Today's 1st Smoke of the Day

TonightYou

TonightYou

Well-Known Member
How are LED lights these days? I was actually pretty impressed with the cheapo Chinese panels I bought when I first got started with for my veg area.

If you don't mind me asking:
Whats the cost of a quality panel?
Can LED technology compete (without scrogging) with HPS lighting for flower?
What is the electrical savings when comparing watt to actual watt?
What is the longevity of these LED panels?

Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of LED lighting. I've seen the savings and difference they make in municipality and street lighting (Both in savings and limiting light pollution, I've researched and wrote about it). I do believe that one day (if not now) they will be more cost effective and be better producers per square foot.

Thanks mate.
 
Amos Otis

Amos Otis

Well-Known Member
TonightYou said:
How are LED lights these days? I was actually pretty impressed with the cheapo Chinese panels I bought when I first got started with for my veg area.

If you don't mind me asking:
Whats the cost of a quality panel?
Can LED technology compete (without scrogging) with HPS lighting for flower?
What is the electrical savings when comparing watt to actual watt?
What is the longevity of these LED panels?

Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of LED lighting. I've seen the savings and difference they make in municipality and street lighting (Both in savings and limiting light pollution, I've researched and wrote about it). I do believe that one day (if not now) they will be more cost effective and be better producers per square foot.

Thanks mate.
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You're mighty talkative tonight, You. Why not post a bud shot of your inspiration? :weed:

I'm interested in BK's answers, as well. No reason the thread can't be used for whatever shall pass through our collective buzz. :clap:
 
OGEvilgenius

OGEvilgenius

Well-Known Member
TonightYou said:
How are LED lights these days? I was actually pretty impressed with the cheapo Chinese panels I bought when I first got started with for my veg area.

If you don't mind me asking:
Whats the cost of a quality panel?
Can LED technology compete (without scrogging) with HPS lighting for flower?
What is the electrical savings when comparing watt to actual watt?
What is the longevity of these LED panels?

Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of LED lighting. I've seen the savings and difference they make in municipality and street lighting (Both in savings and limiting light pollution, I've researched and wrote about it). I do believe that one day (if not now) they will be more cost effective and be better producers per square foot.

Thanks mate.
Click to expand...
Some interesting LEDs out there for sure. You might find the best research has been done by guys doing large scale commercial crops of various low margin crops like...well, not cannabis. Some of those big greenhouses are using LEDs now. That or double ended HPS. I'd imagine they would be doing a huge amount of homework before making any big investment in either.
 
Bad Karma

Bad Karma

Well-Known Member
TonightYou said:
How are LED lights these days? I was actually pretty impressed with the cheapo Chinese panels I bought when I first got started with for my veg area.

If you don't mind me asking:
Whats the cost of a quality panel?
Can LED technology compete (without scrogging) with HPS lighting for flower?
What is the electrical savings when comparing watt to actual watt?
What is the longevity of these LED panels?

Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of LED lighting. I've seen the savings and difference they make in municipality and street lighting (Both in savings and limiting light pollution, I've researched and wrote about it). I do believe that one day (if not now) they will be more cost effective and be better producers per square foot.

Thanks mate.
Click to expand...
Amos Otis said:
I'm interested in BK's answers, as well. No reason the thread can't be used for whatever shall pass through our collective buzz. :clap:
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LED's, top quality LED's, can go toe to toe with HPS these days. Area 51, and Apache Tech, are the kings of the mountain, as demonstrated in grow, after grow, here on RIU. As for the cost, that does depend on the size of the panel, but you're looking at $1800 to $2000 for lights that will truly replace a 1000W HPS and will cover a 4x4 area. Apache Tech offers the AT600, which replaces a 1000W HPS, and only uses around 650W. Area 51 has the RW-150, which covers a 2.5 x 2.5 area, and uses around 160W. Four RW-150's will replace a 1000W HPS, cover a 4x4 area, and they can be daisy chained together. If you keep your LED panels properly cooled, aka not letting them get hot, they will last for years, and years. I'm on my fourth year with some of my LED lights, and they're still going strong, because I've kept them cool (77-85 degrees). When they get hot, the diodes lose their efficiency, and spectrum, thus weakening the lights usefulness. So even though you may still need to air condition the grow room itself (depending on your location and season), there is no need to run separate A/C for your light hoods, which is another big savings on energy. I think that answers all of your questions and I hope it helps.
 
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Mr.Head

Mr.Head

Well-Known Member
I was going to get the new panel from Area51. 500$ to cover a 2.5x2.5 area just isn't going to cut it. It's not like my grow space is huge but im not going to degrade my light power just to run LED. I got a 400watt HPS and thought the xgs190 or whatever it is called would easily replace it, instead it covers half the area( a little over half). Im not buying 2 for my small closet grow. They need to figure out how to get the footprint bigger. I understand the spectrums are different and these new LEDs are supposed to be more specific for plants, but they also change every year, so they haven't even got the spectrum down yet.

I hate this idea that folks should have to buy multiple panels.

