Led light suggestion

[Migrower]

Does anybody know if cobs penetrate better than the boards

 

[Gweedo]

I know i sound like a broken record but if you have the time to grow you have the time build a light yes it will cost slightly more than a premade unit but ive not heard one horror story of a diy light with good parts, and the output and functionality youll get building a fixture custom tailored to your space is worth the extra money in my opinion, just go to led gardener and peep out his strip builds great all around performers and super easy to build like a child could do it lol

 

[Ace9137]

Again if you diy with quality components led is dead reliable, cant speak for premade units with crap parts lol and for sure the plc strips are a bit high bit like all thos stuff it will come down in price quick as new stuff comes out

My research was done six years ago, then a re-look a couple of months ago, LED is growing and becoming competitive, it is just not up to my standards, and to be honest, the tech is in the works, how long are manufacturers going to string out "newer" tech so they can pay for the research for the "next" big thing. I'll wait until the LED market is more stable to invest in the tech, until then I am satisfied with what I have now.

 

[Gweedo]

And cobs vs strips for penetration is simple more point sources of light the better the penetration, because its coming from all different angles and spread out more my money is on strips for sure

 

[az2000]

Does anybody know if cobs penetrate better than the boards

I'm sure COBs penetrate more. But, is penetration good? IMO, spreading those watts around the plant for better coverage (and closer, less inverse-square loss) is better than penetration.

If you have one high-powered COB (let's say to cover a 4x4 tent), it will have to be 20" from the canopy? That's a lot of light loss compared to a more diffuse light 4" from the canopy. (The light is only 25% when it moves from 4" to 8". ). The distance to the outer edges of the 4x4 tent will be much greater (with much greater loss compared to breaking up that one concentration of watts into, say, 4 cobs and illuminating 2x2' squares individually.).

I think how concentrated your light should be depends upon the area you're growing in. If you're growing a roomfull of plants, managing 20 lights wouldn't be feasible. You'd sacrafice some energy efficiency for painless growing. But, if it's just 2 or 4 plants (in a 2x4 or 4x4 space), I think breaking up the watts to spread it around the plants makes far more efficiency than the latest/greatest LED technology (top bin versus mediocre). I.e, you can penetrate by having more sources closer to the plant.

 

[az2000]

My research was done six years ago, then a re-look a couple of months ago, LED is growing and becoming competitive, it is just not up to my standards, and to be honest, the tech is in the works, how long are manufacturers going to string out "newer" tech so they can pay for the research for the "next" big thing. I'll wait until the LED market is more stable to invest in the tech, until then I am satisfied with what I have now.

The thing I don't like is all the flim-flam out there. It's a very predatory market. It's hard to know what's legit versus hype. And, many people who buy a flim-flam brand become cheerleaders for that brand. You can't really trust all the gushing someone makes about a particular brand. I used to see people posting gangly/airy buds on 420magazine's paid-for Mars forum. They were ecstatic with that. "It's a wonderful light! Thank you Sara!" Sometimes I'd see photos of spectacular buds, but the person was running 80w/sq ft. That's more than HPS growers use(! what's the point of LED at that point?).

That's a tough issue. I'm not disparaging people who are happy with whatever they grow (however they do it). It's just a hobby and most of it is having fun. If they're having fun, that's fine. I wouldn't want them to feel bad about anything. But, the problem is when someone's trying to choose which light to buy, it's hard to make objective choices because there's so much hype, and so many people happy with so many different results.

I felt like LED was like a religion. It wasn't a tool to grow. Growing was a tool to experience LED. It felt like it consumed more of my time than I liked. It's not as simple, standardized, componetized, commoditized as traditional lighting (T5HO & CMH, for example, which I prefer still). The only LED I like are the household lightbulbs sold at the stores. No secret-sauce spectrums. No all-in-one fixtures. You make an investment in the fixture, and then you're buying watts of light for 12-25 cents each. Disposable watts of light. No worries about deprecation, how the proprietary all-in-one fixture is working after 5 grows. Just replace $1.25 bulbs after 1-2 grows. Keep the standarized, componentized, commoditized fixtures, an replace the smallest common denominator: the bulb.

I like that for it's simplicity (in many ways). But, it's not entirely simple either. It takes some DIY to mount sockets, make them adjustable. (Not as DIY as making an LED fixture. It's not that difficult to cut a 1x4 board, drill holes and mount light sockets into it to make a hanging "fixture.").

