Best Economical Light for My 4x4 Tent?

yesterdaysnews

yesterdaysnews

Active Member
I got a MQ-610 a few days ago. No guessing, conversion math or deep thought about whats my lights doing. It's all over with. No more wasted time or BS concerning my lighting. A Apogee and a Kill-A-Watt is all you need. I don't know why I waited so long to buy a quality meter.
 
OSBuds

OSBuds

Well-Known Member
growgreenmi.com

Phantom PHOTOBIO Advanced Quantum PAR Meter

This advanced quantum PAR Meter provides accurate and cost-effective measurement for all light sources used to grow plants. The PHOTOBIO by Phantom Quantum PAR meter is designed to measure PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) flux in wavelengths ranging from 400 to 700nm. There is a...
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O

oill

Well-Known Member
automanLST said:
I'm starting to lean towards trying to find a used LED that pushes true 600 Watts and at least 1100 PPF. I don't want to miss out on the benefits of LED. My budget for my initial equipment buy was to try to stay under $500, and I'm already $100-in with the tent I bought yesterday.

I've read where some that have went with HPS have had fire hazards from them running hot, and a few hundred bucks isn't worth the added concern about that, plus the energy savings are very attractive as well.

I understand that it's a trade-off economically, comparing HPS vs LED, so finding a used LED at the desired specs seems like my best move for right now.
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Led vs cmh running cost difference is nothing.... 600w vs 600w....

Light output is the same.... cmh is cheaper overall....
 
Rahz

Rahz

Well-Known Member
oill said:
Light output is the same.... cmh is cheaper overall....
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Light output varies depending on the lamp, emitters used and what current they run at. I have two CMH and various DIY LEDs. Most of them now are 200w square lamps using CXM22 at 50w each. I have a couple based on 1825s at 50w each and Vero29C at 45w each. I can pull 1.4 GPW from them with a good strain.
 
K

Kgrim

Well-Known Member
automanLST said:
I'm starting to lean towards trying to find a used LED that pushes true 600 Watts and at least 1100 PPF. I don't want to miss out on the benefits of LED. My budget for my initial equipment buy was to try to stay under $500, and I'm already $100-in with the tent I bought yesterday.

I've read where some that have went with HPS have had fire hazards from them running hot, and a few hundred bucks isn't worth the added concern about that, plus the energy savings are very attractive as well.

I understand that it's a trade-off economically, comparing HPS vs LED, so finding a used LED at the desired specs seems like my best move for right now.
Click to expand...
I ran HPS lights for a long time, and being a "fire hazard" is BS, if it was a fire hazard, more than likely it was user error.
Around here you can get a dimmable digital ballast HPS setup used for around $55- $65 on FB Marketplace, buy a new bulb and your ready to go. Since you are already "over budget" and being your 1st grow, personally I would opt for the HPS until you get some grow time under your feet, then delve into the LED lights. Running a 600 watt LED and a 600 watt HPS is 600 watts no matter how you look at it, power cost and consumption will be the same.
I wouldn't consider a used LED, you have no idea how it was run, or its overall condition, and no warranty.
Used HPS your in the same boat, but bulbs are inexpensive and the price for a used ballast and hood won't hurt your budget as much as an LED.
 
yesterdaysnews

yesterdaysnews

Active Member
automanLST said:
I'm starting to lean towards trying to find a used LED that pushes true 600 Watts and at least 1100 PPF. I don't want to miss out on the benefits of LED. My budget for my initial equipment buy was to try to stay under $500, and I'm already $100-in with the tent I bought yesterday.

I've read where some that have went with HPS have had fire hazards from them running hot, and a few hundred bucks isn't worth the added concern about that, plus the energy savings are very attractive as well.

I understand that it's a trade-off economically, comparing HPS vs LED, so finding a used LED at the desired specs seems like my best move for right now.
Click to expand...
Well your budget is going to get blown smooth out of the water and you will have untold wasted hours and problems. And you will end up buying it all again multiple times if you keep going on the cheap. I just bought everything I need for a new 2x4 setup and added just a tad of stuff for my current 3x3 tent and I spent $2k bucks. It's all pretty much top shelf and I got discounts of 15% to 20% on everything. I've been at this a long time. Pay the money upfront and you will have less problems, better grows and more fun... I Promise!!!

