@dbrn32 I have a question about PLC Light I built. I’ve got one that’s not working, plugged in I get nothing. I removed dimmer first to make sure it wasn’t causing a problem. Next I went through all electrical connections, I made sure all connections were tight and fully connected. I went through all of the connections on light strips making sure everything was making proper connection. So I’m at a loss, the only thing I can think of is the possibility that the driver has a issue. Is there a way to check driver ,to see if it’s putting out power?
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@dbrn32 I went to YouTube and searched for how to check a led driver. So I’m on the way to buy a multimeter, sort of knew that I needed one. I just wanted to check with someone who would confirm that. Hopefully I don’t electrocute myself, if I don’t check back in, you’ll know it didn’t go well 
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Sorry about missing you the first time. Let me know how the driver checks out. Unfortunately in series configuration it only takes one open to shut the whole light down. It sounds like you verified connections so probably not that.
A ground anywhere in dc voltage side will shut down light in protection mode. Also would check that the connectors are fully attached to board as they are just solder joints under the plastic insulation. I have also some wires get pushed too far into connector and be clamped on insulation not making full contact. If you have nothing like this, maybe check input side connections if you have barrel connector or removable plug.
Also, if you find driver is faulty, reach out to hlg and see if they will warranty. They would accept claims on all meanwell stuff they stocked at one point. If they still do this will probably be much faster than distributor.
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On the way back to the house now, sitting in a drive thru right now, if I have time I’ll check everything tonight. Thanks for the response I’ll let you know if I figure anything out.
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Never intended to compare offroad light to horticulture. The point is that fancy high end products typically carry high price tags for pointless reasons other than marketing and branding. Middle of the road lights like marz and sf will last as long, provide needed dli and ppfd. The point I attempted to make was, why spend 5x the amount on a light when there are plenty of equals that cost much less. If their life span is only half as long and you need to replace it your still spending less.
The problem is neither of your comparisons are true when it comes to spider farmer or especially mars when comparing them to most of the higher priced lights. Mars for instance uses a much cheaper driver that certainly don’t last as long and their par per watt is lower. So spending more in this case also means you’re getting more.
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New guy and first post, so bear with me please. I had a question for dbrn32. Interested in building my own lights for a 4x4x7 room. Start to finish. Haven’t seen any recent builds with the latest lights. Was looking at the 600Rspec or Blackbird, per their recomendations. Want to build something of this quality, if possible. I have no problem with going bigger so as to not max out the lights, for efficiency and longevity. I’m far from wealthy but have never been interested in wasting money on junk. Thanks for any help.
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Welcome @Fishyswaw . When you want to get someone’s attention, put @ in front of their username like I did you. It will then pop up on their notifications. @dbrn32 is a busy guy but he’ll see this in time.
He’s also the most knowledgeable guy there is when it comes to lighting. Listen closely when he speaks, he’ll not steer you wrong guaranteed.
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If you’re looking at something like the hlg-600 i would probably just check the refurbished section on hlg’s page then snoop around the internet gor active discount codes. With inflation and tariffs it’s unlikely you would be able to build for less than a dollar per watt, and you should be able to get refurbished 600 for under $500.
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Thanks @dbrn32. You were right on about the prices. Just 4 Qbs and a ps , I was within $30 of a refurbished light with a discount. My only concern is the longevity of the lights.
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I use a 650R in my grow room, it’s a refurb that’s been going strong for just under a year now. Most of their refurbished lights seem to be lights that were open-box returns or had some cosmetic damage that needed repair. The driver on mine was brand new, and the rest of it certainly didn’t look used.
I believe refurbs come with a 1 or 2 year warranty on them, but I could be mistaken
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Stephanie from HLG customer service, was very helpful earlier and answered some questions and said they come with a 1 yr warranty.
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While on the subject of longevity, what can be expected, guesstiment, for usable life span of a quality light the likes of HLG? I know there are a zillion variables but this is my first light and was just curious.
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Generally speaking, I think lights (all types) are measured by their expected hour lifespan. LED lights are estimated around 50,000 hours before they’ll fail on you. I think that can increase or decrease depending on how you run them (if you ran it at 100% capacity 24/7, you may be looking at a reduced lifespan due to the high demand on the output). I would guess that a good quality light will last 4 years easily, and probably as long as 10 years of treated properly, though eventually it will not be as bright as it once was.
I’ll ask @dbrn32 to confirm or deny that understanding of LED lights.
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I have been using my QB260 for 4 years now without any issues at all. Had it since January 2018 and it’s showing no signs of slowing down yet and I’ve grown year round with it the entire time. Hope that helps 
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That’s awsome! I was hoping I would be able to get at least 3-4 years, with probably only a couple grows a year. The 600 Rspec should give me plenty usefull life in a 4x4 room. Really appreciate all the help from all. Since I came across this site I can’t stop reading all the stuff I didn’t know. So much actual Free knowledge! Need to get my grow on before my brain explodes.
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One of the main reasons i like to recommend hlg is their customer service. If you have a light fail a couple months out of warranty I’m almost certain they would at least send you replacement components out. I’ve read posts here from others members that they have certainly done more. One of the great things about their lights is that they are silly simple. So even if you had a component failure they wouldn’t replace, you can probably just buy a replace for the failed part. Otherwise Graysin has the basics covered.
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No rush dude but I need your brain when ya get a chance, this week,next week, summertime
Is 8 or 10 qb120s to much over a 2x4 table? If so, got it if doable which driver for each? Plz
Also driver reco for 4x qb135s( I think that’s what they are) and frame size for a 2x2 table.
Once again buddy, no rush. I wont be doing anything till mid/late summer. Just thinking on it now.
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You could arrange for 8 120 boards over a 2x4, but i think that’s more than necessary. I want to say 6 is probably exceeding what is necessary, but more reasonable. I can get you driver for how ever many you want though, just give me the number and run the math.
I need more info on qb135’s though. The 135 kit was 288 board, but i’m guessing that’s not what you have. They had a qb-132 which was similar to qb-120 but 36v. I forget what the designator for little boards was, but i think it’s the module in the qb-225?
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Thanks for saving me that time and money 
Not sure what this is, but you was correct, I have 132 boards, wanting to go over a 24x18 table for some small clone runs.
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