Maxibright Varidrive 720/960 LED 

Q: Why should I choose LED lighting rather than HID lighting? 

A: The advantages of LED are clear. There is little heat output from LED lights, and so heat management is much simpler. Also, the power consumed relative to the light output is far less with an LED fixture than with a HID lamp. With some types of LED light, the spectrum is adjustable to suit either grow or bloom, which is never the case with HID lamps. Other types of LED, such as the Maxibright Varidrive 720/960 LED, give full spectrum light suited to both grow and bloom stages, which is not always the case with HID lamps. An LED Fixture gives a much more even spread of light across the canopy, whereas HID lighting must be reflected from a narrow central source – the lamp. 

Q: Should I hang my Maxibright Varidrive 720/960 LED as a 6-bar fixture, or as two 3-bar fixtures? Which is best? 

A: This depends upon your grow operation. If you’re growing in a 1.5m x 1.5m tent, then it would be best to hang it as a 6-bar fixture. If you have a large grow room, it would be better to set up an array of 3-bar fixtures hung no more than 50cm apart, to achieve maximum coverage. We recommend that you make a sketch plan of your growing area, and then find the most economical way to hang Maxibright Varidrive 720/960 LEDs to light it. 

Q: Is it better to use one or two ballasts? What are the advantages and disadvantages? 

A: This also depends upon your grow, and how you wish to manage it.  

If you use two ballasts, obviously you get more light output, but you can only use 2 of the ballast’s power settings: 

• 75% (400W) – which gives a light output PPF of 2596 µmol/s 
• 50% (250W) – which gives a light output PPF of 1883 µmol/s 

If you use only one ballast, you get a lower light output, but you can use all 4 of the ballast’s power settings, giving you more dimmability. The settings are: 

• 115% Boost (600W Boost) – which gives a light output PPF of 2071 µmol/s 
• 100% (600W) – which gives a light output PPF of 1883 µmol/s  
• 75% (400W) – which gives a light output PPF of 1431 µmol/s 
• 50% (250W) – which gives a light output PPF of 1073 µmol/s 

To take maximum advantage of the fixture’s versatility, we recommend that you have two ballasts, but power the fixture using either one or two ballasts, dependent upon light output required. 

Q: At what height should I hang my Maxibright Varidrive 720/960 LED? 

A: We recommend that you should hang your fixture adjustably, using Rope Ratchets, and that you set the fixture at around 30-50cm (minimum 15cm) above the canopy, adjusting the height as your plants grow. If, for your plants, the light is too intense and the plants show signs of stress, raise the fixture a little, or select a lower power setting on the ballast. 

Q: Where should I place the LUMii BLACK 600W Electronic Ballast/s to power the LED Fixture? 

A: There are 2 options: 

1. A single Ballast may be fitted to the 6-bar LED Fixture using the brackets and fixings supplied. 

1. The Ballast/s may be positioned remotely (up to 10M away) from the LED Fixture using an LUMii Extension/ Link Lead. This is the only option when using 2 Ballasts, or if hanging as two 3-bar fixtures. 

Option 1 is simpler and requires no extra components. However, the heat emitted by the ballast will tend to contribute to the ambient temperature of the growing environment during the light / growing period of the day. 

Option 2 requires the purchase of LUMii Extension/ Link Leads (refer to fixture instructions to select these), but if the ballast is positioned remotely then the heat management of the growing environment is easier, and the Ballast and LED Fixture can be controlled without entry to or disturbance of the grow room.