The Gavita Pro 300 LEP Plasma with STA 41.02 Full Spectrum Emitter lighting system (referred to from now as the plasma unit) is a piece of equipment available to the home hobby grower at a price. Most hobby growers will simply look at the price tag (of around 1500 Euros) and decide it is too expensive.
It is the aim of this review to look at the plasma light: the build quality, ease of use, performance, manufacturers claims and whether or not these claims are met and the big one for most hobby growers has it been worth the investment.
Build Quality.
The plasma light is a solidly built lighting unit with metal cooling fin heat emitters and weighs in at a quite hefty 11.8kg.
The unit has a white powder coating which is uniform in coverage and gives the unit a quality look.
The plasma emitter is situated centrally within the reflector and is about the size of an average adults thumb nail.
The reflector is square and made from miro coated dimpled aluminium which at a 30cm mounting height will cover an area of approximately 0.9m square. The reflector has a glass filter/cover which allows UVA and UVB through but stops potentially dangerous UVC. The unit is not to be used without the glass cover in place. The reflector is highly efficient giving a reflection of approximately 95%.
The unit is connected to the mains via a heavy duty bulgin reflector which has a plastic clip holding it in place to prevent accidental removal of the power lead.
The unit comes with heavy duty hanging brackets and lugs on the side of the unit for the brackets to clip into.
Ease of Use
The plasma unit came well packaged and was relatively easy to remove from the packaging. The unit being safely enclosed within the outer box.
Upon initial inspection the glass cover on the reflector had a few scratches.
Installing the plasma unit in the nursery tent should have been relatively straight forward however the lugs that the hanging hooks were to clip to were fit in an incorrect orientation on one side of the unit. This meant the user had to find an allen key tool to remove the offending lugs and refit in the correct orientation, once done hanging the unit was straightforward.
The unit operates directly from the mains and may be timer operated for example with a simple segmental timer. Connection via the bulgin mains lead was easy, simply being pushed in.
When connecting to the mains nothing seems to happen initially the light then starts to illuminate going through a spectrum of colours before settling into full spectrum operation which takes about one minute. If the unit is turned off the user is advised by the manufacturer to wait 15 minutes before re-initiating the unit.
Performance
The plasma unit is suitable for starting seedlings and cuttings giving off a full spectrum of light with little heat output. This user mounts the plasma unit approximately 40cm above seedlings, though initially uses a T5 unit for the first couple of days after germination, just down to superstitious habit really.
In vegetative growth internodal spacing is short and side shoot development is rapid, leaves seems to be broader and the plants a lot stockier and sturdier than this user used to accomplish with T5 colour 865 light. Interstitial branching may be extensive. The canopy from above looking broad and complete.
In generative (flowering) growth the unit seems to prevent excessive stretching and seems to help produce nice compact flowers which when combined with the extensive side branching has allowed this user to achieve some pleasing results, for example.
The Ultraviolet part of the spectrum has also seemingly helped improve the quality of the final flowers, the flowers being covered extensively with oil glands.
Manufacturers Claims
You can read information papers on the Gavita website, the main claims that this review author thinks are relevant are as follows;
University studies have shown that seedlings and cuttings grown under full spectrum plasma light develop much better than under HPS or CFL light (this reviewer under T5)
produce more lateral branches. The dry matter increases up to 30 % and the plant structure is more even and better distributed compared to HPS. It brings your plant into the best conditions for generative development.
Depending on your crop you can either use only the plasma light or a combination of plasma light and HPS for plants that thrive on red light for generative development.
The absence of heat radiation in the light allows you to hang the lamp close to your crop, or to add the light without adding extra heat radiation to your crop.
This reviewers experience in using the plasma unit seems to confirm the manufacturers claims.
Plasma Unit
Plasma spectrum (Right hand side image)
Conclusion
The plasma unit is a well built piece of equipment, though this author was disappointed with the defects upon initial inspection ie the scratched glass and the incorrectly fitted hanging lugs, the author does not expect this of a light unit with a 1500 Euro price tag. The manufacturers wholesalers have arranged a replacement glass cover.
This authors experience is that the plasma unit has taken the authors growing to a much higher level in terms of yield and quality of end produce.
This authors experience and belief is that the plasma unit is a good investment and with a 30,000 expected lifespan on the STA 41.02 emitter a good long term investment.
So what are you waiting for? Go and get one or get saving for one you will be very pleased with the results you obtain.
Disclaimer
This review is this authors experience of using Gavita plasma lighting, this authors experience may not be the same as your experience.
This author bears no responsibility for any results you obtain from purchasing and using the reviewed equipment or any legal ramifications from the mis-use of the equipment or of any information this author posts on this site. You solely are responsible.
