Hi people, I have done a couple grows using a Prakasa 300w LED... I have found it to be ok, but now I am looking to add another light and I have been reading that you have to spend a little more to get good quality LED grow lights. So I have seen the Magnum 357 plus and the penetrator 126x. Both have good results, but I am still very unsure of where to spend my money. If any one with experience could shed some light on this I would be very grateful. Thanks
Hey there fella. I recommend taking a look at HydroGrow LED's their rigs are very powerful and have a variety of spectrums - the 84x line is very powerful for something under a grand.
I'm using Kessil H350s - four magenta - and have a spectral spinner with space for two more as a light mover. I have been using fluorescent side lighting for both veg and flower. So far, I'm extremely happy. I took a Cree course in LED lighting and learned a few things including that LED light (quantity and on wavelength quality) AND longevity are related to heat management of the LED. Few do this well. Kessil has real engineers (and real botanists too!) on staff as opposed to many companies that are really a bicycle garage setup with a container coming in from China with some stickers with their name on it and a couple of guys slap on the stickers and have a product to sell. These units run cool. The phase change wafer is quite "cool". I like the modularity of the unit; several sources of light are superior to one large point source. They allow for more even lighting and being used in different ways - maybe the Kesslls will end up as side lighting some day - or maybe I'll add a different color of light to the other positions on the spectral spinner (which I'll probably do at some point) to try and optimize for veg and flower. Having said all of that, I've just placed an order for LEDs, drivers, heatsinks, etc to make a couple of diy luminaires of about a 100 watts each of top quality - Cree, inventronics, etc, - everything. I want to replace the fluorescent lights with LED and I'm going with all white LEDs to fill in possible spectrum gaps with the Kessils...I say possible because the plants are doing wonderfully and just loving the Kessil LED lights but I absolutely allow that might not be if I didn't have the fluorescent side lights with a more complete spectrum. Check out diy. There's ledgroupbuy.com if you can solder and moldularled.com if you can't...but there's lots that you can do for yourself by choosing the best components. And I do think kessil is well worth investigating - well engineered and at $270 (growershouse and sometimes lower on ebay, etc) for 90 watts of good LED lighting, it's reasonable. Do take a look at what you can do for yourself though when some acountant isn't counting every penny and you can get the best.
Check out California Lightworks growers program. THey have there 400w Solarstorm with UVB T8 lighting built in for like 500 vice 1000. I have the 800w and love it.
i have seen good results from penetrator grows i have also been hearing things about the benefits of uv rays