I mentioned that specific setup because it would run just $200. I’d estimate a yield of 4 ounces every 12 weeks.
I really didn’t intend to point you out but I guess it kind of looks that way since you were the one I quoted lol. The Mars lights aren’t too bad in price. I had to take another look because I had thought they were way more expensive.
I keep seeing a lot of questionable information being thrown around about lighting. Again I’m not pointing at you but I think it is something that needs to be discussed. I may be new to growing but I’m not new to life.
I keep seeing people compare the LED lights with the HPS and MH lights and saying you have to go by the wattage drawn at the wall and not the rating the manufacturers give out. I don’t believe that to be entirely true. Take a flashlight for example. You take an older style halogen or xenon maglite that takes 2 AA batteries and a newer Cree LED flashlight that runs on 2 AA batteries and compare them. That halogen doesn’t stand a chance in output against the LED light and the LED light will burn way way longer because it uses less wattage to operate. More output, less input. I’m having a hard time believing it’s magically different with growing. And this is without even discussing the topic of targeted light spectrums that the LED’s have to offer.
I’m not saying these manufacturers aren’t inflating their specs but there aren’t many companies today that don’t. But comparing MH - HPS lights to LED’s as far as light output versus wattage is apples and oranges.
I think he would do just fine with lights in the $100 range. Much less than that and your right it just isn’t going to work out so well.
Sorry I made it look like I was specifically calling you out @KeystoneCops. It was not my intention.
Neither of those is true.
It may or may not use less power. Two batteries is two batteries, from there they could be series connected to double voltage or parallel connected to double available current. But not a guarantee any old led or a cree module will draw less power or have more light output. In horticulture lighting the efficiency measure is ppf per watt per second, usually expressed as umol/joule. For whatever reason this seems like rocket science to a lot of new growers, but not all that difficult once you get a grasp on it. My point more or less is that there are led lights that run at lower efficacy than t5 fluorescent. A lot of times cheap is quantifiable there, in that you’re not getting a less expensive light. Just paying for less light.
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I didn’t take offense at it. I just wanted to reiterate my point from earlier.
I think we all experience some level of growing pains in this hobby. I certainly made a few questionable purchases. I’d also never shame anyone for misunderstanding, believing bad info, or being unable to afford a purchase.
Cheers
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That says it all! I’m on a limited budget myself and have spent years building up my set up. That being said, I wasted about $600 on blurples and that was a costly lesson. Money that coulda been spent more wisely.
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I wasted $450 on two Viparspectra lights before I jumped to HLG. I didn’t buy right away. I did more research and found the advice given was actually the smart move.
So I’ve invested $1250 on all 4 lights. That $450 was a hard lesson learned. But at the time I bought my grow stuff, I wasn’t a member of any forum for growing marijuana. I’m on a fixed income so that $450 is a lot of money since it takes me like 3 months to save for it.
When I was going to College, I lived off my $100 Disability through the Veterans Administration so I do know what hard times is. I’ve been homeless in the winter months of Chicago but this hobby isn’t cheap. Especially if you want to get a good yield and quality.
What he has now he will be lucky to get a 1/4 ounce dried and cured.
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Regarding your setup @r00ster28287 I bought the bulk of my stuff second hand as @Spiney_norman suggested, have a look on marketplace or similar. We have Gumtree here in the uk and it’s another great place for second hand kit. Not junk either so worth a look. I bought my bulbs new and that was it
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I did too and so did many others.
Look; light is the foundation on which the grow rests. You just can’t grow cannabis without adequate light.
Do your research. Spend some time on this thread:
@dbrn32 is recognized as our resident expert on all things lighting.
There are a bunch of different technologies and you could for example invest in a 2 X 4 tent, and a 315 CMH fixture for around $200 that would flower off that space handily. Or you could go the DIY route that many of us have opted for and frankly never looked back. This is what I did as I had access to a quantity of aluminum heatsink material. Some Samsung EB strips, thermal tape, 300V hookup wire, heatsink, wago’s and a driver and you’re off. If you are at all handy this is something you should really look at.
