questions about realistic LED expectations...

tallen

Well-Known Member
I run two 350W DS XML LEDs on my aeroponic setup with 30 plants right now. They are almost through the second week of flower. A little over 3 ft tall and 66 solid colas I can count on top. Don't bother comparing Watts between LEDs and HPS - I am getting much better yields with this two 350W than I did with two 600W HPS. Quality of the LEDs matters too. I paid $1K for each of these XMLs and they are great for SOG. But LEDs have smaller coverage area than other types of lighting so it can get very costly to light up a large grow. But if you have the money there's no competition in my opinion.
Thanks for the response. I'm not familiar with the DS XML, could you provide a link? (google wasn't much help for once). I'm more concerned with matching the yield per area (or per tray in my case) than in comparing watts. I just referred to the gpw because it seems that it's a common calculation of efficiency (although a flawed one).
 

Greengenes707

Well-Known Member
I've been looking into this myself (title of thread). I currently use 2 1000w hps and would like to switch to leds. If you look at the umole charts on the A51 site and the ones Greengenes/Tags posted in his thread on page 9(Tags high efficiency lighting garden) and compare them to what you'd be getting from a hps, leds seem like they should be killing it. But then you look at some of the grows people are doing, and although many of them are great grows, the yields just don't seem to be there like the umole charts suggest they should, so I'm starting to think there may be something missing.

I run 3 3x4 flood trays arranged in a 4x9 rectangle with 2 1k lights (in a 5x10 tent). Perpetual harvests. My worst run (single 3x4 tray) was 20 zips, my best was 26 and I don't even have it dialed in all that good(if you do the math I'm hovering around 1gpw).

2 A51 lights would fit perfectly over each flood tray, yet for the yields to be comparable I'd have to be getting a minimum of 20 zips with a lot of room for improvement. That's 10 per panel (or 1.5 GPW minimum). Looking at the specs it seems easy to achieve, but I'm just not seeing people actually hitting those #'s. (But to be honest I haven't been looking real hard, still trying to learn the "science" behind the technology).

One thing that crossed my mind is I've read that the plants don't uptake nearly as much water under led's as they do hid. It's been said as a good thing, but it makes me wonder if that reduced uptake means they're not uptaking enough nutes to get the yields we see under hid lights.

Hopefully someone will chime in and point me in the right direction because I really do want to make the switch, just not at the cost of reduced yield.
The reason you haven't seen the higher yields is because the units are just coming out. No one has had them long enough to pull a yield yet. Even me with the apache, I haven't had a full flower run. It's these new units are the first to have true 1000 comparable PAR numbers at hanging heights. The old ones were good but not intense enough at a normal distance from the canopy. Even good led's used to quote 12" par numbers...but now what they used to get at 12", they get at the actual hanging height and higher.

It takes 600w+ of of quality led true wattage to replace a 1000hps. That's 3 XGS's, but for guys with a 4x4 it's hard to configure 3 to spread like a 1000hps. One XGS is comparable to a 400w for the 3x3 par footprints they show online. To be comparable to 1000hps, 2x2 or maybe 2x3 it what I would say.
 

tallen

Well-Known Member
The reason you haven't seen the higher yields is because the units are just coming out. No one has had them long enough to pull a yield yet.
Good point, I guess I'm just a little too impatient to see the results I'd like to, those umole charts have me very eager to jump in and get some panels. That at600 looks like pure awesomeness, but I'm wondering if I should go with 6 or 8 a51 panels over 2 at600's to get a better light spread (or if I should slow my roll altogether and wait another generation or 2 of led tech.). Like I said above, I'm doing well with hid, so for me personally, the yield will have to be there for the switch to be worthwhile. Also, thanks for your input, I've learned a lot from you and therefore really value your opinion.
 

ellydee

Well-Known Member
8 A51s would be awesomeness over your 4'X9'.

I'm running 3 (sgs-160) at the moment over a 2'X4' container footprint. (8 plants @24")
I don't think I will hit my usual 1 GPW because of the 1 added lamp, but I want to see if the buds get a little bigger.

They are my best looking yet.
 

Bad Karma

Well-Known Member
I'm running 3 (sgs-160) at the moment over a 2'X4' container footprint. (8 plants @24")
I don't think I will hit my usual 1 GPW because of the 1 added lamp, but I want to see if the buds get a little bigger.

They are my best looking yet.
Any chance that we could see them, please?
Why do I feel dirty after typing that? :hump:
 

hyroot

Well-Known Member
I've been looking into this myself (title of thread). I currently use 2 1000w hps and would like to switch to leds. If you look at the umole charts on the A51 site and the ones Greengenes/Tags posted in his thread on page 9(Tags high efficiency lighting garden) and compare them to what you'd be getting from a hps, leds seem like they should be killing it. But then you look at some of the grows people are doing, and although many of them are great grows, the yields just don't seem to be there like the umole charts suggest they should, so I'm starting to think there may be something missing.

I run 3 3x4 flood trays arranged in a 4x9 rectangle with 2 1k lights (in a 5x10 tent). Perpetual harvests. My worst run (single 3x4 tray) was 20 zips, my best was 26 and I don't even have it dialed in all that good(if you do the math I'm hovering around 1gpw).

2 A51 lights would fit perfectly over each flood tray, yet for the yields to be comparable I'd have to be getting a minimum of 20 zips with a lot of room for improvement. That's 10 per panel (or 1.5 GPW minimum). Looking at the specs it seems easy to achieve, but I'm just not seeing people actually hitting those #'s. (But to be honest I haven't been looking real hard, still trying to learn the "science" behind the technology).

