Mars Hydro SP3000 - Extensive grow light testing and review

[@TheBonsaiZone]

What an amazing video, thanks for all the tests and information!!

[@OddBonsai]

Thank you Nigel! I hope you get well soon!

[@ddoleiden]

Excellent methodology, Stefan. The PAR maps at various hanging heights and dimmer settings were particularly helpful. Cheers!

[@OddBonsai]

This helped me a lot in finding the best setup. Glad it was helpful for you too.

[@mingo8160]

This is such a well made test. hands down the best video on this light on the platform including quality!

[@OddBonsai]

Thanks! I appreciate the feedback and I am happy to hear I'm not the only one interested in technical details and in depth testing. My only regret is that I don't own a quantum par light meter to perform more accurate tests but they are pretty expensive.

[@user-fp8hq3bx1b]

Thank you for the great review. Not as boring, and no mumbling like the other guy.

[@bealight5141]

This helped me so much especially the charts at the end for the dimmer settings and hang height. Cant thank you enough 🙏🏻

[@ShiloMilo]

Thank you for test drive!

[@baldyeti]

You blow me away, Stef! So much useful info packed in here. Not just on this light, but how to test my set up as well to see if my plants are getting what they need. You are one resourceful son of a gun, good sir. I’m going to look into that PAR tester app and see how my cheap light are doing (maybe I don’t want to know how bad they are) Your editing skills have hit another level too, by the way.

[@OddBonsai]

Thank you very much Yeti! I thought I might as well include these in the grow light review video since I was anyway going to make all these tests to figure out how to set up the light so that it doesn't burn the leaves on my trees (didn't expect you can get leaf burn so fast from an artificial light). So glad to hear the info is helpful. If you can, use the Photone app on an iPhone. They have an Android version which is currently in Beta but it doesn't work right at all. There are various Android apps out there but non of them are accurate.

[@BlueJayBonsai]

Wow, this is like a science experiment. This must have been a lot of work to put together. Thank Stefan! What height and power level are you using now?

[@OddBonsai]

I wish I had done these experiments before putting the plants in the tent for the first time.😋It would have saved some leaves from burns. It's hard to say the exact height since some plants are taller and some are shorter (couldn't raise all of the canopies at the same level). On average it would be a 51cm height with the dimmer set to 50%.

[@yevgeniysterenok3337]

Perfect review, thank you 👍

[@OddBonsai]

My pleasure!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Good testing. Well done!

[@OddBonsai]

Thanks Dave! All this testing was great for understanding how to use the grow light and how to set it up so the trees benefit from it instead of it being a setback. I messed up at first by setting it too close to the trees at full power and I got some "nice" leaf burn and stunned growth.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@OddBonsai hehehe it's all part of the process.... leaves are expendable after all! But was the leaf burn caused by dry heat? Or infra-red wavelengths? Surely not just by visible light wavelengths??

[@OddBonsai]

I think it most probably was a combination of heat and the sudden change from the lower light levels they were getting in the window to the high intensity light in the tent. It wasn't so much burning as it was a bleaching effect on the leaves.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@OddBonsai makes sense!

[@MarcBlackforestPlants]

Great video and awesome light source. I would love to have some of those too 😉

[@OddBonsai]

Thank you Marc! Grow lights are a great help during winter once you get the hang of them. I think you would need a lot of grow lights since you have many large plants. 😊

[@gonesbonsai57]

Good testing👌🙏

[@OddBonsai]

Thank you! Glad you found it useful!

[@petercsigo3314]

Good info, thank you.👍

[@bonsaibuenobyalexb]

Hello Stefan...nice investment my friend...🙂👍👍

[@OddBonsai]

Thank you, it wasn't actually an investment. Mars Hydro sponsored the channel with the light and grow tent.

[@Miller-cw4kc]

I didn't get stickers n the put hoops on the outside of the light now for the hooks

[@OddBonsai]

Thanks for the info! It seems that they make some changes to their lights and package content from time to time. While doing the research for this grow light review I noticed they gave up using the blue LEDs that were present in the first version of the SP3000. I don't know if they're doing this to reduce production costs. It would be interesting if someone that has access to multiple versions of the light could document these differences and maybe also look for any changes in performance.