The author has no connection with Gavita lighting of Holland apart from that of a customer.
It is the aim of this review to look at the plasma light: the build quality, ease of use, performance, manufacturers claims and whether or not these claims are met and the big one for most hobby growers has it been worth the investment.
Build Quality.
The plasma light is a solidly built lighting unit with metal cooling fin heat emitters and weighs in at a quite hefty 11.8kg.
The unit has a white powder coating which is uniform in coverage and gives the unit a quality look.
The plasma emitter is situated centrally within the reflector and is about the size of an average adults thumb nail.
The reflector is square and made from miro coated dimpled aluminium which at a 30cm mounting height will cover an area of approximately 0.9m square. The reflector has a glass filter/cover which allows UVA and UVB through but stops potentially dangerous UVC. The unit is not to be used without the glass cover in place. The reflector is highly efficient giving a reflection of approximately 95%.
The unit is connected to the mains via a heavy duty bulgin reflector which has a plastic clip holding it in place to prevent accidental removal of the power lead.
The unit comes with heavy duty hanging brackets and lugs on the side of the unit for the brackets to clip into.
Ease of Use
The plasma unit came well packaged and was relatively easy to remove from the packaging. The unit being safely enclosed within the outer box.
Upon initial inspection the glass cover on the reflector had a few scratches.
Installing the plasma unit in the nursery tent should have been relatively straight forward however the lugs that the hanging hooks were to clip to were fit in an incorrect orientation on one side of the unit. This meant the user had to find an allen key tool to remove the offending lugs and refit in the correct orientation, once done hanging the unit was straightforward.
The unit operates directly from the mains and may be timer operated for example with a simple segmental timer. Connection via the bulgin mains lead was easy, simply being pushed in.
When connecting to the mains nothing seems to happen initially the light then starts to illuminate going through a spectrum of colours before settling into full spectrum operation which takes about one minute. If the unit is turned off the user is advised by the manufacturer to wait 15 minutes before re-initiating the unit.
Performance
The plasma unit is suitable for starting seedlings and cuttings giving off a full spectrum of light with little heat output. This user mounts the plasma unit approximately 40cm above seedlings, though initially uses a T5 unit for the first couple of days after germination, just down to superstitious habit really.
In vegetative growth internodal spacing is short and side shoot development is rapid, leaves seems to be broader and the plants a lot stockier and sturdier than this user used to accomplish with T5 colour 865 light. Interstitial branching may be extensive. The canopy from above looking broad and complete.
In generative (flowering) growth the unit seems to prevent excessive stretching and seems to help produce nice compact flowers which when combined with the extensive side branching has allowed this user to achieve some pleasing results, for example.
The Ultraviolet part of the spectrum has also seemingly helped improve the quality of the final flowers, the flowers being covered extensively with oil glands.
Manufacturers Claims
You can read information papers on the Gavita website, the main claims that this review author thinks are relevant are as follows;
University studies have shown that seedlings and cuttings grown under full spectrum plasma light develop much better than under HPS or CFL light (this reviewer under T5)
produce more lateral branches. The dry matter increases up to 30 % and the plant structure is more even and better distributed compared to HPS. It brings your plant into the best conditions for generative development.
Depending on your crop you can either use only the plasma light or a combination of plasma light and HPS for plants that thrive on red light for generative development.
The absence of heat radiation in the light allows you to hang the lamp close to your crop, or to add the light without adding extra heat radiation to your crop.
This reviewers experience in using the plasma unit seems to confirm the manufacturers claims.
Plasma Unit
Plasma spectrum (Right hand side image)
Conclusion
The plasma unit is a well built piece of equipment, though this author was disappointed with the defects upon initial inspection ie the scratched glass and the incorrectly fitted hanging lugs, the author does not expect this of a light unit with a 1500 Euro price tag. The manufacturers wholesalers have arranged a replacement glass cover.
This authors experience is that the plasma unit has taken the authors growing to a much higher level in terms of yield and quality of end produce.
This authors experience and belief is that the plasma unit is a good investment and with a 30,000 expected lifespan on the STA 41.02 emitter a good long term investment.
So what are you waiting for? Go and get one or get saving for one you will be very pleased with the results you obtain.
Disclaimer
This review is this authors experience of using Gavita plasma lighting, this authors experience may not be the same as your experience.
This author bears no responsibility for any results you obtain from purchasing and using the reviewed equipment or any legal ramifications from the mis-use of the equipment or of any information this author posts on this site. You solely are responsible.
The author has no connection with Gavita lighting of Holland apart from that of a customer.
