300-400W ALTERNATIVE LIGHTING TEST
We’re pretty excited over here at
SPECTRORADIOMETER from StellarNet.
because we have just received our SPECTRORADIOMETER
This expensive piece of equipment will help bring our testing to the next level, beyond
measuring simply lumens or photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). A spectroradiometer
allows you to measure intensity at specific spectra over a wide range of colors and interprets
it into a graph, just like the ones you see on the boxes of HID bulbs. Lumens simply measure
light intensity to the human eye, not neccesarily the intensity of light used for
photosynthesis. A PAR meter measures the intensity of light between 400-700 nm,
yet aggregates all spectra within this range equally, as a number.
Our spectroradiometer measures from 340 to 1000 nanometers (nm). The human eye can
pick up light sources between about 390 (����) and 700 nm (���). Below 400 nm and you're
in the Ultraviolet range (UVA-UVB-UVC). Above 750 nm and you're in the Infrared range (IR).
For this test we decided to grab some of the most popular new lighting technology
available in the 300 to 400 watt range--a range we’ve had yet to test. We also included a
traditional high pressure sodium (HPS) light to the test because, of course, we were curious.
The lights tested were:
LUMIGROW PRO 325
SUN SYSTEM LEC 315
CERAMIC METAL HALIDE FIXTURE
BLACK DOG 360W LED
BD360-U
(UNIVERSAL SERIES)
KIND LED K3 L600
400W HORTILUX HPS LAMP
400W QUANTUM BALLAST
YIELD MASTER 6” REFLECTOR
FERO LED 10 SPOT
In addition to recording and graphing the spectral output of each light with the
spectroradiometer, we also measured the PAR output over a 4’ x 4’ grow footprint. Using
our Sun System PAR meter, we measured readings in 33 spots as seen on the grids in the
infographic below. We took these readings with all lights 24” above the 4’ x 4’ grow
footprint. We then plugged all of the grow light fixtures into the Kill-A-Watt meter so we
could read their wattage, amperage, voltage, and hertz. For this test we tried to collect as
much data as possible.
4X4 PAR FOOTPRINT RESULTS
In addition to recording and graphing the
spectral output of each light with a
spectroradiometer, we also measured the PAR
output over a 4’ x 4’ grow footprint.
LIGHTSOURCE
Using our Sun System PAR meter, we
measured readings in 33 spots as seen on the
grids in the infographic below. We took these
readings with all lights 24” above the 4’ x 4’
grow footprint.
535
1085
1715
We then plugged all of the grow light PAR METER
fixtures into the Kill-A-Watt meter so
we could read their wattage,
amperage, voltage, and hertz. For this
test we tried to collect as much data as
possible.
AVERAGE OF PAR 1' X 1' PERIMETER
1906 1552 1051 524
6”
AVERAGE OF PAR 2' X 2' PERIMETER
500
400
450
350
400
300
350
300
250
250
200
200
150
150
100
100
50
50
0
0
BLACK DOG
FERO LED
LUMIGROW
KIND LED
400W HPS
CERAMIC MH
BLACK DOG
FERO LED
LUMIGROW
