[mcnasty]

Originally Posted by Jellyfish

"Compares to traditional 400 watt HPS/MH while consuming only 200 watts!"- According to Viparspectra. So "only" 800 watts out of two of them together. I'll stand by what I said before, they work great for me.

Viparspectra uses diodes that put out the same amount of photons as traditional HPS. You still benefit from the easier heat management of LED, so I'm not going to say they are junk. But those blurple amazon style LEDs WILL yield you the same, watt for watt as a HPS light. (watt for watt as in wall pull, so the 200w at the wall vipar will be just as good as 200w of HPS) No offence to anyone, these are not my opinions these are facts based on sphere tests done on these types of lights.

[MrBungle]

I've never heard of sphere tests can you explain a lil bit? and I'm guessing you are talking about single ended hps, when you mention traditional hps?

[mcnasty]

Exactly single ended HPS. Sphere tests. Its a big sphere they place the light into and it measures the PPF of the light, as well as its efficacy which is micromols/joule (watt) sooo, you can compare by taking the efficacy (1.3umol/j in the case of a brand new single end hps on an electronic ballast. Mags are closer to 1.0) and multiplying it by the wall pull in watts. That will give you a ballpark PPF. This is the number that matters, its basically the measure of light the plants can use.

Thats the gist of it as far as I understand it. Im not a scientist and im sure my explanation is more simplified than it really is.


Here is a bunch of reports: I realize its on an LED companies website and that can seem funky but they are done by an independent lab, its not marketing stuff. You can find other references too, I think its the bugbee growlight study that shows the efficacy of a lot of these lights as well.

https://chilledgrowlights.com/independent-lab-reports

You can see leds like the vipar, the kind led, black dog, advanced led they all use similiar diodes, those little 3-5w blurple leds. They all measure in the same range pretty much. 1.1-1.3
(edit)
I'm sorry some of these are goniometer tests btw, gives us the same kind of information though

[311devon]

Coming.... It's just one guy ... well worth the wait. Both orders ive made with him for 3 panels, 4 have showed up. They way these things grow plants is better than anything ive used. They seem extremely strong for their power comsumption. Im vegging nearly 4ft below 200w in an open room, no tent for reflectivity. I chat with a guy who consulted with Photon Fantom when in design and he is finding the same. They will stress plants at distances it seems they shouldnt. I run my cob rig closer than the sunboards.... no optics on the sunboards either. The spectrum from these is awesome and backed by science. no gimmics in these.

edit: looks like he has sunboards in stock. wavys and fusions are out right now. He doesnt have a prebuilt fixture on the market yet...

[GuerrillaRed]

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.

[mcnasty]

Originally Posted by 311devon

Coming.... It's just one guy ... well worth the wait. Both orders ive made with him for 3 panels, 4 have showed up. They way these things grow plants is better than anything ive used. They seem extremely strong for their power comsumption. Im vegging nearly 4ft below 200w in an open room, no tent for reflectivity. I chat with a guy who consulted with Photon Fantom when in design and he is finding the same. They will stress plants at distances it seems they shouldnt. I run my cob rig closer than the sunboards.... no optics on the sunboards either. The spectrum from these is awesome and backed by science. no gimmics in these.

edit: looks like he has sunboards in stock. wavys and fusions are out right now. He doesnt have a prebuilt fixture on the market yet...

Id love to run a tent with his lights and see how they compare to my cobs and such but the dude never responds to any emails/messages. Ive emailed and DM on IG several times to no avail.

[PetFlora]

Originally Posted by annerose123

is there anybody can help me to choose a led grow light? I want to grow something, thanks in advance.

HLG has really upped their game. Their new veg light is only $99. IMHO, there is nothing that can compare in this price range

I do not have persona experience (have ore LEDs than I can use at a given time), but there are quite a few grow threads using them successfully

[311devon]

Originally Posted by mcnasty

Id love to run a tent with his lights and see how they compare to my cobs and such but the dude never responds to any emails/messages. Ive emailed and DM on IG several times to no avail.

I believe he is just totally overloaded. The demand for his boards is way beyond what he expected from what I hear. As I understand it, Fantom has a real job and this was a side project. I would check the site daily and order as soon as any are available. He has made two or three drops of them since the last time I visited Icmag, all sold out within hours. I would try to contact via the Photon Fantom website as opposed to IG with tech questions.

Someone mentioned HLG. I bought my entire cob rig from Robin/Northern Grow Lights before he merged with Johnson Grow Lights to form HLG. Robin was a great guy to deal with. Very fair pricing for the time. Answered at least 30 emails with tech questions when i was designing things. He even offered me the Quantams at cost when they were first hitting the market. Can't say enough good about him.
With that being said, I am also a realist. Fantom's boards are as electrically efficient or more so than Quantams. The spectrum is definitely better. They also are half the cost of Quantams. Watt for watt Fantoms boards would eat my 3590's alive. I dont care which board ya choose either. Sunboard, Fusion, or Wavy... I have a 200w veg fixture with Sunboards(4 panels at 50w each) that supports a 1600w cob rig with 20 Cree 3590's over a 6x6 for flower. That ratio of veg/flower wattage should not work, yet it does. The only time Fantoms begin to fall off is in big rooms. For now. Wait till lensing shows up for them. In the works.
I'm not sayin this is the only led brand worth buying, just that its the best bang for your buck on the market today imo if you have basic diy skills. No heat sinks to fuck with unless you wanna drive em above 2100ma(75w-ish), similar forwarding voltages to common cobs. My set averaged 35v...compatible with alot of cob rigs to merely retrofit the panel in place of the cob. Babyshit easy.

[Iangrow]

Originally Posted by annerose123

is there anybody can help me to choose a led grow light? I want to grow something, thanks in advance.

Im beginner,first using marshydro relfector 240watt.nice now.no idea if good harvest then.if you not hurry,wait me to tell you result after 2 month.if need,link for you here. https://goo.gl/hMppxD

[Iangrow]

Originally Posted by GuerrillaRed

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.

yeah its cheap,intended to buy one at first,but my friend suggest mars,so bought a reflector 240watt,nice now,no idea future.if help,you have have a look. https://goo.gl/hMppxD