Lighting TOPled The Manual.

[Dr. Frog]

I've no problem sticking vast amounts of light in a tent from any wattage bulbs, overkill is my byword too!

What I do like, however, is to spend the least amount of energy to produce as much useable light in the most efficient manner possible.

I totally agree here. To get the most efficient usage out of the energy we spend is where LEDs have a major advantage over other light sources. The higher end LED panels perform better, and get more done with less power. However, the difference in up-front costs is what makes an option like Mars II so attractive. In terms of money spent for growth results achieved, Mars II lights perform their duty very well.

The price difference enables growers to purchase more power than they need. They may not be AS effecient as higher-end products, but they're still LEDs, so they are still way more effecient than other lighting methods. It would take a long time for the price difference to be recovered by a high-end panel.


If money wasn't a factor, I'd surely be rocking the best panels out there. The new tech you mentioned sounds promising, though. Can you link me to some information about these newer LEDs?

 

[Dr. Frog]

Doc i will still use the 200w cfl beside till the 300w Panel arrives over here. And Powerfull doesnt always mean the best. I heard a lot from my Friend over here wich runs a own Led Company and thoose 5 w chips are not the best solution as the really really fast Burn Thru. Also Talked to a few Peeps which are still using the Old Models and they said that the Old ones have a better Penetration thatn the reflector Series which was my first thought to buy. Friend uses the 48*3 w Reflector light in his Dr 60 and he is stimm managin without extra lights to get a 60-70 gr per lady dry. And his Panel has a draw of 70-80w. Thoose Mars Untis were never a Option for me cause in that Price range i can Shop at my Guys Brand which is Imho one of the Best Brands out there u can get but Freaking Pricey....dont have 400.- euros for a 300w unit atm.

What company is it that your friend runs?


400 euros for a 300 watt light is pretty steep. You could spend ~220 for a Mars 700 which draws at least 300 watts.

Also, in both my first and current grows, I've never had a problem with "really really fast Burn Thru" or any sort of burning. 5 watt chips are definitely more powerful, and you can (and should) raise the light higher than you normally would.

 

[Bilbo]

The price difference enables growers to purchase more power than they need. They may not be AS effecient as higher-end products, but they're still LEDs, so they are still way more effecient than other lighting methods. It would take a long time for the price difference to be recovered by a high-end panel.

Hell mate I'm running Vipars not only because I'm f**ked if I'm paying way more for a little bit better but also because they produce more than enough light for my environment. If I had a huge tent and a big light budget I'd still be filling it with Vipar panels until something better comes along for that price per watt. They cost pennies to run, penetrate as far as I need them to and now I've got the cob unit I've got enough red light to flower properly(I felt I was lacking reds, I might not have been but now I know I'm not!).
I've spent £350 for 560 true watts on led's since I started and I can't see me replacing them all until somebody produces something that does much, much better for the same price.
Unlike most high tech science there's a biological limit on what the plants need and can take, so, unlike gaming pc's for example, where extra power can always be used, I'm not sure what throwing more power at our plants can achieve.

The new tech you mentioned sounds promising, though. Can you link me to some information about these newer LEDs?

I wish I could mate but I've not been able to find anything other than academic research papers on growlight and general led tech, the industrial/manufacturing R&D research is obviously kept very secret for commercial reasons. There are a few tantalising hints on the GrowNorthern thread on here but other than that I've just had to make an educated guess as to where the tech is going next.

 

[Dr. Frog]

Interesting. I have a Mars II 700W (300W draw) in a small tent. My first and only grow produced light fluff buds but the buds are curing and are still sticky. I am very satisfied with the Mars II and couldn't find a better value Thanks for sharing all the info.

The term "small" is definitely subjective. If I recall, you were growing in a tent that was a square meter, right? That converts to about 10.76 square feet. This means that you're getting <30 watts per square foot. I used the same panel, but in half the space at 5 square feet which yields 60 watts per square foot. That's a huge difference, and you may need more light.

Also, I noticed you only had 46" or 30" (couldn't tell which from your first journal post) of vertical space. My limited experience tells me that these 5w panels perform best pretty far from the plants. My first time growing, the plant came out short and stunted (huge buds though) because I kept the Mars II so close to it, sometimes even 18" or less. But on my current grow, I started with the light 45" inches away from the soil line and the plants grew much larger. Currently, just the main colas of the plants come to 24" away from the panel and they are growing some really nice buds.

I got your specs and information from the first page of your journal, so if you've since changed these parameters, just ignore me.
:Sharing One:

 

[medic grower]

Purple Alien is the Brand Dr. Frog. yeh i could spent the ammount on a Mars but defo not that efficient in the use like the Purp Alien Panels. The Purp Aliens Have uvb on board and they have the newest generation of lenses which really do deep penetration. Mate who tested it had it hanging on top of his Homebox and still had super dense Buds at the lowest branches/parts of the Plants. And he growed with that 300w model in a 1,5 meter x 1,5 meter box with no lack of light.

 

[Bilbo]

Man those Purple Alien panels are expensive, especially for 5w bulbs only running at around 35% power or 1.6 watts. I'm sure most 3w panels run at the same or more power through each bulb than that.

 

[TaNg]

Man those Purple Alien panels are expensive, especially for 5w bulbs only running at around 35% power or 1.6 watts. I'm sure most 3w panels run at the same or more power through each bulb than that.

You think there pricy check out these badboys....http://www.budmaster.co.uk/budmaster-ii-1200-god-led-grow-light.html using some high end chips though which is nice to see.

 

[jackmc]

You think there pricy check out these badboys....http://www.budmaster.co.uk/budmaster-ii-1200-god-led-grow-light.html using some high end chips though which is nice to see.

That price seems outrageous. Could it be a misprint?

 

[steelrat]

You think there pricy check out these badboys....http://www.budmaster.co.uk/budmaster-ii-1200-god-led-grow-light.html using some high end chips though which is nice to see.

Wow! NEarly 3 grand lol!

Their cheapest one is £415, but ye the tech looks good.

I see they say their reds are balanced to avoid bleaching, so maybe it's the red spectrum (im)balance that causes calmag def, like has been suggested in the calmag def thread ?


steely

 

[Dr. Frog]

Purple Alien is the Brand Dr. Frog. yeh i could spent the ammount on a Mars but defo not that efficient in the use like the Purp Alien Panels. The Purp Aliens Have uvb on board and they have the newest generation of lenses which really do deep penetration.

Those look awfully similar to Bysen LED's Helios line, even uses some of the same descriptions.


Purple Alien
Helios by Bysen

Probably the same lights, maybe just different spectrum?