ECO Farm ECOR Samsung LM301H 480W Dimmable Quantum Board with Meanwell Driver VS Horticulture Lighting Group LED Grow Light High efficiency HLG-550 V2 Quantum Board

Introduction

If you’re in the indoor grow industry, there is a high chance that you’ve heard of “Quantum Board LED Grow Light”. Quantum Board LED grow lights have continued to grow in popularity since the Horticultural Lighting Group first introduced them in the market. 

The biggest question lingering on the minds of growers is; are they effective and reliable as other LED grow lights? As you will find out later in this article, Quantum Board LED Grow Lights, normally shortened as QB LED grow lights are very efficient and effective in performance. These lights have several advantages over COBs such as better efficiency and much easier thermal management.

What is a Quantum Board Led Grow Light?

Quantum board grow lights are the next step above chip on a board (COB) LED grow lights. The LEDs are connected to a carefully wired board. The quantum board may be sold as just a circuit board. In these cases, you combine it with a pin heat sink or conventional extruded aluminum heat sink.

The LED bulbs themselves share the same advantages as other LED lights such as a long life expectancy and energy efficiency. Quantum board LEDs are as controllable as other LEDs. For example, a 300 watt system can typically be dimmed down to 120 watts in the early stages of growth. A quantum grow light that matches a 150 watt CFL in light output uses around 80 watts while covering a roughly two foot by two foot growing area.

Quantum grow lights that cover a 6 foot by 6 foot area for vegetation growth may only provide enough light for a 4.5 by 4.5 blooming crop. But it will consume only 350 to 500 watts of power while matching the light output of a rough 1000 watt bulb.

The best quantum board led grow lights are properly sized for the growing area. Know that this may mean setting up several grow lights to get full coverage.

The Benefits of Quantum Board Led Grow Lights

Chip on a board LEDs reduce the loss of power through circuit boards sending power to each LED in a grow light array. Quantum boards are even more energy efficient. This dramatically reduces their power consumption. This can also reduce the waste heat generated by the grow light.

A side benefit of the large and often exposed board has excellent ventilation, since the large flat board is exposed to the air. It may not need fans to keep it cool. The quantum grow board can be combined with a large, board-like heat sink. In this case, the heat created by the grow light array is continually pulled away from the board.

That’s why the best quantum board led grow lights never cause your grow tent to overheat. On the other hand, you may want ventilation to minimize smells or manage the humidity inside the grow tent. Yet the lack of fans may make the growing operation nearly silent.

The standard lightweight board is perfect for do it yourself projects. Its design may allow you to install it in tighter spaces than the standard LED grow light with a large plastic protective shell. You may be able to stick it to the top of a grow tent or the top of your closet to provide light to the plants underneath. Now you don’t have to deal with a hanging kit. Note that this approach means you can’t raise and lower the grow light as the plants grow.

Quantum grow lights are typically broad spectrum light similar to white LED or HID bulbs. This includes the red light that growing plants need. Whether or not you can put out predominately red or blue light depends on the quantum board design.

ECO Farm ECOR Samsung LM301H 480W Dimmable Quantum Board with Meanwell Driver

Features:

The ECO Farm LED grow light adopts the latest high-yield LED technology-Samsung LM301H 3500K diode, with a high energy efficiency of 2.8umol/J. Compared with the old fuzzy LED lights, the output is increased by 30%.

The maximum output of 2.2 grams per watt (power consumption), to achieve maximum quality and quantity, is far superior to traditional HPS growth systems. The 48 0W Veg footprint is 5 x 5 feet, and the Bloom footprint is 4 x 4 feet.

Well-made and sturdy structure: no fan and no noise. High safety performance XLG MEAN WELL driver, generally waterproof

Horticulture Lighting Group LED Grow Light High efficiency HLG-550 V2 Quantum Board

Features:

Horticulture Lighting Group LED Grow Light is designed to replace single-ended 1000W HID. Each HLG 600 RSpec uses 4 kinds of customized full-spectrum high-efficiency white light quantum boards, equipped with Samsung LM301H and deep red LED 660nm to enhance the flowering effect. Upgraded Inventronics power supply;

Flower footprint: 4.5'X4.5' or 5'X5', vegetable footprint: 6'X6' cm

System PPF efficiency: 2.5μmol/Joule; total output: 1178.05 PPF; reliable passive cooling design and ETL certification

Recommended installation height: 22-32 inches

Why Do Marijuana Plants Need Light?

Marijuana plants, regardless of where you are growing them – indoors or outdoors, need lighting. Light is very important for plants to grow as it helps them with the process of photosynthesis and helps them produce chlorophyll as well. Photosynthesis is an important process because that’s how plants prepare ‘food’ which gives them energy. Sunlight also helps break down various sugars and compounds in the plant’s body and it is also based on the lighting hours that they ge that the marijuana plant’s levels of CBD and THC are also affected at times.

Photoperiod is also very important for regular plants (non-autoflowering plants). These plants grow based on the sunlight that they get and they need about 22 to 12 hours of lighting based on the phase of growth that they are in. Different phases of the growth cycle not only need different amounts of lighting but also require different types of light. When the plant is in its early and vegetative stage of growth, it needs more of ‘blue light’ which is on the cooler spectrum of lighting. When the plant matures into pre-flowering and flowering stages, it requires red lighting. However, most growers prefer providing a combination of both these kinds of lights for a better result. 

How Much Light do Marijuana Plants Need?

Depending on different phases of their growth cycle, plants require different amounts of light as well. When the plants are in their earlier phase of growth, they need more lighting. The youngest of them all – seedlings require 22 hours of lighting. As they mature into a proper plant and enter the vegetative phase of growth, about 18 to 20 hours of light would be enough. As they grow taller you slowly reduce it to 16 hours. When the plants enter the pre-flowering phase of their growth cycle, they need about 16-14 hours of lighting and in the peak flowering phase, about 12 to 10 hours of lighting would be sufficient. The plant ‘rests’ in the dark hours. 

How to Handle and Care Quantum Board Lights?

Do follow these instructions while handling, clearing, and storing Quantum Board Lights;

• Avoid shocks and jerks, and don\’t drop Quantum board.
• Avoid touching LED resin and bending PCB.
• Avoid storage in a dusty environment.
• Avoid disassembling for the fear of VOC’s leakage.
• Avoid relocating Quantum Board lights when they are working.
• Also, avoid touching the circuit when in operation.

Cleaning Quantum Board

Isopropyl Alcohol is the best agent for cleaning LED modules. Non-recommended cleaners could temper the shape and cause trouble to the circuits. However, if it is necessary to clean using other cleaning agents, be sure that the cleaner doesn\’t dissolve the resin or VOC\’s used while cleaning a module. It is advisable to try other solvents or cleaners on a small scale before cleaning the entire board. Avoid using Freon and Ultrasonic techniques for cleaning your product since they have some impositions by regulations worldwide.

Quantum Boards need anti-static electricity, voltage regulator, and well grounding for smooth and stabilized function. Wearing shockproof gloves is also mandatory while handling Quantum Boards.

Conclusion

Picking the best quantum board LED grow light is important if you want to increase your grow yields. An efficient grow light will provide even coverage and deeper penetration for excellent growth.

In this article, we’ve conducted thorough research and included all the vital information that you need to select the most ideal quantum board LED grow light for your plants.

I hope you've found a grow light that not only meets your needs but as well as budget. If you're a small grower, ensure that you pick a nice QB LED light that offers full-spectrum and covers your plants abundantly. For professional growers, pick the best LED grow light with great power.