How To Use Progressive Web App aka PWA On 420 Magazine Forum
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Munki, Were you the guy who said I could just get an 8' pc cord for these lights ? It would make it much easier to move the light if I had a bit more cord !! Thanks
The unit pulls 3 1/3 amps when checked with kill-a-watt meter.
You got it, my friend! I have an extra kill-a-watt meter I can use for this. I'll try and get the results up tonight.
OK, here are the results. The unit does output a low wattage, but the calculated (Volts x Amps) is significantly higher. Not sure if LEDs are inherently inefficient (don't think so), or if the analog power supply / converters are the culprit (more likely). Anyways, here are the pics.
The "wattage". This number does not mean as much to me as I am most concerned with how much electricity I'm actually using.
This is the calculated wattage in terms of volts times amperes (VA). This is what is being consumed.
This next value is the Power Factor (PF). It is calculated by watts / VA and ideally should be 1.00. We can see that only 2/3 of the energy is utilized.
Finally, here are the voltage and current (amperage) readings on the meter.
Now, the power loss noted on this unit is probably common. I know the analog ballasts used by HIDs all suffer from a low power factor. The digital ballasts for HIDs can be very efficient though. My 600 watt Quantum digital ballast has a PF of .99!
With the rising cost of energy and concerns over the efficient delivery of power, active PFC has become more common in consumer electronics.[16] Current Energy Star guidelines for computers (ENERGY STAR® Program Requirements for Computers Version 5.0) call for a power factor of ≥ 0.9 at 100% of rated output in the PC's power supply. According to a white paper authored by Intel and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, PCs with internal power supplies will require the use of active power factor correction to meet the ENERGY STAR® 5.0 Program Requirements for Computers.
I wish I could test the other LED manufacturer lights so I could give a proper "apples to apples" comparison. Maybe others who do have these lights could go get kill-a-watt meters and submit their findings.
Thats very nice but what does it all mean to some dumb ol hippy ?
This next value is the Power Factor (PF). It is calculated by watts / VA and ideally should be 1.00. We can see that only 2/3 of the energy is utilized.
(Guessing) That your electric bill might be a little bit higher than you'd expect from a first glance at the numbers? The old joke about room-temperature superconductors, Brownian motion, and tea / no tea / tea substitute (props to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy adventure game, lol) coming to mind.
SMPS without PFC (~.55-~.65) or one with very simplistic passive PFC (~.7-.75)? That doesn't seem to be what I'd consider an abominable number - seems like years ago computer PS were in that range. Perhaps a person could fab some kind of PFC if they so desired? Or switch to some other PS (maybe a newer computer one - although many of the ones sold are said to be... less than stellar as well)?
I wouldn't necessarily count it as a bad thing in and of itself. Well... As in all devices, there are a number of factors to consider. I haven't seen one of the PS from this product - it might be that it is not the most efficient, but is built like a tank, lol. If that were the case I'd choose it over something more efficient but less durable any day as (a) downtime in a garden light is a major bummer and (b) I wouldn't want to make a hobby out of replacing components if I didn't have to.
Just rambling on...
[EDIT: The non-mechanical method of measuring PF such as (I assume is) used in that measuring device might not be all that accurate in measuring PF in such a device as an LED light. If I'm not mistaken, it's far more useful for measuring it in induction motors, refrigerators, air conditioners, and other household appliances. I could (easily) be wrong but I took a quick read through Wikipedia's (yeah, I know) page on PF and I still get that impression (but it was a QUICK read and I'm bushed, lol). Maybe one of us should email technical support at Kill-o-Watt before we place absolute trust in the numbers?
Power factor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ]
Am I the only one who saw the 420 on the box?
Excellent points, TS. The power supply units are encased in a resin block for even transmission of heat and to seal against environmental attack. If one goes out on this unit, it appears only 1/12 of the LED elements will go out. Nice that its not an all or nothing proposition like with a HID ballast.
My main take on this is that the units should be advertised differently since one could reasonably assume that 288 1 watt LEDs will use around 288 watts of electricity when in actuality, it consumes much more. Once I have the ability to know what intensity is coming OUT of the unit, it will be easier to assess its true efficiency.
Am I the only one who saw the 420 on the box?
Thats very nice but what does it all mean to some dumb ol hippy ? I'm not an electrician or even close ...so can you explain in english what we should be looking for ...Thanks Munki and Lurker...I'm so confused now I think I'll look for my meds !!!
Munki, I started flowering 15 days ago with the LED before that they were vegging under a 400HPS the front I have 2 42 watt cfls and every couple of hours if I'm home I move the LED forward or back ,Just to insure that the whole area gets some pink light (?) but they seem to be staying even froont to back with just the added cfls for fill in front ..However if I close up the tent with just those lights the temp climbs up to the low 90s ! Door open no problem ..
I'd like to get an LED in the 200- to 300-watt range and attempt a grow from sprout to slaughter to see what it might do in a small personal medical grow type setup.