Lighting

[Thirstymuppet]

Hi guys n girls. If you have a minute could you look over the specs for this LED lighting rig I was looking at. I've only done 1 grow with natural light CFL's which turned out fine but was thinking of upgrading for the next one. This looks good to me but maybe I'm way off the mark! Thanks for your advice. ..

 

[Scientific]

"Power 14W"?!

 

[Thirstymuppet]

"Power 14W"?!

Nowhere near enough? What kind of wattage should they draw? Full disclosure, this one is on wish for 20 Euro! Thought I'd see what people thought before I biased their opinion with that little detail!! With a handle like that I'm sure you can appreciate the desire to avoid the dreaded bias!!

 

[Scientific]

Nowhere near enough? What kind of wattage should they draw?

Sadly, no, nowhere near enough. Here's a link to a remarkably successful grow with just 85 watts (actual watts from the wall, not the watts on the label, which is usually the LEDs maxiumum rating).

SweetSue Showcases The GROWant GR240 - Lighting Up A 2x2

Lighting purists/sophisticates bristle at the phrase "watts per square foot" (or the metric equivalent) preferring more sophisticated measures, but it's a useful measure to get started. I think about 50 watts per square foot is a good minimum, though the grow listed about works out to just 20 or so.

There is a big difference between having enough light for the plant to grow at all, enough light to grow a pretty green plant (more), and to make big flowers with lots of resin (lots more). To get the big flowers with lots of resin, you need a lot of light.

If you want to go LED, a lot of people seem to think that a "300 watt" (which is about 150 actual watts) is a good minimum.

One more thought: The way to have success with a less powerful, less expensive light to keep it focused on a small area and to make that area flat so the light can be used most effectively. (I'd suggest researching "SCROG" growing in that regard.)

I'd also suggest not being in a hurry and hang around here (and YouTube) and learn the basics before buying.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[Thirstymuppet]

Sadly, no, nowhere near enough. Here's a link to a remarkably successful grow with just 85 watts (actual watts from the wall, not the watts on the label, which is usually the LEDs maxiumum rating).

SweetSue Showcases The GROWant GR240 - Lighting Up A 2x2

Lighting purists/sophisticates bristle at the phrase "watts per square foot" (or the metric equivalent) preferring more sophisticated measures, but it's a useful measure to get started. I think about 50 watts per square foot is a good minimum, though the grow listed about works out to just 20 or so.

There is a big difference between having enough light for the plant to grow at all, enough light to grow a pretty green plant (more), and to make big flowers with lots of resin (lots more). To get the big flowers with lots of resin, you need a lot of light.

If you want to go LED, a lot of people seem to think that a "300 watt" (which is about 150 actual watts) is a good minimum.

One more thought: The way to have success with a less powerful, less expensive light to keep it focused on a small area and to make that area flat so the light can be used most effectively. (I'd suggest researching "SCROG" growing in that regard.)

I'd also suggest not being in a hurry and hang around here (and YouTube) and learn the basics before buying.

Good luck and have fun.

Awesome chief. Thanks for the advise.

 

[dom2mac]

Yeah that light wouldnt be good for much. Maybe if you gave a budget we could help lead you in the right direction. There are some good cheap LED's coming out of China for about $100 on amazon. Make sure to look at the power draw and that it is full spectrum heavy on the reds for optimum flowering. Keep in mind they are cheap for a reason but they do work well for a hobbyist.

 

[TheFertilizer]

Sadly, no, nowhere near enough. Here's a link to a remarkably successful grow with just 85 watts (actual watts from the wall, not the watts on the label, which is usually the LEDs maxiumum rating).

SweetSue Showcases The GROWant GR240 - Lighting Up A 2x2

Lighting purists/sophisticates bristle at the phrase "watts per square foot" (or the metric equivalent) preferring more sophisticated measures, but it's a useful measure to get started. I think about 50 watts per square foot is a good minimum, though the grow listed about works out to just 20 or so.

