has anyone tried using led light grow lights?

la9

la9

Well-Known Member
ChaoticMetal said:
lol are u kidding me, did you even read my posts. I am one of the biggest advocates of LEDs and I ALWAYS share that my data shows they don't even come close to the 400 watts that a 400 watt HPS puts out. So how can you say I just repeat the info in the advertising. Did you even check my LED grows out? Obviosly not. The 90 watt UFO says it is equal to 400 watts, and its not, my tests show its equal to about 250-280 depending on the closeness to the plant. Which is 0ver 100 watta less than what the company says and they are stillw way more powerfull then HPS...90 watts equal to 250 is still a huge jump in performance. Plus no heat and barely any elecricity. The money savings is retatrded after just 2 years. LOL and please show me some of these so called bright people here, cause I haven't seen many. This forum has always been the most opinionated and far from helpful I ever been to. Hence why I teach on here and never learn, thats what the advanced forums are for. I am sure there are great growers here, but either I havent met many, or they stay quiet on this place.
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This forum has always been the most opinionated and far from helpful I ever been to. Hence why I teach on here and never learn,
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You are just a hell of a person, taking the time to save us all from ourselves........
 
Tanuvan

Tanuvan

Well-Known Member
Yes, there are yield numbers. The most I have seen so far from LED lighting is about .70 -.80 grams per watt. The problem is that the LEDs that will do this are expensive...not the cheap panels. (5-watt LEDs) *although they are now up to 15 watt*

At the same time, this grams per watt can be misleading because the current brand of LEDs (Procyon) can take a bit longer to finish. It has become apparent that flowering plants need more than just Red and Blue light. Also, current LED technology is slow in making LEDs that are strong in the Far Red spectrum.


As an aside, LEDs might be more efficient at targeting specific wavelengths, but they are not better than HPS at converting electricity to light. I forget the exact equations, but LED is something like 24-28% efficient, and HPS is something like 35% or so.
 
littlegrower2004

littlegrower2004

Well-Known Member
GrowTech said:
LEDs suck. Plain and simple. To those that disagree, i'm sorry you bought into the gimmick, but don't let others get pulled in too. :)
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ya sorry no gimmick i bought into mine works perfectly fine..and if uve read any post ive made about led vs hid i say to go with hid..but if ppl have the money and are willing to experiment with new "grow tech" u should let them..and plus what experience do u have with LED????pics???journals???read about other ppl????nothing???
 
jats

jats

Well-Known Member
la9 said:
You are just a hell of a person, taking the time to save us all from ourselves........
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Well what are you doing then..aren't you trying to save us all from using LEDs....??? you my friend are on a misguided mission to save us from science ((or something))...whats the difference..? :roll:
 
C

cheapguy

Active Member
ChaoticMetal said:
lol are u kidding me, did you even read my posts. I am one of the biggest advocates of LEDs and I ALWAYS share that my data shows they don't even come close to the 400 watts that a 400 watt HPS puts out. So how can you say I just repeat the info in the advertising. Did you even check my LED grows out? Obviosly not. The 90 watt UFO says it is equal to 400 watts, and its not, my tests show its equal to about 250-280 depending on the closeness to the plant. Which is 0ver 100 watta less than what the company says and they are stillw way more powerfull then HPS...90 watts equal to 250 is still a huge jump in performance. Plus no heat and barely any elecricity. The money savings is retatrded after just 2 years. LOL and please show me some of these so called bright people here, cause I haven't seen many. This forum has always been the most opinionated and far from helpful I ever been to. Hence why I teach on here and never learn, thats what the advanced forums are for. I am sure there are great growers here, but either I havent met many, or they stay quiet on this place.
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Right on ChaoticMetal i'm new here but your last statement is on the money, too many morons on here can only bash and not teach anything new.I shouldn't say morons lets call them DEA it's more fitting ,anybody new here asking question about growing gets bashed it's unbelievable.
DEA master plan to prevent ppl from growing and there on here every day bashing ppl
P.s nice grow, I'm looking at a led grow in the near future, keep up the good work
 
la9

la9

Well-Known Member
jats said:
Well what are you doing then..aren't you trying to save us all from using LEDs....??? you my friend are on a misguided mission to save us from science ((or something))...whats the difference..? :roll:
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I'm no saving anyone from anything and you can grow with whatever you want, I don't care. What I do care about is people getting the best results possible, and you can't do that with LED's. I'm just trying to stop the confusion so people can make an informed decision, just like everyone thinking a CFL that says equivalent to 100watts but is really only a 20 watt bulb is confusing to most.