[@andrealvarez3345]

Awesome review can you please post the points and values on W consumption in graph? Thank you

[@OddBonsai]

Thanks! Sure, I can share them. I'll have to think of a way to do this and I'll make a document once I find some time.

[@camhowelse5797]

@6:00 , Do you flip that back switch up or down to turn it on like that? I am confused with my own sp3000 because when I flip that button down my light turns on full blast, but when I flip it up it turns off. I thought it was supposed to be up for on, and down for off. Thank you for any insight! :)

[@OddBonsai]

That back switch also got me confused. It is supposed to be used to select between the light being used as a main light or a slave for daisy chain operation. So when it is switched to the ON state the light intensity is set by the dimmer control (for which you need to set the front switch to ON). If the back switch is set to off, the intensity is supposed to be set by the daisy chain connection. However, if there is no master connected to set the intensity to the slave, you will have full intensity by default. I hope this makes sense and helps you out with using your light.

[@camhowelse5797]

@@OddBonsai thank you! Been going through hell to try and discover the actual answer to this issue! Thank you for the great detail and explanation :) you’re the best!!!

[@OddBonsai]

Glad I could help. 🙂

[@zootvmexico]

@@OddBonsaiI never understand how to setup in daisy chain my 4 SP3000 lights and how to configure each light swich any help or a video that explains this step by step. Thanks

[@marcosgonzalez2060]

How would work a fixture of two sp3000 in a 1.50 cm for 100 cm space. I have an Sp3000 already and looking how to complement for flowering.

[@ErwinvanHolten]

What is the purpose of the second switch? There's the power switch on off but there also is another one that brightens the light, though doesn't appear to turn on reds. Silly the box doesn't come with a manual and the site doesn't describe said switch. Thanks!

[@OddBonsai]

Good question. I agree, the manual that comes with the grow light is more like a flyer marketing other products from Mars Hydro. It also took me a while to understand how the switch works. One switch is for toggling between master and slave mode, i.e. controlling several SP3000 grow lights from a single master. If you don't have more lights to connect, when this switch is set to master you can use the second switch to turn on the light and adjust the intensity. When you set the switch to slave, the second switch does not work. So it may seem the same like having two on/off switches. I hope this info helps.

[@cliffordtorres4684]

Can I grow tomatoes with this grow light

[@fufu7646]

Merci pour cette vidéo , pouvez me dire la consommation exacte réglé sur 75% , 193w ? C'est bien ça ? Y-a-t-il une différence entre le model 110v et celui en 230v au niveau de la consommation ?

[@OddBonsai]

Avec plaisir! La consommation que j'ai mesurée à 75% était de 180W. Je n'ai que le modèle 220v donc je ne pourrais pas dire avec exactitude mais je m'attends à ce que la consommation pour le modèle 110v soit la même car le panneau LED, qui est le consommateur réel, est le même.

[@fufu7646]

Merci beaucoup pour votre reponse 🤛🌱

[@checo9728]

Look like tsl2000 have the same problem.. It runs lower on 100% of intensity.. 75 its abou ok on 16in

[@MrE1981]

A few degrees can mean a lot when it comes to cannabis, with the driver outside.

[@j562gee0hdeewestsdegethemuLa]

Is this the uv it version?

[@SW-zu7ve]

What happened with the bonchi?

[@OddBonsai]

Unfortunately, my bonchi dried up because I didn't expect it to need so much water when I moved inside for winter.

[@TropicalBonsai]

Good video but it makes me happy I live in the tropics.

[@OddBonsai]

Yes, not having to worry abut winter growing conditions is one of the advantages of living in a tropical area. Thank you!

[@cliffordtorres4684]

Mars hydro sp3000 no have IR light

[@augiecruz6925]

Does this fit in a 2x4 tent?

[@OddBonsai]

Yes, it's designed to be used in a 2x4 grow tent.

[@sergeygromov9467]

yes

[@maryperrysmith5815]

Wow. This is lots of information. This light Over my head hmmmm

[@OddBonsai]

The amount of info seems a bit intimidating at first but you get used to the terms. I knew nothing about grow lights when I got this one.

