New to the forum looking for help on lighting

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JimJam78

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Newbie to the forum looking to set up my first grow, I’m seeking advice on LED lighting. I have a mid range budget and will be setting up a 4x8 tent but will probably only use one light for the first grow. I have been looking at lights from Spider Farmer, Mars Hydro, Vipar Spectra and Philzon. I was leaning towards the Spider Farmer SE 5000 after reading about their favourable reviews but after reading some posts on here and other forums about burned out diodes and loose connections I was hoping some of the members out there would be able to tell me their views and opinions on the Spider farmer lights and other compatible brands within that price range.
Thanks in advance
 
E9noxis

E9noxis

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I just get the complete kits and use te light it comes with
 
phxazcraig

phxazcraig

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Newbie to the forum looking to set up my first grow, I’m seeking advice on LED lighting. I have a mid range budget and will be setting up a 4x8 tent but will probably only use one light for the first grow. I have been looking at lights from Spider Farmer, Mars Hydro, Vipar Spectra and Philzon. I was leaning towards the Spider Farmer SE 5000 after reading about their favourable reviews but after reading some posts on here and other forums about burned out diodes and loose connections I was hoping some of the members out there would be able to tell me their views and opinions on the Spider farmer lights and other compatible brands within that price range.
Thanks in advance
I actually don't know the price range. I use a 600W HLG-600R, which covers a 4x4 tent very well.

I just want to point out that you should factor a PAR meter into your costs right now. You're going to need it.

Also, with my light I need a lot of clearance to the canopy (24 inches, or more). This is typical of strong LED lights in general, so be sure to factor that into your grow style and strains. (I had to swap out my 4x4 tent for a taller one during flower stretch. Lesson learned.)
 
Ponky

Ponky

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If you want your tent to drop some weight cheap you can consider CMH. And 600 watt HPS is also well suited to run a pair in a 4x8. Cheap to start.
 
PipeCarver

PipeCarver

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Newbie to the forum looking to set up my first grow, I’m seeking advice on LED lighting. I have a mid range budget and will be setting up a 4x8 tent but will probably only use one light for the first grow. I have been looking at lights from Spider Farmer, Mars Hydro, Vipar Spectra and Philzon. I was leaning towards the Spider Farmer SE 5000 after reading about their favourable reviews but after reading some posts on here and other forums about burned out diodes and loose connections I was hoping some of the members out there would be able to tell me their views and opinions on the Spider farmer lights and other compatible brands within that price range.
Thanks in advance
The best tennis racket in the world won't make you a good tennis player unless you know how to use it. The same goes for lights, get what you can afford to get remembering you need other equipment as well.

There are lots of us on here with Spider Farmer stuff and I'm not hearing many complaints. I think the question I have on these lights is longevity & reliability.

I know it's hard to cut through all the BS to get the lights you want at the right price.

How large of a space? How many plants? how much heat do you need in your space? led's don't add much heat & plants like it warm 78f - 83f. My basement with lights on I only get to 72f so I needed to added heat will you? Ventilation? Do you know how to grow indoors or are you just learning growing for the first time?
 
J

JimJam78

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You’re right PipeCarver there is a lot of BS to cut through when looking for lights. It doesn’t help when you have limited knowledge lol. I have seen some impressive yields with Mars Hydro and Spider Farmer lights and the 2 things I didn’t want to cut costs on were the tent and lights. Obviously if I can make a saving by getting a cheaper light with comparable output I would be stupid not to listen, taking in to account running costs. The goal is to have 8 plants in a 4x8 tent in a room with a 8 foot high ceiling. As I said I think 8 plants is too much for a first grow so I intend on getting 1 light and then move in to the other side of the tent when I feel comfortable and have the funds to invest in the second light. I will be getting a 8’’ fan and carbon filter set up. Any ideas on brands for this and any other equipment needed would be much appreciated. Heating will be assessed on set up as the weather is warming up and I will need to check the ambient temp of the room the tent will be in. I intend on using Humboldts Secret nutrients and any suggestions for the best potting medium would be great.
 
MIGrampaUSA

MIGrampaUSA

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The best tennis racket in the world won't make you a good tennis player unless you know how to use it. The same goes for lights, get what you can afford to get remembering you need other equipment as well.

There are lots of us on here with Spider Farmer stuff and I'm not hearing many complaints. I think the question I have on these lights is longevity & reliability.

I know it's hard to cut through all the BS to get the lights you want at the right price.

How large of a space? How many plants? how much heat do you need in your space? led's don't add much heat & plants like it warm 78f - 83f. My basement with lights on I only get to 72f so I needed to added heat will you? Ventilation? Do you know how to grow indoors or are you just learning growing for the first time?
Following up on what @PipeCarver said ... I have 8 kingbrite 240 watt quantum boards. I have one 450 watt spiderfarmer quantum boards. I also have a Grower's Choice ROI-E720 that cost me a grand a little over a year ago. Everyone of those lights from the $100 Kingbrite boards on up to the $1000 Grower's Choice produce great buds. If I knew when I bought the E720 what I know now ... I wouldn't have bought the light. As for Spider Farmer? They make great quantum boards. I don't own their bar lights so I can't really speak about them. I wouldn't call Spider Farmer a budget board either. It's a decent board sold for a little less than the competition sells theirs. Yet they all use the same base components (Samsung Diodes and frequently meanwell drivers).

I would look for quality components from a company that has a favorable reputation instead of chasing a particular brand name. How do you choose between different boards? Well, 2 boards with the same wattage ratings ... one has single chip diodes. The other has double chip diodes and diode counts is 2x as many ... The board that has 2x diode count running at the same wattage is going to be more efficient. They also won't put off as much heat.

