by datasheets. But, that costs more. So, CMH is the best option if you're not motivated to reduce energy use, heat management.

Someday epi-whatever lights will trump CMH and T5HO. As the Cree/Osram/Phillips technology advances, I'm sure epi-whatevers will follow too (although, still behind). So, it's going to happen. But, with the lack of datasheets (and a consumer market that doesn't care) we'll never know when that point is reached. It could be right now, for all I know. But, that's the problem with epi-whatever diodes. Nobody knows.
Click to expand...
Maybe Epistar will made better diodes in future, but for this price, they have to use the cheapest one. Cree an Co has also really cheap diodes, but this diodes also not efficient enough for a good grow with same wattage as other Lamps.
 
A

az2000

Well-Known Member
BenSeiDank said:
Maybe Epistar will made better diodes in future, but for this price, they have to use the cheapest one. Cree an Co has also really cheap diodes, but this diodes also not efficient enough for a good grow with same wattage as other Lamps.
Click to expand...
I wish epi-whatever diodes were more data driven. I feel bad to think I might be playing them down more than they deserve (*if* there has been an improvement, which was reported a year ago, mandated for 2015).

But, I guess that's not my fault. If epi-whatever resellers like Mars-Hydro took more pride in their product, they would announce performance improvements, publish datasheets, etc.

I think it would be great if epi-whatever diodes reached the point T5HO and CMH weren't better deals (price/performance). Whenever that happens we probably won't know it, and I'll feel bad for dissuading people with disinformation. But, I guess it's not my fault there's *no* information.

I've googled and can't find any information about what happened the past year regarding that government mandate for China's LED industry to clean up their reputation.
 
PSUAGRO.

PSUAGRO.

Well-Known Member
BenSeiDank said:
Maybe Epistar will made better diodes in future, but for this price, they have to use the cheapest one. Cree an Co has also really cheap diodes, but this diodes also not efficient enough for a good grow with same wattage as other Lamps.
Click to expand...
Epistar already make good reds, so much so that Cree rebrands them (photo red)............blues are cross licensed and their tech is in efficient "white" cobs

http://www.cree.com/News-and-Events/Cree-News/Press-Releases/2015/August/Cree-Announces-the-Signing-of-a-Global-LED-Chip-Patent-Cross-License-Agreement-With-Epistar


OP, I would not buy a mars unit, EVER
 
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ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
If you want a quality LED panel, you could do a lot worse than panels advertised on a grow forum, like TastyLED or Stephen Johnson Grow Lights. You can speak with the owners of both companies right here and see their reputation right here as well.

If you're still dead set on buying old generation tech from another country made by a company with a poor reputation for quality then we wish you the best of luck.
 
A

az2000

Well-Known Member
PSUAGRO. said:
Epistar already make good reds,
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My understanding is that Epistar isn't the problem, it's the licensing to to factories in China where Epistar's standards aren't reproduced. Or, selling bulk dies(?) to Chinese LED "packagers(?)" who package them without a great deal of quality control. It's a loss of quality control over the supply chain or assembly process by Epistar?
 
Cannafeld

Cannafeld

Member
I've gotta ask regarding those Mars-Hydro and other cheap Chinese LEDs - Does it Works for growing?
In the last week I drilled to this topic and heard a lot of pros and cons regarding those cheap panels, but never read or heard it wont get U the desire buds/growth, never heard it a scam or total Lie..
pretty much points that u get what u paid for...

R there any cheap Chinese LED users here which can be honest and spread some 'light' over this issue...

Please include which have U used (brand and Watt + size of tent/room), strain will assist as well...Ferz used - y/n...and what at the end of the day did u harvested/recived...and how was it?
 
captainmorgan

captainmorgan

Well-Known Member
Any light source will grow a plant but it's the quality of the spectrum and the amount of light that determines how well it grows and it's yield. Will these cheap lights grow anything,yes but I would double or triple the number of lights they recommend to cover a given area. When you look at their failure rates,efficiency,spectrum and the number of lights you need they just don't make much sense to me,especially when you look at the price of superior lights and that includes HID.
 
testiclees

testiclees

Well-Known Member
Cannafeld said:
I've gotta ask regarding those Mars-Hydro and other cheap Chinese LEDs - Does it Works for growing?
In the last week I drilled to this topic and heard a lot of pros and cons regarding those cheap panels, but never read or heard it wont get U the desire buds/growth, never heard it a scam or total Lie..
pretty much points that u get what u paid for...

R there any cheap Chinese LED users here which can be honest and spread some 'light' over this issue...
y
Please include which have U used (brand and Watt + size of tent/room), strain will assist as well...Ferz used - y/n...and what at the end of the day did u harvested/recived...and how was it?
Click to expand...
bro theres been a lot of discusiion
 
testiclees

testiclees

Well-Known Member
Cannafeld said:
I've gotta ask regarding those Mars-Hydro and other cheap Chinese LEDs - Does it Works for growing?
In the last week I drilled to this topic and heard a lot of pros and cons regarding those cheap panels, but never read or heard it wont get U the desire buds/growth, never heard it a scam or total Lie..DONT
pretty much points that u get what u paid for...

ADVICE FROM MARS SUPPORTERS WHO DO NOT HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH TOP QUALITY CREE OR BRIDGELUX IS USELESS BULLSHIT. MY MARS 900 IS AVAILABLE
R there any cheap Chinese LED users here which can be honest and spread some 'light' over this issue...

Please include which have U used (brand and Watt + size of tent/room), strain will assist as well...Ferz used - y/n...and what at the end of the day did u harvested/recived...and how was it?
Click to expand...
 
blowincherrypie

blowincherrypie

Well-Known Member
I have an htg "432".. It produced so much heat compared to light there was nothing to gain to justify the price..

I've got calilightworks which is an even more over priced, yet American made, pos
I've got old A51 panels from 03 and 4.. Still running the sgs's although I must say from what I've seen from the sun system tent so far im guessing my next lamp will be another 315 cmh.

I've wired up a handful of veros and the only one still running is in the veg tent. I'm sure if I redid the setup they would be fine but if I had it all to do again I would buy the sun system instead of the vero 29s

From the looks of things people are really happy with their cree set ups and for good reason, but if you're not diy the cost is pretty nuts.
 
tripleD

tripleD

Well-Known Member
Cannafeld said:
I've gotta ask regarding those Mars-Hydro and other cheap Chinese LEDs - Does it Works for growing?
In the last week I drilled to this topic and heard a lot of pros and cons regarding those cheap panels, but never read or heard it wont get U the desire buds/growth, never heard it a scam or total Lie..
pretty much points that u get what u paid for...

R there any cheap Chinese LED users here which can be honest and spread some 'light' over this issue...

Please include which have U used (brand and Watt + size of tent/room), strain will assist as well...Ferz used - y/n...and what at the end of the day did u harvested/recived...and how was it?
Click to expand...
EVERYONE here has tried to tell you the truth about these cheap LED epilights (chinese knock offs) but you obviously just don't want to hear the truth so just go out & buy them so that you can help advise the next guy that comes along & doesn't want to except the truth....which is that these lights suck for alot of different reasons!!!
Good luck!!
 
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