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Best Growlight Currently Available?

Callamus

Member
I know personal preference comes into it somewhat but I was wondering.. Are gavitas the best performing light or is there another I should be considering? Thanks..
 

flylowgethigh

Non-growing Lurker
ICMag Donor
Ask first, how do you plan to control this new light? A simple timer with ON/OFF, or something more capable that can detect over temps, humidity, fade the lights in and out, control power remotely?
 

alpo

Active member
Fohse A3i 1500watt
I'm not sure what's happening to the Gavita 1700e but if you can find one they are including the adapter free.
 

Hammerhead

Disabled Farmer
ICMag Donor
Veteran
IMO If the diodes used are the same top bin there isn't much difference. Ea vendor just tweaks their spectrum. Things to look for are customer service/warranty, Efficiency and PPF.. Gavita are good lights but IMO overpriced. You can find others just as good for a lot less. Growers Choice, HLG, and LUXX are very popular..
 

Callamus

Member
I plan on using a timer flylowgethigh.. best light available alpo.. I was planning to have a friend who is a builder raise the roof in my garage so I could use gavita de lights but I am confused about whether LED'S, etc are better? Then there's light emitting plasma and ceramic mh to consider too.. I was hoping someone could tell me which lights perform best? Last time I looked into it LED'S were hopeless but it seems much has changed.. the fluence is not recommended for growers not using Co2 apparently (which I am currently not) but it would save me having to raise the roof.. any input is greatly appreciated, thanks!
 

Hammerhead

Disabled Farmer
ICMag Donor
Veteran
LEDs are more efficient than any other light. LED needs more heat most of the time, more feed and cal/mag, Co2 for sealed rooms. Consider what you can do before choosing your lights. I run a mixed LED/CMH flower room. CMH adds the heat needed for LED. I'm happy with the results I get. All good growers will get great results with any light. I could never tell ya which light is best. There are lights made with better components. If you have 8' ceilings you are fine with most lights IMO. I have 8' sloping to 10' but no plants ever get taller than 6'
 

f-e

Well-known member
Mentor
Veteran
Odd comment on the co2.
CMH was the last of the HID evolution's. CMH is actually old, but using the electronic control gear becoming more popular, they were able to fine tune it a little more. Changing the sockets so that the new drivers and lamps wouldn't get mixed up with the old stuff. It wasn't a great leap, but looked the part. Being MH you get enough blue on your plants, without needing orange lights turned really high to achieve enough. This made a lot of people that struggled with high light, better able to cope. Heat dropped. Plants were not pushed so hard. Often resulting in a better harvest.

LED is alright. Sometimes people struggle though. I too believe you can get the right diodes and drivers from many manufacturers, at many price points. As with nearly all manufacturing, it's cheaper to buy from China. Who can deliver in a few days. Often halving the price.

An old 600 is a garage sale item now. It's a good starting point if you lack experience. A lot of people just can't do it.


Gavita's price and history strike them straight from my considerations. I have seen a great grow under them, but don't feel the lights can take any credit
 

alpo

Active member
I like the HLG Scorpion Diablo. Almost 4,000 diodes. Most efficient and highest useable PPF output light Migro on YouTube has tested (last I checked).
 

Hammerhead

Disabled Farmer
ICMag Donor
Veteran
I like the HLG Scorpion Diablo. Almost 4,000 diodes. Most efficient and highest useable PPF output light Migro on YouTube has tested (last I checked).

Im running an HLG Diablo 650 , HLG 320, 1 growers choice 420w, and 1 mars sp250.
 

Callamus

Member
No UV is said to be an issue with LED'S.. Apparently cannabis needs UV.. will the heat generated by a fluence need to be exhausted? Cause it makes it hard to keep Co2 in your growroom if you need to exhaust.. I don't understand why the fluence is the only one that warns against use in environments with no Co2.. apparently it may damage the plants..
 

Callamus

Member
You sure? Anyone using these lights without Co2? SPYDR 2P? I just don't know why gavita 1700e, etc aren't instructed to be used with Co2 but these come with a warning not to use without Co2..
 

Callamus

Member
I suppose I'd have to install an air conditioner with Co2 right? To avoid exhausting the Co2.. it's OK to use gavitas and other LED'S without Co2 yea? Thanks..
 

Callamus

Member
I have narrowed it down to LED.. now my only problem is which one to chose.. I would prefer to use a gavita 1700e but I would have to import them from the US.. If shopping locally I only have a choice between pro grow, luxx, JBLED, Iluminar, lumatek, California lightworks and fluence.. I think it's a choice between a fluence SPYDR 2i and a Gavita 1700e.. would it be OK to use the SPYDR 2i without Co2? What would you guys prefer? The 2i or gavita? Thank you VERY much for your help!
 

Hammerhead

Disabled Farmer
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Sealed rooms do not use exhaust or intakes. if interested in using Co2 read about sealed rooms. Co2 is not used in any open room, heat plays a big role. Most led have UV.. HLG doesn't but they do have a UV bar option that can be added. I have 1 on my 650. If your room is open you won't be using Co2.
 

f-e

Well-known member
Mentor
Veteran
fluence SPYDR 2i and a Gavita 1700e look like the same light to me. 1700ppf from top notch parts.
Others have access to the same parts, and charge half as much.

If one of the two is causing bleaching, consistently, it's not a good choice. It means one part of the spectrum (likely red) is outstanding. Such that it causes an overall performance limitation. The old saying 'you can only have so much of a good thing' is very fitting. If we want to max out, we need a balanced input.

fluence or osram right? the people doing quite a lot of field trials. I don't recall co2 in any of them I have seen.
 
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