LED vs. HPS - veg to flowering using LED

[Boss]

So you are saying that they do not use an electric current passed through very small particles? I must have them confused with a video I watched on new led streetlights.

Ahh, ok, I gotcha. Instead of being suspended, the material is placed in silicon. Gotcha, sorry, I'm consistantly out of my mind, visiting other places .. LOL

 

[dava04]

You were also talking about Plasma as well though, and while I know nothing about Plasma, I do know there is light and particals involved, in the way you where describing.

LED's are really simple, the anode and cathode are sealed inside an epoxy resin, with a piece of silicon wired to each end of the anode and cathode, the current passes over the silicon and you get light.

As with many things Wikipedia has a great artical LEDs.

I understand completely about visiting other places, ah too be 18 again!

Not that Im old, far from it, just have to be vaugly responsible now

 

[Smokin Moose]

Wow, this is becoming a great tutorial. thanks guys.

 

[dava04]

Yeah, I have just watched that video you are talking about Boss, thats a bad ass HID light.

Also that large picture of the purple LED you have posted is awesome, close and clear, I did edit a vrsion for you but i cant seem to post pictures with this reply.

Smokin Moose told me how to do it, but i think im too hung over and retarded to figure it out.

 

[Boss]

Maybe this will help.

Photo Gallery Guide - How to Resize, Upload & Post Photos

 

[grandma]

Could someone please post some pics of ANY flowering plants grown using LED's.
I'm convinced that LEDs will veg plants well, but will they produce the nice solid buds?

 

[Boss]

This was under 6 cfl's and 4 13w led red/blue panels. Buds were as tight as tight can get. This was also grown 12/12 from seed.

This is the dried version-

 

[Boss]

We are in a transition now,. High powered LED's are in the pipe, but a real grow lamp is about 1700 usd. These are 300 watt LED's that have the power of 800 watts of HID. It's just a matter of selling enough of them to get costs down.

 

[Smokin Moose]

Grandma, LED's are the way of the future!

 

[grandma]

I'm totally convinced. Those nuggets have heaps of shiny trichomes on them Boss.
I saw a 600watt equivalent LED rack on a US site for $1300. At less than $1000 USD I don't have to pay shipping duty so I think that I will soon go LED. What really swings it for me is the lack of heat and fire risk. Also, instead of venting my hot air, I could release CO2 into the wardrobe. The wardrobe will make a great reflective environment. In the meantime I want to buy a single 180 watt equivalent red LED bulb with a standard light socket fitting to add to my PhotoTron. I saw the light for 99USD, can anyone PM me any suppliers in Australia?

 

[Smokin Moose]

So far I have not tracked down an Aussie supplier. All I have seen are Chinese importers advertising, and a few ebay items. I would be interested myself, but time is tough at the moment with admin to do the research.

 

[Boss]

I would hold off on the spots until the new high powered spots come down, they are like 50 times more powerful and have a much better angle and spectrum.

 

[zolar]

was that 300 watt equivalant to 800HID a single unit or multiple sections?

could someone list some good vendors on LEDs that are agraculture friendly....

 

[Boss]

It is a single bar, that can be attached to a string of more bars, but it's still 1400 bucks. I will find the site for you, it's in canada.

 

[topdeeni]

I have no idea how to weigh in on this as I jvae ZERO experience with this.

I can tell you that the math (the best I can do it for a sales/maerketuing guy) tells me that newer LED technology WILL provide an intense and wide enuff light spectrum to do what is needed.

The result has been operation "blue room"! It is about 160 SF, sealed, ventilated, O2'd, hydro set up in place and almost ready to go. The entire room is illuminated with either blue, red or a combination of both LED's on 12" square panels from a source I found on the internet. I actually used ebay to find the products, discover the sources of them, developed a relationship so to speak and got a decent discount on a bunch of panels.

I opted for individual panels for a couple reasons; They are very light weight like this and easy to hang. I actaully have them hanging from a light duty nylon line, strung through eye hooks and easily adjustable on a unit by unit basis. I have the option to switch from red to blue with relative ease when needed and have toms of space to add additional panels or lighting. Last but not least is the electrical requirement for all of this... rofl.. THERE IS NONE! The LED's all plug into a power strip attatched to a timing device with no electrical strain at all..... I also blasted all the lights in my place since I moved in two months ago: Shortly they will B shut down in favor of a new variety of light.

Yep... I will get some pixx up here soon, no laffin as it is a cute little thing. Just one more step in my efforts for "vertical integration" in my life allowing me to free myself from the people who own me. The windmill is next....

Hopefull pixx coming soon...

 

[claytone]

Hello to all you fine people re: LED vs HPS - I have just converted from a 600w HPS to what I have been told is the equivalent of 1000w hps with one UFO and six LED panels. I made the conversion based on six months of scientific research and discovered some interestng claims. Firstly, anyone still hung up on lumens should check out the usable light spectrum instead. I found that in addition of intensive heat and hydro, HPS systems only provide approx 10 to 15 percent usable spectrum and the rest is simply wasted brightness to the human eye but not useable by the plants. I also discovered that root development can be increased up to 500 percent with LEDs with a yeild increase of 15 to 20 percent. Everyone has their own opinion on LED use but I have found that the best way to find out is to try it yourself so I am. I will let you know if my research is right or wrong in the near future. One last thing I do know is that LEDs do not leave a footprint detectable by infrared sensors.

 

[abia]

I to have committed to try 2 hi power 300 watt led grow light. After all my reasearch in the last 6 months i have made a decision to supplement with cfl to add to the spectrum of light and keep everything cool without additional cooling equipment. I will start on 03-15-09. And will keep post of how things work. I look forward to this trial and hope that we all can benefit from this.

 

[capullito]

Hi, some people in Spain they are trying with new and powerful Led lamps.

Best regards.

 

[Techhead]

LED's do work, but you still have to think in terms of power. I don't think the little T500, or smaller LED's will penitrate well. I used 5 watt LED's when I built my system, (Blues actualy run at 3.5 watts, and reds at 2.5 watts). I do understand I still need to add deep red, and wide range whites, but that's another story. Point is, don't think just because you populate a PCB with a bunch of little LED's you will be happy, you still have to think in power.
I did see somebody saying the cost of making an LED pannel would also have to consider a resistor for each LED. This is not true. If an LED has a breakover voltage of 2.5V for example, and you have a 12V supply, you can put 4 of them in series, then a resistor, so one resistor for a line of 4. I built mine with a power transformer, and regulated power supply. I have three lines of current,(and will be adding one more line at least) running one amp per line. I also built in current regulation because of thermal runnaway, but I regress. Anyway, I have 20 reds at 2.5V, and 6 blues at 3.5V in each line for a total of 71 volts plus one power resistor, and a diode to keep from ever hooking it up in the wrong direction. It does work.

 

[DrGreanthumb]

13 bulbs in a 2'x2' setup... is that right, 97 watts??? What's the lumen output? Way less heat signal, and reduced power usage, Nice. Nice price tag too.