 

[Ace9137]

The thing I don't like is all the flim-flam out there. It's a very predatory market. It's hard to know what's legit versus hype. And, many people who buy a flim-flam brand become cheerleaders for that brand. You can't really trust all the gushing someone makes about a particular brand. I used to see people posting gangly/airy buds on 420magazine's paid-for Mars forum. They were ecstatic with that. "It's a wonderful light! Thank you Sara!" Sometimes I'd see photos of spectacular buds, but the person was running 80w/sq ft. That's more than HPS growers use(! what's the point of LED at that point?).

That's a tough issue. I'm not disparaging people who are happy with whatever they grow (however they do it). It's just a hobby and most of it is having fun. If they're having fun, that's fine. I wouldn't want them to feel bad about anything. But, the problem is when someone's trying to choose which light to buy, it's hard to make objective choices because there's so much hype, and so many people happy with so many different results.

I felt like LED was like a religion. It wasn't a tool to grow. Growing was a tool to experience LED. It felt like it consumed more of my time than I liked. It's not as simple, standardized, componetized, commoditized as traditional lighting (T5HO & CMH, for example, which I prefer still). The only LED I like are the household lightbulbs sold at the stores. No secret-sauce spectrums. No all-in-one fixtures. You make an investment in the fixture, and then you're buying watts of light for 12-25 cents each. Disposable watts of light. No worries about deprecation, how the proprietary all-in-one fixture is working after 5 grows. Just replace $1.25 bulbs after 1-2 grows. Keep the standarized, componentized, commoditized fixtures, an replace the smallest common denominator: the bulb.

I like that for it's simplicity (in many ways). But, it's not entirely simple either. It takes some DIY to mount sockets, make them adjustable. (Not as DIY as making an LED fixture. It's not that difficult to cut a 1x4 board, drill holes and mount light sockets into it to make a hanging "fixture.").

The thing is, it is because I want to get LED's that is why I am really pressing about it. I do agree, it is more like a cult than a religion, like the light itself alone makes the difference. I am still considering COBs, problem is now there is quantum boards, when I consider quantum boards something else comes out, seems like vicious cycle of consumerism.

 

[Mattyice]

What’s up y’all, I’m getting ready to go pick up two 220v 30,000 high bay led lights. They were free to me so I’m going to give them a try. Any thoughts about the style??

 

[Mattyice]

30,000+ lumens forgot that part

 

[Mattyice]

Per light

 

[az2000]

I want to get LED's ... seems like vicious cycle of consumerism.

Bleeding edge is always like that. (VCRs, DVDs, LCD televisions. Computers. Cell phones.).

When I got into growing, I used T5HO. I kept resisting the LED topic because I just wanted to *grow*. I didn't want to enter what looked like a baffling mix of legitimate technology mixed with religious passions. I could *see* how it would turn into an obsession (a *mission*).

I did ok for awhile. Then I got into it. It just seemed like a gigantic drain of time. I just wanted to grow. It seemed like the lighting topic took far more libidinal energy than growing. It felt tiring. [There are people into it who aren't religious. I got into lightbulbs due to a one-year old thread by one of those people. I think I liked the *generic* nature of lightbulbs. Bland. I'm like the guy walking around the parking lot picking up cigarette butts -- while everyone else is exiting the store with cartons of cigarettes "I'd rather fight than switch!" (An old Chesterfield commercial.). The bulbs work. I don't care which brand they are. If I can get a couple drags off a $0.15-per-watt bulb... I'm happy. Low drama.]

My question to you: why do you want to get into LEDs? If you're not into the bleeding edge, and chasing technology... what's the reason? Get girls? Be cool for awhile (until the latest 951 rev D board is released)?

There's nothing wrong with being into tech that way. But, you sound like you're not. At which point, why not spend your libidinal energy on growing (generic lights, commoditized/componetized/standarized)? Wait or LED to mature. If you got into LED in 2-5 years, you'd still need those old lights. You never know when a fixture will fail. It's good to have backup lights. It's not like a t5ho or CMH would be a dead-end investment. The way I use lightbulbs is somwhere in between. It's LED, but not glamorous. It has a longer-term investment in the sockets, reflectors, etc. But, once made it's a tool in the toolchest (to supplement/sielight any light source.). Cheap to replace at 15 cents per watt.

 

[Ace9137]

Bleeding edge is always like that. (VCRs, DVDs, LCD televisions. Computers. Cell phones.).