There is a big difference between having enough light for the plant to grow at all, enough light to grow a pretty green plant (more), and to make big flowers with lots of resin (lots more). To get the big flowers with lots of resin, you need a lot of light.

If you want to go LED, a lot of people seem to think that a "300 watt" (which is about 150 actual watts) is a good minimum.

One more thought: The way to have success with a less powerful, less expensive light to keep it focused on a small area and to make that area flat so the light can be used most effectively. (I'd suggest researching "SCROG" growing in that regard.)

I'd also suggest not being in a hurry and hang around here (and YouTube) and learn the basics before buying.

Good luck and have fun.

I don't know man, personally I have a big problem with 50 w/ sq. ft. being recommended as a minimum. I mean first of all, I don't want to sound obstinate or like I'm bragging, or want to be right, it's just that I think this information is unnecessarily discouraging to people with limitations that prevent them from running that amount of light, and so I want to share information that will better help them make a determination if it's wroth growing for them.

Personally I get about 6 ounces per harvest using 25 watts per square foot of light. Sometimes a little more or less, it just depends on other factors. I've had it tested at 23% THC so there's not a potency loss either, and lots of my buds have got quite a few votes in the NOTM contests. It's really not a lot in yield compared to what the 600, and 1000 watt HIDs can do, but it's definitely more than I can afford to pay out of pocket and is a few months supply at the least. I can't run anything stronger than a 400 W light because my apartment's poor wiring makes it impossible, but if I had listened to the 50 w/ sq. ft rule I may not have bothered to try at all.

 

[Scientific]

I don't know man, personally I have a big problem with 50 w/ sq. ft. being recommended as a minimum. I mean first of all, I don't want to sound obstinate or like I'm bragging, or want to be right, it's just that I think this information is unnecessarily discouraging to people with limitations that prevent them from running that amount of light, and so I want to share information that will better help them make a determination if it's wroth growing for them.

Personally I get about 6 ounces per harvest using 25 watts per square foot of light. Sometimes a little more or less, it just depends on other factors. I've had it tested at 23% THC so there's not a potency loss either, and lots of my buds have got quite a few votes in the NOTM contests. It's really not a lot in yield compared to what the 600, and 1000 watt HIDs can do, but it's definitely more than I can afford to pay out of pocket and is a few months supply at the least. I can't run anything stronger than a 400 W light because my apartment's poor wiring makes it impossible, but if I had listened to the 50 w/ sq. ft rule I may not have bothered to try at all.

Those are good comments.
> Personally I get about 6 ounces per harvest using 25 watts per square foot of light.
In my defense, I started with (and even linked to) a successful grow with about 20 watts per square foot.

The last thing I'd want to do is to discourage anyone, but what I see here at 420magazine all the time (and this thread is a good example) is people who are puzzled by their mediocre results when they're growing with nowhere near enough light. What's especially insidious is when they've got enough light for the plant to grow, and even grow well, but not enough to get good flowers, which takes a lot more.

The lighting purists insist that we shouldn't even be talking about watts per square foot and that we all need to go out and buy $200 PAR meters, so maybe we're both wrong.

 

[Thirstymuppet]

Yeah that light wouldnt be good for much. Maybe if you gave a budget we could help lead you in the right direction. There are some good cheap LED's coming out of China for about $100 on amazon. Make sure to look at the power draw and that it is full spectrum heavy on the reds for optimum flowering. Keep in mind they are cheap for a reason but they do work well for a hobbyist.

That's great advice. I'll look out for reds and power draw so. 100 dollars was pushing by budget but I'll have a look. Thanks chief.

 

[TheFertilizer]

Those are good comments.
> Personally I get about 6 ounces per harvest using 25 watts per square foot of light.
In my defense, I started with (and even linked to) a successful grow with about 20 watts per square foot.