One thing that crossed my mind is I've read that the plants don't uptake nearly as much water under led's as they do hid. It's been said as a good thing, but it makes me wonder if that reduced uptake means they're not uptaking enough nutes to get the yields we see under hid lights.

Hopefully someone will chime in and point me in the right direction because I really do want to make the switch, just not at the cost of reduced yield.
par isn't everything , its a value of intensity. Spectrum and cri also accounts for performance. My inda gro has lower µmole/s than my old apollo 10 led but the IG outperforms the apollo. check this thread


https://www.rollitup.org/led-other-lighting/722947-measuring-plant-lighting.html
 

ellydee

Well-Known Member
Any chance that we could see them, please?
Why do I feel dirty after typing that? :hump:
Sorry, no pics
.
They look exactly like GHS Bubba Kush...exactly.
The area is 2'9"X7' and next to the three A51s I've got a Blackstar Chrome 405 (236watt) over 4 Hazeman Madness (pre'98 BK X g13HP).
TOTAL LED OVERKILL this run.
 

NewtoMJ

Well-Known Member
I am running one of the old a51-135's in a 2x3 cab. Growing one plant at a time. I know that in other journals i've seen a screen really gets you the best plant materieal per square inch, and in LED ever square inch matters with your yield. The more even and dense you can make the canopy the more you're gonna yield. That being said, my last run was a paradise white berry, the only training I did was uncle ben's topping for four cola's. I ended up with 281 grams.
 

BigEasy1

Well-Known Member
I am running one of the old a51-135's in a 2x3 cab. Growing one plant at a time. I know that in other journals i've seen a screen really gets you the best plant materieal per square inch, and in LED ever square inch matters with your yield. The more even and dense you can make the canopy the more you're gonna yield. That being said, my last run was a paradise white berry, the only training I did was uncle ben's topping for four cola's. I ended up with 281 grams.

You ended up with 281 grams trimmed, dried, and cured from one plant? I just got 80 grams trimmed, dried, and cured off one auto and thought I was doing good, guess not.
 

NewtoMJ

Well-Known Member
Yea, but It had a pretty long veg almost 7 weeks. Also, 80 grams off of one auto is pretty good I would think.
 

lumbo

Well-Known Member
(or if I should slow my roll altogether and wait another generation or 2 of led tech.). Like I said above, I'm doing well with hid, so for me personally, the yield will have to be there for the switch to be worthwhile.
Forget about LEDs and stay with HID. It's a nifty thing to tinker with but cannot match the performance of HID lighting. Maybe someday, but not at present. Now, an HID/LED hybrid system is something to consider. If you have the space, LED for 100% of photoperiod with the HID running for an hour or so three times during the cycle. I went with LEDs because I do not want to worry about fire hazard of HID and have been extremely disappointed. Nothing but trouble, troubles never had with HID. I am talking about growing in pots using pro-mix. True hydroponics may indeed be another story with LED, but trying to maintain proper moisture and nutrient levels with the slow transpiration rates of LED is pretty much impossible using soil less mixes . No comparison to the ease of HID.
 

hyroot

Well-Known Member
Forget about LEDs and stay with HID. It's a nifty thing to tinker with but cannot match the performance of HID lighting. Maybe someday, but not at present. Now, an HID/LED hybrid system is something to consider. If you have the space, LED for 100% of photoperiod with the HID running for an hour or so three times during the cycle. I went with LEDs because I do not want to worry about fire hazard of HID and have been extremely disappointed. Nothing but trouble, troubles never had with HID. I am talking about growing in pots using pro-mix. True hydroponics may indeed be another story with LED, but trying to maintain proper moisture and nutrient levels with the slow transpiration rates of LED is pretty much impossible using soil less mixes . No comparison to the ease of HID.
reiteratting what he hydro shop guy said. Obviously you never grew with led's. A51, hans, and apache are killing it and matching and beating hid's . induction too. its about 600 watts of quality led and induction to match a 1000 watt. but led and induction produce far better quality. less heat and noise and cheaper in the long run.
 

lumbo

Well-Known Member
Don't know anything about any hydro shop guy. I am speaking first hand experience. LED has been nothing but trouble for me.
 

Bad Karma

Well-Known Member
Forget about LEDs and stay with HID. It's a nifty thing to tinker with but cannot match the performance of HID lighting. Maybe someday, but not at present. Now, an HID/LED hybrid system is something to consider. If you have the space, LED for 100% of photoperiod with the HID running for an hour or so three times during the cycle. I went with LEDs because I do not want to worry about fire hazard of HID and have been extremely disappointed. Nothing but trouble, troubles never had with HID. I am talking about growing in pots using pro-mix. True hydroponics may indeed be another story with LED, but trying to maintain proper moisture and nutrient levels with the slow transpiration rates of LED is pretty much impossible using soil less mixes . No comparison to the ease of HID.
To raise your plants transpiration level, you need to raise the temp in you grow space, to the low to mid 80's.
To get better results with LED's, don't buy the cheap ones off of Ebay and Amazon, I believe that was your first mistake.
The majority of the grower in this section can provide plenty of proof to disprove your outdated claims of LED inferiority, myself included.




 

green.green

New Member
Don't know anything about any hydro shop guy. I am speaking first hand experience. LED has been nothing but trouble for me.
newtoMJ just stated he got over 2 grams/watt from two generation ago A51 LEDs. I suspect you bought inferior panels or you are running your room too cold. Bad Karma is crushing it with LEDs!
 
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