Budget light suggestions for a single autoflower

[bluter]

scots are choice lol

that equates to $25 bucks a wk here or $100 / month. also electricity is pro-rated most places here. go over a set amount and the charge per kw goes up exponentially.

tracking power theft was, and probably still is, the number 1 way larger grows got busted here.

 

[snicrep]

get the rspec instead of 3000k
get a quantum board and avoid blurple lights.

you can get the smallest version for approx 150$

trust me the 50$ you “save”
on a blurple is a scam.
a qb assures you quality light.

i just ordered another hlg 260 and i got the RSPEC version this time.
i am not sure if you can get the RSPEC on a hlg 135 but if you can get it definitely do

a qb will pay for itself after your first harvest. better quality and having more than enough light for 1 plant by far than a blurple.

Whats with all the hate for "blurple". I did my 1st grow with a $50 one and it was a sucess. On my 2nd grow and doubled the lights. Have 3 plants flowering now and looking good so far. Ive only used foxfarm water and these simple lights. I think some of you over think this and are a bit of a snob. We cant all afford expensive lights. To me over $150 would be high. And anything other than led is too hot and a waste of energy. He's looking to start cheap and i did too. Maybe later expand

 

[bluter]

I have CMH 315 watt x2 (when I get my other tent it will be three). Each has four different settings for wattage similar to yours. They produce good light, including UV spectrum, are versatile and are not that much more expensive if the cash and commitment are there. In the long run it would save money as there would be no need to change it up later.

cmh is a good alternate.

 

[Barney86]

I have CMH 315 watt x2 (when I get my other tent it will be three). Each has four different settings for wattage similar to yours. They produce good light, including UV spectrum, are versatile and are not that much more expensive if the cash and commitment are there. In the long run it would save money as there would be no need to change it up later.

I want to try one of the 315s mate. Too many awesome growers using them to not be intreagued. Seen some scary shit grown under them. Buds the size of my head lol.

 

[Hdinkleman]

if savi

just be warned : a budget light is just going to lead you to want more. may not be a bad thing, most newbie growers replace nearly everything in the first couple grows, and wind up wishing they just got what they really needed up front.

yeah
happened to me, just get addicted to growing. as soon as i received my first three blurples i exchanged them all back to amazon.
just shoddy quality. feels cheap. its 2019 not 1995 is what it reminded me of.
i felt like i was scammed (which i was) and returning them knowing that there was somethjng better.

thats when i stumbled on forums with this exact argument.

what i knew before quantum boards
-pretty much nothing about lights
-i had bought three blurples and returned all three. i was keeping my plants alive with t5 cfls
-there must be a more modern LED than these cheap leds

when i saw people arguing about which is better.
i assumed that since i had been so dissatisfied with the cheap leds that the other side of the argument (qbs) had to be right!!

i bought one and boy are we right hahaha

 

[Alafornia]

Whats with all the hate for "blurple". I did my 1st grow with a $50 one and it was a sucess. On my 2nd grow and doubled the lights. Have 3 plants flowering now and looking good so far. Ive only used foxfarm water and these simple lights. I think some of you over think this and are a bit of a snob. We cant all afford expensive lights. To me over $150 would be high. And anything other than led is too hot and a waste of energy. He's looking to start cheap and i did too. Maybe later expand

Like I said, it depends on what his plans are and what makes the most sense to him financially, now and in the future. Ultimately, we are offering opinions and he must choose.

 

[Hdinkleman]

i dont have the space for the cmh heat
a cheap led gives off that much heat.
thus i needed power that doesnt run hot.


if your light has two fans or a fan on top and it is super cheap, it is gonna run hot.

i had one, tent was at 95*F

 

[Barney86]

Whats with all the hate for "blurple". I did my 1st grow with a $50 one and it was a sucess. On my 2nd grow and doubled the lights. Have 3 plants flowering now and looking good so far. Ive only used foxfarm water and these simple lights. I think some of you over think this and are a bit of a snob. We cant all afford expensive lights. To me over $150 would be high. And anything other than led is too hot and a waste of energy. He's looking to start cheap and i did too. Maybe later expand

Theyre alright mate, I still use them. awesome lights for seedlings and veg. Can keep them really close so can control node spacing but when it comes to bloom they suck when anything else comes along for a scrap. They dont penetrate as well so you gotta do loads of training to get the most out of them. And your buds just arent as big or as potent as youll get with pretty much any other light. Other than the obvious cfls etc.

