whats up with LEDs???

So Ive been hearing about these new LED lights that are supposedly bad ass. Will they grow buds just as fast as HIDs? How many watts do you need of LEDs? Ive read up a bit and there are big high scale systems that go for over 1k, and little junky ones that go for like 30 bucks. Could somebody explain the difference? Why wouldnt a light like this http://cgi.ebay.com/225-LED-Plant-Grow-Light-Panel-Red-Blue-Hydroponic-Lamp_W0QQitemZ220417864342QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3351edb296&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72:1205|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1309|301:1|293:1|294:50
be able to grow a plant well? I hear people dog these smaller LEDs a lot, just want to know the difference, and if anybody knows the science and technology behind LEDs as related to marijuana cultivation.

if you have the money for LED's then ya better off looking into HIDS...more for the money. can see a yield with LED's but nothing like HIDS.......research and you will see...check out YOUTUBE...you will see


Peace

Ok - here's the deal! There's good news and bad news.
The good news - Yes, LED growlights work!
The bad news - No, they don't work very well!

The reason all the controversy got started a few years ago was because it became well known that N.A.S.A. was experimenting with LED grow lights (for use in the Space Program). That did it! If N.A.S.A. is using 'em, they gotta be good shit - right? Well, the truth is - "Not so much!"

N.A.S.A. wasn't using LED's because they are the "undisputed champion of grow lights". They were working with LED's because they are "rugged", dependable, long lasting and most importantly, run on very little electric current. Let's be very clear here, the primary reason N.A.S.A. chose LED grow lights was because they draw a small amount of power. In a Space Capsule, that is extremly important, in my grow room - not so much! Metal Halide and High Pressure Sodium are still the "Kings of the hill" in my book as far as performance and cost effectiveness are rated. Or maybe those CHPS (Ceramic High Pressure Sodium) "Wide Spectrum" bulbs (if you can find them!).

The deal is only 2 manufacturers have advanced their proprietary technology far enough to produce dees that can put out the kind of photometric flux needed in horticulture.

Only 1 has done this at a reasonable cost.

With regards to this particular hobby,

lumens (or flux) is key.

No light alone will make plants grow faster. No light is so effecient to cut power usage by more than half and still be beneficial to yield.

the current market is not geared towards more lumens = more yield.

Only the expensive products even use the few applicable LED packages.

Therefore,

There is nothing avaliable to the consumer which represents a value for horticulture applications.

The stretch is maybe including lifetime as a factor... Lumen maintenance is 70% for 50,000 hours... which is world beyond HIDs which must be replaced every year, optimally even less than that.

The other benefits are inherit to leds: More neutral thermal properties, the energy focus on particular wavelengths, slimmer package size, and proximity to a canopy.

If those factors are worth twice, or three the cost of a hid set up to you, then you might be serious.

I use LED lights (the 15watt bulbs, high intensity red spectrums) to light the corners of the table.

My typical setup is a 6x4 tray with a 1k light on a mover. The light only moves approximately total 3 feet (1.5 feet each direction from dead center). The strongest clones go in the middle of the tray, the weaker clones go on the edges and in the far corners.

I drop a low wattage red spectrum LED right on those corners and from my unscientific point of view, they work moderately well. Their is still growth, but I can tell the stem structure isn't as strong. My goal is to keep the plant photosynthesizing even when the light is furthest away from the plant.

The only problem i've noticed is that after a good 8 hours or so, the leaves reflect the red spectrum, which is an indication that it can no longer absorb that particular spectrum of light. That is one of the main obstacles of LED's is that the spectrums are too focused. An ideal LED grow light, which there are some available, will use a wide range of spectrum from different reds, oranges, blues, and even infrared.

LED's are still a bit far off from flower usage. Our plants love the intensity of HPS, which LED's totally lack. As for now, I think using LED's as supplemental lighting is the best solution.

Wow they actually reflect the red? That is ridiculous!

I know there is probably no way to take a pick, but damn. I would like to see that.