So when you say 'old news', are you saying its not worth the money in this deal? If you have experience with the unit I'm all ears - I've been a bit leery as real 'review' data is scarce from what I can find...
Hi mako, hate to add to your list but there is another option worth considering, depending on your timing you can see what they can do. Can't 100% recommend them just yet as I haven't finished the first run. But I was in the same boat as you, tossing around A51, Apache, DIY LED's and ended up with this Sun System 315W CMH using the Philips Elite Agro 3100k for flowering. 2 of these would cover your space extremely well, a single light covers 3x3' very well (from my own experience/observation, not a spec sheet) just shy of $1,000 for 2 of them, imo they surpass anything in the market right now in the 1000W hps alternatives. Cool, super-efficient and those Agro bulbs provide long life, not a lot different than all the benefits of good LED's but with incredible light/specs/efficiency. Even at this point in the first run, I'm impressed enough to recommend them with some caution, current run is 10 days + ahead of my last run in bud development with these lights. If you have the time you can follow my thread 9sig) and decide when it's finished, I'm about 5-6 weeks from pulling the first plant. Cheers...
I had a 200w CLW bloom booster, and I really feel it's just a step or two above some of the better Chinese units being sold today.
Thanks for that input - I've passed on the unit and considering other options. I'm only on my 4th day with clones so have time to mull this over.
Man, I really like the looks of that AT600. Not cheap but seems top notch quality and output. You have a grow journal going with it?
Hey mako, if you want to see what those AT600's can do in the right hands, check out this thread, GreenGenes posted a very thorough side-by-side grow against HPS. The results speak for themselves.
Pretty straightforward I'd say! Always comes down to funds, and just a bit too much green for me at the moment. It's a bright time for the technology - pun intended!
Yeah, they're great lights for sure, the initial investment is high but they obviously can produce well. Technology is improving quickly and there seems to be a lot of LED converts in the market recently, that should drive some volume, reduce price and generate some real innovation. I'm going to stick with DIY for LED's though for a bit, I like a lot of smaller panels for flexibility and typically have a lot of different grows on the go so that fits well into my needs. My final decision on the Sun System was a bit of a leap of faith based on the specs as they looked great on paper, the size fits into my room well, allowing me to run other lights, and the cost per watt is lower than any high end LED's right now.
Yes, I'm very interested in how your yield turns out. I've found a couple of the LEC's used for $350 a piece, including a tent, and waiting on some response from the seller. My first grow and think these are a nice balance between the ultra high end of LED and traditional HID tech from an efficiency and cost perspective. Still no final decisions made, but my clones are just now growing roots so have some time to shop around.
Wow, if those are legit and relatively new they sound like a great deal. If you're just rooting now you definitely have some time to follow some grows and see the final outcome. If you don't have 220/240v circuits or the ability to put one in, just make sure they're the 120v version, or you can consider buying a separate transformer (relatively cheap) to run them at 120v.
