LED Vs HD Lighting

Campo Cultivator

Well-Known Member
Very simply please, which LED light (wattage, make and model) would be best to cover 36-40 sq. ft. of flowering canopy? I am looking for the best quality, it is expensive to be cheap. Is it worth it to go fully LED as far as cost/output and electricity bill differences, etc? I have a 1000 watt hps that i loved but i am trying to be more cost effective and ecologically friendly. I do not want to sacrifice results, mainly quality. Please provide me with some feedback and options.

Thank you
I have a AF-600 from Fero which draws 600 watts and I reckon from experience is more than 2 x 400s. I'm running mine over a 1.2m by 1.2m area. Its not the cheapest LED out there but by no means is it the most expensive! What it does have though is top-bin LEDs by Helixeon with a full spectrum range including whites and infrared. These make for outstanding veg growth, my plants love it. It has switches so you give the plants different spectrum (and draw less power) in veg growth or flower. I'm yet to put it into flower but I'll be honest and say I've used Fero lights a lot and I'm not anxious about the results. Next up for me is a showdown between HPS 600 watt and this light but I know this light will smash a 600 watt sodium already :) I just want to get the evidence on it!

I dont want to put too much of an advertising spiel on here (or more than I've already done) so here's a link to their European site which gives you the info.

Re 250HPS vs LED? I did a growdown on this last year ... and its worth posting the results here for anyone who comes across this looking for which light to buy. It was this watt:watt grow off which convinced me LEDs where the place to be. Here's the summary


Happy Tokin!
 

L33tGanjaMan

Well-Known Member
Hello again Green Fingered Friends..

Endur0xX, thanx for your input dood, i will try and give some more information and answer some of your quieries..

First off the dimensions of the Tent are 80cm x 80cm x 160cm.

I know that these growtents are not 'Fully' sealed since the stitching will offer a slight amount of porosity, however they are pretty much sealed to accomodate/achieve the puffing i mentioned when running a 4" intake, also as you said if i run a 4" exhaust the tent will suck the sides in as it tries to replenish the air and pressure that is being extracted.
When i said i got Mold my last run, well i was trying to remember the exact conditions and set-up i had running for at that time, i was using my 250w HPS, 3 x 6" fans inside the tent for circulation and i had only Exhaust by a 4" extractor (which was strong enough to suck the tent sides inwards), No Intake :O
I figured at the time that i did not need the intake since the Exhaust was pulling all the stale air out and also sucking a little fresh air in from anywhere that was not 100% sealed. (Also, the tent is situated in a room 13ft x 13ft).
However, it was Summertime here and the temps were way up and averaging around 90. With that came High Humidity sometime 60-70% and you were right Endur0.. i was not running my Exhaust when the lights were Off. Bad move huh?

So basically that was why i got Mold that run, it was my first time experiencing mold but those plants i grew that run had Long, fat Dense Colas and it is not really surprising that they could not breathe. :/

Since that happened i have been trying to not make the same mistake again this run (or any other lol).
My tent has 2 passive side vent panels, which i can close with the velcro on them, it also accomodates a 4" duct in the roof which i was using for exhaust, then it also accomodates another 4" duct space in the bottom which i use for Intake.
The thing is i thought these LED panels were not supposed to get so hot compared to HPS or MH and i thought i would be able to run the LED panel without any Intake or Exhaust needed to regulate the Heat emmiting from it inside the Tent.. i mean i thought that was supposed to be part of the energy saving whilst using LED's? Hmmmnnn.

Summer has past here now and the ambient temps are down to around the mid 60s, 65-68 in the room where the tent is so it is more suitable or easy for me to control when the temps are lower than summertime.

I guess i may still need to run both Intake and Outtake even with this LED panel.

(I have taken some more pics of my Sog Clones (link on my Sig) and i am about to update them.. i just hung the new LED panel in there to finish them off but next run i will be doing a run of 5 or 6 different strains and i will be doing a side by side grow with the LED panel and my 250w HPS, after that i may do a comparison with my 400w HPS, will see how these and the next run turn out.)

So, if you are interested in seeing 'ACTUAL side by side' comparisons then you know where to come..
:joint:
 

Granny weed

Well-Known Member
Hello again Green Fingered Friends..

Endur0xX, thanx for your input dood, i will try and give some more information and answer some of your quieries..

First off the dimensions of the Tent are 80cm x 80cm x 160cm.