When I got into growing, I used T5HO. I kept resisting the LED topic because I just wanted to *grow*. I didn't want to enter what looked like a baffling mix of legitimate technology mixed with religious passions. I could *see* how it would turn into an obsession (a *mission*).

I did ok for awhile. Then I got into it. It just seemed like a gigantic drain of time. I just wanted to grow. It seemed like the lighting topic took far more libidinal energy than growing. It felt tiring. [There are people into it who aren't religious. I got into lightbulbs due to a one-year old thread by one of those people. I think I liked the *generic* nature of lightbulbs. Bland. I'm like the guy walking around the parking lot picking up cigarette butts -- while everyone else is exiting the store with cartons of cigarettes "I'd rather fight than switch!" (An old Chesterfield commercial.). The bulbs work. I don't care which brand they are. If I can get a couple drags off a $0.15-per-watt bulb... I'm happy. Low drama.]

My question to you: why do you want to get into LEDs? If you're not into the bleeding edge, and chasing technology... what's the reason? Get girls? Be cool for awhile (until the latest 951 rev D board is released)?

There's nothing wrong with being into tech that way. But, you sound like you're not. At which point, why not spend your libidinal energy on growing (generic lights, commoditized/componetized/standarized)? Wait or LED to mature. If you got into LED in 2-5 years, you'd still need those old lights. You never know when a fixture will fail. It's good to have backup lights. It's not like a t5ho or CMH would be a dead-end investment. The way I use lightbulbs is somwhere in between. It's LED, but not glamorous. It has a longer-term investment in the sockets, reflectors, etc. But, once made it's a tool in the toolchest (to supplement/sielight any light source.). Cheap to replace at 15 cents per watt.

I love tech, yet, I love being able to grow close to a pound or more with 400 watts. I also like what LED will eventually be. Obsession of growing I already have, lights are more whatever is easier and works. I started with what I was using for motherplants, a T-5 HO 110 watt, still using it, had to replace the bulbs, 16 bucks altogether. I still have one LED that is near the end of its life, I don't use it, it was one of two I bought 4 years ago, when I wanted to go bigger, problem was, 4 years was a short time, for the LED's, I went to HPS, I honestly love it, it can get warm, winters can counter that, along with the mild summer this year. Short term investment versus long term investment is a bit more complicated when I decide on something. Sometimes, you listen to the majority and get bitten by it, I did.

 

[az2000]

I love tech, yet, I love being able to grow close to a pound or more with 400 watts. I also like what LED will eventually be. Obsession of growing I already have, lights are more whatever is easier and works. I started with what I was using for motherplants, a T-5 HO 110 watt, still using it, had to replace the bulbs, 16 bucks altogether. I still have one LED that is near the end of its life, I don't use it, it was one of two I bought 4 years ago, when I wanted to go bigger, problem was, 4 years was a short time, for the LED's, I went to HPS, I honestly love it, it can get warm, winters can counter that, along with the mild summer this year. Short term investment versus long term investment is a bit more complicated when I decide on something. Sometimes, you listen to the majority and get bitten by it, I did.

If I had to do it over again, I wouln't have gotten into LEDs (4-5 years ago). It was exactly what I kept trying to not get immersed in. It works, but just a lot of drama (the flim-flam, the passions, the rapid change in technology).

IMO, the only good part of that experience was the lightbulbs. (Maybe I'm being as religious as any other LED user). There's something about working with lamp sockets and wiring that originated with gas lighting over 100 years ago (the 1/4" pipe nipples, when they attached sockets to the ends of gas pipes, and ran wires through the gas pipes); wedging LED tech into that. I like that. Going to the local store for watts of light (at 15 cents per watt). To me, that's fun. Spreading ordinary light around a plant, flowering at 1/2 the watts others are using. All using Home Depot stuff. :) It can be tedious in its own way. But, it's not as ephemeral. It's rooted in sockets and stuff that are ubuiquitous, any new grower can run to the hardware store and get.

If you were growing in a short space with T5HO, I'd recommend adding some household LED lightbulbs for sidelight. Use them in veg to save your T5HO (and sidelight in flower). That would be a low-friction way to do LED without getting deeply into "which is best, it's all or nothing."

If you're happy with your HPS, why do anything at all? If you're not fighting heat (and need heat in the winter). I'd stop thinking about LED.

