Light recommendation for a 4x4 grow with two plants. Can I use one good light or do I need two
Depending on your budget you can use 1 big light but normally a 4x4 light is a few hundred bucks for a decent name brand one. Or you could use smaller lights to fill tent like two 2x4 lights or or four 2x2 100-150w lights its really up to you and what ya willing to spend. I use 6 100w mars hydro lights 1 for each plant (because i dont scrog or do much lst tie down training lol) and they were like $60 each and decent brand as well as spider farmer and viparspectar as well as a few others
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Forgot to add if ya just doing 2 plants at a time and in like 5 gallon pots or lower 1 2x4 light will be enough to cover both plants when side by side
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Check out phlizon lights, they are doing some great lights without huge price tags.
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PPFD is the most important lighting factor; you could use 1 or more lamps to get the numbers you need over a 4x4 canopy. In my opinion the second most important thing to consider is PPE . . . the higher the µmol/J value the less electrical cost to produce the needed PPFD. Go with independent testing for lamps as manufacturer’s data rarely matches independent test results.
When you figure in cost of operation, a cheap lamp with a high PPF but lower PPE can cost more over the lamp’s lifespan than a higher end, efficient lamp with a higher initial price tag. Also, more efficient lamps tend to under power a greater number of, use superior LED’s, or both which leads to cooler operation and a longer lifespan overall.
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I Highly suggest 1 480watt Mars Smart light.
I use 2 of them in my 10x5. I have never grown such high quality massive yields in all my life.
They run Cool and balast is Outside the tent.
The program is Flawless off the app to run your tiner / sun rise sun set mode, the ppdf is the Best on the world market. Its a even Strong ppdf output througout 90% of the light. I promise you will never buy another brand and need more than a 480w for a 4x4 with exceptional results.
Data feed back, temp humd sensors all work with the Mars Fans. Its amazing. Check for yourself…
Mars makes mid range lights there are plenty that will make mars look inadequate. Not trying to argue just stating what I’ve seen and learned over 6 years of growing. I started with a mars lamp. It stopped working after 1 run and I couldn’t get any help from them at all. So I upgraded to HLG, price was reasonable for a top tier light and customer service is always great. What’s funnier is it’s a 650 watt light meant for a 4x4. It still out performs mars in my 5x5. If they work for you that’s great but don’t lie and say there aren’t better lights out there
Garden for reference
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I think anyone buying grow lamps should take the time to watch “The HLG Show” with Growmau5 and Stephen Johnson. If you’ve been around the weed forums for 10+ years you may remember when the guy was another grower tinkering with building lamps in his garage . . . he came up the “quantum board” and HLG in the process.
He put the time and effort into developing and refining the QB style lamp . . . Mars Hydro, Spider Farmer and a thousand other companies basically copied what he was doing using cheap parts and labor. Makes you wonder what they are going to do with Samsung leaving the LED business, back to BridgeLux? HLG has been talking to CREE for over a year, but I can’t see many of the others turning to an American manufacturer.
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