Black Dog PhytoMAX-2 Review

Overview

The Black Dog LED is indeed one of the most sought-after and famous LED grow lights in the market today. Black Dog is one of the horticulture lighting plants in the United States and produces some of the most powerful lighting systems for the indoor cannabis growing scene. Truly, the Black Dog PhytoMAX has established and kept a good reputation because of its excellence in the field.

They have been considered one of the most innovative LED grow light manufacturers and producers because of their adaptability to change. The brand understood how LED technology could quickly change and be modified; that is why they made the necessary updates to their popular brand, the PhytoMAX series, creating a better PhytoMAX-2. This post will review the Black Dog PhytoMAX-2 so that you will see why this lighting is considered one of the best.

About the Black Dog PhytoMAX-2

There are five different models of Black Dog PhytoMAX-2, the 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000. These models basically appear the same with the basic construction and design but with different light intensities. The light systems by the Black Dog brand are very solid and durable, but its LED board area is not protected with a glass plate, so you have to be extra careful not to damage the delicate diodes.

Diodes

The diodes of the PhytoMAX-2 have a lifespan of 50,000 hours or about five years of uninterrupted usage. The LED of their grow light are 5-watt diodes that two different manufacturers make with the goal of an overall optimized functionality for all your indoor cannabis plants. They chose to use 5-watt diodes instead of the 3-watt ones because the 5-watt diodes can provide a well-balanced efficiency and light intensity. These efficient diodes are evenly distributed over the board so that the lighting system can provide uniform light coverage.

Cooling fans and aluminum heat sinks

The cooling fans of the PhytoMAX-2 are located on the opposite ends of the lighting system to allow the air to flow freely across the aluminum heat sinks. These heat sinks and cooling fans are the ones responsible for the heat dissipation of the lighting units of the Black Dog PhytoMAX-2. The aluminum heat sinks function by absorbing the heat and being quickly dissipated by fans. These cooling fans are known to produce little to no noise at all, with a lifespan of over 70,000 hours.

Performance and functionality

Light spectrum

The LED of this lighting system comes with a combined full-spectrum light composed of blue, red, infrared, and ultraviolet wavelengths that emit different intensities. The full-spectrum wavelength works to drive photosynthesis in plants, aid in the vegetative stage, and providing the highest amount of light appropriate for the flowering stage. Black Dog LEDs also emit light in the green-yellow spectrum range to make overall light bright enough for the growers to monitor the health of growing cannabis plants.

Light intensity and coverage

The light intensity of the Black Dog PhytoMAX-2 depends on which model you are having. The PhytoMAX-2 2oo has the lowest light intensity, while the PhytoMAX-2 1000 has the highest one. A way to know the light intensity of your grow light is to look and study its PPF and PPFD measurements shown in a chart that comes with your lighting unit. To determine which model will suit you best, you will have to look at the PPFD measurements of the light and correlate it with the coverage area and the height distance from your cannabis plants.

Energy use and efficiency

Many growers ad cultivators appreciate how the BlackDog can be very honest with their labels. For easy identification, they have provided a nomenclature according to the unit’s actual wattage. For example, the PhytoMAX-2 200 uses and approximately 200 watts of power. The PhytoMAX-2 400 consumes 420 watts, the 600 uses 630 watts, the 800 model uses 840 watts, and the PhytoMAX-200 1000 consumes 1050 watts. This nomenclature system makes it easy for the consumers or growers to have an idea and remember the wattage of each lighting unit.

Pros

• Comes with 5-watt and highly efficient and top-tier diodes.
• True full-spectrum wavelength, good enough for monitoring cannabis plants in all their growth stages and to optimize plant growth.
• Absence of glass covering can increase light transmission by 8%.
• LEDs are purposedly underdriven to extend lifespan and increase light system efficiency.
• The unit comes with extremely helpful charts to examine the relationship between the coverage area and PPFD.
• Increased coverage area in comparison to the original PhytoMAX series.
• Impressive and highly functional cooling system.
• Solid and durable construction that is very easy to set up and work with.

Cons

• The LED board does not have much protection, so the light diodes are exposed, so you should handle them with care.
• The larger units blow a lot of heat and should be managed quickly to avoid damage to plants. That is why height restrictions should be strictly followed.
• There is no switch or separate spectrum for the vegetative and flowering stage.
• This lighting unit can be expensive for some.

Conclusion

The Black Dog lighting units can indeed be a little bit pricey compared to other grow lights, but we are sure they are worth the price. Their lighting systems are durable enough for them to last a long time, and they will perfectly fit and work best for growers who commercially grow a large number of cannabis plants.

Many people also now appreciate how the brand is very honest to its consumers and can provide data and proof to ensure their claims. We hope that this review has greatly helped you choose which Black Dog PhytoMAX-2 you will be getting; surely, this is a purchase that you will not be regretting.