Gavita 1700e Review

The Gavita Pro 1700e came out about two years ago and was an upgrade to the Gavita Pro 1650e. I also reviewed the 1650e and was pretty impressed with it (link below). 

The 1700e was basically a redesign of the 1650e. The lens covers were removed, the power input was relocated, and the diode placement is a bit different. The light output was also increased by about 50 umol/s. Otherwise, the 1700e functions very similarly to the 1650e.

Gavita has also released the Gavita 900e, ideal for a 4x4 veg area, and the Gavita CT1930, a 1:1 replacement for double-ended fixtures. I will not be covering these lights in this review.

Image: Gavita 900e

Image: Gavita 1930e

Build

The 1700e LED grow light is a full spectrum, low profile, high intensity fixture used for horizontal or multi-layer commercial grows, greenhouses, grow rooms, low rooms and tents.

This LED grow light is  44.1" x 43.7" x 2.3" and it weighs 28.4 lbs. It contains 8 conformally-coated, PCBs backed by aluminum heatsinks. The LED bars are held in place by the I-shaped frame. Two 120-277V Philips drivers are encased in the middle of the fixture. 

The 1700e is ready to plug-and-play out of the box. All you need to do is connect the power cord into the side of the fixture and plug it in. Included is an 8’ power cord, with the voltage of your choice - 120V, 240V, or 277V. At the time of this review, the light comes with a free Gavita E-series Adapter, which is needed to connect the light to a controller. 

The controller will automatically turn on and off one or many lights at specified times, dim them between 50% and 100% intensity, and ramp up or down the light intensity at the beginning or end of the light schedule. Without a controller the fixture is powered to 100% light intensity.

Ratchet hangers are also included with each light.

This fixture comes with a 5-year manufacturer’s warranty, is DLC, UL and ETL certified for commercial grow applications, and IP66 wet rated.

Diodes and Spectrum

You will find 3,336 Samsung white and Osram deep red diodes in this fixture, which emit a full spectrum - from deep blue to far red. Based on the spectrum graph, it looks like Gavita uses around a 4000 Kelvin white light diode for the main spectrum and to deliver the intensity, and a 660nm red diode to round out the spectrum and increase efficiency.

This spectrum is ideal for seedling to harvest growth, while keeping plants compact, increasing flower quality, and shortening the flowering period.

Specifications

This grow light comes in at 2.6 umol/j with a light output of 1700 umol/s. 

The 1700e draws 670W and 5.4A on 120V, according to Gavita. At 112V, I measured the fixture to be about 685W at 6.11A. 

When ran on 240V, the 1700e will draw slightly fewer watts and half the amperage.

The heat output is 2284 BTU/Hour from a single fixture. Overall, the heat load and power draw is around 33% less than a 1000W HPS fixture. Expect to use significantly less HVAC, as well.

Coverage area and Hanging Height

The 1700e's light output suggests that this fixture is best used in a 4’ x 4’ to 5’ x 5’ area. It will flower a strong 4' x 4' or a less intense 5' x 5' area. Since the build is less than 48” in length and width, it will fit into a 4’ x 4’ grow tent.

When flowering, it is recommended that this light is used about 18” above the plants, but will range from 6” to 36” depending on how many you are using in your grow area and the light intensity that you want to deliver to your plants.

If using these lights to veg, you can dim them down 50% and use them in the same 4' x 4' to 5' x 5' footprint without adjusting the height. At full intensity, they will cover about a 7’ x 7’ area at about 40” to 48” above the plants. 

PAR

I took PAR measurements of the 1700e in a 4' x 4' Gorilla Grow Tent at five different distances. The center PAR readings are listed below (see complete PAR readings on this video here):

• 36": 777 PPFD
• 24": 965 PPFD
• 18": 1090 PPFD
• 12": 1234 PPFD
• 6": 1300 PPFD

Summary

The Gavita Pro 1700e is a high quality LED grow light with exceptional uniformity and light output in a 4’ x 4’ area. Home growers and commercial growers will both benefit from this grow light.

But, does the Gavita Pro 1700e stand out in a market crowded with LEDs? Well, yes and no. The light output on the 1700e is great, but is also in line with many other lights on the market now.

I’ve tested lights with similar efficacy and light output that would grow similarly as this LED. So why the Gavita 1700e? The fixture really stands out because of the name "GAVITA" on the side of the fixture. Grower’s know what to expect when purchasing this brand.

For example, there are very few warranty issues and returns on the 1700e. I would speculate this is because of the quality diodes and high diode count which underdrives the diodes and increases their life span. And also because of the efficient Philips drivers that power the diodes. The 5 year warranty also gives growers peace of mind if anything goes wrong with the fixture within that time period.

Can this fixture be improved upon? When I reviewed the 1650e, I noticed the build was flimsy. The 1700e feels more stable so I cannot list this as a con anymore. But the 1700e is a little thin and minimal. The upside of this is that it cuts down on the weight of the fixture (coming in at just over 28 lbs).

Also, the cord input on the fixture is not in the best place for tent 4' x 4' applications since it pushes up against the side of the tent. While the light fits in this space, there will be even less room when the tent walls are being sucked in due to negative air pressure. Therefore, an open room or 5' x 5' tent would suit this fixture best.

Outside of the build, the only other improvement I can think of is the fixture efficacy. It's not bad, coming in a 2.6 umol/J, but as we approach 2022, more LED companies will start reaching or exceeding 3.0 umol/J (like the HLG Scorpion Diablo) as the diode costs for more efficacious chips comes down. It will be nice to see Gavita, and other companies, start bumping up their efficacy.

Another suggestion I have for Gavita is to allow the controller to dim the fixture down to 10% or off instead of only down to 50%. This would make the fixture more versatile.

These are my small gripes about the fixture. Overall, grower’s will find this to be an excellent LED grow light to illuminate their garden.

The Gavita Pro 1700e LED is currently listed at $1,199. There is a link for the Gavita Pro 1700e product page below if you want to learn more or purchase this fixture. This light ships for free in the lower 48 states with no tax in the USA.  

Erik

Owner/Founder