The fixtures that the manufacturer states is ‘Equivalent to 1,000 watt HPS yet uses 160 watts!’ is complete b.s. If you use these fixtures you have to find out what the pull from the wall is to determine how many you would need. And it will be almost double the power draw of a comparable Quantum Board or 'strip build for the same result. I had at one time 1,340 watts from the wall in blurple lights that I replaced with 3 'strip builds that peak at 720 watts—nearly half, but even more telling is I ran at peak flower 200 watts per fixture or 600 watts total. And pulled 2 pounds from 3 plants.
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My last build was 670w and cost me less than $300 total. It’s all about efficiency when considering lights.
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When my HLG’s decide to fail on me I will probably do a DIY rig as I have a buddy that can weld and has the tools. He would love building it for sure.
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Ok so my first grow I spent $75 on a light. Ooh I got another. So 2 lights. 2 pails 1 tent 2x4 was $80 air pump I got was under $30 water pump $20 .
All junk by standards of what people say you must have.
It yielded almost a pound with 2 plants.
Downfall of cheap equips = fluffy buds
That’s it guys I had fluffy buds. The smoke was fantastic and well worth it.
Just figure I had well over a grand in weed for a few hundred dollars. Even if I threw that equipment out. Bought it new again to grow more I couldn’t have wasted money.
Now did I lose money ? Absolutely NOT
With what I saved from not having to purchase that much quality weed I could easily pay for the system I had and upgrade to better.
So there isn’t such a thing as a waste when starting slow and having to upgrade.
Start out slow with what you can afford.
Yes buy that $18 ph meter it will be fine. You dont need a hundred dollar meter to learn and start small.
Yes grow fluffy quality bud to smoke with your amazon blurple that says its 300watts but is actually only 125
Omg I could go on and on.
It is actually comical how when people ask questions and Express their needs almost every time in these forums it turns to you ha e to have those god awful qb’s from hlg. Which by the way have some fluffed up numbers based off of uninstalled diodes stats. And cheap meters wont work and it goes on and on.
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I hope to do much better than 1/4 ounce. I am a disabled truck driver trying to live on my disability. Money is tight but I manage. I will fix the light situation before grow #2 but in the mean time I have what I have and I got to make the best of it. I cannot go on amazon and just order because more bills than budget. Especially this time of year when the Gov wants its money.
We all understand. You might want to focus what you do have on the strongest plant, although I’d count internodes instead of counting inches; the tallest one looks like it might have stretched.
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Just to give you folks an update I have been in contact with the support folks about the size difference in my plants and they said they couldnt see where I was doing anything wrong with the way I was caring for my AUTOGROW plants. I have also tore down and rebuilt my tent. Moved my inadequate lights to different positions in the tent and added a down reflector for the old lamp!
Lights do matter. I know all to well. I didn’t get real good buds till I switched to HLG. Everyone can re-read my two topics for grow journals I was a huge fan of Viparspectra PAR600 Light. I added a second and I was able to get 3.32 z’s dried and cured.
Now for 1/2 the grow cycle of my GSC Beast yielded exactly 8 z’s dried and cured. She grew 3 months under a light I knew wasn’t enough and my yields did suck till my Blue Dream…the 3.32 z’s.
I can show photos where you can actually see darkness on 1/2 the plant. So yes, lights matter.
Example…if you say compare a bottle of Glenlivet 12 year old to say a bottle of Glenfiddich 40 year old. Trust me the 12 year old sucks compared to the 40 year old Single Malts. I know as I’ve flown twice to Scotland just to drink Scotches only distributed to the U.K. Market.
Yes indeed lights matter and I will fix that situation in march. Gives me lots of time to shop around and I was going to look at possibly getting used at first to save some cash. It was all the input I got here that showed me how I could improve my set up and since I am just growing for myself and not planning a new career I should be able to make the tent work for my needs.
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Here are links to the sort of equipment I mentioned:
VIVOSUN 32"x32"x64" Mylar Hydroponic Grow Tent with Observation Window and Floor Tray for Indoor Plant Growing
MARS HYDRO TS 1000W Led Grow Light 3x3ft Sunlike Full Spectrum IR Grow Lamps for Indoor Plant Commercial LED Grow Hydroponic Growing Light with Updated 342 LEDs Dimmer Thermometer Hygrometer Timer
If you havent bought a new light by then
Unfortunately you cannot give out identifying info on this forum. I would ask @Myfriendis410 if it’s okay to let someone know you listed the light on eBay.
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Ooops sorry