Muddy
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Over the years I've had the opportunity to use many different LED grow lights including GrowLedHydro, Goldstar, FERO, Lush and Kind. When my two Kind XL1000s failed last year I had to purchase replacements. I made the decision to go with the CLW 1100 UVBs and I'm glad I did. These are without a doubt the best LEDs I've used.
I purchased two units and a controller. The controller has some nice features and without it, custom programming of the lights isn't possible. Multiple programs can be setup for each growth stage, veg, pre flower, flower and finishing, allowing the light spectrum to be tailored for each phase. Those individual programs can then be run as a "season", where the controller will automatically switch from one program to the next throughout the complete growth cycle. I've not yet used this feature, preferring to change programs manually based on how the plants are developing. There is also a feature that, with the touch of a button, puts the lights into a natural light mode, allowing for inspection of the plants without being colored by the red and blues of the LEDs. This is a handy feature, especially if you are experiencing any issues such as nutrient deficiencies where you want to see how the plants actually look. The controller also includes a timer, eliminating the need for an external one.
The UVB lights are very interesting. Because of the prohibitive high cost of UBV diodes, CLW decided to go with fluorescent tubes. These are 24 inch T5 bulbs that fit into fixtures which hang from the sides of the 1100s. They are only used during the last 2-3 weeks of the grow for 8 hours per day. They do require an external timer. Per CLW, their timing will be included in a future software update to the controller. I've done four grows utilizing the UVB and the results have been pretty dynamic. Rosin flow has increased dramatically, the buds are larger, harder and given that the plants natural response to UVB is trics turning amber, I'm getting amber trics on strains I never had amber on before. This would seem to settle the old issue with people growing autos that never amber. Since most LEDs do not include UVB, and UVB promotes amber, it makes perfect sense that lights without UVB won't produce amber trics, at least not in any volume.
I'm using these new lights over my 8 pot Under Current RDWC system. The first two grows I did with them were of Red Diesel, a strain I had previously run under the Kind XL1000s. This was done purposefully for a good comparison of the two lights. The results from the CLWs showed a dramatic improvement. The over structure of the plants is better, node spacing tighter, larger buds, tighter buds, more rosin and amber trics. I have no doubt that the UVBs placed a huge roll, given how much the buds tightened up in the last two weeks and how much stickier they were. The amber produced by the UVBs also balanced out the high of the Red Diesel, which is a sativa dominant strain. I'm sure this is due to the higher CBD and CBN the plants produce when exposed to UVB light. It made for a more rounded smoke, adding a bit of body to what is otherwise a very head high smoke. The other two strains I've grown so far have been Super Sour OG, a terrible strain I'll never grow again, and some Tangerine Kush that I harvested last week. I let the Tangerine Kush get about 10% amber before picking. Even though it's not fully cured yet, the results of this strain under these lights is nothing short of amazing. Rock hard golf ball sized buds, hard as a rock and sticky as all get up. A true two hit and quit strain.
At 800 watts each, these are powerful lights. It's critical that the proper distance be maintained above the plants. I've found that anything below about 28" will cause bleaching of the highest buds. 32 to 36" above the plants seems to be the sweet spot. At that height the full 4' x 4' coverage of each light is easily maintained. The penetration of the light is also very good. I tend to grow most strains SCROG, so my canopy can get pretty dense. I do lollipop my plants so my canopy tends to be about 2' deep. Even the lowest buds fully matured and showed amber trics. In fact, the penetration is so good I've been able to discontinue the use of the T5 side lights that were a must with the Kinds.
One additional observation. With all the other LEDs I've used, fox tailing was always an issue. Since I've switched to the 1100s, no more fox tailing.
All and all, I couldn't be happier with these lights. In fact, I've been so impressed with them that I've replaced my Lush veg lights with two CLW 275 Veg lights. I'm on my second set of clones under them and again, the results have been dramatic. Lusher, fuller plants with much tighter node spacing. The GLH and FERO lights I have been using in my outdoor auto grow box are failing and within the next couple weeks I will be purchasing a CLW SolarSystem 550 UVB to replace them. Except for the Lush I use for my mothers, all my lights will now be from California Lightworks.
Here are the specs on the 1100 UVBs:
| Actual Wattage | 800 watts at max draw (plus 24w for each UVB light) |
|---|---|
| HID Equivalent | 1000 watts |
| LEDs | Top-Bin OSRAM diodes |
| LED Life Span | 50,000 hours |
| Input Voltage | 90 - 277V AC |
| Max Current | 6.6A @ 120V; 3.3A @ 240V |
| Operating Frequency | 50Hz - 60Hz |
| Spectrum | full spectrum for veg and bloom: red, white, blue, UVA and IR wavelengths; plus UVB (285 to 315 nm) |
| Total PPF output | 1285 umol/s |
| PAR efficiency | 1.55 umol/s/w |
| Coverage Area | 8 by 8 feet for veg, 4 by 4 feet for flowering |
| Working Temperature | 0°F to 107°F |
| Thermal Management | water resistant, replaceable fans; 50,000 hour lifespan |
| Dimensions | SS 1100: 18" x 18" x 4"; SS UVB: 23" x 4" x 2" (each) |
| Product Weight | SS 1100: 26 lbs; UVB: 2 lbs each |
| Daisy Chain | yes, up to 1000 units |
| Package Includes | 1100 fixture, 2x UVB fixtures, 2x brackets for UVB, 6 ft long 120V power cord, communications cable; discreet shipping |
| Manufacturer's Warranty | 5 years |
Note that these lights are waterproof, which given that we grow in high humidity, is a very nice feature. I've opened some of my old LEDs and corrosion of internal parts was visible. So waterproofing makes good sense. Also note the 5 year warranty. That's about the best in the industry.
In summary, let me again say that I couldn't be happier with these lights. Granted, they are expensive, but given their performance I believe the cost was justified. I'm looking forward to many years of outstanding grows from them.
