So I would venture that your 8-board, "killer" adding in a bit more than the $100 for building, puts you at about $500. For the 600W equiv. I think you need to add one more board for even 3x3 coverage and thus around $325. So I put that at about twice the price...which is certainly a step in the right direction!! What's happening on the HID end at the same time is that, probably because of LED prices are coming down, is that their prices are coming down too. I have a Quantum. It was guaranteed for 3 years. I am in my fourth year of using it. Knock on wood, no hiccups. I do need a backup for when it goes tits up (currently have 2, 4 bulb T5s ready for emergencys). While my Quantum 600 is still about $100 I can get complete systems (Ballast, reflector, hangers, MH bulb, HPS bulb, cords and even a timer) for $150 from various Mfrs and $200 for 1000w. LEDs approaching reality in pricing is good for all of us.
And just so we are on the same page...when you are making you grams to watts claims...I assume it is not based on the LEDs real watts.
You're kinda bad at math. You have $100 appearing from nowhere. My 8 board killer would be around $300 for parts. Adding 100 for the build is 400 not 500. So you think it would take 6 qb120 boards at 340 watts to cover a 3x3? No, it wouldn't. The qb260 covers a 3x3 for flower with 2 smaller boards then the 120's and running in the 260 watt range. Why would I suddenly need 340 watts to cover the same area with the same leds but more widely dispersed? You could probably cover a 3x3 with 4 boards. You could easily cover a 3x3 with 5 boards. The fixture would be almost edge to edge in the tent. The boards are 11"x9 1/2" for each 60 watter. A 5 board fixture would be one in the middle and one on each corner. It would be almost edge to edge in a 3x3 and you think it needs another board? People really don't understand what these boards are capable of. The qb120 came out in August. Wait until more builders get some grows done. There's a guy building an 8 board 480 watt qb120 at gc in another thread.
You mean rated watts? Showing your math skills again? If I did it based on rated watts my numbers would be lower then actual not higher. QB's don't have a "rated" watts. That's for outdated panels.
Just messing with you bravedave. I love you man. You are off on what you think these boards can do though. They are next gen tech ready now. They don't even compare to other older leds and I did get 2 pounds last run from my 4x4. No shit. The densest nugs I've ever grown. Older standby figures we've used for watts per square foot for flower really do have to be rewritten for these new lights. They are flowering well at 25-30 watts per square easy This is 260 watts next to 515.
Actually friend, my math skills are in the 99th percentile while I am just learning about LEDs. Unfortunately, so much of the LED Watt talk has been mired in bullshit for so long that it is a bit difficult to keep straight. Let my try to add clarity to my question... You say a 480 REAL watt 8 board system will outperform a 1000W HID...so in other words I am taking that you are saying that it will produce 1000 grams.
I think it could. Nobody has tried one yet. To my knowledge not a single bloom level fixture has yet been run through a single grow with the qb120boards. They've been out one month. However growmau5 did one with the 304 boards and got 1.69grams/watt with a grow that had problems from the uvb lights he attempted to build in. I think 2g/watt range is definitely possible, especially when you see the way the 120 boards run compared to their hot and crowded cousins, the qb288's and 304 boards. The 120's run higher amps per board but at 24v instead of 48 and put out half the heat. The leds run more efficient at 24 volts and they are dispersed much wider on the 120 boards.
It's nothing that new or out of the realm of possibility. Spectrum king has been matching a single end 1000 watt hps in par with a 480 watt led light for quite a while now and I doubt their leds are quite as good as these ones in the HLG boards. 400 Watt LED Grow Light | Buy 400W LED Lights | shop LED grow lights Cree has outperformed an 1100 watt DE gavita in output testing with a 550 watt fixture they built. Their pfd page on the experiment is easy to find.
Missed this one, which is why I didn't understand the "again" on the math skills slam. You quoted $300-320 and said you would do it for $100. So yes, I took it upon myself to add $80 to get to the $500. Estimates are always overly positive and as you are not a casual bystander here, I added 20% Someone who initially came here making claims about a 1000W equivilence and then a couple posts later acknowledging it to be a 600W equivilence should again not take pot shots.
I get confused because I run fixtures with both boards. It takes 4 288/304 boards to match a 1000 watt light but it takes 8 of the 120's.
There's no testing out on the 120's except my before and after pics. There is par tests on the HLG550 which is a 515 watt 4 board qb288 fixture. It can par with 1000 watter. It runs about 2100mA per board at 48v An 8 board 120 fixture is going to be twice the size. That really improves the coverage dramatically. The drop off at the edge of a 4x4 with 8 boards would be like nothing. The fixture would be 44" wide. The qb120 is 2500mA at 24v.
OK, summer is coming. Quiet happy running a hot light in winter for heat but summer is coming. Im not a DIY when 'lectricity is concerned. Where can i purchase a pre made unit to replace (or improve) my 600 HID for veg and flower? Im in Aus so needs to be rated at our specs. Willing to spend $300- $400 dollars which i think is a fair price.
Its too bad the platinum vs HPS comparison journal kind of fell flat. Horrible canopy managment on top of everything else.
I know. That's why I'm diy'n. You can't beat the price and the hlg builds are so easy a chimp can do it. No heatsinks on the newest boards. One of the better bang for buck performing led lights out there for the price may be the spectrum king sk400. You can find them for $700 and they are rated to flower a 4x4. They match par with 1000 watt hps. I think you can find them cheaper then the msrp at the website. If you consider coverage area for the dollar these are about the same price as qb260's since it takes two 325 dollar lights to cover a 4x4 with 260's. This is $700 for one. Almost same price. 400 Watt LED Grow Light | Buy 400W LED Lights | shop LED grow lights
Its not just the will and the know how its also safety and insurance. If my house is damaged or burnt down due to a non compliance light then id be approx $200k in the hole
If you use quality components all those components are UL listed. It's just like if you build a custom gaming computer. You get the warranty from the individual parts. I think it's more dangerous to run a cheap led like a viparspectra then it is to DIY with quality components. You never know what's hiding in that box behind those cheap fans. If you build it yourself then you do.
The amazing thing is I went from a 1K hid to 240 watts in a 3x3 of led boards for the same effect. Electric bill dropped in HALF or better...NO a/c needed. only 1 small fan to move fresh air....I just bought a Chinese light to test. 200 bucks for a 240 watt. Will see if it has quality.