thanks for the reply, i will look deeper into the Amare. I like the PPFD output of the SPYDR i wonder how the Amare compares to it. What were you using before LED if you dont mind me asking
It appears to be some decent info, but the way its laid out makes it seem like its a comparison. A 315 cmh is usually listed as flowering 3x3, and to put the rest of the lamps up against almost 700w of decent LED is a shitty comparison imo. A better comparison would be a 630 cmh, or better yet the hlg-600 (which will kick the spydr's ass in a 4x4 at a fraction of the cost.)
The Bar-8 is a decent lamp but there are better options nowdays for the $$
if you scroll down to the middle of the page on the link i posted it shows the coverage on PPFD coverage on different LED. as you can see for a 4x4 area the SPYDR and Amare SE450 w/lens outperforms all the others as far as PPFD output goes. That is why i am interested in those two. But if i can build one with similar PPFD output than that would definitely be a better option
what do you recommend with a similar PPFD output
Any good/efficient LED that has a similar wattage to the spydr. I had mentioned the hlg-600 (620w).. but you can maybe find someone to wire you up 6-700w of strips/boards for cheaper? I know these"tariffs" have definitely raised some prices.
im pretty good with construction. im a granite fabricator by trade and have wired electrical panels before. Guess i better do some more research on building my own. thanks for the tips
I've pieced together a few lamps and I have nowhere near your level of expertise, and it definitely will save you considerably. You can definitely build a better lamp than the spider for waaaayyy cheaper. I've got a samsung strip lamp and it's the cats pajamas. When I had that put together, 6 months ago or so, Samsung was the leader of the pack for boards/strips but things change quick with this tech so there's possibly something new fwiw. If you're mostly flowering I remember hearing about the qb96 "pucks" (the names off the top of my head so it could be slightly different) and they are definitely something worth checking out. Mixing a few in with either qb's or strips would be solid as fuck.
How big of a space?
i want to start with 4x4 coverage and see how that goes.
I'm only using four qb288 in a 5x5 and it does fine. Do I want a couple hundred more LED watts? Yep. I'll likely add two of their Sabres, one on either side of my SLATE 6. I have a sheet piece of aluminum I was going to put my first four boards onto. I'm happy to let it go if you want a passively cooled DIY option
Earliest LED (circa 2013) was being pushed to mj growers was JUNK, overembellished on every feature, including coverage, and EXPENSIVE. My first purchase was a UFO 90 , which probably was little more than 70w with small coverage.
Not all of us care to build, or have the equipment/skills to do so
There are qb kits that anybody with a little experience with Lego's as kids can put together safely. Paying $1500 to light a 4x4 should be a thing of the past.
I agree with this. In my case I made a DIY 550 that just took watching a "how to" video a few times and drawing out the wiring first. I put them on a Slate 6 which is one board wide and four boards long. If I did it again I would build a duplicate and just run them side by side and dimmed a little that would rock my 5x5 hard. That would cost about 1200-1300 if prices haven't changed much.
Typical over hype for DIY
Amen!! There are 5 wires! +,-,hot,neutral,ground..... And lots of videos!
