Are Rapidled And Similar Kits Worth It

[Thunder]

So, the last few weeks i have gone down the COB rabbit hole. While my knowledge is far from most, I feel I am ready to tackle this. My goal is to start with a 4x4 tent in my garage with a max of 5 plants. Now I am a first time grower so my ultimate goal is simplicity. I am an electrician by trade (commercial) so a lot of the terms and formulas i understand easier than most. Problem is the internet and its knowledge are intimidating. I have watched the youtube videos and read the threads and gain a lot of knowledge. Still i am lost on where to start.

My goals are to buy and buy once. Budget is in the air. Not a millionaire, but I came into this knowing lighting is everything for results. I see the rapidled 10, 12 and i believe 16 light combos for 4x4 tents. Then I see people growing with 6-8 lights with great results. Are that many lights really that necessary for my goals? I have seen where it is suggested to have 50 watts a square foot and what not. Thing is I am not going to be cramming my tents. I have no problem dropping the coin on a 12-16 light setup. I just want to make sure it will be usable from seed to flower. Like most I am shooting for 600w for the 4x4.

I am also not against piecing a system up myself as I am not scared of the task. Just when really comparing the prices (at least from what I have found) the savings isn't substantial. When I see kids like Rapidleds Medical kit for just over 1000 it really makes me think. I dont necessarily have to run all those lights for veg. Just looking for some experience as google has failed me. Everything I have found seems to fall short of what I am looking for.

 

[CallmeTex]

So, the last few weeks i have gone down the COB rabbit hole. While my knowledge is far from most, I feel I am ready to tackle this. My goal is to start with a 4x4 tent in my garage with a max of 5 plants. Now I am a first time grower so my ultimate goal is simplicity. I am an electrician by trade (commercial) so a lot of the terms and formulas i understand easier than most. Problem is the internet and its knowledge are intimidating. I have watched the youtube videos and read the threads and gain a lot of knowledge. Still i am lost on where to start.

My goals are to buy and buy once. Budget is in the air. Not a millionaire, but I came into this knowing lighting is everything for results. I see the rapidled 10, 12 and i believe 16 light combos for 4x4 tents. Then I see people growing with 6-8 lights with great results. Are that many lights really that necessary for my goals? I have seen where it is suggested to have 50 watts a square foot and what not. Thing is I am not going to be cramming my tents. I have no problem dropping the coin on a 12-16 light setup. I just want to make sure it will be usable from seed to flower. Like most I am shooting for 600w for the 4x4.

I am also not against piecing a system up myself as I am not scared of the task. Just when really comparing the prices (at least from what I have found) the savings isn't substantial. When I see kids like Rapidleds Medical kit for just over 1000 it really makes me think. I dont necessarily have to run all those lights for veg. Just looking for some experience as google has failed me. Everything I have found seems to fall short of what I am looking for.

Howdy Thunder, welcome to the site. Being that it's a first time grow let me ask you a couple Q's. Are you planning on running year round? Is your garage air conditioned?

My garage is right around freezing right now. Just want to see what you'll be working with. Our goal as indoor growers is to give our plants plenty of light (of course), nutrients, Temps between 60-80f, and C02 between 400-1500 ppm. If you can do this you'll be on the right track.

If you haven't checked out @sixstring thread in the Sticky's give that thread a nice long look.

Lots of different options for killer diy lighting these days. If I wanted to totally crush a 4x4 and had some scrilla to throw down, I would run as follows. 16 Cree Cxb @ 1050 mA. Mix equally 2700 and 3500k color. Could use 2x hlg 320 1050 which would give you 600 w and killer yields and quality.

Buds for encouragement.

 

[Thunder]

I live in CA (bay area) so while it gets hot it isnt insane. I have a window ac unit I can use. My goal would be to run it year round but thus being my first grow I don't want to be over excited. This all for personal use (family included for medical reasons) hence only wanting 4 to 5 plants. May even just try 2 at first. I work full time and have 2 little ones so when I buy these lights I want to be set for some time. Just want to make sure if I spend $1000-1500 I will be satisfied. Even if I spend well below that for same perfor6but I have to build its fine too.

