Light Advice, Please

[Old Salt]

Thanks Mr. Salt! The SP250 is still definitely on the consideration list.

On the QB288... I think that you are right, in that it looks like the LEDs themselves are not the "latest and greatest" as I understand it. They are called 561Cs, whereas the more expensive ones seem to have 301Bs. The driver looks to be comparable.

Forgive me if this is a dumb question, but I thought that the boards got mounted to the heat sink (which is included), and then the heat sink got suspended with ratchet cables in the tent? The kit comes with inexpensive hanging wires, but I have a stash of better quality ones I was planning on using.

You are right about the dimmer lacking. Is that something that I can obtain and install myself pretty easily? I can always ask the vendor about it as well. (I think there might be a suggestion elsewhere about a screw that can be adjusted to dim the intensity - definitely not as convenient as a rotary dial).

BTW, whether it is the SP250 or the QB288, my hope had been to mount the drivers outside the tent, just for further heat reduction. Do you think that is a good idea? Sara from Mars Hydro has already shared a video on this discussion showing how it is done on their unit.

Here's a picture of what comes in the QB kit. I won't post a link to the vendor, as I think that is against forum policies. But I can send you a private message, if you are willing to take a look at the site?

Thank you again - very thoughtful of you to reply in such detail.

I found the vendor earlier from the description...

You can suspend the QB's independently. It becomes a bit of a PITA having to adjust four boards each time. You'd also want to change the wires between the boards and the driver to a multi-stranded wire to avoid breaking them with all the bending going on. I'd recommend tinning (covering with a thin coat of solder) the ends so they don't fray when you plug them into the various connectors. A 100K potentiometer is easy to find in any electronic shop, or on that river you mentioned. Soldering will be required to connect it to the driver.

The drivers can be mounted outside of the tent for both. I don't think you'll need to do so, as they will only convert 10-15W of electricity into heat. I get this from their 94% efficiency. That's two of the old incandescent Christmas lights.

If you order from Mars, tell them what you want to do, and ask for an extra connector per light. If they can't sell you them, ask for the manufacturer and part number so you can order them on-line. You really shouldn't take the driver supplied with the Mars light apart to replace the dimmer with an external one.

 

[The Bard]

I found the vendor earlier from the description...

You can suspend the QB's independently. It becomes a bit of a PITA having to adjust four boards each time. You'd also want to change the wires between the boards and the driver to a multi-stranded wire to avoid breaking them with all the bending going on. I'd recommend tinning (covering with a thin coat of solder) the ends so they don't fray when you plug them into the various connectors. A 100K potentiometer is easy to find in any electronic shop, or on that river you mentioned. Soldering will be required to connect it to the driver.

The drivers can be mounted outside of the tent for both. I don't think you'll need to do so, as they will only convert 10-15W of electricity into heat. I get this from their 94% efficiency. That's two of the old incandescent Christmas lights.

If you order from Mars, tell them what you want to do, and ask for an extra connector per light. If they can't sell you them, ask for the manufacturer and part number so you can order them on-line. You really shouldn't take the driver supplied with the Mars light apart to replace the dimmer with an external one.

Excellent! I actually like the idea of the four boards being separate. I understand the PITA factor, but it would allow me to have a light "dedicated" to each plant. But really helpful advice on the wiring etc. A new "dark horse" entered the equation in my research last night. An assembled in Canada option, which is located in the Kitchener area, a short drive away. Waiting to get a couple of questions answered from them. Will post back here when I decide what to do.

Mr. Salt - you've gone out of your way to be extremely helpful and generous with your time. Much appreciated.

 

[Old Salt]

Excellent! I actually like the idea of the four boards being separate. I understand the PITA factor, but it would allow me to have a light "dedicated" to each plant. But really helpful advice on the wiring etc. A new "dark horse" entered the equation in my research last night. An assembled in Canada option, which is located in the Kitchener area, a short drive away. Waiting to get a couple of questions answered from them. Will post back here when I decide what to do.

Mr. Salt - you've gone out of your way to be extremely helpful and generous with your time. Much appreciated.

You are more than welcome.

 

[Remystemple]

phlozon is junk my freind has 4 1200 watts at her house she grew 45 plants dodnt yield a lb. prob part of her own error but still is junk
get two or more hlg 260s its cheaper than 550 and can manage spread and adjust each driver if growing diff strains light tolerant on diff sides of tent

Sorry but Phlizon lights are not junk bro. I use them with excellent results.. got a pound and a half off of my first ever grow from 4 plants with Phlizon lights. this grow will be double that.

