This led came with my tent package. I understand that it is inexpensive and probably lower end of the spectrum when it comes to leds. This is what I have to work with though. My tent is 32x32x63" so I want to keep my plants low and scrog them. My question to you Led pros out there is how far from my seedlings should I put this light?
I know there are lots of threads about led height but I can’t really find any good info on this light in particular.
The tag on the back says:
Chlora BA-300w
power 125w
Hey so I don’t know exactly how far you’ll want that light from the seedlings. But it doesn’t seem that powerful so I would start it around 20".
If you see either a) the seedlings stretching- then lower it or b) some light burn on the tips of the leaves- then raise it.
I just did some quick math and in a 32x32 inch tent that would be 7.1 sq/ft. Based on your light specs of 125 true watt pull. That would only leave you 17 watts per sq foot. I believe the magic number with LEDs is 35-50 watts per sq foot. So this light may leave you lacking what you need to get a decent yield.
Especially if you plan on doing a scrog- my concern would be that you won’t have a large enough footprint to get enough light to the full tent.
@Ray4x has you on point. 18"- 24" to start and read your plants from there. As they start to grow you should be able to gradually decrease the distance from light to canopy some.
He’s also correct in suggesting more light for a scrog. You won’t have enough coverage or intensity for an area that big to do well.
@Ray4x@dbrn32
Thanks for the input! I know the light is lacking a bit but I want to see how this grow goes before I upgrade. I figured lighting would be the first thing.
Many thanks!
Just a thought here. I have a couple of those clip on light sockets with the aluminum reflectors laying around.
Could i use these to supplement my lighting deficiencies and if so, what bulbs do you recommend?
If you’re handy, you can usually find some household stuff to transform into some additional lighting as well. Don’t spend a lot of money trying to add a bunch of Cfl’s or anything though. That money is usually better used toward upgrading to an actual grow light.
@SilentHippie Don’t sell yourself short on the light. Everything we get nowadays mostly come from china and the names and colors change for identity purposes. That light you have is pretty much the same as the old mars hydros etc. Youll be fine in that tent with that light alone. I have the 300W viparspectra and I usually keep it about 12" away from my plants but that’s cause my tent is only 2x2x4 so in you case I would say 18-24" would be perfect.
@BudBuddy
Thanks. I know my light will probably be the first thing I upgrade and my current led is by far the best. I realize I may not get the full potential out of my plants but being my first grow, I’m not expecting award winning buds.
I want to know that I can do it before I sink any more cash into this new hobby. I’m into it already for around 500 bucks and don’t even have a seed in a pot yet! The wife has been super cool about this endeavor and I don’t want to press my luck with a hobby that’s not entirely legal in my area.
wow your wife must be super cool! I only have $150 invested and all the seeds I have were free cause I don’t feel I’m ready to spend $10 a seed. I actually started with some CFL’s and a few dollar store window shields. I wrapped them around the bottom of a corner table tossed a foil turkey pan to catch my run off and I was in business,lol.
@BudBuddy
The wife suffers from migraines. The meds she has either don’t work or she doesn’t like the way they make her feel. She’s smoked with me years ago and is not really into it. I approached her about edibles as any alternative and she said she’d be willing to give em a shot so that got me in the door. I personally have a few minor issues that weed helps but let’s be honest. I like to get high. Lol
Im in California so I am considering converting my back room into a grow room. My wife has migraines too but cant smoke they test at her work. Me I prefer edibles but they are hard to control the dosage so I smoke but mostly I use a vaporizer. I have a Herova vaporizer and I can use it for flower, oil, wax and its pretty nice once you get the hang of it.
Never underestimate the ingenuity of a stoner on a mission haha!
It’s amazing how far some household stuff will really go. $20 hydro setups made from home depot bucket and aquarium air pump, bathroom light bars converted to grow lights, trash can grows, there’s really no limit to someone with a little knowledge.
After looking on amazon, it looks like I can get a second led just like mine for around 35 bucks. I might be able to swing that. Would this improve my results or is the 35 dollars better off being put towards a better light?
300W LED Panel Grow Light Veg Lamp
LED Output Power:300W
Actual Power :120W
LED Quantity:100PCS x 3W LEDs
Wavelength Range:380~800nm
Input Voltage:AC85V~AC265V
Frequency: 50/60 HZ
My suggestion is to consider where you’re at with this grow, and where you want to go afterwards. That light has a good bang for the buck, but putting 4 of them in your tent won’t be “the cats a$$” so to say. There’s a reason that commercial and experienced growers spend thousands on their light fixtures. Not to say you need to do that in a 3x3, but there are much better lighting options available to your scale.
It sounded like you just wanted to take what you had and get a feel for growing your own, is that still the case? If so, I would ride it out with what you have. If you think you’ll continue to grow, start stashing a little cash to put toward something a little better. By the time you harvest a grow or 2, you’ll have a much better idea of what you’ll want out of your lighting. By then, you’ll at least be able to post about your experience, and your future goals, abd we can probably provide you with better ideas moving forward. For most people growing turns into an addiction lol. If you’re gonna stick with it, you’ll most likely end up replacing all or most of the stuff you start with. Sometimes many times over, and there’s no sense in buying 2,3, or 4 lights to get to the one you want.
Just my opinion in making your money go the furthest. $35 isn’t much at all, and will surely double your yeild. So buying it wouldn’t exactly be a bad decision.
@Ray4x@dbrn32
like I said earlier in this thread, I expect that upgrading my lights will the first thing I do as the rest of my equipment is pretty solid for now. 35 bucks to help my yields seems to be a good value.
On a lighter note. Had friends over last night and they were smoking. I didn’t smoke because I was drinking (the two don’t go well together for me). They were telling me how great this weed was and it smelled pretty good. They don’t know I’m planning a grow but I asked them what it was. They said they didn’t know because it’s just called weed now. I kinda chuckled to myself because I know what mine is. I asked them how much it cost them. 50 dollars for an 1/8th! I’ll never buy street weed again. I’ll go without first!
I think that goes to say that the majority of weed out there right now is decent. And $50-60 an 1/8 is about going rate by me too. I think you’ll be surprised at how good your stuff is if all goes well.
