New light ideas.

[Ikilledit]

So this year I’m looking to get a new light. I’m looking for something 800 watts to 1000 watts. 5x5 veg 4x4 flower. I’ve been looking at a few like Philips, HLG, Gavita or a Lumatek Zeus. Also Mars Hydro. Looking for a rail style. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I’m probably going to run me a new line because I want to go 240 volts also.

 

[moe.red]

My argument against running 240v lines is the extra expense involved in running 12-3 wire as opposed to 12-2. You pay out the nose for wire anyway and that extra strand adds to the cost. Also the plugs cost more. The outlets cost more. The light also has to be wired to accept more than 1 input voltage. Most lights today will likely be wired that way ... but probably not all of them.

Both line voltages will work but 120v is cheaper to install.

And more flexible for future changes.

I've run 220 in several spots in my house. My grow space is all 120 purposefully.

 

[Ikilledit]

And more flexible for future changes.

I've run 220 in several spots in my house. My grow space is all 120 purposefully.

Same here. Had to run 240 for some baseboards a few weeks ago. Same with a deep freeze, refrigerator, microwave. House was all tied together kicking breakers left and right. Have to run a few outside outlets. One more dedicated circuit to the bathroom for hair dryer, curling iron. I just want to get these lights off my wall receptacles. Right now I have nothing on them but lights and 2 fans. So one run has 2 lights a fan. The other run has the same.

 

[Ikilledit]

Folks, my first degree was in electrical engineering. So I feel a little qualified to stick my nose in the 120 vs 240 debate.

Truth is, both sides of what have been said are right, but only if you like picking fly shit out of pepper for fun.

Theoretically, 240V is more efficient but has nothing to do with the light. It's the resistance of the wire between the box and the outlet.

240V has less losses due to wiring resistance. 2X voltage, 1/2 amps = 1/4 resistance.

But at the distances we will see this inside our houses, I doubt it would even be measurable.

Once the power is at the LED, as Grampa said the wattage is identical. It's an Ohm's law thing. The LED couldn't care less how you got that wattage there and will use it identically, producing identical waste heat for the amount of photons supplied.

Not trying to stir things up. Hopefully someone finds this useful.

Knowledge is Welcome.

 

[MysticEpipedon]

Mystic is running the raging kush as well!
I think lol.

The Raging Kush II is great, but it's expensive. I probably wouldn't have one, except they had a $400 off sale in late 2022 and I had to demand that they take my money. I use it in a 5 x 5.

I'm in organic soil and I've never been able to set it higher than 75% without seeing signs of light stress. Other growing methods allow higher light levels. The ability to adjust wavelengths of light is pretty cool, but I have not taken advantage yet.

 

[Pipecarver]

Folks, my first degree was in electrical engineering. So I feel a little qualified to stick my nose in the 120 vs 240 debate.

Truth is, both sides of what have been said are right, but only if you like picking fly shit out of pepper for fun.

Theoretically, 240V is more efficient but has nothing to do with the light. It's the resistance of the wire between the box and the outlet.

240V has less losses due to wiring resistance. 2X voltage, 1/2 amps = 1/4 resistance.

But at the distances we will see this inside our houses, I doubt it would even be measurable.

Once the power is at the LED, as Grampa said the wattage is identical. It's an Ohm's law thing. The LED couldn't care less how you got that wattage there and will use it identically, producing identical waste heat for the amount of photons supplied.

Not trying to stir things up. Hopefully someone finds this useful.

voltage drop happens a lot fast with DC than with AC current, as you said it wouldn't be a measurable loss in a house on AC 120/240/V. 220/240 just balances the load better

 

[Pipecarver]

voltage drop happens a lot fast with DC than with AC current, as you said it wouldn't be a measurable loss in a house on AC 120/240/V. 220/240 just balances the load better

I've seen no one mention SpiderFarmer lights. WTF....they seem like good lights to me.
All this talk about wattage is more of a Sq/ft issue isn't it? the more wattage the larger the lights foot print. I have a 900 watt SF light........you say BS they don't make a 900 watt light... right you are....I have 3 se3000's arranged to fit my 5x5. I have 12 - 75 watt bars giving me full coverage at only 75watts /bar.

Are not all lights the same thing with an X amount of low watt bars making up an array of lighting? My bars are 2ft long making up 75watts..wouldn't that equal a 4ft bar at 150 watts?

Then there are the diodes with their various designations and different specs each claiming to be better than the other...wtf to me its too much data to worry about.
Shit some of you guys & granny's can grow with fridge lights and grow better than me even with good equipment......

I bought the same fking golf club as Tiger Woods had and its bull shit that club I have didn't hit it nearly as far as its supposed to and the ball went into the bushes. I took it back and complained the guy just laughed at me.....

 

[MiGrampa]

I've seen no one mention SpiderFarmer lights. WTF....they seem like good lights to me.
All this talk about wattage is more of a Sq/ft issue isn't it? the more wattage the larger the lights foot print. I have a 900 watt SF light........you say BS they don't make a 900 watt light... right you are....I have 3 se3000's arranged to fit my 5x5. I have 12 - 75 watt bars giving me full coverage at only 75watts /bar.

Are not all lights the same thing with an X amount of low watt bars making up an array of lighting? My bars are 2ft long making up 75watts..wouldn't that equal a 4ft bar at 150 watts?

Then there are the diodes with their various designations and different specs each claiming to be better than the other...wtf to me its too much data to worry about.
Shit some of you guys & granny's can grow with fridge lights and grow better than me even with good equipment......

I bought the same fking golf club as Tiger Woods had and its bull shit that club I have didn't hit it nearly as far as its supposed to and the ball went into the bushes. I took it back and complained the guy just laughed at me.....

Ok, Spider Farmer ... I had their SF4000 and I didn't like the light. It was a quantum board and I found that the board was too hot to use in its center. I got the light for free on the "other" site so I gave it to my son-in-law. I have plenty of light already and it really wasn't of any use to me.

Was it a bad light? No, it worked just fine ... It just didn't work very well with my grow style. I have a whole stack of unused quantum boards that I no longer use. Eventually my son will be taking some of those lights off my hands.

 

[growsinse79]

AC infinity just sent me a free replacement light on a 20 month old light that the timer stopped working on. New light and postage paid return in 3 days. I didn't even know it was still under warranty.

 

[Pipecarver]

Ok, Spider Farmer ... I had their SF4000 and I didn't like the light. It was a quantum board and I found that the board was too hot to use in its center. I got the light for free on the "other" site so I gave it to my son-in-law. I have plenty of light already and it really wasn't of any use to me.

Was it a bad light? No, it worked just fine ... It just didn't work very well with my grow style. I have a whole stack of unused quantum boards that I no longer use. Eventually my son will be taking some of those lights off my hands.

I had their SF1000 but it was a bit too small for me, I used it for 2 grows then gave it away to a friend, He's still using it as far as I know. In Canada there's no tax or shipping cost.......and I got mine free.....lol