LED Grow Light Review

cashforgold said:
I'm using a 90 watt led 630nm red 455nm blue on four plants and they are in their veg stage and looking very strong and healthy. Very green. So I can vouch for that. We'll see how flowering goes. I hear wavelength is very important. You want 660nm red for flowering. I wanted to ask the question to everyone about orange light. What stage of growth is orange light for and is it really needed in plant growth or just a sales pitch?
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Orange is only a sales pitch. Any company selling you a light with orange, has not done any major testing or research with their own products. They just saw someone else doing it, so they did too.
 
HydroGrowLED said:
So I have a few pictures to show you. I get asked quite often why I don't put 119W on my 63W board, since it can hold that many. Some have wondered why we use the larger board with 126W. Here is the reason, more or less in images for why I decided that the 120W design wasn't cost-effective. You'll see our 119W Beta light (same as the 63W casing) using 60 degree LED's compared to our 126W Production light which also uses 60 degree LED's. Notice the size difference between the two intense areas under each light. With only 7W more, we achieved roughly double the coverage area and kept our intensity high. If we used the smaller boards, it would cost you twice as much to cover the same area ;) I kept the consumer in mind as I'll never stop being one myself. These pictures also show the general shape of the light that these rectangular units create, which by the way is round like a UFO.

Comparison4.jpg


Comparison5.jpg
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I think i want one of these????
Iam starting a new grow room and only doing 3 plants.
I just dont know if these are right for me???
 
Hi I just read the thread and it's very informative, but I am a little confused. If I understand correctly 1 126w led with 60degree lens will cover an area 2'x3' .

But then you state that your friend used 2 126w to produce 1lb from 1 plant then you say that
3 plants will grow under a single light.

what is the expected yeild from three with 1 light
 
Yes, all the numbers you quoted are correct. The amount of plants you grow under a single light is determined by many factors: strain, grow style, height before bloom, etc... Asking me to provide you with a random # off all of that is a bit difficult to do.

I am currently doing a grow journal using a single 126W light with 4 plants, 3 different strains, to demonstrate what you can do with 1 light and hydro. Feel free to check it out on these forums. I think 6-8 ounces is achievable under a single light, and then some depending on grower, strain, conditions, etc...
 
Thanks for the reply I am planning a grow using trainwreck plant or plants space is a problem so I will be using areo method & SCROG. I would like to get a yield of 1oz what would you recomend using only 1 light
 
Should you ever need to replace a fan on any of our units because they fail, and you are willing to do so, I would guide you through it over the phone, although it is a fairly simple process.
 
HydroGrow, I also appreciate the detailed responses you've given so far. I've been researching LED's for a while now and was struggling to find a consensus on their viability for veg and bloom.

The closest thing I've found to a consensus is that at this stage in technology LED can be a power lifesaver, and offer comparable results, in the veg stage. The consensus on bloom seems to be no go. The buds come out pitiful. In all cases the key is having that magical right spectrum.

I think I read through the entire forum log, if I missed it I apologize, but I don't remember seeing you take the flowering critique head on. I have seen pretty consistent reviews on the net that LED fails for bloom. Also if your lights are for veg and bloom do they have any sort of adjustment for when you switch from using the light for veg to using it for bloom?

UFO's can go on ebay for 150, even from US distributors. Means for a 4x4 tent one could buy 3, UFO's for 450 bucks (including shipping). That's the same cost as 2 of ur 63 watt systems. That's 270 watts vs 126. Even if those UFO's are useless for bloom, could you compete with that in veg?
 
apox said:
HydroGrow, I also appreciate the detailed responses you've given so far. I've been researching LED's for a while now and was struggling to find a consensus on their viability for veg and bloom.

The closest thing I've found to a consensus is that at this stage in technology LED can be a power lifesaver, and offer comparable results, in the veg stage. The consensus on bloom seems to be no go. The buds come out pitiful. In all cases the key is having that magical right spectrum.

Also if your lights are for veg and bloom do they have any sort of adjustment for when you switch from using the light for veg to using it for bloom?
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I don't believe you've looked at the other threads on this forum then, featuring my lights. Actually, if you want a full idea of what our LED's can do, browse my photos: HydroGrowLED Gallery - 420 Magazine Photo Gallery You'll see images from my own grows, my friend's grow, and even a customer or two. These pictures will diminish any thoughts that our LED's aren't fully capable in bloom.

