Hi All

Solarstorm 400w just arrived unpacked and hung.

I originally signed up for the Growers Feedback Program and was accepted. However, I decided to pay CLW the difference on an unadvertised price match program. I did this because the wait on the GFP is 4 weeks and growing. Growershouse sells the light for 798 so CLW matched it for me. Difference of 170.00 over the all in price of the growers Program (630.00 with shipping). This allowed me to get the light shipped immediately which was worth it to me. Also the 90 day full refund policy made this decision well worth it for my needs. As such I am not obligated to Journal this grow. I wanted to do this for all interested.

Now then with that said a bit about me and my set up/ style

I Have been Growing inside mostly some outside for 4 years in soil hand watered under various powered MH/HPS with great results. The latest setup is 3 2x2 GL60 250watt MH/HPS Tents perpetual style with one tent veg prep as I do a modular scrog and 2 tents flowering. I consitantly yeild 6-8 Dry Zzzzz. If you have never seen/heard of a modular scrog I suggest you google Verdant Green's Modular Scrog. It will come up! he is on another forum and he just kills it with this style. He is in a 24x26 area running a 250w HID 8-10 z's consistently. Before you cry foul BS or any other term of disbelief go read the journals this guy can grow! He also has a LED run using similar wattage draw as his 250 HID with similar results.

I believe you need to run similar wattage of LED that you run HID to get similar results. For some larger scale folks this is cost prohibitive hence the bad rap on LEDS. My 250's run on a Lumatek super Lumens and my 250's pull 300-310 w from the wall. The SS400 pulls 345 with UV bulbs lit (flowering only) and of course fans running. This works out to somewhere around 80w per square foot. SME is very sensitive to watts per sq foot so maybe with those number I will gain some approval from SME.

This Journal will Have some photos at various stages. I will not bore with the details as I do not have time. I will not show sprouts, seedling etc. A few shots of the VEG stage as it progresses and then some periodic shots of the Flower and finally Harvest shots dry weight and comparisons to conventional lighting. I will do the best I can to answer all questions along the way as I feel info on these light are still quite limited.

Clones Just went under the light today so nothing exciting yet.

These are all know and some made by me all phenos have been grown out several times by me so I know exactly what to expect from each. For those that care here is my line up

2x Sannies Extrema #2 (Chemdog) X (Herijuana)
1X Sannies Extrema #3
1X Nirvana's Rasberry Cough X Whazzups Anesthesia R.C. Is a (Cambodian land race sativa) x (Nirvana's Ice) Anna is( Herijuana) X (Skunk X Afghani)

Also in the works is

3 Different Phenos of Extrema X Anesthesia
Raspberry Cough x Hashplant

not sure which yet will end up being flowered under the solar storm as I can only do 4. Maybe ill do 1 of each the the beauty of the Modular scrog Read Verdants Thread you'll see!

Thats all for now I welcome all questions and Comments

Thanks

Welcome to the forums!

You don't need my approval (other than initial moderation period that we have to weed out (no pun intended) spammers); people grow how they want here.

I agree and often say that you need about he same watts with HID vs LED to get similar results and many of our journals back that up. If anything HID is still slightly better, at least with higher powered HID so I look forward to checking out your journals...

GFP journals are supposed to be updated weekly but, as you said, this isn't a GFP journal; you're just doing it because you want to and we do appreciate that.


SME

Thanks For the welcome SME

I will do my best to update weekly that shouldn't be a problem. I do agree with what you said being a HID grower always. Part of my motivation deciding to use this light is that I wanted just a bit more wattage in my 2x2 than I could get with a 250 and a 400 was too much so the solar storms near 345 from the wall in flower sounded perfect. Also the footprint at 15" x 18" seemed like a great option to me. So far it does run a bit cooler which works for me but not too much. Also keep in mind im using 2 4" Inlines split between 3 tents for ventilation purposes. So I dont believe the whole "runs cooler" argument apples here. 340 watts is 340 watts.

80w/sqft should pump out some nice results but I wouldn't necessarily say that 400w is too much either.

I've discussed the LED heat myth several times too; we seem to be on the same page.


I'm looking forward to the updates and pictures...

Yes I again agree 400 watts is never to much light but coming into summer it was too much heat for 3 2x2's next to one another.

My space does get warm and I have taken the AC plunge yet but may need to!

Ill post some pics soon of the newly transplanted clones so we have an official starting point. This thread will also include a flowering tent using a 250w HPS so it will be a bit of a side by side. Same genetics same Mod SCROG same Nutes. I will be using Dynagrow Foliage pro, Protect, Roots excellerator, Great white, and Floralicious Plus or Liquid Karma in Veg.

Flower runs DynaGrow Foliage Pro, and some Dynagrow Bloom (not Much), RE, Protekt, Great White, Floralicious Plus, and Bud XL and shooting Powder the last 3 weeks

I will answer some questions on my Nute regime but please keep in mind this is about the light. I have run the gambit on Nutes and they all work but the results I have gotten from this blend is tough to beat especially when your factor the cost. Those interested may want to do a search for Homebrewer Dynagro awesome read. He does a side by side with Advanced Connisseur line
very eye opening

That should be everything

AC helps, a lot, if you really want to take control of the environmentals.

I LOVE comparison journals, too bad you don't have a 400w tent too!

I find that comparing nutrients is a lot like comparing car companies. Is Ford better than Chevy, is Chevy better than Dodge, is Dodge better than Ford, etc. How they're mixed is like the different models. There are a LOT of formulas...

I'm always willing to checkout new ideas though...

Ac Is much needed and will really help control my environment. I need to do some electrical work before that can happen. Believe me it is on the to do list.

I would consider running the solar storm 400w against a 400 w HPS. However I don't think the 2 light are on the same playing field. IMHO the 400 w HPS wins hands down every time. The only fair comparison is the 250 W HOS on super lumens VS the Solar Storm 400 w Pulling 340 W. Maybe Im wrong but thats the conclusion ive come to

So it will have to be the SS400 W VS the 250 HPS !

I wouldn't rate the SS400w at 340w because the UVB isn't a major growth spectrum, I call it a 310w light. The closest comparison is a 600w HPS with the SS800w which has an actual draw of 620w LED (not including the UVB) but I still think the HPS would win. You might want a bigger tent for that one though. I think somebody else in the forums is/was/plans on trying something like that.

After looking at these CLW LEDS and others for over a year I agree 100% If I had the SS800 it would be in a 3x3 or a 4x4 Max.
As I mentioned the SS400 in a 2x2 even at 310 watts (not counting the UV) is the perfect comparison to my 250 on super Lumens. Almost the exact wattage from the plug!

I will say that after 2 days with the light it is VERY bright almost hard to look at. It is quite heavy and feels and looks WELL built
so far Im happy with it but we will see how she grows. Im really not worried about Veg should be fine there.

Flowering is about 2 weeks out maybe 3 as I got caught behind with some clones etc.

I think the SS400w will keep up or even do better than the HPS in veg...maybe not flower though. We'll see.