Mars Hydro: SP-250 Unboxing

[Old Salt]

The Mars Hydro SP-250 is one of their newest offerings. The light is very efficient at converting electrical power into light with a PPE of 2.35--2.57umol/J. With five different Epistar LEDs used, this light provides a more natural white light with coverage from IR through the violet end of the spectrum. The average yield using this light is about 1.8gm/watt. With its 2' X 4' (60 X 120cm)coverage it can result in harvest of almost 15oz (230W X 1.8gm/W = 414gm).

The light has an adjustable Meanwell driver, so its intensity can be varied. The minimum height above the canopy is 1' or 30cm, to provide coverage of a 2' X 4' (60 X 120cm) area. The light is normally raised to reduce the intensity and increase the coverage during the seedling (30" or 75cm) and vegetative (24" or 60cm) stages of growth. The intensity can also be turned down at the driver if you need less area covered during these stages.

Lets take a look in the box...

Mars Hydro SP-250 with Ratchet Hangers and Manual​

and at the light itself:

Top of the Mars Hydro SP-250

LEDs on the Bottom of the Mars Hydro SP-250​

Notice the fins on the light. They make a cooling fan unnecessary, so the light is silent. It shows that Mars Hydro has paid a lot of attention to the details when they designed this light.

The power adjustment for the driver is hidden under the driver. The driver must be removed from the light itself to make an adjustment. Mars Hydro has used water tight connectors on both the incoming power line, and driver output, making the relocation of the driver outside the grow area easy, even for those without wiring skills.

Location of Driver Adjustments, and Opened Water-Tight Connector
​

Mars Hydro has produced three videos to help their customers install this light:

• How to adjust the driver power;
• How to Move the Power Supply Out of the Tent; and
• How to Hang the SP Series correctly.

The video showing how to adjust the driver power shows a power meter used to measure what is going into the driver. Almost everyone has a cellphone. Sensors for the cameras in your cellphone cal be used to directly measure and adjust the light output of the SP-250. There's an app for that. I'll let you look it up for your phone, rather than listing the hundreds of them here.

If you wish to move the driver out of your grow area, and need assistance send an e-mail to info@mars-hydro.com. They can let you know the correct wires and connectors to use. Don't try this without asking for help unless you have the experience needed.

I don't have a tent to hang this light in - yet.

At this time all I can say is that the SP-250 is impressive. I look forward to being able to grow with it.

 

[Dutchman1990]

Fun times I’m sure you will love it!

I love my SP-150s!

 

[NolaGrow]

I'm going on week 2 with this light and I must say it is perfect for lighting up the entire 2x4 tent. I've got some great Bud's growing covered in trichomes. Two thumbs up for sure

 

[Mars Hydro]

Thanks for the update Old Sault! I love your writing always, you always point out the important ones. Hopefully to see you grow with it very soon in the near future.

 

[HugePeckerhead]

I got the TS 1000 a couple days ago and I must say that I'm really impressed with it. Looking forward to adding a second one. Might even go up to the 2000.

 

[Dwight Monk]

Not that I need them but now I know where the adjustments are at, I wouldn't have thought to look under the driver

 

[Alafornia]

Great work, Old Salt.

 

[Old Salt]

Not that I need them but now I know where the adjustments are at, I wouldn't have thought to look under the driver

Many won't need or want to adjust them. I like being able to adjust the intensity during the grow. The same 2' X 4' area is used from seed to harvest. Turning the intensity down and keeping the light 12" above the canopy results in significant power savings until you reach the flowering stage. It can be as much as 25% over the entire grow. Power is my greatest recurring expense for a grow.

 

[Dwight Monk]

Many won't need or want to adjust them. I like being able to adjust the intensity during the grow. The same 2' X 4' area is used from seed to harvest. Turning the intensity down and keeping the light 12" above the canopy results in significant power savings until you reach the flowering stage. It can be as much as 25% over the entire grow. Power is my greatest recurring expense for a grow.

Yeah I still have 3 different size grow cabinets with my other Blurples, two that I had in my shed are just back ups as they too big for my boxes I think. So I can run my earlier stages in those or I use one I have in the house if I want to do breeding experiments as if I have some in Flower in the shed I can try and keep the pollen away from them (so far that has worked ). Our eyeballs (though my kid doesn't go in there often so mostly me) are liking the difference along with the plants, as don't have to see spots or wear the special glasses in the shed anymore .
Before:

001.JPG

• Dwight Monk
• Jul 3, 2019

After:

002.JPG

• Dwight Monk
• Jul 3, 2019

pics 20 days apart:

004.JPG

• Dwight Monk
• Jul 3, 2019

003.JPG

• Dwight Monk
• Jul 23, 2019

So the ladies seem to be really liking it too, they went into Flower timer a couple days after that last pic as they all heavy Sativa's and afraid they may go bonkers in stretch now time will tell

 

[Old Salt]

Yeah I still have 3 different size grow cabinets with my other Blurples, two that I had in my shed are just back ups as they too big for my boxes I think. So I can run my earlier stages in those or I use one I have in the house if I want to do breeding experiments as if I have some in Flower in the shed I can try and keep the pollen away from them (so far that has worked ). Our eyeballs (though my kid doesn't go in there often so mostly me) are liking the difference along with the plants, as don't have to see spots or wear the special glasses in the shed anymore .
Before:

001.JPG

• Dwight Monk
• Jul 3, 2019

After:

002.JPG

• Dwight Monk
• Jul 3, 2019

pics 20 days apart:

004.JPG

• Dwight Monk
• Jul 3, 2019

003.JPG

• Dwight Monk
• Jul 23, 2019

So the ladies seem to be really liking it too, they went into Flower timer a couple days after that last pic as they all heavy Sativa's and afraid they may go bonkers in stretch now time will tell

I had to take action in my current grow as the plants out grew the tents. Double supercropping each branch reduced the height by about 11 inchs or 27.5cm. Now I wait to see if the plant will recover.

 

[Dwight Monk]

I had to take action in my current grow as the plants out grew the tents. Double supercropping each branch reduced the height by about 11 inchs or 27.5cm. Now I wait to see if the plant will recover.

I still have a couple feet I can move the light up, and I'm still a few inches higher on light from plants than where I will be once they done stretching (I haven't figured out what that number of inches is going to be yet ), been around 18-20" off the highest point so far. Did some more LST when I added the bamboo stakes to bring the bigger part down a bit and spread them out, but time will tell that and 3 different Strains and only one I have flowered before (and it was a 15" baby tester plant from my last breeding experiment, one on the right is a Clone of her).

 

[irie lion]

Nice write up Salt! That's a really impressive light, at a decent price too.

 

[Old Salt]

Nice write up Salt! That's a really impressive light, at a decent price too.

I agree. When this grow is finished I'll take some measurements. Right now I'd be hard pressed to decide between the Mars Hydro TSL-2000 and SP-250.

 

[Itibitiguy]

Congrats on the light @Old Salt
Nice work on removing the ballast too

 

[Mars Hydro]

That is a good idea! Look forward to seeing the comparison.

 

[John Wick]

Very nice write up Old Salt.

 

[THC Onlyfans]

I agree. When this grow is finished I'll take some measurements. Right now I'd be hard pressed to decide between the Mars Hydro TSL-2000 and SP-250.

Hey @Old Salt what was the final verdict? TSL2000 or SP250?

 

[Old Salt]

I like the TSL-2000 best. The LED circuit boards are more than twice the width of those on the SP-250. The size also lets you bring it closer to the canopy, which is important when dealing with areas that have restricted height such as tents.

My personal opinion is that I get a more even light across my canopy with it, even though it has fewer LEDs.