 

[snicrep]

Your descibing my lights but im running in a tent (this time) and its like low 80s and 45%. If i could grow in a room id prob have larger lights but some kind of led witg cfl setup.

 

[Barney86]

i dont have the space for the cmh heat
a cheap led gives off that much heat.
thus i needed power that doesnt run hot.


if your light has two fans or a fan on top and it is super cheap, it is gonna run hot.

i had one, tent was at 95*F

Very true mate. My 480w blurples produce just as much heat as my 600w hps. Maybe a slight difference but couple degrees at best.

 

[Hdinkleman]

all im trying to do is avoid someone the headache i went through.

all three blurples i bought cost over 250$
so thats whats so frustrating is i can find a 100 watt hlg for 175, i wasted 3-4 months messing with blurps.
i wish someone would have slapped me and told me from the start!
the lady at amazon returns questioned me about why i kept returning them!!
lmaoo

 

[bluter]

Very true mate. My 480w blurples produce just as much heat as my 600w hps. Maybe a slight difference but couple degrees at best.

it's the type of diodes. plus they way they are boxed, which then requires forced cooling, all the while you are tumbling down the efficiency ladder. i worked with show lights, those are some big diodes lol

the burples had their place. we would be no where near where we are without them.

 

[WankirA]

This guy is on a budget and needs a light for one plant.
Appreciate all opinions are fair but some are forgetting his current need: namely budget.

I am currently using a few if these 'burple' lights and am aware they aren't perhaps the best, but while I'm already examining new light systems - Mars range seems obv choice though like the look of the Electric Sky 600s too, budget was my first grappling stage,and for a lot of growers so as to get the 'ball rolling' it was a fair option otherwise waiting months to get the extra spare £1000+, I probably would never got started.
I can repurpose/sell on my current LEDs as I swap them out and if im honest, i'm happy with that choice: start cheap and if it works, it'll pay for the upgrades with a little effort.
Just my tuppence worth.

@TMJmedical choice really is trading off against downsides: I went blurple cause budget, minimal heat and no external driver as well as minimizing ongoing costs despite a fair trade-off on yeild. Quality cost's money and bulbs of any sort introduce heat and associated costs/risks.
Good luck.

Oh and @Barney86 Think I still have a powercard with £7.50 on it.

In Devon now but was in West Lothian for 15 years, sooooo cold had to come back down.

 

[bluter]

somebody call @SmokeSara in to offer a choice. @TMJmedical needs help.

what size space are you looking to light tmj ?

 

[Barney86]

Haha im city centre mate, probably like 10 miles away. You anywhere near buckfast abbey now? Thats my mecca lol

 

[Barney86]

To be fair i think the question we should be asking the op is how much is in your budget and how much weed do you want.

 

[Barney86]

Wooooaahhh!!!!
Check it lads. Go click on the perfect sun link up the top of the page. Says itll pull 3lbs from 650w.
90 day trial and can return it if youre not happy.
Make some space for a 5x5, fill it with autos, drop 3lb in 80 days then tell them its pish and get your grand back to pay for the leccy free grow haha

 

[Purpsmagurps]

i spent 230 on 240 watts of qb in 2 boards full kits bright af

 

[NoVentInMyHouse]

Its too hot here, spanish weather with 35° outside, i got a 600w light, turns out to be a bad idead, the extra i have to spend on a ventilation (eventually, but not as soon as i think) now my whole room is a oven, i have to put frozen blocks inside the tent all the time or keep a lil bit at the top open to not overheat. I went down the cheap and powerfull way, and yes, i do regret it. Maybe in the winter it becomes usefull.

My advice of a newbie grower, go for led on a hot climate or for high power in cold climates, really i turn this thing on and in 5 minutes its like AC blowing out 40° heat..

Still looking for a better solution that blocks of ice that melt in very little time and put out NO COLD at all!

 

[NoVentInMyHouse]

Look at the post above, look at his smile with those Leds... better go for LED mate