[@mathewlozano1586]

Does anyone know if this will fit in a 42.5 inch wide closet?

[@OddBonsai]

The Mars Hydro SP3000 grow light is 42.5197 inches wide, so just a bit over 42.5. It might just fit if you rotate it a bit so that it's not perfectly parallel to the closet back wall. Hope this helps!

[@mathewlozano1586]

@@OddBonsai thanks, the dimensions I found were in mm and I wasn’t sure how accurate they were. But if that’s the exact measurement it may fit like a glove.. thanks again it’s a tie between the sp3000 and tsl2000 right now for my 25”x42.5” closet.

[@OddBonsai]

I measured mine, but since I only have a metric ruler, I had to do the conversion to inches. So that's where I got the value in inches from as it seems the Mars Hydro guys only specify the light dimensions in metric on all their websites.

[@mbahanto6494]

Hadir nyimak boss qu..

[@OddBonsai]

Thank you! 🙏

[@BlueJayBonsai]

Foist!

[@OddBonsai]

I think this is my foist foist.😋 There's a foist time for everything!

[@ujteabonsai51]

Giod testing

[@OddBonsai]

Thank you my friend!

[@alanmaya2435]

He is using his smartphone to messure PAR values and he really said that the differences ate not much compared to a real PAR measurement device 😂😂

[@OddBonsai]

I don't have the means to test this myself so what I said was only what I found while I was looking for info on the app accuracy. And this was that the app was proved to be accurate down to a few percents in comparison with a proffesional quantum par light meter. This is shown in tests made by the guys working on the Photone app as well as in independent tests made by Shane from Migro. So if their claims are false, I'm sorry. As I say in the video, I'm using the PAR values obtained with the app to make relative mesurements, i.e., compare lighting levels at different hanging heights and output settings. So even if all my measurements are, for example, 30% less than real values, the relative comparison at different settings and hanging heights is still in line with what other tests obtained by using quantum PAR light meters. I'm always happy to learn new things and admit my mistakes so if you have any reliable info on the accuracy of the Photone app, please share. Thanks!

[@SultonBonsai]

Like...

[@OddBonsai]

Thanks!

[@jasonwarmsley5739]

This or xs4000

[@OddBonsai]

I don't have any experience with the XS4000 so I can't say much abut it but it seems to be intended for a different surface area.

[@Bonsaifly]

Nice review Stefan. This one is definitely going stronger than the TS1000, which I found worked best on highest intensity. It would be nice if you could compare your plants before and after :)

[@OddBonsai]

Thank you David! It is a powerful grow light. So powerful in fact that I managed to burn some leaves with it by setting it too close to the plants while it was set at full intensity. So I could do a before and after for a "how not to use a grow light" video :) I intend to show the effect of the tent and grow light somehow but I haven't decided how yet and when I do it will be over a longer period of time probably.

[@Bonsaifly]

@@OddBonsai I had a bit of a Fiasko with leaf burn as well. I’ll be mentioning that in my next videos. Definitely better to keep this somewhere in the midrange of its intensity

[@OddBonsai]

The trouble is with figuring out how much light each species needs. I was amazed to see that the vas majority of information on PPFD requirements is focused on things you grow to smoke🚬. Then come vegetables, orchids and lastly some of the more common houseplants. And if you have species with different lighting needs then you're out of luck since you can't make all of them happy unless you manage to raise or lower the plants according to needs instead of adjusting the grow light hanging height. It's easy when all plants are of the same species and size. 😁 Looking forward to seeing a new video from you.

[@baldyeti]

@@OddBonsai I have been searching for a resource on light requirement for different species as well! Other than growing “weeds”, tomatoes and lettuce. I’m betting the best correlation will be to compare the “shade/partial shade/partial sun/full sun” on local plants you know real well, and grow them under this light. Might be simple as shade = No Light, partial shade = 25%, etc Just a theory. Might be worth a try

[@Bonsaifly]

@@OddBonsai yeah that’s true. I tried to mix my own pesticide with soap, water and plant oil and that in combination with grow lights lead to a lot of leaf loss and killed some of my regular plants. It’s coming soon, promise 🙏🏼