 

[DGP]

I am using COB lights very similar to the ones from rapid. I built the system myself using parts and LEDs from cobkits.com. It is really quite easy to build these lights. I use a 4 x 3 array of COBs on 12" centers for a 4X4 flower room and it is working very nicely. You can still see my old 1000watt HPS still hanging above the new LED array....

Yes, I personally think the rapid led fixtures are nicely done and certainly are a head and shoulders above the Chinese lights you see all over making wild claims about being 1200 watt equivalent etc. Like a bunch of snake oil salesmen.

The Cree, Vero and Luminous LEDs are all very nice and with the correct hesatsink will be super reliable. If your in Cali you will appreciate the efficiency (cost of power) and low heat generation. I started 3 years ago and have gone through a lot of equipment just to eventually arrive at LED technology. I am in the Pacific NW and even with the mild temperatures here I have to use A/C a good portion of the year and the Leds I have are cutting my AC use during lights on periods.

Each row of 4 lights has an individual brightness control and the heat generating drivers are mounted outside the grow room with the DC power going throught the wall to the lights. If you look at the Color Rendering index of flourescent, or HPS not much compares to the 80 - 95 CRI you can easily acheive with quality LEDs. Mine are CRI90 and run at 50v and are efficient at 60-70 watts per COB.

I love the slightly red but very white light that is very close to color correct at 3000K. These high quaity COBs don't give you that blue/purple (blurple) crap light that the cheap Mars and Vivaspar types do and they are notorious for failing very early in life.

 

[Thunder]

CA cost of power is exactly why I'm skipping straight to an LED only grow. I don't mind spending some coin up front to know I will have an efficient lighting system. I like the idea of building it myself so piecing it out through cobkits.com or else where was an option. Just looking to have every ready to go now instead of having to build onto it later. Well sooner than later haha.

Now I like your setup as it's basic what I am aiming for. What did you do from seedling through veg before you flipped? My simple minded self thinks all those lights are over kill. Now I could always add a dimmer and turn things down but still. Is it worth using that amount of power so early on? Or should I have a separate light for the early stages?

 

[GBAUTO]

Hello, Thunder. I also grow for medical needs and I found that working backwards let me make an informed decision. Figure out how much weed you'll need( I only do 1 indoor grow/year) to give you an idea of the number of plants. I have a 8 bucket RDWC system and those plants produce more than enough meds.
I would have a real close look at the Samsung or Bridgelux strips-they produce impressive efficacy and make fabbing a fixture really easy. My current Vero SE 4 array bars use HLG 320 power supplies and they act like mini-suns, same challenge as any single point artificial light source. One of the advantages of using multiple point light sources is uniformity-I removed the reflectors on the Veros because it produced a more even canopy. The strips or QB's work on the same principle. If they had been available when I was building my bars I would have used them instead-MUCH easier and simpler assembly.

 

[DGP]

CA cost of power is exactly why I'm skipping straight to an LED only grow. I don't mind spending some coin up front to know I will have an efficient lighting system. I like the idea of building it myself so piecing it out through cobkits.com or else where was an option. Just looking to have every ready to go now instead of having to build onto it later. Well sooner than later haha.

Now I like your setup as it's basic what I am aiming for. What did you do from seedling through veg before you flipped? My simple minded self thinks all those lights are over kill. Now I could always add a dimmer and turn things down but still. Is it worth using that amount of power so early on? Or should I have a separate light for the early stages?

I just use a less powerful array in my veg tent and I do dim it down when appropriate and as they get bigger I turn em up. When you dim the actual power used at the wall goes down as well and it is infinitly adjustable rather than a ballast that runs at say 600/750/1000 and I beleive my 750 watt array turned up to max is giving me the equivalent of about 1250 watts (according to my light meter) in HPS but with better light quality (color and distribution). HPSgives you one point source (sort of) but COB arrays give you 12 points of distribution for a 4X4 area for example...

