New Grower Best LED setup for 4x8 flood and drain SOG

[Dream88]

Hey guys. Just to quick intro I am not new to the site. My old account was lost I guess. Anyways I want to buy led for a 4x8 setup:

4x8 flood and drain
Budget is a non issue
Nutes to be determined.
Clones will veg for 7-14 days

I was looking at 2 blackstar chrome 720 or 2 California light works 800s.

What do you all recommend to come as close a possible to replacing 2 1000w hps bulbs over this setup.

 

[briman]

Both are great lights. It all boils down th personal preference, and customer service. Both companies are great with the service portion. The solar storms have uvb for trike production is the only difference. I own 2 solar storm(400's) in a 4x4 tent and they do a great job. If money is no problem, then the world is your oyster as far as what to get. There is a web site that has great prices on LED and its Growers House - Hydroponics Supplies - Home Page give it a glance. They have better descriptions on lights than the manufacturers have in their brochures!!!

 

[TaNg]

Have you thought about several less powered lights? I think going with say 4 400w CLWs would be a better option than the 2 big lights,you will be able to be much more versatile with a gang of lights so you can have them at differing heights and angles to really maximise coverage over the canopy......if it was my room I would buy 8 200w lights.

 

[redd]

:tiphat:I own a SS400w as well from CLW. I will only point out the facts first as to not be biased to the best of my ability, to try and help in your decision by putting many of the specs side by side based on each light's commonly shared characteristics. Should you want any more info, shoot me a pm! always around to help, friend :thumbs: At the bottom, I will give my opinion on the two, as you requested recommendations and I would love to add more input towards that too: Despite an open budget, I will add the cost/effectiveness based on USD/truewatt for numerical comparison

BS:

• 1-Year Warranty
• Full-grow-cycle spectrum, no switching to veg/bloom
• 240x 3w Diodes (60-65% actual draw of watts per diode, ~450 true watt LED output)
• 6 band spectrum I believe
• ~$2.31/tw

CLW:

• 3-Year warranty
• Veg setting, and flowering setting options
• 160x 5w Diodes, two T8-UVB fixtures (75-80% actual draw of watts per diode(~450w true watt veg mode, ~620 true watt flowering mode, ~650 true watt flower mode + T8's)
• 6-band spectrum
• ~$2.58/tw

I am not representing either company or in any way intending to mudsling or slander. This is simply my own opinion based on my own conclusions. That being said, here will be what I concludes for you to peruse:

To me, having 3 years vs. 1 on a warranty shows more trust in a company's product that they manufacture, and would cover you for a comparably much longer time after purchase. The BlackStar brand has a cheaper overhead in this situation no doubt, however if purchasing two of one of the models, the CLW model will give you more output in your growing area.

This is not to say you couldn't purchase a third BS vs. two CLW for still under the e-retail price(before multiple purchase discounts?), but mainly also showing that because of needing a third to compete with the CLW, the BS is less powerful of a unit simply based off of clear true watt data alone as well, and would not offer as much true LED watt output.

The 5w vs. 3w diodes also effect the intensity of the light including potential penetration.

Having a veg/flower option versus no option is a point to bring up in the case of growing perpetually should you so desire, but by the sounds of it, it is just one giant room ;]. I would make it worth noting also that using less watts in veg, when the plants require less light, would save on electricity usage and spending. I think you would find that switching to LED is going to lower the costs significantly anyways haha, I mean but even in cooling costs.

So either light is fully capable, however, I would lean towards the CLW SS800w, and while I really would like you to decide for yourself, I also would really like to see you to produce to the best of ability from one grower to another, in a virtual grower helpful bond of sorts on afn And I commend your open mind to feedback, it is an invaluable tool to be open minded and hear all sides. And also tang has a solid suggestion i was also thinking of about 4 400w instead

extra :karma Cloud: for you friend. i'll be following and I hope i was of any help. sorry for dropping this text bomb on your thread here!"smile"

redd

 

[Soylent Green]

If money is no problem I would Go for 8 gn ms006 unit with partial rebel upgrades installed!

 

[Red eyed c]

Have you had a browse in the LED review section mate,some good reviews with actual grows attached :smokebuds: https://www.autoflower.org/f147/

 

[Dream88]

Hey guys. Thanks for the responses. I am open to multiple smaller lights if its better overall for coverage on the grow space. Since I will be doing a sog I just assumed one big light over each 4x4 area would be ok since ill have an uniform canopy. This site has been amazing for the knowledge it has helped me gain over my time on it. Members are friendly and always went out of the way to help with any questions I have had.

My biggest concern is not sacrificing quality that I received with my 1000w hps. I logged a grow on here of short stuff rrf and Himalayan blue diesel autos and yielded 1oz plus per plant. I ran an oversized king cobra hood with lumatek ballast in a 4x4. Ocean forest soil with fox farm nutes. I want to get the same quality meds with led and know its possible. I knew members here would be able to point me in the right direction. So I am open I anything as long as I do not have to somehow run more watts then I originally would with just 2 1000w hps bulbs.

I have started viewing grows in the forum and will continue while receiving info on this thread. So what lights would I need to replicate the possible 1.5-2 lbs per 4x4 area like I could with a 1000 watt? Is there that technology out there? I know its close so I'd love more feedback. If I chose either 2 clw 800s or 2 blackstar chrome 720s... Would either of those combos at least produce 1lb per light? Let alone close to 2?

 

[Dream88]

Id like to add ill be using clones of bomb seeds cluster bomb (high yield) and possibly greenhouse seed great white shark... Unfortunately I ordered 5 Gws seeds and tried to germinate 4 of them and they didnt germinate. How many clones per 4x4 and how long veg would anybody be able to recommend? Its my first clone grow

 

[redd]

I know its close so I'd love more feedback. If I chose either 2 clw 800s or 2 blackstar chrome 720s... Would either of those combos at least produce 1lb per light? Let alone close to 2?

Definitely sounds like you have some excellent experience under your belt, so that won't be as big a limiting factor when considering yield.

What I would suggest looking at, and would also appreciate the opinion of someone more knowledgeable than I on the subject, would be the direct light output of the comparison of the two lights. By this, I mean that 620tw in flowering (using the CLW as an example) is based off energy directly converted to the output of usable light. It is very difficult to compare HID and LED based on a wattage basis, so I'll add this: a 1000w HPS is indeed intense in illumination its own respect, however suffers a much greater loss to energy not directly available for photosynthesis.

Consider the numbers you pull currently, and add the consideration of your expertise now. Most seasoned growers (of which I am in no way, just to reiterate) strive for 1g/watt. I know less about HID in general and can't seem to find at least a ratio of direct photosynthetically-used energy from the 1000 total watts, but know that the CLW lights, of which are 620tw(650 later) would be 454g(pound) + say ~150g should the 1g/w threshold be attained, so your I hope that answers that question. While I'm at it, I'll throw in that there is a more targeted and focused spectrum stemming from said LED in the known areas of peak photosynthetic chlorophyll absorption(sorry if that is worded poorly) when compared to an HPS bulb. Both are still great in their own respects and territories, don't get me wrong. One choice will certainly grow on you when as you delve into more runs and results no doubt too.

 

[redd]

Just had a thought pop into my mind (you've got my head goin' now, DT!!:hug

Would this make sense to anyone? Using 4' by 4' only as an example here
Apologeez in advance for the sharpie drawing



Should one light be used vs two in an area, both producing the same true watts, could the simple more open spread an positioning provide more intense coverage of the total area if that makes sense? The black slashing lines meaning to show where light would normally fall off, simply from distance.

Also, though, twice the T8 bulbs with the same amount of true watts from the LED diodes