You’re in Canada so I know it’s hard to get them there but this kit is killer for a 2x4, basically the same as the 300RSpec @LegsMahoney put in his 2x4 recently. Maybe you could get it shipped to a friend on the other side of the border and pick it up?:
I use both 150w each grow place.
I wouldn’t have gone back if crazy circumstances didn’t put me in the market for an ultra low cost 4x4 setup. Already burned a few tops with the cmh. Probably my fault for vegging to long and neglecting training but still, think it was heat burn not light burn only the few colas that got close to the bulb(630w de cmh 3100k) I’m for sure going back to a 480w led bar light after harvest. Probably mars fce4800. Out of the 3 different brands of led I was using that one grew the best weed and grew it as well the 600w hps I was using before it.
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Actually got that bad boy rockin in my 3x3, but yea it’s a beast! Highly recommended
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I started on those magnetic ballasts. They were pretty scary you knew when they come on because all the lights in your house would dim lol. You needed a different ballast for metal metal and sodium
then I moved onto those digital ballast they would go good. And you could use the same ballast i’m both metal and sodium you just had to flick a switch
Then I bought burplers I didn’t really use them because I didn’t have any confidence in them, so I went back to my HIDS
Then about 18 months ago, I bought some leds I like the leds for the safety factor. And I like the fact that there is not a concentration of heat and one part of the plant I think they better suit, my grow style better
I prefer them, but I’m not prepared to say that they are better than hids
I think it depends on your style of grow. HIDS have been around a long time because they do a job good but I think future technology is going to be focused on the leds
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I have high pressure sodium with magnetic ballast and a Mars Hydro ts1000.
The thing is the price, but over all led is better but require or may require you to adapt your plants feeding.
From my experience you can dim a led down and be even more efficient, led is brighter.
HPS with magnetic ballast will be working as long as they work, once it goes down, I will get another led.
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Please tell me what you know about the change in feeding
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I get to bits obsessed by light efficiency. I tend to make my canopy as flat as possible I lower the lights right down then I use a par meter to set my dimmer. I’m only focused on the shallow grow. I have quite a few LEDs and plenty of space. So I’ll run More than one one stations
Mostly from what I’ve heard it’s that LEDs make your plants want a hard magnesium and calcium push, and higher room temps for a given EC of feed
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Thanks, dirt_wizard. Yes, that’s what I’ve experienced about the camag. I didn’t know about temps. Thank you I think you’ve given me valuable information before
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Yes the LEDs have no infrared so leaf temps are just room temp or even cooler because of evaporative cooling, so LEDs work best around 75-85F air temp. Lots of people have their plants not take up enough feed because the room is too cold then they get deficiencies
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I’m a bit worried that I’m starting to wonder away from the theme of the thread. Is there some good lighting threads that you could recommend to me? please
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Thanks, Dirt_Wizard that information will be useful. I have a habit of running my LEDs quite cool because I worry I’ll burn out the diodes i’ve gotta get back to work, but I’ll check that after. Thanks
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Started out 20 yrs back using DIY magnetic HID, then went to the digital. I’ve ran every HID bulb available. The one that does stand out in my memory was the dual lamp HPS/MH 1k watt combination. Good flower set, nice stacking on colas, tight node spacing and some of the most sticky resin drenched buds I’d ever grown. Only drawbacks were the damn heat, cooling costs and operating costs. Solis tek came out with their Matrix line and allowed me to control (4) 1k ballasts with (1) remote. Integrated timer with multiple on/off times, system diagnostics, bulb life, ect. I loved my Matrix’s, but as time went on, the ballasts life declined. I got a good 8yrs out of them and to replace all 4 and then lamps too, just became too much. I still have em tho, collecting dust along with all my XXL hoods from sun systems. Took a chance on an over priced LED that eventually over half of the cob diodes melted on me. Literally! Company I got them from went out of business not even 1yr after I bought it and so I had a really bad taste for the LED scene. Fired them HIDs back up for a yr. Researched for a bit and came upon G8 LED, I bought a 600w panel and some 90w 660nm ufo boosters. They worked well, but nothing compared to my HID. Still, there was that major learning curve that everyone goes through when making a complete conversion and that got me really discouraged and I started to doubt my genetics and even my skill/knowledge/ experience. Leading to MORE RESEARCH… finally found all my answers, made my tweeks and turns in method and application. Now I’m running (2) bullshit TS2000 panels from Mars Hydro. Ehh, they’re ok, at best. I’m more less watching and waiting for the technology to catch up. I’ve found some decent bar systems, but I have my eye and heart set on KIND LED X750 with UV/IR. 2 of those in a 4x8 and I can finally do some damage again. I dont sell, and only grow for personal needs but always have way more than i could possibly use. Shit, my states not even green yet. Looks like they’re pre order atm for July stock. LED Growlight Depot
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In my case I need to add some calmag or add a calcium source, but you need to find your way, it depends on your tap water if you use it, soil and every grower needs to find its way.
There isn’t a one formula fits all, you get there with time and experience using your ingredients, you may add home made compost to your soil and enrich the soil and need less or no nutrients at all and you you give them they will start burning the leaves tips.
Check water PH, and go from there, if something swows up you can always check by symptoms what can be and equalize your feeding to the needs of the plants.
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I have some tsl panels and they work great for me.
But I wouldn’t buy one now. Mine has been on 12/12 pretty much non-stop for 4 years. Which I’d say is pretty good value for money.
But I’m not going to pay high retail for technology from 5 years ago.
Maybe if it was super cheap, I haven’t checked, then I might be convinced.
LEDs are the best. But I do buy the calmag. Necessary imo.
My current gripe against LEDs is that there don’t seem too many options for a 2x4 tent light market and it’s annoying me.
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I agree with you there, the 2x4 is a tough one for a single light, but your certainly on the right path with using a tsl. Check out their SP, might be more applicable for the length of the tent.
I’m running a 4x8 fabric bed of LOS. I too have noticed the increased need for cal/mag. At one point I was supplemental with the cal mag but now I do alot of composting and with the egg shells and crustacean meals my calcium is plentiful, only thing is the Epsom salt that I have to keep an eye on. I prefer to overload my soil and composting just seems to work best to avoid all the Grey area of what available and not.
So far so good with LED, it’s just way too over priced IMHO. But I am happy with Mars Hydro I must say. This last week I had invoked my warranty on one of the drivers. They’re very helpful and I only had to pay for shipping. Only 1 driver is fried but they’re sending me 2 along with the hardware and a daisychain/dimmer box, of which the original versions I bought didn’t have. So at the very least, their customer service is what’s keeping me faithful… for now. But they do have a nice 8 bar system FC8000, so that one is on the back burner along with kind led
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Yes tastycrop I had to go pretty heavy on calimag I always use it anyway, because I use coconut fibre. But I found I had to use a lot more than usual, when I start using the LEDs I didn’t know what it was. At first. I thought it was The new brand of Coco fibre I was using
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