superbak3d
Well-Known Member
I may have found a winner for a future grow. Still gonna finish this one with the mars.
http://opticgrowlights.com/120-watt-vero29-led-grow-light.html
http://opticgrowlights.com/120-watt-vero29-led-grow-light.html
optic has a pretty good rep.I may have found a winner for a future grow. Still gonna finish this one with the mars.
http://opticgrowlights.com/120-watt-vero29-led-grow-light.html
1. I believe CFL at 62w/sq ft will outperform Mars Hydro at 37w/sq ft.Here's a few from my last run. Same tent, under single 250w CFL.
So technically I could say I am comparing a 250w CFL to a mars300 (new edition).
I'm sorry you had that experience. CMH is the usual recommendation for those who can't afford (or don't need the efficiency of quality LED.). What space are you growing in? Do you have DIY skills (to drill/tap holes, solder)?So with my marshydro setup being good for veg state, what would be my best option at a cheap bloom light to best match my veg production abilities?
That's a big space. Do you want to fill that immediately, or scale into it as you learn? What's your budget?That is where my grow room will be (roughly 10x12).
If it were me, I would continue using your Mars and supplement with Cree 9.5w LED lightbulbs (and 18w PAR38 floods/spots). That would let you leverage what you already have, and acquire some relatively efficient LEDs you can continue to use as you add more light, eventually discarding the Mars. It should work really well. I started doing that with a Blackstar UFO, which i think is about the same quality of light as Mars.For me, i would like to pick up this 3rd light at a cost of roughly $200 shipped.
At $200 and this being a hobby,
I was thinking about that a little more. I don't advocate Blackstar. (I think it's about the same as Mars, but you pay more for a domestic experience.). But, it really flowers well with four Cree 9.5w 2800k bulbs around the top-sides. Very well, when most of the light energy comes from the UFO (85w from the top, 38w from the Crees).It should work really well. I started doing that with a Blackstar UFO, which i think is about the same quality of light as Mars.
I don't use the BR30 except for very tight-fit situations. Even then, I think some SMD5630 "corncob" lights from AliExpress (getincoin, buybay) would be better. I don't think BR30 is as efficient as the A19 in a reflector, or the PAR38.Maybe i simply dont understand cree bulbs, but the br30 looks like a heat monster and the a19 looks like such a soft light that i question how much better of a light it is than my 45w (actual) cfl photography bulb that i have been using.
It depends on your goals. It sounded like you didn't want to fill out your 120sq/ft space immediately. Also that you didn't want to spend alot after having bought Mars. Adding $100 in Cree bulbs could be a "low-hanging fruit." If you already have CFLs, you could use them. But, I strongly advise putting them in reflectors. I think CFLs get a bad rap because they're usually hung in free space, radiating everywhere. The Cree bulbs would do if they were used like that.it seems a bit like polishing a turd if i have to add a separate mars set up AND a series of cree bulbs just to make a suitable flower set up
I know what you mean. I barely understand the CMH options myself. @growerr is the best source for that info.Im sure a cmh light will be suitable for my needs, I'm totally ignorant on those configurations. I see bulbs that say 315 on them, and others that say 400w. Do they make a 600w? Is 600w not a useable light? And then i see stuff about volts on the ballast. Maybe i should be in the h.i.d. section to ask these questions.
You don't have to supplement/side light with CMH as the top light. But, you could use your Mars vertically as a sidelight. I like to side light, or at least provide more light sources at the top for more angles. So, you could expand your space with the Mars. The LEC 315 covers 3x3, I believe. You could add some space with the Mars on the side, 45-degree shoulder light.If I were to buy a cmh light, would there still be a need to go with cree lights? Money aside, cmh will have different light spectrum so what would be ideal side lighting to supplement a cmh too light?
To be honest that's it use what works , Mars never claimed to be the best out there but like anything else it will grow any plant ..The room itself is 12x10 but i doubt i will ever make all 120ft^2 usable. If for no other reason, the electric bill alone will cost more per month than i pay in hockey league fees all year.
Honestly i recently saw a 10x6x6.8 tent that had me curious. I see tasty makes some pretty long lights in the $500 range. I was thinking of maybe a tent that size with maybe three sets of those lights staggared in the tent in almost an [-_-] setup. Then i can have 3 different strains in flower and 1 or 2 different strains going in veg.
Of course at that point I'll need creative ways to use the crop. And this is all just a day dream for now. I honestly expect to have my set up pretty nailed down by this time next year and then start my reasearch on soiless grows.
Ultimately i do have a day job so this will remain a hobby for me. With that said i only have so much money at a time to invest i to my hobbies. So right now, i guess my ideal 3rd light would be something around 600w. I feel with a 600w set up i should be perfectly capable of growing a respectful yield... Or i don't have the skill required to grow. For me, i would like to pick up this 3rd light at a cost of roughly $200 shipped.
At $200 and this being a hobby, i wont feel lik im sinking too much money into the hobby but as it stands right now im already over $300 into something knowing i have to spend more. And spending $500 before i have a usable gram is a bit racking to someone who isnt even sure if they can grow a proper plant.
Or in other words... I view $500 as
A new pair of hockey skates
A new goalie mask
A new lens for my camera
Some bdsm equipment
A full beer making stil
A nice acoustic electric guitar
A really nice baby stroller
An std free hooker for a couple hours
There are plenty on here who will quickly trash a low end light or a set up they feel is below par. In reality 500 is an amount i dont sneeze at when you look at start up cost on a venture youre still unsure of. Its easy to tell others to start with a $800 light, just like its easy for me to tell an 18 year old to go out and buy a lexus because he will thank me later. The more established you are the easier it is to justify bigger and more expensive set ups.
If it wasnt for people like az2000 here giving helping knowledge and advice, i would probably have grown disgusted with those on here looking for a witch hunt.
With all that said.im not trying to justify mars beyond the fact that its what i purchased without knowing better and its what im going to use till i can render the mars units obsolete in my grow cycles. Yes there is better out there. Sure you can show me a cfl thread with higher yields than mars. Good for that person... I hope they enjoy the hobby as much as i have so far
I agree. But, eventually they don't like the airy buds, they triple up the Mars, run 90w/sq ft. to do what they could have done with a CMH for less money than 3 Mars Hydros running almost 3 times the watts.If I get 2 ounces of good bud off a 60 dollar light, that's a 1000% return. Explain how that is a bad thing for small, low budget growers?