 

[Hdinkleman]

theyre junk
cheap junk
blurple junk
cmon blurple crew come out the woodwork lol

 

[Remystemple]

theyre junk
cheap junk
blurple junk
cmon blurple crew come out the woodwork lol

Maybe just go back to reddit? "My friend grew 45 plants under 4 lights" lol.

 

[Hdinkleman]

cool you have the space and can deal with the shortcomings of the flizon
how many grams of primo bud did you get per watt again?
im just a stupid stupid noob
theres a reason those lights are cheap

 

[Hdinkleman]

Maybe just go back to reddit? "My friend grew 45 plants under 4 lights" lol.

i mean you would think if the lights werent conplete garbage she wouldve got more than a lb off of 45 plants with 4 flizon 1200s no matter how much of a dumb person she was

 

[Old Salt]

Someone somewhere considers any light ever made to be a 'piece of junk.' In the end all that really matters is that the owner is satisfied.

 

[Grassmaster]

When using quantum boards or cob systems. It's better to have several smaller lights spread out, for more even lighting.

 

[Grassmaster]

When using quantum boards or cob systems. It's better to have several smaller lights spread out, for more even lighting.

Blurlpe will work but they are mostly less efficient than HPS.

Using my 4 Cob system (over $1000 lght 4 cob system in 3' by 3' tent). Off of just 4 plants I get close to a pound of dry flower with sugar leaves from just 4 auto's. Using only a maximum of 440 watts in flower.

 

[CO Finest]

I will say pink flower way better buds then blurpurple. What I keep seeing in so many post is people only talking about blurpurple and not the pink. Yes there are TWO! and now three with the white that has come around in the last couple years. I have shown in my videos many times the two main colored led lights. I now show all three. In my grows you will see the mars pro cree has a blurpurple reflection and the pro epistar along with the Mars COB and the UFO have the pink reflection. I have shown many times the pink out flowers the blurpurple every time with bigger thicker buds along with more trichomes. Just about to finish flowering under the white leds soon and will be able to see where they fit in but right now it still looks like pink is killing them all in growth. I will see soon. Oh for the comment about HPS my UFO kills my HPS 1k have grown over ten rounds to compare. Who ever says HPS is better then LED has no idea what they are talking about and are just throwing b.s out there without known facts. There is more then enough info out there to prove HPS is on its way out just holding on by the cheap start up cost is the only thing keeping them around. Diodes can not be beat by a bulb now a days. For the ones that might be a little butt hurt about the HPS dont worry I still am using a few as well until I can afford to replace them all with diode style lights so I am not a non HPS using hater just real growing facts and hate to see people get mislead.

 

[Mars Hydro]

Hi Bard,

Yes, if you buy lights from us, and want extra wire or wants to daisy chain the lights together, just let us know your thought, we will help you accoridngly. The light is designed in a way for most ppl, but it can be adjust on many sides to satisfy your needs as well.

Sara

 

[The Bard]

Hi Bard,

Yes, if you buy lights from us, and want extra wire or wants to daisy chain the lights together, just let us know your thought, we will help you accoridngly. The light is designed in a way for most ppl, but it can be adjust on many sides to satisfy your needs as well.

Sara

Thank you! I will likely take you up on that.

 

[Lowrider72]

440w for a pound...450g, about a gram a watt. Thats an honest answer. 4 cobs. 3' x 3'.

CMH... 2 lights...630w....4' x 8'...8 plants, will yield 1.5g per watt easy. 2 pound.
Thats photoperiod plants too on 12/12.

Not looking for an arguement, just stating a fact.

LR72.

 

[The Bard]

440w for a pound...450g, about a gram a watt. Thats an honest answer. 4 cobs. 3' x 3'.

CMH... 2 lights...630w....4' x 8'...8 plants, will yield 1.5g per watt easy. 2 pound.
Thats photoperiod plants too on 12/12.

Not looking for an arguement, just stating a fact.

LR72.

Thanks. Not looking for an argument here either.

 

[Lowrider72]

OTM recognition? Who did what on the who now? Lost me sorry....

 

[The Bard]

OTM recognition? Who did what on the who now? Lost me sorry....

Edited my earlier response - note to self, don't multitask. Sorry! But still appreciate your comment on yield per watt.

 

[Lowrider72]

lol. All good mate. Pobodys Nerfect....

 

[Grassmaster]

Auto's are different. I don't run them full blast until well into flower. They have a watt efficiency of about 2.0. CMH have an efficiency of about 1.4. CMH's are great in the winter as they give off infa red.

My Cob's are only using about 100 watts for the first month or they will burn the plants. 250 watts for the second month. And 400 to 440 watts the third month. And they are only growing for about 3 months. So the gram per watt figure no longer applies.