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want to choose a led grow light

PetFlora

Well-known member
ICMag Donor
Veteran
That is not what the PAR output and plants and intensity range seem to think.

Keep in mind Cree probably has several generations above this chip that are probably 20=50% more output and more $$$

IMO this could be a decent light, assuming they are not lieing through their teeth about being an actual Cree, or any of the specs. Alas it happens all to often. Example: perfect for3 x 3. Sure, if you are growing lettuce, but not cannabis. And they say nothing about which driver; that's a red flag to me. So buyer beware

Playing devils advocate, lets say actual is 100w/, 4 would easily be equivalent to a typical 600 hps with much better and uniform umol coverage for ~ 4 4

but 4= $680. For that money you could by an Amare Technologies SE 250, or PRO 3 @ 3 x 3.Exceptional warranty and customer support Ive been using various ATs for 3+ years, OR, you could buy 4 HLG small panels @ $99 and have a damn fine inexpensive system for a 3 x 3

hth
 

KingRalph

Active member
I'll crack one open again and see what the drivers are, which is where the savings comes in as they're cheap ones, of course. These are CXA series 100W Cree LEDs. The CXE are one series ahead and yep more efficient, but instead of ~$45 a chip are more like $80 a chip.

So each light has 2x 100W Cree CXA's, under-powered with the cheap drivers, of course, if draw at the wall is 135W total. There's also a little 12v power supply in there for the 2 fans.

2 of these lights easily outperforms a 400w HPS and I would say just fills a 4x4, is strong coverage for a 3x3 or 2x4, and I would say at about 600w HPS performance with a good hood. But with better blues in the spectrum, great branching on plants.

If someone is building their own they should get newer series LEDs and nice drivers and do it up, but DIY like that will cost as much as these cheapo lights, but be worth it. Buying new series pre-made Cree lights? Yeah those things are $4-600 a pop.

So, at $170 I find these a steal. If someone doesn't care about wattage and heat at all, then they can get a digital ballast 600w and enhanced spectrum bulb and nice hood for cheaper than these, but they'll be half the wattage at about the same results minus the heat.

As always, DIY will be best. But in case folks are lazy and don't want a $400 LED light, or $150 purple thing, I found those and thought I'd share, and say I was impressed after 15 years of running MH + HPS.
 

TheReverend

New member
I bought those cheap King LEDs off Amazon. They're pretty spectacular. Went with cheap Chinese knockoffs when a buddy told me his cheap knockoffs were outperforming his name brands that cost 3-4x. My first grow with them but so far they blow my mind.

I just checked and they're $112 for a 1000watt LED
...and it's kicking butt? You've gotten great results?
 

THC123

Active member
Veteran
Jelyfsh, sorry but the viparspectra lamps are crap!!!!

I have 4 of them!!!! The v600. I bought them because I wanted to replace my 600 watt HPS for my 150 x 150 cm grow area.

I bought 2 of them initially because I was sceptic that one light could replace a 600 watt.

After installing the 2 lamps in the tent, I saw that the light coverage was so bad (75 x 75cm per lamp) that I had to buy 2 more lamps to get a decent coverage.

So I am now using 1000 + watts of LED to get the same coverage as the HPS. ALso there is a lot of heat becasue I am running 4 lamps.

SO I would really not advise ANYONE to buy these lamps. The problem is the coverage, not the light intensity, which is fine. For my next grow I'll buy some decent LED's like heliospectra. But these viparspectra lamps sound too good to be true because they are.

I was so stupid to buy them, don't make the same mistake to whoever reads this.
 

Jellyfish

Invertebrata Inebriata
Veteran
Jelyfsh, sorry but the viparspectra lamps are crap!!!!


SO I would really not advise ANYONE to buy these lamps. The problem is the coverage, not the light intensity, which is fine. But these viparspectra lamps sound too good to be true because they are.

I was so stupid to buy them, don't make the same mistake to whoever reads this.

First you said they weren't any good because they burn up. Now you're saying they lack coverage.

I use two 450's and they work great. Zero problems, and I grow some big buds. I guess your mileage may vary.
 

THC123

Active member
Veteran
Nope that wasn't me, the point is that they are in no way an equivalent for a 600 watt HPS(the V600).

Yeah they grow great plants and work and do grow big buds. But with one or two V600 i can no fucking way cover my entire area. So this means that only the plants in the VERY small coverage area grow like they should.

They work, you can grow big and good quality buds with them, I am no saying they are bad lamps. It is just the coverage that is too small and is therefore the reason it is no 600 watt replacement. The intensity and par output of the lamps is sufficient, no real complaints there.

