Cheap Affordable Indoor Light Recommendations

[Pitoon]

Currently setting up my indoor grow area for my tropicals I'll be bringing inside in the subsequent weeks. I'll have them set up on industrial shelving that'll be 77"x 24".

I would love any recommendations for cheap hanging lights I can install underneath the shelving for my plants that you guys use. Preferably looking for something that is LED.

Harbor Freight LED shop lights work for me

 

[penumbra]

Harbor Freight LED shop lights work for me

I have all kinds of lights and experiment with them regularly, but as above I have found LED shop lights to be excellent, particularly for smaller plants. I have a lot of these in use.

 

[Apex37]

Harbor Freight LED shop lights work for me

I've never thought to check there, I love that store. Lol
I'll have to check em out.

 

[Apex37]

The budget solution for an indoor grow area is a so called 'quantum board'. This is an LED panel where white higher end LEDs are directly mounted to a board inside a alu casing. The aluminum hood acts as the passive cooler. Then the power supply/driver is mounted on top of that. The most famous example is Viparspectra P1000.

These are generally 100 to 150 watts, 150 to 200 USdollar products that can be used to grow a single cannabis plants quite well.
Given that cannabis plants require a lot of light, these products are also very good for growing other plants indoors.
Spending more money for a dimmable product could be a good idea.

Check out this video:

Guy tests a whole bunch of grow lights, low to high end, using a high end sensor designed to measure photosynthetically available radiation (PAR).
You want to consider the cost of the lamp itself, the amount of plant growth it can provide (PAR), and the electricity(plus cost) it requires to do so.
So you want something with both a high efficiency (above 1.8 joules/mole) and a low product price. How much light you need depends on how large a grow area you have.

I think he also tested some of the HLG products that cmeg1 suggests. cmeg1' suggestion seems like an excellent example of a current good quantum board. But not suitable for shelving. Of course, shelving can save you indoor space.

Only some products fit with shelves. Most products you have to hang from a growth tent or the ceiling. You will have about 1.15 square meter of grow area. If you want to provide a PPFD of 350 umoles/second/m2, then you need a total PAR of about 400 umoles/second. With a very efficient light of 1.8 joules/mole, that will be 225 watts. Just some numbers to think about.

Maybe you can find one that is shaped linear? Then you have to think carefully at what height you need to mount them to get a good coverage.

I'd really just like to thank you for all your input and videos! Seriously, I've been learning a lot.

I imagine the lights will be hung about 2ft or so from the plants. Unfortunately I hurt my ankle pretty bad the other day and haven't been able to build the shelving to see.

 

[Carol 83]

I'd really just like to thank you for all your input and videos! Seriously, I've been learning a lot.

I imagine the lights will be hung about 2ft or so from the plants. Unfortunately I hurt my ankle pretty bad the other day and haven't been able to build the shelving to see.

I just use decorative plants stands, since they are all in my kitchen. And my husband is not too keen on them being inside in the first place.

 

[bonsaiboy60077]

I just bought a grow light that has a stand and 4 heads off of amazon,

 

[bonsaiboy60077]

I'll see if i remember to take a picture of it when i get home, that picture from the computer really sucks.

 

[CarpenterDiaz7]

Hey fellow members, so over the winter I started to collect a few Tropicals: I have a couple of bougainvilleas, tiger bark ficus, Podocarpus, a couple of kumquat bonsais. I am looking for information on what output I would need on a light setup for my bonsáis. I plan to have a 2x4x4 grown tent for next Years winter. What information do I need when looking for a light? I def wanna go LED. I want something that will cover the entire area. Recommendations please TÍA!

 

[Apex37]

Hey fellow members, so over the winter I started to collect a few Tropicals: I have a couple of bougainvilleas, tiger bark ficus, Podocarpus, a couple of kumquat bonsais. I am looking for information on what output I would need on a light setup for my bonsáis. I plan to have a 2x4x4 grown tent for next Years winter. What information do I need when looking for a light? I def wanna go LED. I want something that will cover the entire area. Recommendations please TÍA!

I got two of these and was pretty happy with them:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LBJG927/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_917QRP671FA6PT7GPPEY

I only ran it at half power for about 8-10 hours and was able to get succulents to bloom and even my barbados cherry decided to fruit in the middle of winter. Light is about probably 12"-18" up from the shelf.

 

[penumbra]

There are literally too many to choose from. I would go to Amazon. read the reviews and pull the trigger. There are at least 50 lights there that would make me happy. I am currently burning 30+ lights.

 

[CarpenterDiaz7]

There are literally too many to choose from. I would go to Amazon. read the reviews and pull the trigger. There are at least 50 lights there that would make me happy. I am currently burning 30+ lights.

Wow! I’ve looked around, and I kinda wanna buy one time and have a good enough setup where they’re all happy for the the New England winter. I went out today to a local hydroponics store and they had some tents and lights on sale. What are y’all take on this here?

just also learned about the Vipsrspectra P1000, which light would be best in this size tent from the one I bought to the P1000?
Also here is my current setup, seems okay, but for space i am going with a tent.
Thank you all!

 

[penumbra]

The Sun Blaze T5 unit is a nice unit but you said you wanted LED. Personally I prefer T5 but they are more expensive to operate and bulbs should be replaced annually for best results.

This all sounds like an echo of what I have said before. Did you look in the archives?

 

[CarpenterDiaz7]

The Sun Blaze T5 unit is a nice unit but you said you wanted LED. Personally I prefer T5 but they are more expensive to operate and bulbs should be replaced annually for best results.

This all sounds like an echo of what I have said before. Did you look in the archives?

Yes I wanted LED, but being at the shop the guy was telling me about how much of a spectrum I get with LED, and that set was on sale. How would the P1000 match up with this T5 setup?
Thank you!

 

[jonf]

Shop lights + LED bulbs from Home Depot or Lowes are my go-to. Most affordable and effective option that I've found

 

[stinkylittlekitten]

The colored ones are very annoying to me as diagnosis of leaf colors and such is very hard.

Even the slight tinge of blue suppliment I use is really in the way sometimes.

which light do you use for supplemental blue?

I have been seeking without satisfaction. I will be looking into those HLG/ebay newer samsung diodes. I am not married to LED while it is preferred, I am more interested in a relative abundance of blue light

 

[Glaucus]

Check out this video:

 

[cmeg1]

which light do you use for supplemental blue?

I have been seeking without satisfaction. I will be looking into those HLG/ebay newer samsung diodes. I am not married to LED while it is preferred, I am more interested in a relative abundance of blue light

Sais the blue are all out,but maybe selections will pop up after searching amazon at this listing

I screenshot my purchase history for the brand name