Survey: How long have you been using your current grow light(s)?

[ViparSpectra]

Hello THC growers, ViparSpectra would like to take a quick easy survey with you, which will take only 30 seconds.

Q: How long have you been using your current grow light(s)? Have you ever apply maintenance to the light yet?

Thank you for answering.

 

[Observationist]

I bought some cheap Chinese lights off of Amazon, 150 watts for 60$ for apparently lm301b diodes.

So far so great, just small coverage.

The other Chinese blurples I have bought have gone out within a grow, or half of a grow.

These other ones that are not blurples have lasted for almost a year about so far...

My main problem is proper coverage for a 5x5 along with budget.

Gotta balance the 4 panels I have.

Otherwise, considering the price they are awesome.

more blues and a separate chanel/control for UV 300-380nm LEDs might possibly be more optimal.


Green for penetration (?)
Red/far red for heat/penetration stimulation (?)

 

[crossfader]

Been using a pair of inexpensive Chinese QB Amazon specials in my 3x3 tent lol, 110 true watts each. Using them for a few years now but wouldn't mind upgrading to a more powerful 'brand name' light when finances allow...whenever that may be!😄👍

 

[AnimalHouse]

7 years for my first LED. Liked it so much I bought two more of the same lights over time and they're now 4 and 3 years old. No maintenance other than cleaning them up before every grow. I spent $500-$650 for each light and plan to use them until they die and burn out then I'll go shopping again

 

[mysticepipedon]

I've been suffering with my current light since Saturday.

The reason I got it was because it was among a few, "If that light ever dropped in price by about $400, I'd buy it," lights that I wanted, and suddenly the damned thing went on sale. I had no intention of buying a new light until I was ready to set up another tent. I wanted a light where I could change the wavelength mix for veg and flower, and this fixture covers it.

My previous light, which I still have and will go into that other tent, eventually, went 3 years and then I had to replace the driver. I briefly convinced myself a loose connection was the problem, until reality was undeniable: I had to replace the driver.

This old light isn't a "cheap, Chinese" light, either. It was a 600W DIY kit that used to be sold by the Horticultural Lighting Group. They no longer sell this model, but it's similar to their 640W R-spec.

 

[GuySmiley]

I'm on grow #3, Flower week #1, with my 1000W HPS. I already have a new bulb to put in after my current grow finishes, if needed.

 

[T_Dub]

Three years with my current COB fixtures. I purchased three 320 watt COB fixtures to replace a 1,000 watt HID and spent $429 per fixture. Spent more than I wanted, but they should last me a long long time. I run two currently in my 2x4 tent for a combined total of 640 watts (dimmed though). With as fast as technology changes though, I’ll bet the 450 watt ViparSpectra XS4000 would outperform my dimmed 640 watts with its better spectrum.

 

[ViparSpectra]

I bought some cheap Chinese lights off of Amazon, 150 watts for 60$ for apparently lm301b diodes.

So far so great, just small coverage.

The other Chinese blurples I have bought have gone out within a grow, or half of a grow.

These other ones that are not blurples have lasted for almost a year about so far...

My main problem is proper coverage for a 5x5 along with budget.

Gotta balance the 4 panels I have.

Otherwise, considering the price they are awesome.

more blues and a separate chanel/control for UV 300-380nm LEDs might possibly be more optimal.


Green for penetration (?)
Red/far red for heat/penetration stimulation (?)

Thanks for your support and suggestions. For 5x5, the KS5000 will be a great choice!

 

[ViparSpectra]

Been using a pair of inexpensive Chinese QB Amazon specials in my 3x3 tent lol, 110 true watts each. Using them for a few years now but wouldn't mind upgrading to a more powerful 'brand name' light when finances allow...whenever that may be!😄👍

Our brand has been launching better lights to meet various planting spaces and needs. I believe you will like them, and they are worth considering in your next purchase! The KS2500 and KS3000 will be great for 3x3. 😄

 

[ViparSpectra]

7 years for my first LED. Liked it so much I bought two more of the same lights over time and they're now 4 and 3 years old. No maintenance other than cleaning them up before every grow. I spent $500-$650 for each light and plan to use them until they die and burn out then I'll go shopping again

Very quality light!!💪

 

[ViparSpectra]

Three years with my current COB fixtures. I purchased three 320 watt COB fixtures to replace a 1,000 watt HID and spent $429 per fixture. Spent more than I wanted, but they should last me a long long time. I run two currently in my 2x4 tent for a combined total of 640 watts (dimmed though). With as fast as technology changes though, I’ll bet the 450 watt ViparSpectra XS4000 would outperform my dimmed 640 watts with its better spectrum.

The XS4000 is a great LED light, with low energy consumption but high output, Samsung's lamp beads allow it to have nice PPFD, which is a great choice!

 

[DoobieBro462]

HLG 600rspec. I have been using it for 9 months. Tent is a Mars Hydro 4x4. I would love to try one of your bar style fixtures though. Just some minor cleaning with wipes.

 

[mysticepipedon]

HLG 600rspec. I have been using it for 9 months. Tent is a Mars Hydro 4x4. I would love to try one of your bar style fixtures though. Just some minor cleaning with wipes.

The bar style lights are great for a more even spread of light.

 

[ViparSpectra]

HLG 600rspec. I have been using it for 9 months. Tent is a Mars Hydro 4x4. I would love to try one of your bar style fixtures though. Just some minor cleaning with wipes.

