HLG Scorpion Grow Lights: Grow Beautiful Plants Easily

HLG has released the impressive new HLG Scorpion grow lights. These are 600 and 650 watt grow lights built with HLG’s QB648 boards.

These grow lights are designed specifically for low ceiling grow spaces or vertical racks. The QB648 boards help spread the light more evenly at lower heights.

Unlike most other 600 watt grow lights that demand 24 to 48 inches of space between the light and the plant, the HLG Scorpion grow lights only require 12 inches at full power!

I know from my experience with the HLG 650R that HLG’s 600 watt grow lights are strong performers. Let’s take a look at the details of the Scorpion Diablo and the Scorpion R Spec below.

Is the HLG Scorpion Right For Your Grow Space?

Coverage and Light Intensity:

HLG’s Scorpion Diablo and Scorpion R-Spec grow lights are large, white spectrum, modern design LED grow lights that effectively cover 5×5 to 6×6 feet of grow space.

So if you have a grow tent or grow space sized 5×5 feet, 6×6 feet, or any size divisible by 5×5 or 6×6 (for example 5×10, 10×10, 6×12, 12×12), the HLG Scorpion is likely perfect for your grow space.

Before you look at the light intensity charts below, familiarize yourself with my explainer on Grow Light PAR & PPFD readings. The HLG Scorpion Diablo and Scorpion R-Spec are both strong enough to get MAX YIELD from your cannabis plants when used correctly!

HLG Scorpion Diablo Light Intensity (Click to enlarge):

HLG Scorpion R-Spec Light Intensity (Click to enlarge):

The image above shows the light intensity of the HLG Scorpion Diablo and R-Spec at 12 inches above the canopy.

This is the first place you’ll notice a difference between the Diablo and R-Spec models. You can see the Diablo emits about 50% stronger light at the same 12 inch hang height.

Regardless of light strength, both lights are capable of growing beautiful buds when used in the proper sized grow space and the proper distance above the plants.

For seedlings you want the PPFD to be around 250-300 micromoles. During the vegetative phase of growth you want between 300 and 600 micromoles of light hitting your plants. During the flowering phase 400 to 925 micromoles will do, although people using CO2 may choose to go up to 1500 micromoles of light.

Keep reading to the hang height section below to see which heights and dimmer settings you would need to achieve those intensity ranges.

Other Specifications:

High Performance Samsung LM301H LEDs

The light has 6 circuit boards, each containing 648 Samsung LM301H diodes, plus additional Osram 660nm red diodes. Samsung is known for high LED performance, so you won’t have to worry if you decide to go with this quantum board grow light.

The boards are placed on a large panel with a dimmable Inventronics driver on the opposite side. Each panel is then attached to the backbone to make up the entire unit.

1000 watt HPS/MH equivalent

If you’re curious, or just switching over from a HPS/MH grow light, the HLG Scorpion R-Spec and Scorpion Diablo are equivalent to a 1000 watt HPS grow light.

The Horticulture Lighting Group 600 is ETL certified, meaning it meets North American safety standards. The light is put through various electrical, mechanical, normal and abnormal temperature testing to ensure it’s durability and safety.

HLG Scorpion Diablo Hang Height:

Seedlings: 12 inches @ 25%-30% power

Vegetative Phase: 12 inches @ 50-60% power

Flowering Phase: 12 inches @ 90% power. 100% power if using CO2.

HLG Scorpion R-Spec Hang Height:

Seedlings: 12 inches @ 30% power

Vegetative Phase: 12 inches @ 70% power

Flowering Phase: 12 inches @ 100% power

The key to grow light hang height is to ensure enough light reaches the leaf surface from your grow light. Believe it or not a 12 inch height difference equals a 75% difference in light strength. So you can raise the grow light as a method of weakening the intensity, or simply dim the grow light as needed.

Remember to keep an eye on your plants initially when adjusting grow light hang height, to reduce the risk of unnoticed leaf burns.

Dimmable from 100% to 10%

The HLG Scorpion Diablo and Scorpion R-Spec are full cycle grow lights. Dimming is a standard feature on premium grow lights and the HLG Scorpion models are no exception. You can dim them to as low as 60 watts of power.

HLG Scorpion Spectrums:

As you can see in the image above, each variant of the HLG Scorpion has a different spectrum. The key point to remember is that both spectrums will grow your cannabis plants (or other plants) from the seedling to flowering phase.

As you might expect, the more expensive HLG Scorpion Diablo has a better spectrum with more extra blue intensity. This ultimately means this version will perform slightly better for plants during the vegetative phase of growth.

Click Here to View Details or Purchase the HLG Scorpion at LED Grow Lights Depot

Comparison:

There are a lot of grow light options, so how does the HLG Scorpion stack up to alternatives? Here are my thoughts on a few other 600 watt options:

HLG Scorpion vs HLG 600 & HLG 650R:

If you’re deciding between the HLG Scorpion, HLG 600 and the HLG 650R, the main difference on the Scorpion models is the ability to grow plants at a short 12 inch distance beneath the grow light. For that, there’s a bit of premium in the Scorpion price. The Scorpion will spread the light better at that close distance than an HLG 600 or 650R. Otherwise, the wattage used is similar on all of these lights.

HLG Scorpion vs Gavita 1700e:

The HLG Scorpion Diablo is a pretty close competitor to the Gavita 1700e. Both lights grow at a close distance above the plants, have a similar spectrum and use the same power. The Gavita is frequently on back-order so if you need a good alternative the HLG Scorpion Diablo is practically a clone with a slightly different shape.

HLG Scorpion vs Mars Hydro FC 6500:

The Mars Hydro FC 6500 is another similar grow light with a similar spectrum. I also like the 6-foot driver cord on this light, allowing you to hang the drivers outside your tent. But you’ll need to hang this light slightly higher than the HLG Scorpion. If that doesn’t matter to you, I think the Mars Hydro FC 6500 is a great deal as well.

Heat Management

The HLG Scorpion Diablo procudes 2217 BTUs of heat, and the R-Spec produces 2046 BTUs of heat. While they won’t produce as much heat as a 1000 watt HPS grow light, you should be prepared to keep your grow space temperatures in range.

Check out my guide to picking the right size grow tent fan, and my guide to lowering grow tent temperatures. I recommend a minimum 5×5 foot grow space for the HLG Scorpion.

Save Money and Get More with a HLG 600 DIY Kit:

Want to save a couple bucks? If you’re willing to spend 30 minutes of your time assembling the grow light on your own, I highly recommend the HLG 600H DIY grow light kit.

This kit consumes 620 watts instead of the 600 consumed by the Scorpion R-Spec. Assembly is straightforward, and there are assembly videos on YouTube to help you step by step if you need them.

Final Thoughts

Speaking as an owner of the HLG 650R, I can say the quality of grow lights from this brand is top-notch. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another one for myself in the future.

Discount Code

Hit me up via e-mail or in the live chat to see if I have a discount code for these lights – I often do!

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