McB

i think he may have been referring to my lurker ass, cant say i have given much content to prove otherwise as yet

http://experilab.co.za/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=991 the condenser on your link seems better than what above stocks sadly

thats how i understood it. actual glassware doesn't appear too excessive, bloody retort stands must be made from unobtanium though

nicely laid out intro post, welcome bud, enjoy

had the same issue with cultera now that you mention it, but at least the cuttworms arent as bad as some locally packaged stuff. never really had an issue with gnats, had them, but didn't develop into anything major. mites are a whole new kettle of fish

https://www.digikey.co.za/product-detail/en/samsung-semiconductor,-inc./SL-B8T2N70LAWW/1510-2462-ND/8536566?utm_adgroup=&mkwid=sUl83ogcm&pcrid=298146361420&pkw=&pmt=&pdv=c&productid=8536566&slid=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrvTG2IC93gIVhLTtCh2Z7ggQEAQYASABEgIK5_D_BwE thats actually not that stupidly priced

i get what you are referring to, great in concept i'm sure. doesn't really address any of the questions posed though. what would that setup set you back and where will it run wattage wise. drivers look pretty small for the size of the array. i'm working off models you mentioned, checking local availability, price,spec sheets and comparing to my lumiled and cree cob research to gain an actual understanding of price vs performance between cob and smd

sorry to hijack this thread, but you have me interested, what price points are we looking at for the samsung products, pro's and cons of them vs 3w full spectrum/cob the sammy's look to be mid power. this is what i have found locally with a little bit of a google https://za.rs-online.com/web/c/displays-optoelectronics/leds-led-accessories/visible-leds/?searchTerm=led&applied-dimensions=4294965025&rpp=100

yeah, basic point is, not that amazon panel. but lets face it, nothing listed here fits the R1000 budget based on that purchase price. good leds arent cheap and cheap leds arent good

with all due respect, that light is great for lettuce, what you are looking at there is severely old technology with only a single lense on the diode with no secondary. this means your spread is going to terrible. the chips used look to be 3w, probably epileds as i see no mention of better quality being used.(and china would say if they used cree) brand aside rest assured the quality is lower bin, meaning less stringent quality control in general. the addition of uv and ir seems redundant, its not that they aren't useful, i just wouldn't add them to a panel at the expense of photosynthetic light. a full spectrum white would serve a much more worthy purpose instead for example. NO mention of used spectrum is suspect, not all reds are created equal, with 660nm being substantially more expensive than 630 if memory serves. IF you need to do led, look at cobs, that said a cree "100w" 3590 chip alone will set you back 500 plus,with no sync or driver so i do understand the attraction. I speak from experience, experience im now having to fix retrospectively. removing IR and cheap reds and replace with full spectrum on my panel,sourcing better angel lenses etc

im with the guys above 250w max in that space, best practice (for hid)is mh veg hps flower, have done both ways, prefer the node spacing i get from white(blue) light

i would say 400w digital ballast, then your choice of 250/400 MH for veg and 400w hps for flower, air cooled hood and relevant ventilation

At R1000 budget at that site you are looking a cfl only, i have grown with 160w cfl and it taps out in flower, just doesnt have the intensity and coverage. Cfl has its place in stealth micro cabs and early veg, it is unfortunately not a complete solution. in the space you are looking at 400w hid would be your next most cost effective, how are you cooling this cab?