LED Grow Light Forum

Okay let me start off by saying I am completely new to using LED lights. I have the solar flare 220 veg master. I was using a 400 MH but that thing produces way to much heat and lights up my room that I have my tent in. I have a agromax small grow tent. While I was waiting on my led form California light works I started a seed with the MH. I plan on growing autos. I have a week old auto kush plant and I just planted 2 red dwarf autos. I germinated the seed and planted them when the root was about a inch long. The soilless mix that I am using is sunshine mix#4. The light schedule that I will be going off of is 20 on and 4 off. As you can tell I am a complete newb to this. Hopefully my grow will help newcomers like me learn from any mistakes that I make. I see there are a lot of growers who know what they are doing and have the money to spend on greater units. I am here to try to help the little guy. Any advice would be great I will start my grow journal when my plants pop their heads out from the grow dirt. As of now I have one 6 inch clip on fan a 6 inch inline duct fan taking the heat out of the tent. The light is 25 inches above the top of the grow dirt. I soaked the mix in ph water. Also any advice on how to set up a good grow journal would be helpful as you can read I am already all over the place. I am hope for good success with this light.

Welcome to the forums!

That SF220 should adequately flower a little over 3 square feet so you don't have much room, luckily autos shouldn't take much. If this isn't the start of your journal I should move it. You can look at other journals that you like and copy the format if you're not sure how to start.


SME

So far I am completely upset with the veg master. I have a small grow tent and this light can't even penetrate to small plants. My cfl lights are putting this thing to shame. Well that was 450 bucks wasted. I am about to either return this thing or sell it on eBay. 70 bucks worth of cfl lights do way better then this. Here my words as a new grower do not get the 220 veg master

any pics?

25" is too far above the plants IMO. what size is the tent other than "small"?

The small grow tent is 35 inches long, 22 inches wide, 63 inches tall. I am only growing two plants under it and the plants just are not soaking up the light

Admin could you please take down my 6 June 2014 post I would like to change some content of the message.

A grow tent shouldn't be leaking light. Tighten it up and use your hid.

You say the seeds haven't sprouted but the light can't penetrate to the dirt. I don't get it.

I don't think the 220 can do 3 plants.

I sense buyer's remorse. Don't you know we're guinea pigs?

I did the exact same thing with the veg master that I am doing with the CFL lights. The seed sprouted but the little plant is falling over like it's not getting the light it needs. The plants under the cfl light are taking off. A 450 dollar test subject does not make me happy. How could anyone not have buyers remorse money does not grow on trees and I am far from being rich. I wanted to buy an American made light but I should have purchased the Chinese light the Mars2 or a Cidly light. Also three plants shouldn't be tough on this because it's suppose to cover a 5x5 area. I am not even taking up space of a 2x2 area

Also this company claims to have 5 years if research behind their light so you would think it would be better than it is

joshua311 wrote:So far I am completely upset with the veg master. I have a small grow tent and this light can't even penetrate to small plants. My cfl lights are putting this thing to shame. Well that was 450 bucks wasted. I am about to either return this thing or sell it on eBay. 70 bucks worth of cfl lights do way better then this. Here my words as a new grower do not get the 220 veg master

Nonsense. We know for a fact that those lights are excellent in veg and you're not even close to flowering yet but since they use the same 5w diodes as their bigger lights we also know that it can. I, personally, wouldn't use the vegmaster for flowering but I don't grow autos either so maybe there's something there.

joshua311 wrote:Admin could you please take down my 6 June 2014 post I would like to change some content of the message.

I think you can edit your own posts.

joshua311 wrote:The small grow tent is 35 inches long, 22 inches wide, 63 inches tall. I am only growing two plants under it and the plants just are not soaking up the light

Are you sure it's just not the seedlings/genetics or other environmental issues?

joshua311 wrote:I did the exact same thing with the veg master that I am doing with the CFL lights. The seed sprouted but the little plant is falling over like it's not getting the light it needs. The plants under the cfl light are taking off. A 450 dollar test subject does not make me happy. How could anyone not have buyers remorse money does not grow on trees and I am far from being rich. I wanted to buy an American made light but I should have purchased the Chinese light the Mars2 or a Cidly light. Also three plants shouldn't be tough on this because it's suppose to cover a 5x5 area. I am not even taking up space of a 2x2 area

Without pictures it's hard to say but if you think those other lights would be better than the CLW lights...you're high. (pun intended)

They say the SF220w will cover "up to" 5x5 in veg but they don't say vegging what. Cannabis needs more light than 6.6w/sqft although you have tiny seedlings that may not be able to handle the intensity of the 5w LED diodes if you have the light too close - too soon.

From their website:
"The SolarFlare 220 is designed to cover up to a 2’ x 2’ area for bloom. To get a good spread, you want to position the light approximately 12”-18” above your canopy."

I'd say 2x2 is pushing it for 165 watts actual draw, which is why I said ~3 sqft earlier.

joshua311 wrote:Also this company claims to have 5 years if research behind their light so you would think it would be better than it is

You might also ask yourself why you're the only one having the problem you describe. Other SF users seem to like their lights.

That said, it is your light and CLW has guarantees/warranties and you are obviously permitted to sell it since you bought it but it doesn't seem like you gave it much of a chance. Have you contacted CLW sales/support?

I have to agree with Xylem, it sounds like buyers remorse but the other lights that you mentioned are *not* going to be better. I've complained about LED marketing hype for years. Unfortunately, most people just believe the myths instead of doing better research. I'm not sure what you expected nor what is going on with your current seedlings but we do know that LED grow lights are excellent for vegging. Maybe pictures would help us help you...