Most people would buy these lamps as they are looking to replace an HPS. So if with a viparspectra you want the same coverage as HPS you will end up consuming the same or more electricity.

I should have done my research better because it is even mentionned on their site. So don't be offended by what I said, they are just facts.

Have fun with your viparspectra. I am also having fun with them but after this grow they go and I will buy a more efficient lamp instead of 4 lamps that are advertised as "600 watt replacements".

It is just false advertisement, I contacted their customer service about this and got nothing but bullshit and countradiction in chinese ENGRISH/ I got forked by Viparspectra :) and I fucked myself by not reading more into detail, I let myself be caught by their marketing and was in a hurry to buy some LED.
 

420somewhere

Hi ho here we go
Veteran
I ran test for myself...

I ran test for myself...

First you said they weren't any good because they burn up. Now you're saying they lack coverage.

I use two 450's and they work great. Zero problems, and I grow some big buds. I guess your mileage may vary.

After hearing all of the Hopla over LEDs I decided to give them a try....

I took out my 600w HPS and put a Vipraspectra 600 and a 90w RED LED in my flower box... (350 actual watts)..

I gave it 3 good tries (6 months).... My best yield was 42 grams cut and dried...

I really gave it a solid try as I have been flowering in that box for ten years.

In order to be fair I used a 400 watt HPS in the exact configuration, soup to nuts.

It wasn't the best run but yielded 95.1 grams cut and dried. The buds were bigger and harder.

I'm sure someone is doing well with LEDs, but I will stick with the HPS.

GOOD GROWING :plant grow:
 

THC123

Active member
Veteran
Indeed as I said I was in a hurry and did not research well and they advertised it as a 600W replacement so I bought it. Afterwards when I noticed they were not adequate for my space I researched further. Yeah that was really stupid I admit.

The lights themselves are good and the plants are growing very well. But you cant say something can replace a 600 watt with such coverage IMO.
 

AgentPothead

Just this guy, ya know?
Alright fair enough :) Do you know how your power bill was compared to the 600w hps? For me it's a lot about heat and power. I can't run AC in this location except for like 4 months out of the year so heat is an issue.
 

THC123

Active member
Veteran
Well the power bill will be higher because I am using 4x 279 watts instead of one 600 watt.

Also the heat is a problem now with 4 lamps. With one or two lamps no problem but now I have to set the exhaust on maximum and use air intake as well.

Still even though they it is warm with the 4 lamps now (26 -28 degrees) I don't feel hot spots as I did with the HPS.

The main reason I went for LED is because in my growing tent I don't get the quality I want with HPS due to the heat it radiates. In growing rooms I don't have problems with hps but in a tent they suck for me.

Also with LED you can grow stronger and tastier weed with stronger smells. So for me it was about heat and quality. And I was hoping to save money as well with the bill. But not with these lights and the space I have.
 

Jellyfish

Invertebrata Inebriata
Veteran
After hearing all of the Hopla over LEDs I decided to give them a try....

I took out my 600w HPS and put a Vipraspectra 600 and a 90w RED LED in my flower box... (350 actual watts)..

I gave it 3 good tries (6 months).... My best yield was 42 grams cut and dried...

I really gave it a solid try as I have been flowering in that box for ten years.

In order to be fair I used a 400 watt HPS in the exact configuration, soup to nuts.

It wasn't the best run but yielded 95.1 grams cut and dried. The buds were bigger and harder.

I'm sure someone is doing well with LEDs, but I will stick with the HPS.

But the conversation isn't over whether LEDs are better than HPS. The OP wanted a recommendation for some LED's. So I gave mine.

Some people don't like/can't use HPS because of the heat generated and other issues. I tried them, but I couldn't stand to be in my own grow closet because of the intense light.
 

Jellyfish

Invertebrata Inebriata
Veteran
Well, I don't see anybody agreeing with you, but I do see a couple people agreeing with me. I've personally had GREAT results and ZERO problems. So I'll take your recommendation with a grain of salt, that's all.
 

420somewhere

Hi ho here we go
Veteran
I you want to find threads trashing Vipraspectra ..

I you want to find threads trashing Vipraspectra ..

Well, I don't see anybody agreeing with you, but I do see a couple people agreeing with me. I've personally had GREAT results and ZERO problems. So I'll take your recommendation with a grain of salt, that's all.

Just look :tiphat:

I’m not here to argue on the internet UNSUBSCRIBED
 

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