Buildmyled.com ??

[Mkultra99]

Has anyone checked this out? All the aquarium kids are apeshit for them (my wife and father being in that category)... but, they also have horticulture LEDs. The REALLY interesting thing is, that you can design your own. You can choose exactly which color LED and where it is on the strip. They even have a really cool little page that will tell you the watts, micromoles and a bunch of other shit I don't understand, of your design. Pricing is high compared to chinese stuff, of course...

BTW First post - Yes. Affiliated in ANY WAY with "Buildmyled" - No. Purchsed from "Buildmyled" - No.
I have been researching a new light setup and just stumbled across these cats and since no discussion of them have been brought up, figured I would let minds phatter than mine have a look.

Mkultra99

 

[Seamaiden]

That sounds pretty neat, but I haven't worked with LEDs at all.

 

[Slips]

I ordered one for my aquarium will be here Friday; They have a spectrum that replicates nasa's x5 spectrum; looks promising; bet it uses they same red leds as my custom x-5 arrays
http://www.buildmyled.com/green-enhanced-growth-spectrum/

 

[Kebz]

I enjoy working with LEDS and think that we're getting to a time where they are starting to show real results. i'm gonna have a read on their site and see what improvements i can make to my setup. Im starting to think that as long as the build quality, wattage, cooling and spectrum / bands are where and what you need,then expensive or not is simply no indicator of effectiveness.

 

[tags420]

I hope everyone realizes that only one company is actually sed by NASA for any LED work and that is Apache Tech. That spectrum that everyone is calling the NASA one is actually an Apache/Nasa co-design...made with by using apache units and engineers with input from nasa plant physiologist.
Prices do not completely matter, but it is well established that being cheap about a LED grow light is a bad idea and usually leave people bitching.

There are now officially LED's that can produce more lumens per watt that HPS so only a matter time before people start believe.

 

[Seamaiden]

I just visited a NASA facility last Thursday. Deep space radio telescope monitoring, including the Voyager units. :D

 

[Kebz]

I hope everyone realizes that only one company is actually sed by NASA for any LED work and that is Apache Tech. That spectrum that everyone is calling the NASA one is actually an Apache/Nasa co-design...made with by using apache units and engineers with input from nasa plant physiologist.
Prices do not completely matter, but it is well established that being cheap about a LED grow light is a bad idea and usually leave people bitching.

There are now officially LED's that can produce more lumens per watt that HPS so only a matter time before people start believe.

True true, there are plenty of cheap and nasty LED grow lights that have taken advantage of peoples lack of knowledge about this new application of fairly old technology. LED's have gotten a really bad name for just such a reason - lots of cheap nasty 15w units pretending to be able to grow a plant from veg to flower!

So agreed, although spending through the nose does not guarantee success, it just might get you further than spending as little as possible! Buying LED's which have been proven to deliver is the best way to avoid huge expense followed by huge disappointment.

 

[pugliese63]

I've been looking at their site as well. I'm considering getting a few of the 4' units with 730 nm far red LEDs to use at lights off for about 5 minutes. These units seem to be built well and very practical. I like that you can get them linear and that they're customizable. I definitely think we will begin to see more and more LED and induction light units coming onto the market.

 

[tags420]

I just picked up an indagro induction with the LED/IR pontoon. We will see how the LED's and IR stimulation improve the system.

Also, Apache has 4' 18w T8LED tubes are better than these led bar units. One 18w T8LED puts out 2000lumens and does 270umol@6" and 190umol@12'. They are 45 per bulb and can retro fit any t8/t12 fixture. So 2-4 T8LED's will have way better output, coverage, and cost less. They are looking at 22w and 24w versions too that will be a little stronger still.

 

[tags420]

Forgot the pics

 

[pugliese63]

I just picked up an indagro induction with the LED/IR pontoon. We will see how the LED's and IR stimulation improve the system.

Also, Apache has 4' 18w T8LED tubes are better than these led bar units. One 18w T8LED puts out 2000lumens and does 270umol@6" and 190umol@12'. They are 45 per bulb and can retro fit any t8/t12 fixture. So 2-4 T8LED's will have way better output, coverage, and cost less. They are looking at 22w and 24w versions too that will be a little stronger still.

Thanks, these might prove to be the best for my application. Unfortunately I'm not finding them in the 730 nm wave lengths, just full spectrum.

 

[tags420]

I forgot you were looking for an IR version. IR and UVB ideas are in the works but who knows when/if they will happen. So yes apache and most companies only have white, red, blue. Usually can only find blue and red for grow specific stores/companies.

 

[Swany]

I just picked up an indagro induction with the LED/IR pontoon. We will see how the LED's and IR stimulation improve the system.

Also, Apache has 4' 18w T8LED tubes are better than these led bar units. One 18w T8LED puts out 2000lumens and does 270umol@6" and 190umol@12'. They are 45 per bulb and can retro fit any t8/t12 fixture. So 2-4 T8LED's will have way better output, coverage, and cost less. They are looking at 22w and 24w versions too that will be a little stronger still.

Sweet - I used LED T8 replacements for a couple of office lighting jobs 18 months to two years back. The light was a little blue and the cost was about $65 a tube. Different application but the cost drop is still impressive I think. I've also thought about the Indagro...

You mentioned a code that would score a sweet price on Apache's awhile back on your diary. Are there by chance any current codes you know about and can share ;-?

 

[Swany]

Has anyone checked this out?

I have now - pretty cool site! It seems that $ per lumen could be enhanced if they offered something other than a single strip style of light. I love that they estimate PAR for you as you design a fixture. Thanks for posting this.

 

[tags420]

You can get more output from (1) T8led tube... 2040lumens with 270umol@6" and 190umol@12". Only 18w and $35 per bulb.

 

[Swany]

You can get more output from (1) T8led tube... 2040lumens with 270umol@6" and 190umol@12". Only 18w and $35 per bulb.

I like the idea of building your own, however I'm more serious about Apache, Magnum or Illuminators. The LED tubes sound great, just pop them in my frankenstiened t8 fixture and pull the ballast. I can't find them on Apache's site though. Got a link?

 

[tags420]

^^^Exactly
He said by the beginning of july the website will be updated and have all the new stuff. You can email them about the tubes if you are an eager beaver.

 

[Swany]

^^^Exactly
He said by the beginning of july the website will be updated and have all the new stuff. You can email them about the tubes if you are an eager beaver.

Lol - at the phrase 'eager beaver' I got a visual of myself in my grow room nawing on the stems of my plants ;-}. I haven't finished my coffee and I got little kids running all around, brain is in a unique space.

I know if I had 8000 lumens to see by I would be good to do some reading, but is 800 umol good enough for solid growth? I imagine it would be but since I'm visiting family I've not had focused time for the research. I'll contact Apache as soon as I can.

Thanks!

 

[tags420]

I'm saying that for people who use T5 of any floros, which get a lot of use in our world... the tubes will veg plants bigger and faster, and will have the ability to flower(better than T5 not big hps). The T8led tubes puts out 3X the umols/w over a T5.

T8LED tubes: 15umol/w@6"
T5's :4.17umol/w@4"

A 8bulb T5 will actually hit 1800 umols@4" pulling 430w
While a 8 bulb with T8led's will 2150umols@6" pulling only 144w.
Both sound really strong when you are that close but with inverse square you'll see that you loose the energy quick(penetration).

I did the tube test and someone else(a coral guy) did the T5 test so that's why they are at different heights. But gives the advantage to T5's and they still loose.

 

[Swany]

You convinced me ;-}. I'm almost at place with wifi (the net, not the strain ;-) and was going to look up the info - thanks!