Please Help: I Need A New Grow Light

[SQl2kGuy]

I am going to probably be building my own light within the next few months.
So far I am still leaning pretty heavily on a strip light made of about 12 Photoboost strips.
It will be a 2 piece light, totalling about 440w from the wall with super high efficiency and very even coverage because of the configuration.
4 strips on one light and 2 strips on the other that I will use almost as side lighting.
Total cost should be right around $550 I believe.
The spectrum looks very good, the coverage and efficiency is as as good as it gets.
I haven't seen any other lights that can beat it for the price.

Hi @Nunyabiz ... I appreciate the input!

Are you using @fanleaf 's tech ... I think that's the chap with the DIY thread.

I think for now I will go with a medium-rated light that covers a 2'x4' tent.

@Teddy Edwards suggested I look at the sponsors ... and I am doing that now.

I think in a year or so, I will try to build my own light when I really understand all the capabilities of them ... and I know exactly what I am trying to accomplish.

Are you entering the contests again this month ... I enjoyed your photos last month!

 

[Alafornia]

I like CMH but the Mars Hydro LED's are pretty popular here.

 

[clrwatrtom]

@FishEyedFool just got a marshydro sp250 and he loves it.

 

[Old Salt]

@FishEyedFool just got a marshydro sp250 and he loves it.

There are several of us that have and like the Mars Hydro SP and TS series of lights. If you have lots of 'headroom' I'd recommend the SP series as the LEDs are closer together, and you can get deeper penetration. The TS series can be lowered closer to the canopy, and is great where headroom is more limited. I have both, and prefer the TSL-2000 in my 5' tall tent. I don't currently use the SP-250, as my 7' tent has my DIY 8 COB light in it.

 

[SQl2kGuy]

There are several of us that have and like the Mars Hydro SP and TS series of lights. If you have lots of 'headroom' I'd recommend the SP series as the LEDs are closer together, and you can get deeper penetration. The TS series can be lowered closer to the canopy, and is great where headroom is more limited. I have both, and prefer the TSL-2000 in my 5' tall tent. I don't currently use the SP-250, as my 7' tent has my DIY 8 COB light in it.

Hi @Old Salt and @SmokeSara ....

I did investigate the Mars Hydro ... SP 250, TSL 2000 and TSW 2000.

I finally chose the more efficient and more power Mars Hydro Dimmable TSL 2000W LED because I can use it in my 20-4 3'x3' or 4x4' veg tent right now.

I can move the less efficient X6 light to my 12-12 2'x4'x5' flowering tent now.

In the future when I switch the 2'x4'x5 tent to a 20-4 veg tent, I'll move the more efficient and more power Mars Hydro Dimmable TSL 2000W into it with great coverage.

Ultimately, I calculated have more current/future setup options with the TSL 2000 LED than I do with the SP 250 or TSW 2000.

Also, I got it from Amazon because I shop there a lot, I'm a Prime member, and I really like their quick delivery options.

​

Thanks again everyone for your help!!!

 

[Old Salt]

The TSL-2000 won't fit your 3' X 3' tent, but will be great in any tent with a 4' floor dimension.

 

[RAIN MAN]

Try out the Model 2VL from "Timber Grow Lights" It should be what you're looking for. It only costs $279.00.

 

[Nunyabiz]

Hi @Nunyabiz ... I appreciate the input!

Are you using @fanleaf 's tech ... I think that's the chap with the DIY thread.

I think for now I will go with a medium-rated light that covers a 2'x4' tent.

@Teddy Edwards suggested I look at the sponsors ... and I am doing that now.

I think in a year or so, I will try to build my own light when I really understand all the capabilities of them ... and I know exactly what I am trying to accomplish.

Are you entering the contests again this month ... I enjoyed your photos last month!

Dunno what Fanleafs tech is so I am guessing not.
Something similar to this except I am going to do two of them using 12 strips and each light will be 2' x 2' with 6 strips per light which would be about 445watts total that should out grow my current 600w lights.
Should be about $650 total for both lights.

 

[SQl2kGuy]

The TSL-2000 won't fit your 3' X 3' tent, but will be great in any tent with a 4' floor dimension.

Hi @Old Salt ...

I plan on giving the 3'x3' tent to my girlfriend's kids and setting up the 4'x4' tent next.

Ultimately, ... I was thinking I would have the 2'x4' as a 20-4 veg tent and the 4'x4' tent as a 12-12 flowering tent.

But if I want to grow photoperiods and autoflowers indoors, then I would need the 4'x4' tent as a 20-4 veg tent.

But again, ... I think that photoperiods have more potential overall though ... there are just more options available for growing photoperiods.

I am actually thinking that each full plant needs about 2'x2' space ... but I can get pretty quick turn around with a clone growing one cola in a SOG style, or a 12-12 from seed.

I likely won't do ScrOg again ... since I like to move the plants around and work on them on the counter and not in the tent.

I am hoping I can get about the same yield from an autoflower than I can from a photoperiod vegged for a shorter period of time ... I am running that experiment now.

Time will tell ... and ultimately I will find something that just fits nicely into a perpetual garden.

 

[SQl2kGuy]

Try out the Model 2VL from "Timber Grow Lights" It should be what you're looking for. It only costs $279.00.

Hi @RAIN MAN ...

Close ... but I was hoping to move more into LED than COB ... have about a 4' length ... and run around the 300W mark.

Thanks for your input ...

 

[SQl2kGuy]

Dunno what Fanleafs tech is so I am guessing not.
Something similar to this except I am going to do two of them using 12 strips and each light will be 2' x 2' with 6 strips per light which would be about 445watts total that should out grow my current 600w lights.
Should be about $650 total for both lights.

Yes ... absolutely ... this will be my next major project after I have learned more about ... lights in general ... my VPD experiments ... my LUX experiments ... my photoperiod quest ... and my perpetual garden.

I am thinking I will a solid 6 months for that DIY light project.

 

[Nunyabiz]

Hi @RAIN MAN ...

Close ... but I was hoping to move more into LED than COB ... have about a 4' length ... and run around the 300W mark.

Thanks for your input ...

The light I linked above is 46" long and 330w
I think about $450ish.

 

[Old Salt]

I suggest starting with a floor plan of the room, locating the tents, any furniture, the doors and windows. Check to ensure you have room to move around and service the tents. You may find different sizes will work better when you plan things out. You mentioned both auto and photo period plants. You may want to look at two 2' X 4' tents rather than one 4' X 4' tent for flowering. You'll be able to breed and harvest seed as well if that interests you.

Next check your height. For flowering, I suggest the tallest possible tent(s). Mine is a 7' - 8' tall tent. A five foot tent will do for seedlings to the flip. You can locate your fans and filters on top of a five foot tall tent.

If you decide on the Mars Hydro TS series for your 2' X 4' veg tent, I suggest two TS-1000s. You'll be able to independently control the height of the lights on both sides of the tent. This will be handy if you have plants at different stages of growth in the tent.

@SmokeSara has mentioned that the Mars Hydro SP series penetrate deeper into the canopy than the TS series of lights. This is due to the LEDs being closer together on the SPs. I haven't tried the SP yet, so I can't confirm this. When I built my own light, I spread the COBs out evenly through the tent to get a more even coverage. The TS series seems to take the same approach. It's up to you which you use in the flowering tent(s).