KIND LED
400W HPS
CERAMIC MH
AVERAGE OF PAR 4' X 4' PERIMETER
AVERAGE OF PAR 3' X 3' PERIMETER
90
250
80
200
70
60
150
50
40
100
30
20
50
10
0
0
BLACK DOG
FERO LED
LUMIGROW
KIND LED
400W HPS
BLACK DOG
CERAMIC MH
FERO LED
LUMIGROW
KIND LED
400W HPS
CERAMIC MH
AVERAGE OF ALL PAR OVER 4' X 4' FOOTPRINT
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
BLACK DOG
FERO LED
LUMIGROW
KIND LED
400W HPS
CERAMIC MH
INDIVIDUAL LIGHT TESTING RESULTS
Black Dog
BD360-U
Universal Series
VOLTS
120.5V
41
74
AMPS
2.94A
WATTS
350W
HERTZ
60Hz
RATIO
PAR/WATTS
13.22
80
44
120
143
70
186
131
221 237 220
80 122 183 238 259 234 178 116 72
1FT
223 240 219
140
75
184
2FT
134
3FT
126
42
71
4FT
84
40
SPECTRAL READING:
BLACK DOG
Cholorphyll A
Chlorophyll B
340 360 380 400 420 440 460 480 500 520 540 560 580 600 620 640 660 680 700 720 740 760 780 800 820 840 860 880 900
Fero LED
Apollo10
VOLTS
118.8V
15
40
AMPS
2.67A
WATTS
316W
47
61
93
39
183
320 381 324
43 118 261 431 494 428 264 113 40
1FT
HERTZ
60Hz
RATIO
PAR/WATTS
16.53
13
301 343 297
90
34
137
2FT
88
3FT
35
52
15
4FT
14
41
SPECTRAL READING:
FERO LED
Cholorphyll A
Chlorophyll B
340 360 380 400 420 440 460 480 500 520 540 560 580 600 620 640 660 680 700 720 740 760 780 800 820 840 860 880 900
LumiGrow Pro 325
all dials set to
10+ Plant Mode
VOLTS
120.5V
109
41
177
113
224 260 229
47 89 173 251 296 260 175 94 50
1FT
HERTZ
60Hz
RATIO
PAR/WATTS
14.4
20
100
42
AMPS
2.47A
WATTS
298W
57
20
221 258 225
107
45
180
2FT
110
3FT
105
22
45
4FT
60
20
SPECTRAL READING:
LUMIGROW
Cholorphyll A
Chlorophyll B
340 360 380 400 420 440 460 480 500 520 540 560 580 600 620 640 660 680 700 720 740 760 780 800 820 840 860 880 900
Kind LED
K3 L600 - 24”
VOLTS
120.6V
126
59
166
121
410 454 412
62 148 367 612 680 602 363 147 60
1FT
HERTZ
60Hz
RATIO
PAR/WATTS
22.85
21
87
63
AMPS
2.54A
WATTS
307W
63
25
406 442 397
121
61
172
2FT
117
3FT
81
26
56
4FT
65
23
SPECTRAL READING:
KIND LED
Cholorphyll A
Chlorophyll B
340 360 380 400 420 440 460 480 500 520 540 560 580 600 620 640 660 680 700 720 740 760 780 800 820 840 860 880 900
Hortilux 400W HPS
Yield Master II 6”
Quantum 400
VOLTS
120.6V
53
131
AMPS
3.55A
WATTS
426W
HERTZ
60Hz
RATIO
PAR/WATTS
14.87
109
60
216
202
129
268
217
279 268 277
113 161 223 277 305 287 230 168 62
1FT
285 311 289
206
140
272
2FT
211
3FT
222
60
137
4FT
107
58
SPECTRAL READING:
400W HPS
Cholorphyll A
Chlorophyll B
340 360 380 400 420 440 460 480 500 520 540 560 580 600 620 640 660 680 700 720 740 760 780 800 820 840 860 880 900
Ceramic MH
Philips Mastercolor
Ceramic Metal Halide 3100k
Sunsystem LEC 315
VOLTS
119.6V
41
99
AMPS
2.93A
WATTS
348W
101
238
276
100
329
281
394 400 388
70 198 327 398 520 398 318 207 74
1FT
HERTZ
60Hz
RATIO
PAR/WATTS
22.29
40
388 402 414
284
95
46
332
2FT
246
278
3FT
104
110
4FT
41
SPECTRAL READING:
CERAMIC MH
Cholorphyll A
Chlorophyll B
340 360 380 400 420 440 460 480 500 520 540 560 580 600 620 640 660 680 700 720 740 760 780 800 820 840 860 880 900