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hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
grotbags said:
whos statement?.

in the one you replied to i said it doesnt take 600watt to produce 20 ounce in a 4 x 4 tent?, whats a dimmer got to do with that?.
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Because you don’t have to use the entire 600 watts every minute the light is on. But I used a 640 watt in a 4’ and in flower was damned glad I had it. I don’t think you’re experienced with LED. Or it doesn’t sound like it.
 
grotbags

grotbags

Well-Known Member
hotrodharley said:
Because you don’t have to use the entire 600 watts every minute the light is on.
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yer obviously. but i pressume you buy a 600w light to like at some point use 600watt?, no?.

in the post i was originally replying to he said he goes to 100% at the start of week 3 of flower so he using all his watts for the bulk of flower. i then commented that it was a good example of unused photons/watts, ie it doesnt take 600watt of led to make 20 ounce in a 4 x 4.

you have to remember the original context of this thread, the op posted asking about an economical led solution for lighting his 4 x 4. then people came in suggesting the minimum he needed was like 650watt which is wrong, 400-500watt of decent led will flower a 4 x 4 just fine.
yes you can put a 650watt led in 4 x 4 tent but its not necessary unless you have everything else on point... if not its a waste of power and money.

did you get more than 20 ounce out of the 640watt?.
 
hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
grotbags said:
yer obviously. but i pressume you buy a 600w light to like at some point use 600watt?, no?.

in the post i was originally replying to he said he goes to 100% at the start of week 3 of flower so he using all his watts for the bulk of flower. i then commented that it was a good example of unused photons/watts, ie it doesnt take 600watt of led to make 20 ounce in a 4 x 4.

you have to remember the original context of this thread, the op posted asking about an economical led solution for lighting his 4 x 4. then people came in suggesting the minimum he needed was like 650watt which is wrong, 400-500watt of decent led will flower a 4 x 4 just fine.
yes you can put a 650watt led in 4 x 4 tent but its not necessary unless you have everything else on point... if not its a waste of power and money.

did you get more than 20 ounce out of the 640watt?.
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I’ll guarantee it but I don’t count on just light and I’m not a nute freak. I top 3 times in a row starting early and start supercrop early as well. I can control canopy height very well without a screen until flower. Then I usually put one on. Aeration of medium weekly. And I didn’t use but 40% to start veg. Up to 60% as they could take it and pretty much 100% from about 2 weeks into flower until the last. They bulk up most the last couple of weeks of natural ripening so I never chop early and I use good genetics. My first feed after flip is a full veg feed as well. They need it for the stretch.
 
grotbags

grotbags

Well-Known Member
hotrodharley said:
I’ll guarantee it but I don’t count on just light and I’m not a nute freak. I top 3 times in a row starting early and start supercrop early as well. I can control canopy height very well without a screen until flower. Then I usually put one on. Aeration of medium weekly. And I didn’t use but 40% to start veg. Up to 60% as they could take it and pretty much 100% until the last. They bulk up most the last couple of weeks of natural ripening so I never chop early and I use good genetics.
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yer thats what im saying, until light is the limiting factor then adding more is pointless.

the op could put 400watt of decent led in his tent and if he gets everything in check and knows what he is doing he will do just fine...
 
Rocket Soul

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member
grotbags said:
yer thats what im saying, until light is the limiting factor then adding more is pointless.

the op could put 400watt of decent led in his tent and if he gets everything in check and knows what he is doing he will do just fine...
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Id have to agree on wattage, more watts dont translate directly to more yield always. One of my clients just did over 10zips of autos with only 100w over a an area about the half of a 4x4 with the light i built him but he had everything on point: environment, light spread, spectrum etc...
Fair enough, 20/4 cycle means more light in total but even accounting for that it is still a lot of bud for less power than your tv runs.
 
O

oill

Well-Known Member
Rahz said:
Light output varies depending on the lamp, emitters used and what current they run at. I have two CMH and various DIY LEDs. Most of them now are 200w square lamps using CXM22 at 50w each. I have a couple based on 1825s at 50w each and Vero29C at 45w each. I can pull 1.4 GPW from them with a good strain.
Click to expand...
I'm getting about 2g per watt from my hlg leds.... but it wasn't far from that with the cmh I was using before.... I think the cmh is better for winter.
 
Rocket Soul

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member
G/w is extremely tied to watts per square foot, its not really a good metric unless everybody is doing the same 1000w hps per 4x4.
 
Rahz

Rahz

Well-Known Member
Yea, I like to think I pack the photons in there but it comes out to 40w per sq/ft. (20-24 par watts) which isn't extreme but not the most efficient either. 2g per watt is impressive. Will you tell us more about your light footprint @oill ?

My best effort ever was 680 grams from 10 sq/ft for 1.7 GPW and almost 70 g/sw/ft. That was in hydro using maxibloom from start to finish. I used tubs rather than buckets back then and I tend to think it was the extra root space, 24 gallons per two plants and a high yielding strain. I've often thought about going back to tubs but haven't done it... but I should. When you have a root ball the shape of the bucket it's reasonable that it's a limiting factor.
 
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Alfadog#1

Alfadog#1

Well-Known Member
Pony up and get a photontek 600watt won't go wrong and is the sister company of lumatek there was making digital hps/mh ballests early in the game and switched to leds and created a brand well known around the world with top warranty don't cheak out on this part of the investment
 
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