Light Confusion

Discussion in 'First Time Marijuana Growers' started by CaptJonLuc, Nov 17, 2016.

  1. I haven't done any growing since 2002 and now I am thinking of getting back into it. My plan is to get a 36"x36"x72" tent and knowing that lighting is the most important thing in the whole equation, I want to get it right (on a limited budget). I would like to get an LED, but the more I read the more confused I get. My last setup was a dual mogul socket air cooled hood. I ran a 250w HPS and a 250w MH with two ballasts in a 2'x4' wardrobe cabinet. Should I stay with the tried an true HID and get a digital HPS/MH light or go with an LED?
    These are the choices I'm looking at:

    VIVOSUN 400w 600w 1000w Watt Grow Light System HPS MH Ballast Air Cool Hood Kit | eBay

    Knowing the pros and cons of the two different types, which one would give the best results and work the best in the size tent I am considering?
     
  2. I use LED, but mine cost 500 and will grow 1 or 2 plants, you will need much better lights if you want to use LED. The HID lights cost less but you need new bulbs every other harvest or you lose light as the bulbs burn out. The up front cost is less, but LED dont need new bulbs, the issue is that to get a good harvest from LED you will need to spend a lot more up front to get the same harvest, there is less heat with LED but still to much to not vent it.
     
  3. I'm old school...and just plain old...but...I'd stick with what you know until things get rolling...

    If it were me, I'd start up with HID, and once you're rolling, then think of the possible switch to LED...get the bugs out with a system you know more about first, then, once it's working you can explore the unknown...
     
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  4. Mind you, this is just an opinion. But most of the LEDs on the market are very small bodied lights and they only shine straight down. This lessens the sq. footage of coverage you get for your area. Each individual plant needs the same good wattage and space to grow without crowding, so unless you want to not only buy one LED, if you're planning on growing more than a couple of plants, go with the HID/HPS. It works, grows beautiful plants with good yields in an indoor grow. Yes, light is where it's at and the thing that determines the outcome, so make sure you put enough in your tent to cover the number of plants you hope to flower. A 3 x 3....I wouldn't try to flower more than 3, probably just 2 at a time. You can get more off a single plant that gets all it needs in the lighting department and is taken care of properly, than you can by flowering 3 in the same space. They just shade out the light you do have. If you want a real good yield, set up a duct system, fan, etc., and get a single 1000 watt hps. We flower with 4 per room and usually flower 8 at a time and we've gotten our yields up to between 3.5 and 4 oz per plant after harvest and cure. I'm sure that's not the best ever grown, but I'm not ashamed of that at all. Best of luck to you TWW
     
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  5. If you have used HPS you should stay with it .Unless you are looking to reduce operating costs , or have cooling issues , If you do go to LEDs which is what I use , I'd suggest 2units 450 -600 watt Marshydro from ebay to cover that area and provide great buds
     
  6. Thank you all for the replies. Very good info. So, now I'm bummed I got rid of my HID system...C'est la vie. One thing I didn't mention was my location. I am in the southeast US, so I am going to run my grow 'season' from September to April due to the summer heat here. That should give me two 4 month grows. I am only going to run fem seeds and 2 - 3 plants at a time using SCROG. With a 3x3 area would a 400 or 600 watt HID be good? My last system was 500w with both MH and HPS running with great results (hydro) and was able to keep heat down. I plan to run lights on during the night since it tends to get cool in the house at night. My temps should not have much fluctuation from lights on to lights off, staying pretty much in the 70-78 degree range.
    I am considering this fan:

    My last setup had an exhaust for the light and an exhaust for the cabinet. For the tent I am thinking one exhaust running through the light with a charcoal intake inside the tent drawing air from the outside with a hepa filter. Would this be good?
     
  7. Make sure your fan is enough cfm to make the filter and lights and exchange all the air in the tent, the filter will restrict flow a lot
     
  8. Here is my calculation (got this somewhere??):
    3x3x6 = 54 volume of tent
    54/3 = 18 absolute min CFM to exhaust in 3 minutes
    18x5% = 16.2 adding 5% for the light
    18x40% = 129.6 adding 20% per filter (charcoal and hepa)
    18+16.2+129.6 = 163.8cfm
    That inline fan is 240cfm. I am sure I could go somewhat more, say 440cfm, since the ducting is gonna cause restriction. A centrifugal fan would probably be better.
     
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  9. Damn man you did not have to go get math all over me LOL, I would say you got that part figured out
     
  10. OCD....lol
     

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