HELP! - 2 1200W Viparspectra VA1200 LEDs enough for 4x4 grow tent

here's a college level light guy. watch all his videos

kovidkough said:

damn bro

you got this

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I was looking at hps setups after we spoke yesterday but the only one I can afford currently is the Vivosun kit on Amazon

_EQ said:

I was looking at hps setups after we spoke yesterday but the only one I can afford currently is the Vivosun kit on Amazon

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ballast don't matter preferably digital, but the lightbulb will. everyone will suggest the Hortilux because it's usually the best rated but very pricey (return on investment for sure) Ushio is a good mid level price and your Vivosun bulbs are cheap af

kovidkough said:

here's a college level light guy. watch all his videos

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Totally agree.
Watch every video this guy has out there

_EQ said:

Thanks I ordered them

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You're welcome. I think you are going to like them. The case they come with is super sturdy and quality-feeling.

kovidkough said:

ballast don't matter preferably digital, but the lightbulb will. everyone will suggest the Hortilux because it's usually the best rated but very pricey (return on investment for sure) Ushio is a good mid level price and your Vivosun bulbs are cheap af

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although I just bought those f series Samsung leds I’m still considering converting to hps id Like to see an hips grow first hand though I’m the kind of person that needs to see it and make my own opinion.

_EQ said:

although I just bought those f series Samsung leds I’m still considering converting to hps id Like to see an hips grow first hand though I’m the kind of person that needs to see it and make my own opinion.

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exactly, one day when I have the $$ id like to try high end LEDs, for now its easier to change 2 50$ bulbs 1 time per year. always get my money back and the light bill doesn't even come close to yield. its always worth it imho

its cheap af to grow honestly

_EQ said:

although I just bought those f series Samsung leds I’m still considering converting to hps id Like to see an hips grow first hand though I’m the kind of person that needs to see it and make my own opinion.

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Thats fair. But it really is pretty well agreed on that LED can beat HID pretty easy now.
HID cost more long run, changing bulbs, double the electricity. You pay for extra ventilation to deal with heat
Plus the PPFD isn't THAT great unless you have a 1000 w running in a 4x4

kovidkough said:

exactly, one day when I have the $$ id like to try high end LEDs, for now its easier to change 2 50$ bulbs 1 time per year. always get my money back and the light bill doesn't even come close to yield. its always worth it imho

its cheap af to grow honestly

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How much do you spend on bulbs a year? How much extra $ do you spend on electricity a year?
Usually a LED can pay for itself in yield, and savings within 12-18 months

ÒÒlegilizeitÒÒ said:

How much do you spend on bulbs a year? How much extra $ do you spend on electricity a year?
Usually a LED can pay for itself in yield, and savings within 12-18 months

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my electric bill is only 100 a month , thats cheap to me. I use mars ts1000 in veg + 30 days after that of 14-10 veg under MH before flip to flower so that's maybe 30 more days. all in all a run (with veg time) is around 400~, I don't need more feed(mega crop lasts me forever) perlite is recyclable, I find free shit on the side of the road for parts sometimes , fans electronics ect. so to me thats cheap

street price is 200 a zip. so I think I win out over black market

I wouldn't doubt over time LED saves money, but won't the technology be better in 12-18 months just like PCs?by then it's depreciated in value

Viparspectra 450w

kovidkough said:

my electric bill is only 100 a month , thats cheap to me. I use mars ts1000 in veg + 30 days after that of 14-10 veg under MH before flip to flower so that's maybe 30 more days. all in all a run (with veg time) is around 400~, I don't need more feed(mega crop lasts me forever) perlite is recyclable, I find free shit on the side of the road for parts sometimes , fans electronics ect. so to me thats cheap

street price is 200 a zip. so I think I win out over black market

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Definitely glad to see people happy, and doing what works.
For me, I saw the cost advantages, and had to go for it.

My HPS + ventilation was $875 a year, plus $120 in bulbs
My LED plus ventilation is about $375 a year
So I saved $620 a year in expenses switching from my $250 1000w HPS to my $560 Spiderfarmer sf4000

Granted my sf4000 isn't quite 1 for 1 with my 1000w hps. But I have added 3 sf1000s (750w out of the wall) and am getting a WAY higher ppfd than I did with HID.
With the 3 sf1000, its costing $560 a year, which is still $435 in savings a year, for $1000 in LED probably 25-50% stronger than my HID was

kovidkough said:

I wouldn't doubt over time LED saves money, but won't the technology be better in 12-18 months just like PCs?by then it's depreciated in value

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Lol so true, but it is what it is.
I am not buying for resale, but I'm buying for effectiveness. These LEDs will still be running like new in 5 years or more and paid for themselves many times over

ÒÒlegilizeitÒÒ said:

Definitely glad to see people happy, and doing what works.
For me, I saw the cost advantages, and had to go for it.

My HPS + ventilation was $875 a year, plus $120 in bulbs
My LED plus ventilation is about $375 a year
So I saved $620 a year in expenses switching from my $250 1000w HPS to my $560 Spiderfarmer sf4000

Granted my sf4000 isn't quite 1 for 1 with my 1000w hps. But I have added 3 sf1000s (750w out of the wall) and am getting a WAY higher ppfd than I did with HID.
With the 3 sf1000, its costing $560 a year, which is still $435 in savings a year, for $1000 in LED probably 25-50% stronger than my HID was

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what happens when they release new tech are you replacing all those ?

kovidkough said:

what happens when they release new tech are you replacing all those ?

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I dont think tech will change enough for me to want to completely change lights within the next 2-3 years.
Thats probably when I will end up reinvesting in some new LEDs (3 years)
By then, I will have theoretically saved $1300, plus have grown who knows how much more product with the higher PPFD, the new LEDS will essentially be free (as opposed to if I had been running HID all along)

ÒÒlegilizeitÒÒ said:

I dont think tech will change enough for me to want to completely change lights within the next 2-3 years.
Thats probably when I will end up reinvesting in some new LEDs (3 years)
By then, I will have theoretically saved $1300, plus have grown who knows how much more product with the higher PPFD, the new LEDS will essentially be free (as opposed to if I had been running HID all along)

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its tempting. very tempting.

I might put a sf4000 in the middle and hang my 600w ballast on the side , but use smaller bulbs maybe 250s or 400s for support. Its the only modification I've considered since I don't have the 1000w only 2x600s I figured 2 would be a better spread then a se 1000w

All my reading have said that hps is obsolete. And that leds are cheaper to run ,more effective, increased yields ect ect . But yet i see a lot of people on this page speak of hps being the best way to grow proper weed . Why ? Serious question.

kovidkough said:

I might put a sf4000 in the middle and hang my 600w ballast on the side , but use smaller bulbs maybe 250s or 400s for support. Its the only modification I've considered since I don't have the 1000w only 2x600s I figured 2 would be a better spread then a se 1000w

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Its definitely an investment, but really does make sense when looking at the $$
Some people dislike LEDs and say they don't get as dense of buds, but usually I think thats because they don't do their research and buy a lousy board.
If you go LED its best to not skimp on the quality otherwise its a waste.
I almost wish I would have skipped on the sf4000 and bought something like a Geekbeast pro630 or the HLG Diablo scorpion.
They would have covered my 4x4 much better so I wouldn't have to smash in 3 more sf1000s to reach my PPFD spread im looking for