I just get tired of all the bashing when I say HID will grow better than LED, next thing I know is I'm getting called every name in the book, told I don't know shit, and get word for word quotes from the UFO advertising literature to back any claims for LED.

If everyone would just agree and say, HID is better right now, possibly in the future it won't be and leave it stand until some developement changes all that we could all get along a whole lot better and help more people out deciding what to do.
 
jats

jats

Well-Known Member
la9 said:
I'm no saving anyone from anything and you can grow with whatever you want, I don't care. What I do care about is people getting the best results possible, and you can't do that with LED's. I'm just trying to stop the confusion so people can make an informed decision, just like everyone thinking a CFL that says equivalent to 100watts but is really only a 20 watt bulb is confusing to most.

I just get tired of all the bashing when I say HID will grow better than LED, next thing I know is I'm getting called every name in the book, told I don't know shit, and get word for word quotes from the UFO advertising literature to back any claims for LED.

If everyone would just agree and say, HID is better right now, possibly in the future it won't be and leave it stand until some developement changes all that we could all get along a whole lot better and help more people out deciding what to do.
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it doesn't hurt 2 hard to be less "in your face" when trying to get a point across...its easier to have a discussion when you don't feel under attack.....
I think you'll find that even those of us who are compelled for what ever reason to try out LED's and are using them in our grows,,,have stated (more than once) that they are not right for the flowering stage ,,on their own... and that most of us still use HPS lights during this time
it will not be too long in the future that the LED grow technology will be awesome,,,and the more people get behind it,,,, the sooner that time will be :blsmoke: not just my opinion
 
J

jgorbin

Active Member
Well LED has been great for veg so far. Startn flower stage now tallest plant at 20". Chose LED due to small space and heat issues.

These are pics at a little over a month 2 plants per general hydroponics bucket. 4 plants total. I have lots of air flow in and vent out.

Looking forward to culling down to 1 or 2 plants.

Thinking maybe I should have started floering earlier as they will probably be 40"+ at end stage.

very first grow for me.
 

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la9

la9

Well-Known Member
jgorbin said:
Well LED has been great for veg so far. Startn flower stage now tallest plant at 20". Chose LED due to small space and heat issues.

These are pics at a little over a month 2 plants per general hydroponics bucket. 4 plants total. I have lots of air flow in and vent out.

Looking forward to culling down to 1 or 2 plants.

Thinking maybe I should have started floering earlier as they will probably be 40"+ at end stage.

very first grow for me.
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How can you say great for Veg ? Right now LED is the most expensive option, correct ? Flourescent will give you better results during Veg., MH will give you better results, HPS will give you better results, I will agree LED will grow your plant but why spend the most amount of money to ge the least results ?

If your space is so small that a 2 foot flourescent isn't going to work then you aren't going to grow a plant that will produce enough to smoke anyway.

Heat is Heat, you are going to put out the same heat when using the same amount of watts with any type of lighting. Have you saw the heatsinks needed on a 25 watt LED ?

I'm just trying to understand why people want to defend LED's into the ground when the are the least cost effective solution.

I hope I didn't make you feel under attack.
 
jats

jats

Well-Known Member
la9 said:
How can you say great for Veg ? Right now LED is the most expensive option, correct ? Flourescent will give you better results during Veg., MH will give you better results, HPS will give you better results, I will agree LED will grow your plant but why spend the most amount of money to ge the least results ?

If your space is so small that a 2 foot flourescent isn't going to work then you aren't going to grow a plant that will produce enough to smoke anyway.

