HPS light superior vs current led tech?

[Aqua Man]

As an LED guy and believe me I do think HID has its place and will for a long time. I am a big believer that there is no one best light and it depends on our situation but which LEDs were tested if you dont mind me asking

 

[JoryK]

Thanks a lot man. I’ve been at it over 25 myself, and was thinking about switching to LED, but was kinda hesitant even though I was looking at a lot of the top of the line lights. I came pretty close to breaking down and buying a couple of the Green Sunshine es300’s, as that’s their largest size which fills a 2x4 footprint well and has really even par coverage and a 90 day money back guarantee in case you don’t like them. They’re prices about average with other higher end LED’s, as they’re $695 each, but only cover a 2x4 area, so you need two for a 4x4 area normally covered with one 600watt lamp, which will run you $1390, so your right in line with prices for Gavita1700’s or the like.
I’ve been really torn though as I’ve always been happy with my/hps production quality. After reading this I think I’m probably just going to stick with 1,000watt d/e’s as well.
thx

 

[MidwestToker]

I've been enjoying this discussion and will chime in briefly despite good points mentioned by most.

Been at this for over 35 years. We recently finished an 8 month test to figure out if our expansion will be fully LED. Tested many expensive units, and for the last 3 months of the test we also received 2 units that have yet to be released.

We're sticking with DE HPS. We were able to come very close with the LED solutions, but the top three were in the $1000-$1500 range after we had to add side lighting to match HPS yield quality. Density of the final product was a big deal, we were not able to match the DE HPS. Lack of UV was also an issue and it showed. Even with the almost-trivial power savings and not so trivial HVAC savings - the math still didn't make commercial sense.

My position is: If money is not an object, the high end LED units are a good option (600+ ACTUAL W). Especially in a warm climate and/or confined space. If you're out to grow the best buds possible, LEDs still have a few years to go - but they're a-comin'.

We ran our own tests because of what this thread demonstrates so well. Too many fan boys (on every side) and too little actual scientific method. We wanted to see for ourselves because we care about our money. We made our choice. For now.

Been growing off and on since 1972, I still use both LED's and HID's. Grower skills is the only variable between the lighting, both work period.

 

[Aqua Man]

Been growing off and on since 1972, I still use both LED's and HID's. Grower skills is the only variable between the lighting, both work period.
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I agree with this. I'm not sure what LEDs require side lighting anymore. Also the switch from HID to led requires some environmental changes usually. In fact i think of the real high end LEDs its kinda been pretty clear they outperform in most cases and especially in the co2 enriched environments. Many of the top end LED (2 that I know of are actually designed for co2 enriched rooms.)

One thing I have learned is when you change one variable (such as light) it affects many others and in the case of light it affects almost every variable.

Have some local growers here pulling over 3lb a light easy on the gavita 1700e's and I think @sshz here is a good example of HPS vs the gavita 1700e's.

As I have said a million times LED is not LED. And what some see as high end are just.... well... not high end.

 

[JoryK]

I agree with this. I'm not sure what LEDs require side lighting anymore. Also the switch from HID to led requires some environmental changes usually. In fact i think of the real high end LEDs its kinda been pretty clear they outperform in most cases and especially in the co2 enriched environments. Many of the top end LED (2 that I know of are actually designed for co2 enriched rooms.)

One thing I have learned is when you change one variable (such as light) it affects many others and in the case of light it affects almost every variable.

Have some local growers here pulling over 3lb a light easy on the gavita 1700e's and I think @sshz here is a good example of HPS vs the gavita 1700e's.

As I have said a million times LED is not LED. And what some see as high end are just.... well... not high end.

I’ve seen enough evidence of it that it’s one of my biggest concerns with switching to LED’s.It’s not just changing lights, its just as much the light you choose...and I don’t want to choose the wrong one! Lol.
What do you think of the Green Sunshine electric sky es300’s? I’ve seriously been thinking of ordering one or two to test.
Thanks,
Jory

 

[Bigk]

led all day more light less power !!

 

[Aqua Man]

I’ve seen enough evidence of it that it’s one of my biggest concerns with switching to LED’s.It’s not just changing lights, its just as much the light you choose...and I don’t want to choose the wrong one! Lol.
What do you think of the Green Sunshine electric sky es300’s? I’ve seriously been thinking of ordering one or two to test.
Thanks,
Jory

I think they are a decent choice for non co2 rooms but lack the ppfd of some other fixtures in thier price range. Pretty heavy red leaning and I would prefer a bit more blue in the spectrum.

You would need 2 of these for a 4x4 flower. A little pricey for what ya get IMO

 

[RAIN13]

If you are talking efficiency, no. You can replace a 1000w hps with a 300w led.
So in that case you can get 3 led lights for less of a power cost and have 3 times the light.

Don't pay attention to the advertises power consumption of led lights. Most of them use an equivalency rating. Something that is 1000w in advertising only actually draws 200w.

From what I've seen, leds can grow some great stuff. 1/4 the price on your power bill, less heat, more par for the $.

What's not to like?