 

[Thunder]

Hello, Thunder. I also grow for medical needs and I found that working backwards let me make an informed decision. Figure out how much weed you'll need( I only do 1 indoor grow/year) to give you an idea of the number of plants. I have a 8 bucket RDWC system and those plants produce more than enough meds.
I would have a real close look at the Samsung or Bridgelux strips-they produce impressive efficacy and make fabbing a fixture really easy. My current Vero SE 4 array bars use HLG 320 power supplies and they act like mini-suns, same challenge as any single point artificial light source. One of the advantages of using multiple point light sources is uniformity-I removed the reflectors on the Veros because it produced a more even canopy. The strips or QB's work on the same principle. If they had been available when I was building my bars I would have used them instead-MUCH easier and simpler assembly.

These options are killing me. Today I actually learned about the qb boards and strips. Didn't mention them bc my knowledge is well, a days. If I had to make a wild guess I would say 8ish lbs a year.

I just use a less powerful array in my veg tent and I do dim it down when appropriate and as they get bigger I turn em up. When you dim the actual power used at the wall goes down as well and it is infinitly adjustable rather than a ballast that runs at say 600/750/1000 and I beleive my 750 watt array turned up to max is giving me the equivalent of about 1250 watts (according to my light meter) in HPS but with better light quality (color and distribution). HPSgives you one point source (sort of) but COB arrays give you 12 points of distribution for a 4X4 area for example...

So same lights, just turned way down for veg?

 

[GBAUTO]

These options are killing me. Today I actually learned about the qb boards and strips. Didn't mention them bc my knowledge is well, a days. If I had to make a wild guess I would say 8ish lbs a year.


So same lights, just turned way down for veg?

Understood...I hope that 8lbs is a Really wild guess because it's going to be damn challenging to turn that out of a 4x4 over a year.

 

[DGP]

These options are killing me. Today I actually learned about the qb boards and strips. Didn't mention them bc my knowledge is well, a days. If I had to make a wild guess I would say 8ish lbs a year.


So same lights, just turned way down for veg?

Yeah, same light just less of them per sq. ft. and turned down until the plants gain size and can take more light

 

[DGP]

Understood...I hope that 8lbs is a Really wild guess because it's going to be damn challenging to turn that out of a 4x4 over a year.

I am no expert but have been growing cannabis 3 years in a 4X4 room and 4 lbs/yr is real challenging for me. A mistake or two can cost you a lot. I have built greenhouses, raised and propagated orchids, hybridized roses, grafted trees and farmed some land and I find growing quality cannabis and getting a respectable yield is harder than all that other growing I did on the farm!

 

[Thunder]

That was kind of a wild guess haha. Probably more around 4ish. Both parents, sister and myself are medical users. So I need to cover everyone.

Understood...I hope that 8lbs is a Really wild guess because it's going to be damn challenging to turn that out of a 4x4 over a year.

 

[Thunder]

Yeah, same light just less of them per sq. ft. and turned down until the plants gain size and can take more light

So say I had 12-16 cobs, howany would you use for veg? I'm assuming just one per plant (dimmed appropriately) until more are needed.

 

[Thunder]

I am no expert but have been growing cannabis 3 years in a 4X4 room and 4 lbs/yr is real challenging for me. A mistake or two can cost you a lot. I have built greenhouses, raised and propagated orchids, hybridized roses, grafted trees and farmed some land and I find growing quality cannabis and getting a respectable yield is harder than all that other growing I did on the farm!

