Can a single full spectrum light be used for all stages of growth? (Does being dimmable help?)
So i’m about to take the final leap, and the following brands i have short listed: (Bang for the Buck)
Spider Farmer
Kingbrite
Mars Hydro
I’m biased towards the Spider Farmer and Kingbrite because i am really close to China. So friends, please hit me with your 4x4sq ft. grow light suggestions from the mentioned brands.
P.S.
If you think the above brands can’t cut it, you can suggest a brand/ light other than mentioned.
@Nicky gets great results with lights like these. You’d need 2 for your 4x4 but well within your budget at their price point. I’d run with either 3000k-3500k for best spectrum for the entire grow.
In the progress of my first grow. I ordered the MH T1000 off of Amazon and as for lighting during the veg stage, my plants have 0 issue. I am running 3 plants.
I do intend to buy a SPF 2000 to add into the grow during flower, maybe even a blurple as well.
Goodluck to ya, but MH T1000 doesn’t seem bad for vegging as said before, haven’t reached flower yet
Just to clarify meiju is well used but I prefer kingbrite.
@N00b the + 660 Epistar means there are 660nm chips made by Epistar build into the board.
I prefer the 3500k for seed to harvest. 3k for flower and 4k for veg.
Edit: I agree with @Eagles009 the strips are amazing light coverage, you can also expand or reduce the size very versatile.
Although latest and greatest tech costs more.
the epistar 660nm are diodes that target deep red for flowering. Above 700nm and you’re in infrared territory and below 400nm you’re hitting ultra violet territory.
The lm301b and h are the diodes that comprise most of the board. The 3000k will have more reds for flowering, 4000k will have more blues for veg and 3500k falls in between.
I have king brite and hlg. It’s not even close to a good comparison. The hlg is superb in every way. The heatsink is thick and aluminum. They are brighter and more efficient. The king brite the heatsink has now turned from black to brown. They are hotter and the ppfd isn’t as good. Heatsink is super thin.
If you do get kingbrite get 8 for a 4x4 and you’ll be happier using less electricity.
Get 3500 with 660 red And you’ll do very well seed to harvest.
That being said I grow. monsters under them. 8 per 4x4.
I’ve done a good bit of research on lights for a 4x4 if I was shopping today that’s what I’d buy. I’m sure there is newer better overpriced technology available. But for a reasonable price that’s a good light.
When a grow light advertises that it’s ‘full-spectrum’ but uses only lm301H diodes (Which are 5000k in color temperature) + 660 nm red diodes. How does it goes to say it’s full spectrum what about the other wave lengths i.e. 730nm , 3000K.
What i’m hearing through all the noise is 3000k + 660 nm should do the job (For a 4x4 area x2 of the following)
2500k-10000k spectrum lights are all full spectrum. Its just that lower kelvin spectrum have more red (warm) light and higher kelvin have more blue (cool) light.
By having 4 of those doubles in a 4x4 you can run them more efficiently and get the ppfd you actually want every square inch of the room. You’ll save on electricity, get better bud.
You can 100% justify hlg price. You get what you pay for. Not really a legit comparison to compare it to someone using 10% of the metal or rather not even aluminum. And not getting the same ppfd.
I mean you buying an actual heatsink that keeps your room cooler. I have 2 AC in mine I know what it takes to cool both. Hlg way cooler
Since the giant heatsink hold all
The heat. With the king brite the heatsinks are big enough and the heat comes to the room.
If you ever have a problem with the light, you’ll wish you had gone with HLG. A poster in one of my threads had a driver go out on his HLG, he called them and they over-nighted a new driver to him, had it the next day, back in business. Another poster had a Mars Hydo that the driver went out on - took a couple days of emails back and forth to get them to send out a replacement driver which he got a week later, without backup lights, that would be a week of no light for his plants, Mars Hydro didn’t care and did nothing to hurry the process.
Not only is the quality of HLG much better than the chinese lights but the after sale support is a different world than what you get with the chinese lights. If all you can afford is the chinese lights than you do what you got to do, otherwise I’ll buy from an USA company every time over chinese. Yes it costs more, and very worth it.
Worth a few extra bucks in my opinion. I have seen them provide same level of service for meanwell drivers that didn’t even come from them.
Standard par region is considered 400-700nm. To be considered “full spectrum” a light would need some representation from each grouping in that range. A white phosphor coated led such as 3000k or 5000k will do that. But 730nm isn’t within that range, so that’s why you see “full spectrum plus uv and ir” or something like that. The term full spectrum is severely overplayed in grow lights, especially cheaper models.
I have two HLG 100 4k great for veg. Also a great light to add to hps light. Works great. I see a lot of good deals. I need a company that will back up there products. I see a lot of cheap stuff. Don’t care for the cheap shields that bend on the sides. I like HLG my grow store will replace them with no problem at all and even give me a loner if needed. I will be replacing my big lights with leds.