Quality - I could be wrong. I got an led 1500w - i hooked it up and LED lighting just looking at it and comparing it my over regular grow lights- I have five kinds. And just got someone who closed shop system- it was hydro but I am going dirt lol - chicken- my bro is sleeping in our grow room so I can’t get the specs tell he wakes up. But I think the LED Will work best for the first week of cloning -

Hi All
First time on forum. Or any forum
Anyway I took 6 cutting from my mother plant last night and put into a bubble Cloner I made from stuff laying around.
Question is I've they survive and grow a fair amount under the 9x 18w leds I've got what light would I flower them under in 2x1 meter space in 20l buckets thinking of 1 x 600w HPS but unsure If led tech has surpassed HPS ? I have to spend money so might as well buy best option for them obviously for the largest yield
Any help appreciated

Hi All
First time on forum. Or any forum
Anyway I took 6 cutting from my mother plant last night and put into a bubble Cloner I made from stuff laying around.
Question is I've they survive and grow a fair amount under the 9x 18w leds I've got what light would I flower them under in 2x1 meter space in 20l buckets thinking of 1 x 600w HPS but unsure If led tech has surpassed HPS ? I have to spend money so might as well buy best option for them obviously for the largest yield
Any help appreciated

 

[ParisOG]

I have run both, HPS is just not feasible where I am, we’re over 110 in the summer, so even with a mini split in my room it would be impossible to keep the heat vented off, I also don’t like having to run a ridiculous amount of ducting to get it done,I run quantum boards and I’m killin it, they’re Chinese lights to be sure, but with Samsung diodes and meanwell drivers, I get the same quality and density under led, yield has been better under led for me, but that’s a bit skewed because I ran hps in the very beginning of my grow adventures, so a big part of that is likely experience, every lighting tech has advantages and drawbacks, no doubt, you have to figure out what’s best for your environment and style of grow, my buddy went from hps to led and couldn’t produce the same results, so he went back to hps for a while, and kept a tent with led until he figured out what he was lacking there, now he’s under spiderfarmers in the summer and hps de in the winter because his grow is in an insulated shed, no heater, so really it’s a matter of what you need the light to do for you, and the environment

 

[ParisOG]

Not sure why everyone needs to turn this subject into a pissing match...

Yeah, you should replace hps lamps every 6 months. You can absolutely go longer with them with minimal loss of production or quality, but like I said, in the grand scheme of what we're doing here its peanuts really. I can grow a lot of pot between each $160 lamp swap.

And I'm not claiming it to be the most efficient technology, but for my setup where I use the heat given off and electricity is cheap, Its a solid option. Covering operating costs is manageable, But forking out thousands and thousands of dollars for lighting setting up a room is sometimes just not in the cards for everyone.

I got lucky when I started and had 15 hoods, ballasts, bulbs, and all the grow equipment given to me, like out of nowhere, so I started buying led a little at a time and checking out the different tech, there’s a bunch out there, went through blurples, ugh, blurples, cobs, which do excellent, but are def more for veg growth IMO, and then landed on quantum boards, I was able to walk through the tech without spending a small fortune, but I’ve literally run everything but cmh, and would go back and forth between qb and hps at this point

 

[RAIN13]

led all day more light less power !!

MORE LIGHT? Compared to what? LED WORK BUT I FEEL HĮ is better as far as quality-

 

[a4twenty]

You can replace a 1000w hps with a 300w led.

now you've got me interested


which brand / model 300W LED matches a 1000W HIDs output?

 

[growsince79]

now you've got me interested


which brand / model 300W LED matches a 1000W HIDs output?

Not any 300w light on this planet. Complete bullshit

 

[a4twenty]

Not any 300w light on this planet. Complete bullshit

lol, didn't realize how old the thread was and i was on the first couple pages

 

[CANAFREAK20916ER]

how are way superior and 1000 watts do the best 2 1000 will over grow 3 600s any day I used 2 600s an cropped out only 300 grams and when I got 2 1000 I was getting 2 and a half p to 3 p per light and my opinion LEDs are ok but they r pricey and just don't produce maybe a few more years the tech will b there IDK just my opinion

 

[CANAFREAK20916ER]

If you are getting much more than 30% more than it isnt just the efficiency of the led. You did not achieve the full results from the hps and you are doing better with the led. Nothing wrong with that but your experience is not equal to the lights potentials. All of this is still mostly the grower. Lights are just tools and led is not 66% more efficient at producing usable plant light per watt.

I have grown with hps for almost 6 years perpetually now. I have more than doubled my yield and likely quality in that time with the same strains.

It is more about our growing habits and how well we work our lights in my opinion.

true

 

[Aqua Man]

how are way superior and 1000 watts do the best 2 1000 will over grow 3 600s any day I used 2 600s an cropped out only 300 grams and when I got 2 1000 I was getting 2 and a half p to 3 p per light and my opinion LEDs are ok but they r pricey and just don't produce maybe a few more years the tech will b there IDK just my opinion

Was going to reply then decided to let this die because there is no need to discuss this anymore unless you live under a rock for the last couple yrs.

 

[CANAFREAK20916ER]

Was going to reply then decided to let this die because there is no need to discuss this anymore unless you live under a rock for the last couple yrs.

I guess I just got this thread in my email so I responded just noticed it's hella hella old smh

 

[JBloomers123]

Was going to reply then decided to let this die because there is no need to discuss this anymore unless you live under a rock for the last couple yrs.

I’m def in your camp. I tried leds 2x and the results were dismal. Never again.

 

[Aqua Man]

I’m def in your camp. I tried leds 2x and the results were dismal. Never again.

Different camp bro