This is a somewhat long and rambling thread. But do skim through it as there are some good visual aids and photographs that help and you can find the gist of the conversation. There are some builds in there and there are a few folks knowledgeable and helpful with the latest tech.
You can also purchase kits and pre assembled lights. None of this is cheap but look at me: I spent about $800 on inadequate lights because I didn’t know better. I spent an additional $600 and got a total out of 720 watts (I run em at 600) so my setup has cost me around $1,400 now. NOT a good investment. But I’ve already recouped the cost of the new lights with the reduced electrical demand.
If you like, I’ll tag you to my journal and you can see what I did.
I am on the Central Coast of California; usually pretty mild.