Light setup for 4x4? LED? New grower.

  • Thread starter Ml386
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Ml386

Ml386

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I’m a first time grower. I plan to use a 4x4 tent and am interested in scrog. My aim is 2 to 4 plants at a time. I would like to grow both indica dominant and sativa dominant strains. DWC is the method I’m leaning toward... perhaps bubbleponics. I’m still in the early research stages of method. Soil is fine too if that’s best for beginners. Ultimately, I do want to learn hydro at some point.

What lights would you recommend? I thought that might be a good place to start. I’d prefer easiest and least expensive while still very effective. I’ve read a lot of comments about building your own lights. I have an electrician who would do it, so that’s an option I’d consider since it seems to be most affordable. Also, what about any supplemental lights? As far as climate and heat goes... it’s hot most of the time where I live if that helps narrow down best lighting.

Links to a full list of what to buy would be very much appreciated. I have purchased books and am heavily researching, but all of this is still like another language currently.
 
Munch517

Munch517

142
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There's just so many options for LEDs, the important thing is to remember the combo of light intensity with high efficiency is what matters. If you're up for diy building doing one of the bar lights using led strips would be by far your best bet. Bar-style LEDs are the best format that's out there, the problem is that decent ready-made ones cost close to or over $1000. If you can get a 4x4 bar style led, diy or ready-made, do it. It will be your best option.

Two other options would be either a single HLG 550 v2 ($750) or 2-3 Mars Hydro sp250 fixtures ($250 each). The HLG is a more efficient than the Mars and is generally better regarded among people here. There's some here who have had good luck with the Spider Farmer lights, the SF-4000 is equivalent to the HLG 550 but only costs $570, I can't personally vouch for the quality of that brand though, I'm a little skeptical.
 
Slappyjack

Slappyjack

181
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I was in the same boat a couple of years ago. Ended up building my own. QB132s and Meanwell power supplies. I'd have dig through old info for exact numbers, but it was less than $350. Draws little under 600w at the wall. Fixture is 3'x3' and it's in a 4x4 tent. I run 4 panels during veg (~18.75w sqft) and all 8 during flower (~37.5w sqft). It's worked well for me.
 
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FlintTownBrown

FlintTownBrown

6
3
Usually I prefer strips to boards, but in a 4x4 tent I 2nd slappy’s idea. Except I don’t think you can find HLG-qb132’s anymore. I’m building a lamp with HLG-qb120’s which you can get for $132 for a 4-pack...direct from . Get the 3500k color temp if available, but they may be all gone. If not, go with 3000k. The 4000k may be a bit better during veg (more blues), but the 3000k is much better during flower (more reds), so a better compromise. Some argue that 3000k is actually better than 3500k for an all around color temp. Im not smart enough to know for sure.

These boards are cheap because they’re “old” tech. They don’t have any complementary deep red/uva diodes that are popular lately in newer boards/strips...but those are all at least 2x more $. Check the latest and greatest strips by Pacific Lighting Concepts or Chilled Tech. They’re fantastic (more efficient and CRI of 90+ compared to CRI 80 in the Qb-120), but is the new tech worth the premium? Experience and my wallet agree on “no.” Lots of guys have had great yields the past few years using only the Samsung lm301b/h diodes found in the hlg qb-120 boards.

480 watts in a 4x4 is 30w per sq ft, which is right in the sweet spot for flower. Power 8 qb-120’s with a meanwell hlg-480h-24b driver. That delivers 480 watts at (up to) 24volts. The “B” suffix indicates the driver has a lead for a potentiometer (dimmer switch) that you add, and can mount wherever convenient. The “A” suffix drivers are a bit cheaper and lack this lead. They instead have a built in dimmer you adjust with a screwdriver. It really comes down to convenience. my drivers are mounted to the lamp, so using the built in dimmer on the A version would be a pain.

check octopart to source the driver. that site gives you prices from all the vendors online. Digikey is a popular vendor, but jameco seems to have the best prices lately. I just got 3x drivers for $62 ea from jameco vs $75 from digikey. shipping was a lot cheaper too, so the total bill from jameco was like $50 less than digikey.
 
Slappyjack

Slappyjack

181
63
Usually I prefer strips to boards, but in a 4x4 tent I 2nd slappy’s idea. Except I don’t think you can find HLG-qb132’s anymore. I’m building a lamp with HLG-qb120’s which you can get for $132 for a 4-pack...direct from . Get the 3500k color temp if available, but they may be all gone. If not, go with 3000k. The 4000k may be a bit better during veg (more blues), but the 3000k is much better during flower (more reds), so a better compromise. Some argue that 3000k is actually better than 3500k for an all around color temp. Im not smart enough to know for sure.

These boards are cheap because they’re “old” tech. They don’t have any complementary deep red/uva diodes that are popular lately in newer boards/strips...but those are all at least 2x more $. Check the latest and greatest strips by Pacific Lighting Concepts or Chilled Tech. They’re fantastic (more efficient and CRI of 90+ compared to CRI 80 in the Qb-120), but is the new tech worth the premium? Experience and my wallet agree on “no.” Lots of guys have had great yields the past few years using only the Samsung lm301b/h diodes found in the hlg qb-120 boards.

480 watts in a 4x4 is 30w per sq ft, which is right in the sweet spot for flower. Power 8 qb-120’s with a meanwell hlg-480h-24b driver. That delivers 480 watts at (up to) 24volts. The “B” suffix indicates the driver has a lead for a potentiometer (dimmer switch) that you add, and can mount wherever convenient. The “A” suffix drivers are a bit cheaper and lack this lead. They instead have a built in dimmer you adjust with a screwdriver. It really comes down to convenience. my drivers are mounted to the lamp, so using the built in dimmer on the A version would be a pain.

check octopart to source the driver. that site gives you prices from all the vendors online. Digikey is a popular vendor, but jameco seems to have the best prices lately. I just got 3x drivers for $62 ea from jameco vs $75 from digikey. shipping was a lot cheaper too, so the total bill from jameco was like $50 less than digikey.
I agree with going for 3000k over 3500. If I were doing it again, I'd have four 3000s and four 3500s. I'd run the 3500s for veg (I only use 4 for veg anyway), and all 8 for flower. I know the 3500s are good for both, but I'd like a little more of the red since it's available. Like I said, those panels sit dark for part of the grow anyway.

Flint is right about new vs old tech. The premium of the new stuff isn't worth it to me right now. I can pull more than a gram per watt using this light. That's plenty for me, but YMMV.
 
Slappyjack

Slappyjack

181
63
Stuff I left out in response to your first post...

My first grow was DWC. I've never done soil. I may someday, but hydro is just so much fun.

I wasted a lot of money. After reaching out to people that had years old "first grow" threads, I learned a lot from their experience. What they started with to what they use now, and why they changed. I can tell you that the old adage of "buy once, cry once" holds true with this hobby. You don't have to go all out, but don't go super cheap on the essentials. "Two is one, and one is none" holds true too. An air pump can die. Nice to have multiple sources (each of my totes has two supplies). Your EC/ppm/tds meter will die right when your leaves are doing something weird and you think you're getting nute burn. Your ph meter will die right when you think you have ph lockout. Your most valuable asset in this is time. Spend the extra $10 here and there so that you don't go backwards by days.

I can link you to my first grow vs current grow threads if you'd like. I'm by no means an expert, but I've been where you're at.
 
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