**ULTIMATE LED TEST** *GLH Spectra 290* VS *Blackstar 500* VS *Hydro Grow LED 336X*
- Thread starter WeJuana
- Start date
BflexNJshore
Well-Known Member
I got two blackstar 240 chromes on a light mover about 18 inches + or - apart. Supposedly they use 135 watts each. I switched from a 600 watt hps 3 weeks into veg, i think that was a mistake cuase one girl bit the dust and another looks stressed.
Psytranceorgy
Well-Known Member
awesome looking pics/update WeJuana! thanks again for sharing your work
supchaka
Well-Known Member
Overwatering becomes an issue with LED, any chance of that?
Shwagbag
Well-Known Member
HPS is not a good veg light at all, opposite side of the spectrum. That combined with the difference in heat could easily stress the plants.
BflexNJshore
Well-Known Member
Well thats an issue I am addressing. I have for my past three grows, and am currently using a "hybrid" NFT. I hate it, the contastant pH battle, water changes...UGGHHHHH! Its like getting married with no pre-nub, once they are in the fence post there is no going back. There is a few of us in the "True HP aero for 2011" thread that worked/working on misting-drain to waste systems.....which is the holy grail of growing as far as I am concerned...haha
BflexNJshore
Well-Known Member
OPPS, I meant "3 weeks into flowering"...my bad and not a noob mistake.
wraffer
Member
hey guys
Firstly fair play weejuana top post and great test
can you (or anyone) tell me how the light penetration compares to a 600w? Is it poss to grow 1m high plants as you would with the hid? Would you say led lighting is now a viable replacement for 600's? A friend of mine is mad keen on getting one and has asked my opinion, looking into it everyone seems to be growing their plants smaller and was wondering if this was due to limitations of the light or just preferance/ other influence.
any feedback would be greatly appreciated
Firstly fair play weejuana top post and great test
can you (or anyone) tell me how the light penetration compares to a 600w? Is it poss to grow 1m high plants as you would with the hid? Would you say led lighting is now a viable replacement for 600's? A friend of mine is mad keen on getting one and has asked my opinion, looking into it everyone seems to be growing their plants smaller and was wondering if this was due to limitations of the light or just preferance/ other influence.any feedback would be greatly appreciated
BflexNJshore
Well-Known Member
correct me if I am mistaken, the higher the watts of each LED diode the more penetration. The new blackstar chromes have 7 watt diodes vs 3 in the previous versions and 1 watt like alot of the even earlier LEDs from them and other companies. The lack of power consuption and production of heat really is a tremendous advantage IMHO.hey guys
Firstly fair play weejuana top post and great test
any feedback would be greatly appreciated
wraffer
Member
Cool thanks v much will keep an eye out for them, do you know how far 3 watt diodes penatrate? From what im reading the advantages are a trade off for around 10% reduction in yeild, do you know if this is accurate? thanks for the help
puffenuff
Well-Known Member
I was under the impression the new chromes were still 3w led diodes.
Shwagbag
Well-Known Member
I would venture to guess the greater the lumens the greater the penetration. So no, the higher watts don't necessarily mean more penetration, they usually mean a wider footprint with LED's. Probably an increase in penetration in the core footprint though but no likely significant. The inverse square law applies to LED lights as well. So if you're running lights at 12-18" the intensity is going to me exponentially less under the canopy of a 24" plant. Shorter, wider plants are the way to go IMO, not just with LED but with any light.
More wattage per diode could very well mean more lumen output from a smaller footprint though, which could very well mean better penetration. There is a fine line in pushing these lights too hard though, Spectra learned that more watts aren't necessarily better. Sure the extra penetration is nice, but what good is it if its bleaching your plant tops and killing the foliage from too much intensity?
the solar storm in veg kills the black star HO. im a lil annoyed how much stronger it is. I have 2 bs HO and they dont compare at all. its actually setting me back in my veg tent. im about to fire a t5 bad boy and i have a feeling that it will veg better then these HO
BflexNJshore
Well-Known Member
I was mistaken, they are 3 watts.
PSUAGRO.
Well-Known Member
I see this as no big surprise considering the quality of the diodes alone...........
supchaka
Well-Known Member
Correct me if my data is wrong here. Doesn't this solar storm put out more than double the wattage of 2 500 blackstars? I believe it also costs 4 times as much. It's like complaining that a vette beat ur Hyundai in a drag race.
Senseimilla
Well-Known Member
The 500w one is the sweet point on price over the 600w, though I went the route of going with 2 x 240ws to get better coverage. LEDs aren't great for sidelighting (or penetration) in general. They also have a new chrome series one with 7w LEDs you might want to look into too but it's real new so no grow results yet
wraffer
Member
Thanks matey i was sort of thinking that they wernt that great for penetration as all the pics and vids i keep finding are of smaller plants. Be interesting when the 7w diodes are more widely used i think leds are definatley going in the right direction thats for sure