Lighting choices CML/LEC or LED

[PainMan]

A search for good lights

(the following is of course all theoretical, and has no bearing on any real situation, yada yada yada)

* The Situation *

I live in bloody nowhere SA, a few hours from the hills. The wife and I are v-e-r-y disabled. And with the fuckin death of the council housing system, all us sick folk have been fobbed off into buying old country houses in areas where there are no longer any jobs (which works for us) and also no infrastructure. And so is life with the coalition.

Because we are no longer living in the city (not for ages now) and are really too bad off to leave the bloody house more than once a month or less due to disability, we have no social life, no contacts, and can't make journeys into the Adelaide suburbs to purchase a few days of functionality.

Me? well I have 7 pain conditions, two precancerous ones, and other crap (one of which temporarily killed me about 20 months ago, and I am still exhausted from that). My lady has a ton of stuff wrong with her. All of our conditions could seriously benefit from MC. But, living out here ... there is no green as there are no people.

Besides living on DSP doesn't leave a lot for room for "necessary purchases". Taking care of her health problems was my job and was a lot easier when I was well connected and well employed.  That was then. This is now. The "10 plant plan" is very dead and electricity prices suck ass.

I am getting increasingly worried about my wife being taken off all of her pain meds (which she really does need, though our own research has made the amount needed, a lot less than it was). Her Neuropathy is pretty bad.

So - I need to be able to grow. It has been a long time. I hope somehow to drag my carcass around to get things set up to provide for us.

*** BUT WHAT LIGHTS ***

I'd love to be able to afford the BlackDog Phytomax 800 LED, becasue the results are just amazing and the company is very solid. But then I could buy a car for what one light would cost me (and again ... living on DSP).

I would prefer not have have to use a bunch of MARS II 700's for everything. They could probably handle VEG OK, but they just don't have the reds for flowers.

And into the world we have Ceramic Metal Halide. Those 315s are doing amazing jobs, use less power than a lot of other choices, have way better spectrum than HSP (and any of the low end LEDs), and they also cost less per fixture.

But nobody bloody sells CMH/LEC lights in this nation EXCEPT for 1 company that is here in SA.  That creates an issue. If you buy anything using PLASTIC and you are in SA, your details go straight to the coppers. Best to buy out of state. I do not want a visit from the cops, especially with the # of plants needed to make concentrates for autoimmune and pain conditions.

 
 

[Stix87]

My mate asked me what would be the best light to get and I told him if I was to ever upgrade from 1000w hps it would be one of those 315w that few folk here have been running it makes sense globes don't need replacing as often either better for power . Each to there own mate I just don't see led lights getting anywhere close to those 315w apparently they are a close spectrum to the sun or something like that all the best with the decision

[billygoat]

Seem to have already made up your mind, but $2399 for an unproven LED with some cool stickers on it ? .

 

I was googling d paps last night. They are due to release an LED light next month... Be interesting to see their pricing, I know which one I would buy !

 

But, if you are on a tight budget get a cheap second had 600w ballast and shade, but a new bulb.. And off ya go.

[PainMan]

I've seen the results from the BlackDog Phytomax, but they are just too expensive.

This is why I am looking toward 315s, but where can you buy them? Seems the only choice is to buy off of the web over seas (adding in shipping, tariff, and nosy people at the border). As I was trying to explain, there is a WHOLESALER for one brand of the Ceramic Halide light brands in the Adelaide suburbs (Seacliff Park)

http://www.stealth-garden.com/product/lighting/hi-par-315w-sunstorm-kit/

This means somebody in Australia is selling the things retail...But who?

And if you buy anything in SA at a hydro shop with plastic, your details go straight to the coppers, so it is best to buy from another state.

Edited July 29, 2016 by PainMan

[Partimus]

I've seen the results from the BlackDog Phytomax, but they are just too expensive.

 

This is why I am looking toward 315s, but where can you buy them? Seems the only choice is to buy off of the web over seas (adding in shipping, tariff, and nosy people at the border). As I was trying to explain, there is a WHOLESALER for one brand of the Ceramic Halide light brands in the Adelaide suburbs (Seacliff Park)

 

http://www.stealth-garden.com/product/lighting/hi-par-315w-sunstorm-kit/

 

This means somebody in Australia is selling the things retail...But who?

 

And if you buy anything in SA at a hydro shop with plastic, your details go straight to the coppers, so it is best to buy from another state.

 

Ok painman I am going to tell you this one more time, I don't mean to sound condescending but I did mention this for you on your other thread asking where to get these lights

 

Glandore hydro sell the 315 watt fixtures, d paps, double d paps or  globes with ballast and adapter plug.  they are SA based, have an online store and post

 

hydro experts are an online store that also sell them. that is where I got mine from. they do free postage on large orders and sometimes have sales.

 

any hydro store will be able to get them for you really as every one that i rang when looking for mine said they could.

 

good luck once again

[torrietree]

Get a disposable credit card that way your name isn't attached to the card. Ship it to a mates house or something?

 

This might not work since your in the middle of bum fuck nowhere

[billygoat]

It's been a little while since I have looked, but have availability of these in general decreased significantly ?

 

And bulb prices gone up quite a big too ?

 

May be wrong, my memory ain't the best

[Serrated edge]

Epping hydro in Melbourne has two brands Papillon and Hy-Par.

[forgetiwashere]

It's been a little while since I have looked, but have availability of these in general decreased significantly ?

 

And bulb prices gone up quite a big too ?

 

May be wrong, my memory ain't the best

bulb prices for these has always been over the top. they last much longer so they doubled the price to make up for it i think.

there are other manufacturers getting in on the action now as well though so maybe prices might start to come down soon

[itchybromusic]

some good info here ,

Monster Gardens Light Testing

 

Testlab #1 | Grow Light Testing by MG | Testing Grow Lights |

Horticulture Lamp Testing LED/HID/LEC

https://youtu.be/JZ8pvEJyBBU

 

TestLab # 2 | HPS Single Ended MEGA Light Test | BEST HPS - Grow Light Comparison Testing Test Lab

https://youtu.be/plKcdFAGUwA

 

TestLab # 3 MH Mega Test | Best MH Lamp 1000w & 600w | Test Lab Metal Halide Testing

https://youtu.be/7oy1O_-Yt6g

 

TestLab #4 | Measuring Plant Lighting | Lumens Versus PAR | What is PPFD PAR DLI Lumen?

https://youtu.be/4F2UdmlJmes

 

Testlab #5 DE Testing - Comparison & Results | MegaTest BEST Double Ended Fixture | DE Light Ratings

https://youtu.be/j7yS8eku5oQ

 

TestLab #6 - DE Bulb HPS Megatest | Double Ended Lamp Comparisons | The Best DE Bulb for...?

https://youtu.be/sNIXHRC0dyg

 

Testlab #7 | Grow Light Comparisons | DE-MH Testing vs. LEC, SE-MH, CMH, DE-HPS | UVB UVC INFO

https://youtu.be/zFzHSY30-ug