The only reason I continue to dabble in household lightbulbs is because it's perfect for the new grower. It's handy to be able to say "buy 4-8 of these bulbs and you can grow a plant with them." There's a lot of people who might not grow if they had to get into the increasingly perplexing topic of grow lights. But, they'd buy some light bulbs (which can become sidelighting when they "step up" to "real" lights). I just started looking at them again after 3-4 years because different models are on the shelf. It seemed worthwhile to verify how they compare to the bulbs I bought a few years ago. Just to be able to say "these work" (or should, given how they measure).

 

[G b]

Samsung all day brother GG is on point, with the photoboosts l, price is just still too high, the 4 foot 100w samsung strips on 2 in heatsink with a paralell wired meanwell 480 48a 505 watts over that 4x4, build it now sell later and go photoboost lol

Thanks for the info!!!!!

Again if you diy with quality components led is dead reliable, cant speak for premade units with crap parts lol and for sure the plc strips are a bit high bit like all thos stuff it will come down in price quick as new stuff comes out

Mind providing a link to the samsung 2ft bars?

 

[Aqua Man]

Take a look of SANSI daylight grow light bulb, i ordered many pcs for my lovely plants. Small but powerful, shows real color of plants in my room.

@Jack og I see your on can you ban this piece of shit

 

[Ace9137]

If I had to do it over again, I wouln't have gotten into LEDs (4-5 years ago). It was exactly what I kept trying to not get immersed in. It works, but just a lot of drama (the flim-flam, the passions, the rapid change in technology).

IMO, the only good part of that experience was the lightbulbs. (Maybe I'm being as religious as any other LED user). There's something about working with lamp sockets and wiring that originated with gas lighting over 100 years ago (the 1/4" pipe nipples, when they attached sockets to the ends of gas pipes, and ran wires through the gas pipes); wedging LED tech into that. I like that. Going to the local store for watts of light (at 15 cents per watt). To me, that's fun. Spreading ordinary light around a plant, flowering at 1/2 the watts others are using. All using Home Depot stuff. :) It can be tedious in its own way. But, it's not as ephemeral. It's rooted in sockets and stuff that are ubuiquitous, any new grower can run to the hardware store and get.

If you were growing in a short space with T5HO, I'd recommend adding some household LED lightbulbs for sidelight. Use them in veg to save your T5HO (and sidelight in flower). That would be a low-friction way to do LED without getting deeply into "which is best, it's all or nothing."

If you're happy with your HPS, why do anything at all? If you're not fighting heat (and need heat in the winter). I'd stop thinking about LED.

The only reason I continue to dabble in household lightbulbs is because it's perfect for the new grower. It's handy to be able to say "buy 4-8 of these bulbs and you can grow a plant with them." There's a lot of people who might not grow if they had to get into the increasingly perplexing topic of grow lights. But, they'd buy some light bulbs (which can become sidelighting when they "step up" to "real" lights). I just started looking at them again after 3-4 years because different models are on the shelf. It seemed worthwhile to verify how they compare to the bulbs I bought a few years ago. Just to be able to say "these work" (or should, given how they measure).

Well in the end, I am happy with my HPS, I am sure that these will be phased out, breaks my heart, until then I am growing well. I did like my LED's, the blurples actually netted me a pound or more. I have been comparing, honestly the only real difference between LED and HPS, is HPS is more consistent with it's results. I am jumping the gun when I worry about the phase out, I just remember when incandescent bulbs were phased out, really the cfl's and the LED's are just not as good as incandescent. Honestly though, the skill of the grower is way more important than the light. One weird thing I have noticed about LED's, animals and bugs ignore it, yet my HID seems to attract my cats, I have no bugs fortunately. Still, HPS produces natural light, LED's should try to emulate the HPS/MH, there may be better results.

 

[hawkman]

thoughts on a 700 watt ViparspecturaPAR - dimmimable red/blue/white spectrum (full spectrum) $299.00 ---- Thanks

 

[Ace9137]

thoughts on a 700 watt ViparspecturaPAR - dimmimable red/blue/white spectrum (full spectrum) $299.00 ---- Thanks

I had meizhi, I heard(meaning I don't know for sure), that vipar was a part of meizhi.

 

[Gweedo]

Your not getting a 700w light for that amount lol but hey go for it lol or spend that 300 on a diy fixture, i fully understand working with what you can afford and being budget minded are all real concerns but think about your end results why blow money out your ass 3 times upgrading lights from crap to less crap multiple times just costs more in the end, light is numero 1 to me thats the last thing you wanna skimp on, again just my 2 cents

 

[Migrower]

I had meizhi, I heard(meaning I don't know for sure), that vipar was a part of meizhi.

That light probably pulls 200 from the wall at best