4x8 tent. If you want to use all 32 square feet of that tent, you'll want at least 30w per square foot of lighting. 32 x 30 = 960watts. So keep that in mind if you plan on using it all. However, there is absolutely no reason you can't start with one 240w board and work a 2 x 4 section of that big tent to get started. Just plan on adding more lighting as money permits.
 
MIGrampaUSA

MIGrampaUSA

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has anyone got any experience with the bar type LEDs, I’ve seen some you tube videos saying that they produce 30% bigger yields?
That's quite a claim. Compared to what though?

The ROI-E720 is a bar light. It's a great light! It's made for a 5 x 5 tent though. I had it in a 4' x 5' tent originally and it didn't fit very well. It's now hung in a 5 x 5 and hasn't been in use since the fall. The last 2 runs I ran in my 6.5 x 6.5 using quantum boards. I'll be firing it up shortly though as I prepare for my summer greenhouse run.

If you plan to run scrog or sea of green, then the bar light is for you. If you intend to run smaller runs (less than 4 plants) then I would likely stick with quantum boards. The good part of bar lights is it will more evenly light the space right under the light. The bad part is they cost more (usually) and while they may light the area more evenly across the whole tent, they don't produce better flowers. If you utilize the light the way it was intended (scrog or sea of green) then yes you could potentially produce 30% more yield in the same space. If you leave a lot of space open like I do so I can more easily tend to the plants, then the quantum boards make more sense. So, while I don't find either type of light superior to the other, I do find that the way they are utilized matters. Pick your grow style. I scrog under the 5 x 5 with the bar lights. I grow 2 plants per light under my 240w quantum boards. Both style lights produce great flower.
 
J

JimJam78

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Yeah I was definitely looking to run Scrog in the set up. Seen some impressive results using that method. I’m leaning more to the bar type LEDS think the initial out lay would be worth it in the long run. Just finding the right lights at the right price I guess
 
Ponky

Ponky

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Yeah I was definitely looking to run Scrog in the set up. Seen some impressive results using that method. I’m leaning more to the bar type LEDS think the initial out lay would be worth it in the long run. Just finding the right lights at the right price I guess
If you want to get started and save up for one of the expensive lights start with a cheap HPS. Get the first crop or two out of the way. So you can save up the 2k you need for a nice pair if lights. Then just sell the HPS when you're done.
 
MIGrampaUSA

MIGrampaUSA

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A pair of these would light up the whole 4 x 8. You could purchase them one at a time or together depending on how you want to go.

https://www.mytrimmer.com/grow-lights/x-465w-pro-led/

or


There's a lot of options out there. I threw a couple at you. One high end solution (price-wise) and one mid range in price. Either would work well and both would give enough light to grow great flower. I guess you could go the HID route like @Ponky suggested, but I wouldn't if you have to add cooling to keep temps down. I would consider it if you live in a cold weather climate and your grow area is in a cold (Michigan for example) basement.
 
J

JimJam78

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The Spider Farmer SE 5000 was the light I was looking at but after reading a few bad reviews I was interested to see what else was out there. Thanks for the link to the other brand will check them out
 
Ponky

Ponky

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A pair of these would light up the whole 4 x 8. You could purchase them one at a time or together depending on how you want to go.

https://www.mytrimmer.com/grow-lights/x-465w-pro-led/

or


There's a lot of options out there. I threw a couple at you. One high end solution (price-wise) and one mid range in price. Either would work well and both would give enough light to grow great flower. I guess you could go the HID route like @Ponky suggested, but I wouldn't if you have to add cooling to keep temps down. I would consider it if you live in a cold weather climate and your grow area is in a cold (Michigan for example) basement.
I'm just thinking spending 2000 bucks on LEDs stings a lot less after you already have a couple pounds of weed ready.
 
Cashmeh

Cashmeh

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I read the title and nothing else. I come to argue. . .

Buy an adjustable tube 1000w hid and put it in a 4x4 tent. 160$ shipped. .

If you do everything right, when compared with an led of equal coverage lol. . LoL. . EQUAL COVERAGE. . you will spend 4x the amount upfront.

If were talking maximizing your first grow. . go hid. If your not on a budget, buy multiple 1000w lights lol. . ill take 4 of my 1000w lights for 640 bucks over any 640$ led. . but i have unlimited room and can see the bigger picture.

Most will say Led with coco. . id recommend hid with rdwc. We are not the same lol

Now if you want to build your own cob led thingie. . i think its about half the price?

 
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MIGrampaUSA

MIGrampaUSA

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Didn't say it was the best of the best. Both lights use pretty much the same components. One prices higher, the other prices a bit lower ... real world results probably wouldn't be much different. It pays more to shop for specific components than to pursue a specific brand name. If you've seen some of my other posts ... my Kingbrite boards produce just as nice tasting flowers as my more expensive lighting. There's a lot of smoke and mirrors going on out there when what a person wants is quality components that will last.
 
Ponky

Ponky

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Didn't say it was the best of the best. Both lights use pretty much the same components. One prices higher, the other prices a bit lower ... real world results probably wouldn't be much different. It pays more to shop for specific components than to pursue a specific brand name. If you've seen some of my other posts ... my Kingbrite boards produce just as nice tasting flowers as my more expensive lighting. There's a lot of smoke and mirrors going on out there when what a person wants is quality components that will last.
Oh I was just using this as an example of premium LED lights. They can cost even more than this too. A pretty serious purchase for most.
 

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