August 24, 2021

HLG Scorpion Diablo LED Grow Light Review

View the updated Scorpion Diablo review here.

The Horticulture Lighting Group Scorpion Diablo LED grow light, released in October of 2020 (and updated August 2021), is HLG’s largest, highest output, and most efficient LED grow light to date.

In fact, it has one of the highest light outputs and PAR efficacy of any LED grow light on the market!

Build

The fixture’s dimensions are 38.5" x 36" x 4" inches and it weighs 31 lbs.

The design is unique for a vertical rack grow light. The Scorpion Diablo uses HLG's Quantum Boards, but due to their spacing, the fixture emits a light distribution similar to other bar lights on the market, like the Gavita Pro 1700e, Grower’s Choice ROI-E720, and PhotonTek X 600W Pro.

Instead of using four Quantum Boards like their other 600 watt lights, HLG uses six Quantum Boards on this light.

On the back of the sturdy anodized aluminum heatsink, sits the 600 watt Inventronics driver and an external dimmer, which is dimmable to 20% intensity.

Diodes and Spectrum

The Scorpion Diablo uses QB648 Quantum Boards. These Quantum Boards contain 648 Samsung LM301H diodes (a mix of 3000K and 5000K) and Samsung LM351H V2 660nm deep red diodes. The higher diode count, compared to the QB288s, makes the QB648 Diablo boards more efficient with a higher light output.

The Diablo’s spectrum comes in at just under 3700K with a color rendering index (CRI) of about 91. There are not any UV diodes incorporated into the boards, but there is some far red in the spectrum from the white diodes. This spectrum can be used for seedling to harvest growth. We recommend using the dimmer to dim the light down for seedlings, clones, and veg, and then turning up the intensity for flowering.

HLG makes another Scorpion style grow light called the Scorpion Rspec. It is built exactly the same as the Scorpion Diablo, but instead uses HLG's standard QB288 Rspec boards. With fewer diodes and less efficient boards, the fixture puts out less light. Because of that, the fixture is also less expensive than the Diablo.

Specifications

The total light output of the fixture was measured in a lab at 2132 umol/s with a very high efficacy of 3.2 umol/J. Expect a 4.5’ x 4.5’ to 5’ x 5’ flowering footprint at about 18-24”, or a 7’ x 7’ veg footprint at 36” at full intensity.

You can also veg at 18-24” if you dim the fixture down to 50%, or so. Flowering in a space smaller than 4 x 4 or closer than 10-12” at full intensity might burn your plants due to excessive light.

The Scorpion Diablo draws 650 watts at the wall, according to HLG. When I measured this grow light’s wattage draw at the wall at 115 volts, I received a reading of 672 watts with an amperage of 5.83.

The HLG Scorpion Diablo is rated for 120 volt, 240 volt and 277 volt applications.

The plug is available as a Nema 5-15 120 volt, Nema 6-15 240 volt, EU, UK, or AU plug.

Expect a heat output of 2,217 BTU/Hour from this fixture. This is about 35% less heat than a 1000W HPS. This fixture, like other HLG fixtures, are assembled in the USA, come with a 5 year manufacturer’s warranty, are DLC and ETL listed, and can be used for both home and commercial grows.

PAR

Here are PAR readings as measured in a 3rd party lab. These charts show the PPFD readings in a 5x5 area at 3 different heights in an open area.

Expect higher readings inside of a tent, with reflective walls, or in a 4x4 area.

Note: These are PAR maps from the previous version of the Scorpion DIablo. The light output has been increased 232 umol/s in the new version.

Summary

The light looks really good on paper: a 650 watt power draw, 2132 umol/s light output, and a 3.2 umol/J PAR efficacy. Simply amazing specs!

The light will also perform excellently when put into action, as indicated by the PAR measurements.

This fixture will provide really good uniformity, especially compared to other HLG lights.

Furthermore, there are nearly 4000 diodes on this fixture that will run cooler and more efficiently than the QB288s or any other HLG fixture with 4 Quantum Boards, so expect these boards to last a long time!

With a retail price of $1299 USD, it is a little expensive, but the numbers on paper speak for themselves. Add high quality diodes and a driver, and the fixture becomes fairly priced.

Compare the price and light output with similar fixtures on the market, such as the Gavita Pro 1700e (1700 umol/s light output and a $1199 retail price) and the Fluence Spydr 2i (1700 umol/s light output and a $1500 retail price). The Scorpion Diablo has 20% light output increase over these fixtures for about the same or less expensive price.

If you are trying to decide between this fixture and other HLG fixtures, I’d say that this is their best light to date, followed by the HLG 650R which uses the Diablo boards as well. The Scorpion Rspec would be next on my list, followed by the HLG 600 V2 Rspec. The HLG 600 V2 Rspec is a great light with a more palatable price for most growers. But if you want to step up your game, grow in a larger area, want larger flowers, and a more comparable double-ended replacement, then the HLG Scorpion Diablo would be your go-to grow light.

All HLG lights that use an external dimmer and contain a 0-10v dimming protocol. Therefore, these fixtures integrate with a controller, such as the Trolmaster Hydro-X HCS-1 controller. If you want to use this controller with the Scorpion Diablo or other HLG lights, you will need to also include an LMA-14 adapter and ECS-2 cable or cables.