The end results look great, but they look just as nice coming off my 400 watt hps, I see no reason to upgrade. I'll give them another year, the progress in the last year is staggering, they will continue to get better and better. Once they get this whole light penetration/footprint issue sorted I'll gladly buy one. I bet by the time I've bought one there has been 2-3 more changes of the industries opinion on spectrum.

That's just my 2 cents. If I was buying my first light as a new grower or my light breaks, i would get an led panel. But as it stands now my HPS is working just fine. I can turn it down to 250 if I want to cover a 2.5x.2.5 area.

Also a big factor for me is my ballast and hood are under a couple years old probably spent more on it then I would on an LED shit was ridiculous expensive locally., replacing them already for an LED setup doesn't seem cost efficient in the current state of things.
 
K

kindnug

Well-Known Member
Santa Cruz Blue Dream is my fav. for wake'n'bake.
I kept cloning it for a few years just for morning blazing.
 
Amos Otis

Amos Otis

Well-Known Member
Mr.Head said:
I was going to get the new panel from Area51. 500$ to cover a 2.5x2.5 area just isn't going to cut it. It's not like my grow space is huge but im not going to degrade my light power just to run LED.
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Same here. I bought a generic 400 watt ballast and hood from Amazon for about $119 that came with both mh and hps bulbs. 6 months later bought a 2nd. That was almost 5 yrs ago. They've never failed, and though I've bought a couple of fresh bulbs, none of the originals have ever blown out, and I have a nice supply of backups.

That's two 400 watt units for half the price of the $500 Area 51 that covers leass than a quarter of the space. When the prices fall, as all new technology always does eventually, I'll probably try one. Dinero is not scarce, but things still have to make dollar sense in most cases.
 
jessica d

jessica d

Well-Known Member
OGEvilgenius said:
How'd your sativa phenotype grow and how does it smell and what's the effect like?
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fast grower but long flowering with no mold. 9ftx6ft wide plant that took -7c temps. it was a great cloner exceptional against pest and fungus. the smoke is fruity and it has some energy but not racey or paranoia. overall not a keeper for me.
 
OGEvilgenius

OGEvilgenius

Well-Known Member
jessica d said:
fast grower but long flowering with no mold. 9ftx6ft wide plant that took -7c temps. it was a great cloner exceptional against pest and fungus. the smoke is fruity and it has some energy but not racey or paranoia. overall not a keeper for me.
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How was the bud structure. Most of my Black Widows had somewhat OG like bud formation, not exactly but more medium sized buds. My sativa pheno had buds all up and down the branches pretty much it grew significantly different. Had some fruity smells, but also some pine and skunk. Definitely a keeper for me even though the buds don't look amazing in the bag, it always gets you there and it yields so GD much. :D
 
OGEvilgenius

OGEvilgenius

Well-Known Member
Amos Otis said:
Same here. I bought a generic 400 watt ballast and hood from Amazon for about $119 that came with both mh and hps bulbs. 6 months later bought a 2nd. That was almost 5 yrs ago. They've never failed, and though I've bought a couple of fresh bulbs, none of the originals have ever blown out, and I have a nice supply of backups.

That's two 400 watt units for half the price of the $500 Area 51 that covers leass than a quarter of the space. When the prices fall, as all new technology always does eventually, I'll probably try one. Dinero is not scarce, but things still have to make dollar sense in most cases.
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I think the double ended HPS will be my next big lighting purchase... they are just too awesome. Gavita for the win. I know commercial greenhouses use them a lot, so they are economical for much less valuable crops.
 
MustangStudFarm

MustangStudFarm

Well-Known Member
Amos, we talked about cheese candy from delicious. I ended up getting a pack and sitting on them now. Can you remind me what you thought about it? Thanks!
 
Amos Otis

Amos Otis

Well-Known Member
MustangStudFarm said:
Amos, we talked about cheese candy from delicious. I ended up getting a pack and sitting on them now. Can you remind me what you thought about it? Thanks!
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I don't recall the conversation, amigo. I love a good cheese hybrid, and followed the posts in the Delicious Se-eds thread. Ended up getting a couple singles when the 'tude had them as ufo #1. The first one is running now - on the bottom right. It's getting squezed pretty severely by the clones, but it's going to have to survive in there another few days while the Bodhis finish in the other roomc-99 004.jpg . I've topped it once, and put it in bloom a little early, but it's been vigorous and trouble free. The cross sounds like it has a good chance to be excellent.
 
MustangStudFarm

MustangStudFarm

Well-Known Member
I may have just read one of your postings lol. Its been 2-3 mo. Your post convinced me to try it out either way. I have had very good luck with 2 of delicious freebies so I wanted to try Delicious and got two packs. So you actually have one going? Thats cool!
 
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Amos Otis

Amos Otis

Well-Known Member
MustangStudFarm said:
I may have just read one of your postings lol. Its been 2-3 mo. Your post convinced me to try it out either way. I have had very good luck with 2 of delicious freebies so I wanted to try Delicious and got two packs. So you actually have one going? Thats cool!
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I think I trashed a delicious se-eds freebie not long ago, too. But if you want some inspiration. dig up that thread. The combination of Exodus and Caramello [ Soma's Lavendar] sounds [to me] superb. Will let you know in about 7 weeks.
 
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