Heat is Heat, you are going to put out the same heat when using the same amount of watts with any type of lighting. Have you saw the heatsinks needed on a 25 watt LED ?

I'm just trying to understand why people want to defend LED's into the ground when the are the least cost effective solution.

I hope I didn't make you feel under attack.
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Because they ARE great for veg....and if you've spent the money and got one running and your plants are vegging gr8 then you will start to see the savings after 2 or so crops..then your lights will have paid for themselves by 3 or 4 and then you have at least another 10/15 grows before you even have to think of servicing your lights,,new bulbs etc
I have a home made LED that is kind of chunky ((it has a computer fan to cool the bulbs))....and a solar oasis ((commercial grow led )) and that is stream lined and very low ambient heat...
I think you would find that over time they will be cost effective..early dayze yet.....:weed:
 
misterdogman

misterdogman

Well-Known Member
LEDS suck for several reasons, the main one is people dont know how to use them and dont want to learn. If used in a totally mylar coveredn room with mylar even over the soil or hydro setup you increase their effectiveness by tons. The light put off by LED gets absorbed so easily if say 10 % is hitting a absorbing surface you lose that light. Its literally wasted. I also think they are over rated. It says one 225 led 13 watter is enough for 18sq inches a 55 watter supposedly is enough for 4 sq ft.
Of course these figures assume a totall reflective and light proof area with little to no light loss.
If your interested in them Id suggest starting there and using 1 225 per every sq ft or 55 watters for every 2 sq ft...in a totally reflective mylar coated grow box thats adjustable in dimensions so they are always within 1 inch of the plants and on all sides.
Other than this they are a waste for the money because of the fact the light they produce is so easily lost by absorbsion.
Sounds like more trouble to prevent and make a size changing grow box than just going CFL or MH/HPS
The 3 55w LEDs I have worked fine my first grow, but alas I havent used them the last couple times since playing with CFLs. But i prolly will for supplement next time.
The science of them is real and true and I do see them being better in the next generation, but as for now they are a far 3rd or 4th best as far as sole lighting goes...
 
littlegrower2004

littlegrower2004

Well-Known Member
wow la9 ur an idoit how can u say..even after everyone has said that they work in veg..that they dont..the person above me a few posts and i both have proof to show they work great..u have no experience with led for growing and uve admitted it..so shut up for once cause u dont have any idea on this..
 
jashua

jashua

Active Member
From what I have READ online, the LED is what NASA uses to grow plants in experiments, for all right reasons. Super lightweight, no risk of fire, no heat buildup, no bulky, heavy ballast, no replacement bulbs... just the spectrum plants eat, too. Plants apparently have no use for green, yellow, or white light. When I think of how much power goes into creating HEAT, and WHITE in most grow lamps, the ultra-low wattage makes sense. I am of the opinion that they are really on to something.

That being said, let me also point out that most LED systems on the market are unabashedly, absurdly overpriced. The best bargain I have seen so far, and feel free to correct me, is the Sunshine Systems' GlowPanel 45. Obviously, uses 45 Watts. I can't see from the pic, but it looks like maybe more than 45 LEDs. It is $140. It claims to 'surpass 250W HPS'... cover 5 sq. ft. I can handle that price. But that UFO thing looks like a smoke detector with LEDs on it... and for nearly $600? I smell a middleman. I found the same object on a Chinese electronics distributor site, but price unlisted. The price just has to come down. I mean, aren't LED's supposed to be cheap?

I would like to know: Are these LED systems made of patented, photosynthesizing LEDs, or just off-the-shelf red, blue, purple, and amber LEDs in a certain ratio?

...because if that's the case, for $500 - I can buy those in bulk, and build a lamp that looks like the Close Encounters mothership.
 
jashua

jashua

Active Member
by the way, I think I've joined an interesting site, and my research of lighting options, specifically LEDs, is what brought me here. Looks like the debate has been raging...
 
jats

jats

Well-Known Member
the grow systems have specialized bulbs....my friend built one for me and he had a hard time sourcing the right ones...and they are much more pricey... that said,,they do last a long time :weed:
 
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