yes another led . lol

B

bryan oconner

Well-Known Member
ok I see these selling like hot cakes . are the worth the 63 bucks each ? might pick some of them up .use them for side lighting . hps hortilux on the tops . led for side lighting for deep penetration . so the lights would be shooting sideways into the middle of the plants . waste of money ? or worth it . what are your opinions . I am not looking to drop 1000 on a led light other wise I just get another hps . for much less . thanks for your opinions . http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mars-Hydro-300-Full-Spectrum-LED-Grow-Light-140w-true-Watt-For-Indoor-Veg-Flower-/371291844831?hash=item5672b7f0df:g:b28AAOSwwbdWPFQs
 
A

az2000

Well-Known Member
The inexpensive LEDs seen on Amazon/eBay (epi-whatever lights) are not really worth the money. On the other hand, it's not a lot of money to waste. So, it doesn't matter much. Especially if you're just looking at it as an experiment to side-light.

Where it tends to go bad is when people realize they have to run them at 50-70w/sq ft to get the results they were expecting. Without doing that, running them at the specified 35w/sq ft, the buds will probably be airy. That's not bad if the grower doesn't mind.

Generally, T5HO at 40w/sq ft is a better choice for shorter spaces. Or, CMH at 35w/sq ft for taller spaces. You end up with a servicable fixture, something that uses commoditized parts. Not a disposable fixture.

Even though you're considering side-lighting, I would still follow that reasoning and choose T5HO instead of epi-whatever lights like Mars-Hydro. More light for less heat and energy, and a lifelong investment in a fixture. Something you could sell on Craigslist five years from now.

But, it wouldn't be bad to spend $60 and see for yourself.

I have speculated these lights might not be bad if supplemented with full-spectrum light. I think it may be more of a spectrum problem. So, your HID might fill in that blank and maybe they'd work ok for you. It might be worth experimenting for $60.
 
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GreenThumbsMcgee

GreenThumbsMcgee

Well-Known Member
im gonna say these are crap. dont make the mistake i made when i started growing, and just bite the bullet and buy something worth while...you will end up upgrading and having to be the guy to sell someone else a crappy led...you dont wanna be that guy...
 
MisterBlah

MisterBlah

Well-Known Member
The really cheap LEDs will give you efficiencies similar or only slightly better than that of HPS or MH bulbs. BUT!!! They will last a lot longer. So, there's that.
 
superbak3d

superbak3d

Well-Known Member
I wouldn't use LED for side or supplemental lighting.

If you're already running an HPS up top, use cfls or floros for side lighting, you'll want that extra UVB.
 
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