As far as the veg cycle, there is no "switch" on our lights. The same ratio is used for both stages of growth with our LED's. They work perfectly for veg and even better for bloom. If you wanted a more blue-centric light, we could switch out the 3000k white for 6500k, but plants only absorb so much blue...


apox said:
UFO's can go on ebay for 150, even from US distributors. Means for a 4x4 tent one could buy 3, UFO's for 450 bucks (including shipping). That's the same cost as 2 of ur 63 watt systems. That's 270 watts vs 126. Even if those UFO's are useless for bloom, could you compete with that in veg?
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I have a customer currently doing a test with our 126W vs a $700 180W UFO from a major competitor. Our light is currently beating the other, and yet we are using 30% less power. You said so yourself, the LED's you buy off eBay and most sites don't produce much at all when it comes to flowering. So when you look at the photos of my garden, compared to the "pitiful" buds you speak of, you'll see there's a huge difference. Our lights produce buds comparable to those you'd grow under a high powered HID light. Why spend your money on a product that doesn't perform, and run all that extra wattage for less yield?
 
Our units stay cool without the hassle of extra pumps, reservoirs, and tubing.

Our lights as we've had 2 customers thus far reporting 2grams/watt for results, and other currently doing grows with buds similar to what I've shown. I've personally done 1.3 grams per watt with some stressed out Strawberry Cough Plants, and know that I will hit 2grams/watt with my next harvest. Maybe you should look into a new company to design your lights... I've been working on a model for circular and vertical gardens recently.
 
Well, after checking out the hydro-grow site, this thread, and one by meanbean, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on a 126w penetrator. Gonna start shopping for a box on craigslist, I should have my 1st grow going right after Thanksgiving. I think this is going to be more fun than if I bought a bc nl box.
 
Man if you make a vertical light I could make the sickest closet on the planet...

If I could throw my 2 cen't in on this..

Start with the little LED clusters of goodness you make Put 1 on 3 sides of a 4" cube. Not the top, or the bottom, or one side. Just 3 sides.

Now put 3 or 4 of those 4" boxes on a post to slide up and down.

Something like that would allow me to work 3 walls of a cabinet ya know? Just a thought. So what were your goals in creating a vertical LED bar?
 
Making the right bar requires the right components. Most of them are really expensive in comparison to other LED lights, so I'm kinda stuck. The only way I could do a design like you stated, would be to have a custom casing made which would cost a LOT of money. I'm currently working on a few designs that will be submitted to my MFR to see if they would be willing to do it with me as a joint venture. We'll see...

Ultimately I would make a light similar to a HID (one that emits light in every direction).
 
I could possibly offer you some Expertise on that Bar if you Like? I am a MFGer for other Produts, and I believe I know what your Looking for! Your lookin for a Extrusion!

There's Aluminum Extruders out there that have "Stock" Shapes and can run you 500lb minimum run, depending on the Weight of each 4" section, or a custom "Die" if $1000 to $1500, then they run you 500lbs, at current Aluminum Price/Lbs!

Mean Bean: Go to Alibre, Inc. - Affordable 3D CAD, CAM, FEA, Rendering, and Document Management Software and down load there FREE Version of the Software, they will BUG the Shit out of you until you buy it, or stop uing it!


I just designed the shape care to see it? Made to go in the Corner a Cabinet.

STG
 
Man, I can't believe it's that hard to get these cases! there holding up the LED train!!! How about I make you a metal case with tinsnips, square, and a lil spot welder.

then all you need is a pc fan, switch. + the cluster.

Yeah it's harder to make the units but as you grow I'm sure so can your faclities, equipment, knowhow will grow.

try n think of the actual cost of the LEDs

Then add it to this:
custom tin boX: $4 - 15
Clear lens to protect led: $1.00
Ballast for some leds 1 per cluster: 5 - 12
1 PC fan: $.20 - 1.00
pc switch: $ .20- 1.00
Wiring: 3 - 8 dollars.
prototyping board: 7.00
heat sink: 10.00
other crap: 5.00

Getting those boxes is the hard part. Don't really need the track yet just that metal with the holes alread in it and a bolt...

Not one manufacture will make all this for you but most of it is pre made. the metal box is your key.... Most local welding shops can whip this up. spraypaint them flat white.
 
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