First Grow: Apache Tech At200 W/ Light Rail = 4x4 Full Coverage?

[MW7945]

No sorry but the specs look really good if they are true :D

Can you remind me what light(s) you use?

 

[TheHopper92]

I stopped reading here



226W for a grand? No info on chips used, drivers used, nothing.

HLG 550 costs that much, you could build simmilar thing for $300 or build/buy a cob rig that's gonna rip that tent apart.

Whoa... see and this is why I got on here before I started making purchases. I know that there's smaller less marketed manufacturers doing good things; that HLG 550 looks fantastic on first glance and I'm about to give it a really strong look. I'm not really looking to build a light yet; wanna get my feet wet but that certainly is end goal. Might even make a company out of it who knows. And I'm not a fan of COB's currently but I have no experience to base that off of just opinions. Any other lesser known options that I should purview over then next week or so?

 

[MW7945]

226W for a grand? No info on chips used, drivers used, nothing.

HLG 550 costs that much, you could build simmilar thing for $300 or build/buy a cob rig that's gonna rip that tent apart.

That's what I'm saying... I can't figure out why this light is going for even close to a grand... :/

I guess if you throw "NASA" and "Stanford" on your listing it increased price by at least 300%

 

[MW7945]

Whoa... see and this is why I got on here before I started making purchases. I know that there's smaller less marketed manufacturers doing good things; that HLG 550 looks fantastic on first glance and I'm about to give it a really strong look. I'm not really looking to build a light yet; wanna get my feet wet but that certainly is end goal. Might even make a company out of it who knows. And I'm not a fan of COB's currently but I have no experience to base that off of just opinions. Any other lesser known options that I should purview over then next week or so?

Quantum Boards & ChilLED lights. ChilLED arguably being the best available right now. However, both use the Samsung 561C diodes.

 

[crimsonecho]

Can you remind me what light(s) you use?

I don’t live in the usa so use a light from a local horticultural lighting company as i don’t have the wide variety of lights at my disposal that you have. It is a 320 w led light that grows good 2 plants which is enough for me. But again i don’t see how this has any effects on the concepts of efficiency and par?

 

[MW7945]

I don’t live in the usa so use a light from a local horticultural lighting company as i don’t have the wide variety of lights at my disposal. It is a 320 w led light that grows good 2 plants which is enough for me. But again i don’t see how this has any effects on the concept of efficiency and par?

Practice what you preach.

Blurple light... lol.

 

[crimsonecho]

Practice what you preach.

Blurple light... lol.

Again, so?

 

[Homesteader]

Lumens per watt is not perfect, it is for our intents and purposes a way for us to measure the quality of a light against another light. What other measure is there? I think it also is not understood by growers well and manipulated by certain unsaid companies.

While total wattage doesn't give you the whole story it is just another measure we can use and is needed for the consumer.

IMO a watt of green or yellow light is not equal to a watt of red in terms of what the plant will and can use.

I wouldn't buy those lights if I were you and I think you would be better off building your own. Why are they only using 630nm for their reds? Too much blue light on all of their builds as well IMO.

 

[MW7945]

IMO a watt of green or yellow light is not equal to a watt of red in terms of what the plant will and can use.
I wouldn't buy those lights if I were yo and I think you would be better off building your own. Why are they only using 630nm for the red? Too much blue light on all of their builds IMO

That's what I'm saying... 6100K spectrum is far from ideal. Especially when it makes up a majority of the diodes used on the light. IMO, 3000-4000K in that area is ideal for both veg/flower if you're going for the "universal" light.

 

[TheHopper92]

That's what I'm saying... I can't figure out why this light is going for even close to a grand... :/

I guess if you throw "NASA" and "Stanford" on your listing it increased price by at least 300%

It's because it's proprietary actually. If I recall correctly they actually produce most of their own components but I don't know where that stops and ends... lenses, diodes, drivers, etc. Design of a product can be just as if not more important than what goes into the product. Source: Practicing Engineer

That being said I never said there was nothing better. Just that I was still in my design phase and had a pretty strong inclination. I'm not dumb though, that HLG-550 looks amazing.

 

[Toaster79]

You can go alibaba searching for chineese made "quantum" boards, meanwell drivers and Taiwanese heatsinks. For a grand you could put together 1.5kW rig after customs.

And you don't have to be a scientist to do it. All you need is a power drill, jig saw and a sceewdriver.

 

[MW7945]

Alright well, my final verdict, there's MUCH better options out there for the money and that size of a tent.

 

[crimsonecho]

Lumens per watt is not perfect, it is for our intents and purposes a way for us to measure the quality of a light against another light. What other measure is there?

It is my understanding that umol/j is much more important as these are grow lights.

 

[MW7945]

You can go alibaba searching for chineese made "quantum" boards, meanwell drivers and Taiwanese heatsinks. For a grand you could put together 1.5kW rig after customs.

And you don't have to be a scientist to do it. All you need is a power drill, jig saw and a sceewdriver.

Yeah, I had all of my lights custom made in China. Shipping sucks but it took 3 days each time and it's still cheaper than buying from a lot of "premium" companies I find out there.

 

[Homesteader]

If we know all the lumen are falling within PAR then Lumen per watt is a very good measure.

 

[TheHopper92]

You can go alibaba searching for chineese made "quantum" boards, meanwell drivers and Taiwanese heatsinks. For a grand you could put together 1.5kW rig after customs.

And you don't have to be a scientist to do it. All you need is a power drill, jig saw and a sceewdriver.

Haha, now that goes against everything I've heard about buy USA! Are the Chinese components as long lasting as those made over here? Like I said, looking forward to building my own light down the road so I'm all ears.

 

[TheHopper92]

If we know all the lumen are falling within PAR then Lumen per watt is a very good measure.

Generally speaking that's 100% correct! :)

I vote everybody is required to take a course on Modern Physics and the properties of the photon! (Kidding)

 

[MW7945]

If we know all the lumen are falling within PAR then Lumen per watt is a very good measure.

And when you're talking your "typical" white leds, all lumens fall within PAR. Thus remaining relevant.

 

[TheHopper92]

Yeah, I had all of my lights custom made in China. Shipping sucks but it took 3 days each time and it's still cheaper than buying from a lot of "premium" companies I find out there.

Do you have any recommendations for making sure you don't get ripped off when searching for a good custom supplier?

 

[MW7945]

Haha, now that goes against everything I've heard about buy USA! Are the Chinese components as long lasting as those made over here? Like I said, looking forward to building my own light down the road so I'm all ears.

MeanWell is made in Taiwan. They're touted as the best drivers. I have two of the chinese quantum boards. Something like $20-25 a piece. I ripped my 600w viparspectra apart and face mounted the two boards leaving me with 150w. It's my veg light.