So 8x4 space, I have 2 sp3000 for one side, for the other Im going with either se7000(sale price$690) 730w, or fce6500 $570 sale. Both prices are final, shipping and tax. Since I do autos and 18-6 I technically need less power. Should I save the $120 or no. I understand it's Samsung vs bridgelux which isn't a huge deal. The se7000 does have 8 bars though which is sick. I don't think I'll ever upgrade past this 4x8 so I don't really need the extra power. What do y'all think?
Less light power needed for autos, can't decide on light
- Thread starter Craigery
- Start date
The PPFD map on the SE 7000 is stunning. I think it's the best on that site but, as you point out, the FCE 6500 will the job, too. I'm a big believer in PAR meters (Apogee, LiCor, or Spot On). I've tested Photone (twice) the $150± meters are back on Amazon but you're getting what you pay for there.
Why bring up PAR meters? Save the $$ on the light and put that toward a PAR meter. If you can't swing the $500 for an Apogee, go with the Spot On. I have an Apogee + the wand and it's superb. I put it in sample mode to check the tent and it takes about a minute to sample the 18± colas in the tent. I put the numbers into Excel and I can see "what's hot and what's not".
My readings from yesterday are below.
The light is at 259 watts and light values are calculated for 18 hours of lights on.
# = the sequence number
PPFD - µmols
DLI - calculated using the PPFD value and the number of hours of light.
Values in blue are < 35 mols which is the max amount of light that photos typically get in flower
Value in red are values that exceed 45 mols which is the value that I use as a "max" for my autos. I tested Photone early last year and traded some emails with the programmer. During one of the emails, I asked him about DLI for autos and his answer, straight out, was "45 mols". So, I go with 45 mols.
Values at the bottom are standard deviation for PPFD, average PPFD, average DLI, and standard deviation for DLI. Those values do not include the data that are in blue. My goal is to get adequate light to the majority of the colas in the tent so I don't want the three spots that are below "minimum". My goal is to have everything >= 45 and to not have any colas > 50 mols.
One of the nice things about putting the data in Excel is that it makes it easy to adjust DLI simply by changing the lights on period. If the plants have grown into the light, I reduce lights on by 30 minutes or an hour. My grow is set up on Smart plugs so it's all wifi or Bluetooth controlled.
BTW, I've got an SP 3000 and think it's a good light but I retired it after three grows (if anyone's looking to snag a good light).
One thing you might want to look into is the Atreum 320. It's designed for a 2' x 4' but having two lights has the advantage of letting you "spot light", which can be handy for uneven canopies. The Atreum has an interesting design that helps with uniformity. I bought Growcraft lights and Atreum does as good a job as their X2 model. At $400, it's quite impressive.
HTH.
Why bring up PAR meters? Save the $$ on the light and put that toward a PAR meter. If you can't swing the $500 for an Apogee, go with the Spot On. I have an Apogee + the wand and it's superb. I put it in sample mode to check the tent and it takes about a minute to sample the 18± colas in the tent. I put the numbers into Excel and I can see "what's hot and what's not".
My readings from yesterday are below.
The light is at 259 watts and light values are calculated for 18 hours of lights on.
# = the sequence number
PPFD - µmols
DLI - calculated using the PPFD value and the number of hours of light.
Values in blue are < 35 mols which is the max amount of light that photos typically get in flower
Value in red are values that exceed 45 mols which is the value that I use as a "max" for my autos. I tested Photone early last year and traded some emails with the programmer. During one of the emails, I asked him about DLI for autos and his answer, straight out, was "45 mols". So, I go with 45 mols.
Values at the bottom are standard deviation for PPFD, average PPFD, average DLI, and standard deviation for DLI. Those values do not include the data that are in blue. My goal is to get adequate light to the majority of the colas in the tent so I don't want the three spots that are below "minimum". My goal is to have everything >= 45 and to not have any colas > 50 mols.
One of the nice things about putting the data in Excel is that it makes it easy to adjust DLI simply by changing the lights on period. If the plants have grown into the light, I reduce lights on by 30 minutes or an hour. My grow is set up on Smart plugs so it's all wifi or Bluetooth controlled.
BTW, I've got an SP 3000 and think it's a good light but I retired it after three grows (if anyone's looking to snag a good light).
One thing you might want to look into is the Atreum 320. It's designed for a 2' x 4' but having two lights has the advantage of letting you "spot light", which can be handy for uneven canopies. The Atreum has an interesting design that helps with uniformity. I bought Growcraft lights and Atreum does as good a job as their X2 model. At $400, it's quite impressive.
HTH.
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