Blackstar 500w in Homebox XS (2x2x4)

Discussion in 'Lighting' started by Mattste, Nov 3, 2012.

  1. Hey all,

    I'm looking to upgrade my lighting. Been using 150 hps and thought about 250 hps with cool tube, but I think I'd like to give LED a shot. I know a 240w BS would, but do you think I could squeeze a 500 in there? I use a 160 cfm inline.

    I'm just not sure how hot the 500's run, anyone?



    Appreciate it.
     
  2. #2 Plantguardian, Nov 4, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 4, 2012
    It's supposed to be no hotter than the 240 watt Blackstar w/3 watt chip sets(which is what I have in my tent, 4 x 4 x 6, 2, 240s and 2, 600watt HPS, overlapping footprints) and which has no appreciable heat build up at all. Buds can press against the glass and not get burnt, though I don't recommend it... since it'd probably bleach 'em out (maybe, I dunno, I never let that happen). :D
     

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  3. Thanks for clearing that up for me. Nice looking tent, packed! How have your blackstars held up? I'm living in Europe and the thought of sending duds back and forth is slightly concerning.

    M
     
  4. #4 Plantguardian, Nov 4, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 4, 2012
    You shouldn't have any problems... and here's why. All the "bugs" have been found and fixed - the new and improved version is all Gotham Hydro has sold for the last year or so. You can call Victor, the owner, at 1-845-504-5723, and he'll confirm what I just told ya. Interesting story though....

    I got my 1st. BS about 1 +1/2 years ago. One of the 3 fans didn't work so I called, and since I didn't wanna send the light back, he sent me a replacement fan. Took off the back and replaced it, no problem. Then 3-4 months later the light wouldn't turn completely off when the timer turned everything off. WTF! :confused: It'd get really dim, but not totally dissipate the all the power the LEDs had stored. So, I called Vic again and he said to put a 3/2 adapter on the plug to eliminate the ground. Good plan (and it worked) but I still wanted a new light. No problem he said. So I returned it, after having used it for 9 months, and he sent me the New & Improved version. I was (and still am) quite impressed. The new one has worked flawlessly for about 9 months and I added another about 3 months ago, with no problems.

    I highly recommend both Blackstar brand LED grow lights and Gotham Hydro as an always-does-ya-right vendor. ;)

    I've tried to overlap the light's footprints as much as possible, but I still end up movin' and rearranging all the girls every day anyway. It's fun really... plus we share each other's air and their oxygen helps my COPD and my CO2 (while I'm in there for 1/2 hr. a couple times a day) aids their growth and photosynthesis capabilities. You bein' in the same enclosed room with your plants for an hour a day will give your plants all the extra CO2 they can use - really! - so adding CO2 via tanks or cartridges is an unnecessary waste of time and most especially money.

    Also, I have 2 dedicated 30 watt lines going to my grow room. My electrician friend helped me tie 'em into the fuse box properly (needed to add 2 new breakers to do that) and one line runs my ventilation and the BSs and the other runs my 2, 600w HPSs. So there's no chance of a fire fcukin' things up by overloading circuits. That'd be all bad.

    Good luck and happy growin' my friend. :D

    Oh yeah, bottom right, as you can see... I break off all the big fan leaves the day before harvest, sometimes 2 days before. It makes the harvest the following day faster and easier, and I think it makes the plant go into a kind of emergency-utilization-of-all-available-resources phase temporarily, which I believe hastens the curing process a bit, although I can't prove it.
     

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  5. It is going to be hotter than a 240w blackstar as there is more power being used and more heat being created. Are you set on the 500w blackstar? if not, there are other leds that are better made than those chinese units. they may cost more though.
     

  6. Well i have been reading mix reports about them. The get the price for power is top notch. Its the lifespan i'm worried about. I can't be sending this unit to the states from europe every 3 months.
     

  7. PG, I really appreciate the detailed info and time you took to check out my grow. You've really given me something to think about as I'm definitely stuck in a loop about getting this or not. I'll keep you posted on what I decide on.

    M
     
  8. I'm moving soon so I'll have more room and I plan to buy 2 - 500w BSs unless I find something better within that same price range (depending) but I'm also planning on gettin' a few more 600w switchable MH/HPSs too. In fact, I may just call Vic on Monday after I get my $ and see what he recommends when I tell him what I've got in mind. I had to wait an extra 3 days when I bought the last one because somebody else had just bought the last couple hundred 240s they had in stock. Heck, you can call him yourself if you want. 1-845-504-5723

    I may do some Blue Himalayan Autos and some DeathStars (fem) next but I'm waitin' to make sure how much $ I'm gonna have first. Everything always depends on the money... :cool: but, as the Freak Brothers always say, "Weed will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no weed." So I ain't complainin'... but this is why I need more lights and more room. I'm runnin' low!:smoking:
     

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  9. Lol, talk the jar being half empty or half full....I'll take overflowing please! Nice operation you have going there. I'm still debating the BS, the distance between buyer has me worried. I've bought a 250w system in the meanwhile, I've got my last jack herer seed going under and am curious to see how it compares to the 150w. Another problem I face is import tax, which can be 20%....

    Happy grows bro
     

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