Lighting Spider Farmer 4000 Versus Mars Hydro TS3000

[MesaBoogie]

That Spider has some weird ppfd figures, but I guess it's because of it being 4 boards put together.
The SP3000 with only veg the other half

Migrow did a pretty good review and par map of the SF @ 1.96 PPFD/watt at 12". Not sure if he's done one yet for the new Mars lights running the Samsung Diodes. But I'm guessing it will be close to the same ppfd. Though, I might be pleasantly surprised by the 4800 because of the bar style layout out performing the panel style layout.

 

[fatcalvin]

I’m not really into the LED scene but doesn’t the SF use quantum boards and the Mars use like a LED “strip” for each bar? I would think the mars would have less concentrated light and a more even distribution.

 

[MesaBoogie]

I’m not really into the LED scene but doesn’t the SF use quantum boards and the Mars use like a LED “strip” for each bar? I would think the mars would have less concentrated light and a more even distribution.

The term "quantum board" makes me cringe a bit. But it's become common for everyone to use it. I believe HLG came up with the name for their product and everyone copied it. .it's just a pcb. But I suppose they may as well copy the name too as they have copied the complete build. And I'm ok with that as long as it brings the silly prices of these led's down. I'm not a HLG groupie or anything. But to answer your question, yes mars uses many smaller pcb's giving what I assume could be better coverage and the SF currently uses 1 larger pcb. They are still the same light, just with a different layout. If I was a betting man, I would put my money on they are both coming in around 2.0 ppfd. I may eat my words on that. But I'd stick my $$ on the led with the most watt per $$$$. I haven't priced either of them out at all.

 

[fatcalvin]

Ahh. I was under the understanding that the style of the LED layout on a PCB board was just termed a quantum board. The SF4000 has 4 individual QB on it. Although the spacing isn’t the best, giving it a really hot “hotspot” right in the middle. Same with most lights. The Mars 4800 I assume has micro PCB boards or one long narrow board or a combo of both. While the mars does have a hotspot in the middle it’s not nearly as bad as other traditional lights. The “drop off” of PAR also isn’t nearly as bad since the lights are spread out over the whole are over the light and not concentrated in one area with big degree reflectors on the diodes to try to get the range like other LED. You are correct that both lights have about the same PPFD, just the mars does it more evenly throughout a canopy. I believe the price difference is 400+ USD for the Mars unfortunately, which you could get more lights (3 2x4 coverage LEDs) for the same price and generate more areas of super high PPFD, or spread them out to have greater coverage. At the current price point, if wattage isn’t a problem I would run multiple SF lights. If you want the best of the best with even coverage and only a single light, the Mars is the way to go. The problem I have is what do I really want to do? Lol.