The last thing I'd want to do is to discourage anyone, but what I see here at 420magazine all the time (and this thread is a good example) is people who are puzzled by their mediocre results when they're growing with nowhere near enough light. What's especially insidious is when they've got enough light for the plant to grow, and even grow well, but not enough to get good flowers, which takes a lot more.

The lighting purists insist that we shouldn't even be talking about watts per square foot and that we all need to go out and buy $200 PAR meters, so maybe we're both wrong.

Welll, I did just buy into the hype and replace my 400 W HPS with a 315 W CMH, so I can't say I'm really in disagreement with the lighting purists...

But what I'm saying is I think it should be treated more as a scale.

20 - Minimum
30 - Adequate
50 - Optimum

I haven't been growing long, but I've been reading about doing it clear back since 2004, and I remember back then 400 watts were so much more popular. It wasn't until 600s and 1000s got to be more affordable that they eclipsed 400 watt's popularity. I think that kind of shifted people's perspectives about what to really expect, maybe even changing perspectives on what a "decent yield" may have been. I mean, people fixate on this "1 gram per watt" carrot dangling from a stick so much it's no wonder they end up disappointed.

 

[GROWant]

Sadly, no, nowhere near enough. Here's a link to a remarkably successful grow with just 85 watts (actual watts from the wall, not the watts on the label, which is usually the LEDs maxiumum rating).

SweetSue Showcases The GROWant GR240 - Lighting Up A 2x2

Lighting purists/sophisticates bristle at the phrase "watts per square foot" (or the metric equivalent) preferring more sophisticated measures, but it's a useful measure to get started. I think about 50 watts per square foot is a good minimum, though the grow listed about works out to just 20 or so.

There is a big difference between having enough light for the plant to grow at all, enough light to grow a pretty green plant (more), and to make big flowers with lots of resin (lots more). To get the big flowers with lots of resin, you need a lot of light.

Hie Scientific, that is why your name in this, sure you are a scientific grower.
we do agree with you "There is a big difference between having enough light to grow a pretty green plant (more), and to make big flowers with lots of resin (lots more). To get the big flowers with lots of resin, you need a lot of light."

In the LED market, sellers usually mark their lights wattage for enough growing "a pretty green plant (more)" or say for growing fair good plant.

Like what they claim
"300watt (power draw from the wall 130w) led grow lights max grow 3x3' and core grow 2x2' " - actual 32watt per sq ft.
But we see most of growers
use 2x 300watt led grow lights grow 2x2' " - actual 65watt per sq ft, even some growers use 3 units for that 2x2' size.

Since GROWant lights are 40% higher efficiency than others, we advice:
80watt for 2x2' grow tent which is proved by Sweetsue in her last journal. - 20watts per sq ft for fair good plant.
160watt for 2x2' grow tent for her next journal - 40watt per sq ft for large flowers with lots of resin.

If you want to go LED, a lot of people seem to think that a "300 watt" (which is about 150 actual watts) is a good minimum.

Usually 300watt lights with Epistar/epiled should be at 130watt power draw.
But we still easily find many seller over driver to 150watt or more, this could be risk in several aspects,
over driving can increase brightness for few months but efficiency will be decreased rapidly and wast heat/ watt will be increase.
Biggest risk is light decay comes few months after.

Yeah that light wouldnt be good for much. Maybe if you gave a budget we could help lead you in the right direction. There are some good cheap LED's coming out of China for about $100 on amazon. Make sure to look at the power draw and that it is full spectrum heavy on the reds for optimum flowering. Keep in mind they are cheap for a reason but they do work well for a hobbyist.

yes, power draw of a light is one factor to be considered, but more power can be from over driven which is sweet at beginning but causes many problems at behind, say low efficient lights cause light decay and heat and damage.

so advice from us, PAR/Watt (actual Power draw) index both the PAR intensity and power draw will be better to use when valuating grow lights.

Cheers everyone.
GROWant