so the larger argument here is which strips are more efficient running them at just enough power to turn on? am i getting that right? I see you are running 12 - 1 foot double strips at 100 watts total so 8.3 watts each. They are rated to run at 26 watts, so slightly less then 1/3 of there typical wattage. So the theory here is running really low increases efficiency. So to get the wattage you need over a given space you need almost 3 times the amount you would need running them at their normal wattage? But at that low of a wattage they need to be almost touching the plant, so you need a lot more of them to cover a large area.
am i caught up now? Please correct me if im wrong on my understanding of this conversation....
So first, like I already said, I am using 1 FT strips! They are rated 7,7w, 350mA. So with my cc driver (A Version) I can get a little more, reaching 100W draw. That‘s at +100% nominal current (156lm/w). Running them at 50% will 1. get efficiency up to 165lm/w, 2. it will give you a more diffuse light, because you need 2x strips, to achieve the wattage.
For my flower cab I would like to get 56 strips, dimmable between 100-200W (6 sqft), but I like the new Q strips more than EB gen2, mainly because they have less diods, and are only 18mm instead of 24mm wide, allowing even a better spread
I don’t want to tell what’s correct, and what’s wrong, too less knowlesge in this area, but for me, and of the maths I have done, to try to prove this, it is the best to have as many led‘s as possible. And NO, you don‘t need to be super close to the canopy. I don‘t change light in height, they are growing nicely into it (maybe loosing some efficiency). Very branchy, really uniform. Light is not being lost over distance, just spreaded. As long as you have a closed tent/cab with reflective walls, no problem of bigger light loss. I never had a better penetration btw, used t5, cmh, cobs, no hid experience though!
Actually in my veg cab a mother was growing into my lights, I had a tough week, and no time to care for that (take cuts, get her small....), so after a week, where she was constantly touching the LED‘s! There was only one round yellow spot, where it seems, that the leaf was pressing against the light, where it was close, or touching softly, nothing happened! So I can maximize my space now 100%, because I don‘t need to fear burning, and thats lovely, when you are restricted in height!