No expert either, that's why I'm here. I wanted to start small and make my big expense the lights. Didn' aanticipate those kind of questions in the light section haha. I have a 2 car garage with a good amount of space over to fit at least 3 4x4 tents. But like you said, shit happens so I'm starting small. It' m likely if something goes wrong it will be with the plants. Lights I can fix or substitute until I fix. So going big on lights first doesn' scare. Now having 10 plants fail would hurt a lot more :cool:

 

[AvidLerner]

I know you are looking at cobs, but pcbs are efficient if designed correctly, and use less power. A GrowGreen pcb uses one HLG-185H-C1050B driver for two boards for a total of 200w at 200lm/w output the highest available for the Samsung LM561C diode. Less power than four cobs and more light available for plant growth.

For a 4x4 I use six 200w boards running at 100w each for a total of 660 watts enough to cover a 4x4 area. here is my light fixture for a 2x4 area at 350w. 700w will cover a 4x4 like a blanket.

 

[Thunder]

I have been in the hunt for Samsung f564d strips and something similar to your setup but have had no luck. Are there specific part numbers I need to be looking for? I can seem to find these anywhere. Kind of making pushing me in the direction of individual cobs bc of availability. I have been on the major sites and find similar products but no the ones every keep recommending.

 

[DGP]

I have been in the hunt for Samsung f564d strips and something similar to your setup but have had no luck. Are there specific part numbers I need to be looking for? I can seem to find these anywhere. Kind of making pushing me in the direction of individual cobs bc of availability. I have been on the major sites and find similar products but no the ones every keep recommending.

Same with the quantum boards.....always out of stock. That is why I broke down and just went with high quality COBs. Cobkits.com sometimes has QBs.....

 

[Thunder]

Same with the quantum boards.....always out of stock. That is why I broke down and just went with high quality COBs. Cobkits.com sometimes has QBs.....

Thinkng that's what I am going to do. I love the idea of piecing things together but then I see kits on cutter or this one
https://www.rapidled.com/mass-medical-strains-cxb3590-4-x-4-grow-kit/

Basicaly eeverything I am looking for but I see no real world experience. I also notice it is very close to what most people build. I dont mind spending a couple extra dollars knowing I'm getting the right components. Also like the idea of a warranty on a kit. Not a bunch of out sourced parts I have to track down myself.

 

[DGP]

Thinkng that's what I am going to do. I love the idea of piecing things together but then I see kits on cutter or this one
https://www.rapidled.com/mass-medical-strains-cxb3590-4-x-4-grow-kit/

Basicaly eeverything I am looking for but I see no real world experience. I also notice it is very close to what most people build. I dont mind spending a couple extra dollars knowing I'm getting the right components. Also like the idea of a warranty on a kit. Not a bunch of out sourced parts I have to track down myself.

Things like Meanwell drivers are ultra reliable. Used to design systems professionally for a different market and in many years didn't see one MW supply die. The COB chips are similar and if cooled correctly will be pretty foolproof. In other words, I see very little risk. If one of my Luminous 50V COBs does die or fails due to a fan dying it is only $19 to replace it and it takes 5 minutes of my time to swap out.

Kit, finished product or "roll your own DIY", I think it is pretty low risk.

 

[Dan789]

Thinkng that's what I am going to do. I love the idea of piecing things together but then I see kits on cutter or this one
https://www.rapidled.com/mass-medical-strains-cxb3590-4-x-4-grow-kit/

Basicaly eeverything I am looking for but I see no real world experience. I also notice it is very close to what most people build. I dont mind spending a couple extra dollars knowing I'm getting the right components. Also like the idea of a warranty on a kit. Not a bunch of out sourced parts I have to track down myself.

Hey Thunder, I’ve just (December) built my first cob and it’s a Rapid kit, vero 29 @3000k I didn’t opt for the framing though fashioning that myself from 2020 square framing aluminum. That said love the light, total investment around a $1000. Fills the 4x4 tent really well. I use a eight tube T5 HO fixture @6500k tubes for veg, pulling tubes when everything’s small, adding the tubes back in as everything gets bigger. Also just grow during the winter, better temps where I’m at in California.