💪 Our bar light, KS series is worth a try! In 4x4 grow tent, the KS5000 will be the best choice. Enjoy an official coupon with code: THCFARMER

Link: https://www.viparspectra.com/products/viparspectra®-ks5000-500w-led-grow-light

 

[ViparSpectra]

The bar style lights are great for a more even spread of light.

Yes, they are! The KS series adopts Samsung LM301H Diodes, providing optimal full spectrum. The larger frame on the KS series helps spread more light out to the edges and corners. A detachable reduces heat from your grow space.👍👍😊

 

[bugget]

Hello THC growers, ViparSpectra would like to take a quick easy survey with you, which will take only 30 seconds.

Q: How long have you been using your current grow light(s)? Have you ever apply maintenance to the light yet?

Thank you for answering.

Less than a year. I have two Spider Farm SF1000s. Haven't had to do anything as they as still pretty new.

 

[KenKenaf]

I never ran the same Led more than once before giving them away. Instead of one power cord per fixture I have to run 3. Thanks, led manufactures, my OCD loves you all.

Do led grow light manufactures grow plants? 15 years ago it was common knowledge that 6500k grew massive roots for veg. Now you can't find anything but 3500k all purpose craplights.

It was common knowledge you needed lots of red for bloom. None of these Led lights have enough red, not even close.

So we have an entire species of phosphorus deficient plants grown indoors with tiny root systems, and no one knows why?

The reason is because the light manufactures know you'll keep upgrading as these lights get closer to what they should've been and could've easily been all along.

Example of Led lights practically everyone has been sold:

Example of next years model, with proper 660 levels:

But where's the UV? Oh it falls outside of PAR so it's useless, just like 730nm. Lol.

So proper [email protected] comes in the 2025 lineup ,proper uv-b in 2026 season, by the time 730 is at acceptable levels they'll take the uv back out. It'll be 2050 before an Led grow light actually makes sense by my calculation.

These general purpose grow light manufactures have never grown plants.. Or, have intentionally produced shit lights in order to sell upgrades under a new model next year, indefinitely.


The mentality of these unpracticed manufactures tells me a decent bloom spectrum will hit the market before a decent veg spectrum. What good is a decent bloom light without massive rhizo/cytokinin dominance? It's 2023 and I have to remove my vegs lights and lower bloom lights from the rafters like WCW Sting.

Ridiculous, no one makes a panel with a veg/bloom switch, that also actually has a halfway logical spectrum.

 

[elusiveshame]

5 months with a Vivosun VS2000 in my 2x4, and some 4000w equivalent LED I got off Amazon in my 4x4 for about a month.

Haven’t done anything aside from wipe them down.

 

[ninjadip]

I'm glad i'm not the only that bought Chinese LEDs and is moderately happy with them lol

I'm entering my 3rd grow with a cheap set of 110w chinese LEDs($40-50 each), claim lm301h. Only thing i did to them maintenance wise was wipe them down. I bought these last year.

I will also be using a new Spider Farmer SF2000 on the next grow with the 2 chinese lights in a 4x4.

 

[AnimalHouse]

I never ran the same Led more than once before giving them away. Instead of one power cord per fixture I have to run 3. Thanks, led manufactures, my OCD loves you all.

Do led grow light manufactures grow plants? 15 years ago it was common knowledge that 6500k grew massive roots for veg. Now you can't find anything but 3500k all purpose craplights.

It was common knowledge you needed lots of red for bloom. None of these Led lights have enough red, not even close.

So we have an entire species of phosphorus deficient plants grown indoors with tiny root systems, and no one knows why?

The reason is because the light manufactures know you'll keep upgrading as these lights get closer to what they should've been and could've easily been all along.

Example of Led lights practically everyone has been sold:
View attachment 1320914

Example of next years model, with proper 660 levels:

View attachment 1320915


But where's the UV? Oh it falls outside of PAR so it's useless, just like 730nm. Lol.

So proper [email protected] comes in the 2025 lineup ,proper uv-b in 2026 season, by the time 730 is at acceptable levels they'll take the uv back out. It'll be 2050 before an Led grow light actually makes sense by my calculation.

These general purpose grow light manufactures have never grown plants.. Or, have intentionally produced shit lights in order to sell upgrades under a new model next year, indefinitely.


The mentality of these unpracticed manufactures tells me a decent bloom spectrum will hit the market before a decent veg spectrum. What good is a decent bloom light without massive rhizo/cytokinin dominance? It's 2023 and I have to remove my vegs lights and lower bloom lights from the rafters like WCW Sting.

Ridiculous, no one makes a panel with a veg/bloom switch, that also actually has a halfway logical spectrum.

This is why I only consider lights being made by companies working together with commercial growers & farms to perfect a product. Any manufacturer can build a light to meet specs and data and say it will grow a crop.
But there's more to it. I've seen COB LED spit out a PAR reading that would make mouths water but it couldn't do anything better on a cannabis plant than a mid quality HPS.

I've scored well with my CLW LED and am very happy with what they do but I do have a grind to gear....In advertising they never show the light with the cords attached. It always looks nice and clean, ready to go, as if it uses a magical invisible power source.
But in reality, there's a very stiff power cord, a phone cord for data from the controller, and if using UV there's two more power cords to add with one being daisy chained. If using more than one light it all doubles or in my case, triples using 3 lights. There's a literal cluster fuck of cords to manage with these lights they never show or talk about in advertising.