I know that these growtents are not 'Fully' sealed since the stitching will offer a slight amount of porosity, however they are pretty much sealed to accomodate/achieve the puffing i mentioned when running a 4" intake, also as you said if i run a 4" exhaust the tent will suck the sides in as it tries to replenish the air and pressure that is being extracted.
When i said i got Mold my last run, well i was trying to remember the exact conditions and set-up i had running for at that time, i was using my 250w HPS, 3 x 6" fans inside the tent for circulation and i had only Exhaust by a 4" extractor (which was strong enough to suck the tent sides inwards), No Intake :O
I figured at the time that i did not need the intake since the Exhaust was pulling all the stale air out and also sucking a little fresh air in from anywhere that was not 100% sealed. (Also, the tent is situated in a room 13ft x 13ft).
However, it was Summertime here and the temps were way up and averaging around 90. With that came High Humidity sometime 60-70% and you were right Endur0.. i was not running my Exhaust when the lights were Off. Bad move huh?

So basically that was why i got Mold that run, it was my first time experiencing mold but those plants i grew that run had Long, fat Dense Colas and it is not really surprising that they could not breathe. :/

Since that happened i have been trying to not make the same mistake again this run (or any other lol).
My tent has 2 passive side vent panels, which i can close with the velcro on them, it also accomodates a 4" duct in the roof which i was using for exhaust, then it also accomodates another 4" duct space in the bottom which i use for Intake.
The thing is i thought these LED panels were not supposed to get so hot compared to HPS or MH and i thought i would be able to run the LED panel without any Intake or Exhaust needed to regulate the Heat emmiting from it inside the Tent.. i mean i thought that was supposed to be part of the energy saving whilst using LED's? Hmmmnnn.

Summer has past here now and the ambient temps are down to around the mid 60s, 65-68 in the room where the tent is so it is more suitable or easy for me to control when the temps are lower than summertime.

I guess i may still need to run both Intake and Outtake even with this LED panel.

(I have taken some more pics of my Sog Clones (link on my Sig) and i am about to update them.. i just hung the new LED panel in there to finish them off but next run i will be doing a run of 5 or 6 different strains and i will be doing a side by side grow with the LED panel and my 250w HPS, after that i may do a comparison with my 400w HPS, will see how these and the next run turn out.)

So, if you are interested in seeing 'ACTUAL side by side' comparisons then you know where to come..
:joint:
Your pm inbox is full and I've tried to MSG you, can you make some space for me please,thank you.
 

Endur0xX

Well-Known Member
Hello again Green Fingered Friends..

Endur0xX, thanx for your input dood, i will try and give some more information and answer some of your quieries..

First off the dimensions of the Tent are 80cm x 80cm x 160cm.

I know that these growtents are not 'Fully' sealed since the stitching will offer a slight amount of porosity, however they are pretty much sealed to accomodate/achieve the puffing i mentioned when running a 4" intake, also as you said if i run a 4" exhaust the tent will suck the sides in as it tries to replenish the air and pressure that is being extracted.
When i said i got Mold my last run, well i was trying to remember the exact conditions and set-up i had running for at that time, i was using my 250w HPS, 3 x 6" fans inside the tent for circulation and i had only Exhaust by a 4" extractor (which was strong enough to suck the tent sides inwards), No Intake :O
I figured at the time that i did not need the intake since the Exhaust was pulling all the stale air out and also sucking a little fresh air in from anywhere that was not 100% sealed. (Also, the tent is situated in a room 13ft x 13ft).
However, it was Summertime here and the temps were way up and averaging around 90. With that came High Humidity sometime 60-70% and you were right Endur0.. i was not running my Exhaust when the lights were Off. Bad move huh?

So basically that was why i got Mold that run, it was my first time experiencing mold but those plants i grew that run had Long, fat Dense Colas and it is not really surprising that they could not breathe. :/

Since that happened i have been trying to not make the same mistake again this run (or any other lol).
My tent has 2 passive side vent panels, which i can close with the velcro on them, it also accomodates a 4" duct in the roof which i was using for exhaust, then it also accomodates another 4" duct space in the bottom which i use for Intake.
The thing is i thought these LED panels were not supposed to get so hot compared to HPS or MH and i thought i would be able to run the LED panel without any Intake or Exhaust needed to regulate the Heat emmiting from it inside the Tent.. i mean i thought that was supposed to be part of the energy saving whilst using LED's? Hmmmnnn.

Summer has past here now and the ambient temps are down to around the mid 60s, 65-68 in the room where the tent is so it is more suitable or easy for me to control when the temps are lower than summertime.

I guess i may still need to run both Intake and Outtake even with this LED panel.

(I have taken some more pics of my Sog Clones (link on my Sig) and i am about to update them.. i just hung the new LED panel in there to finish them off but next run i will be doing a run of 5 or 6 different strains and i will be doing a side by side grow with the LED panel and my 250w HPS, after that i may do a comparison with my 400w HPS, will see how these and the next run turn out.)

So, if you are interested in seeing 'ACTUAL side by side' comparisons then you know where to come..
:joint:
I made the same mistake earlier this year and I paid for it, I had not realised how much humidity this hobby generates, even on a small scale!! So I was running my tiny cabinet in a 10x12 room that was loaded with stuff (was kind of storage room) then a couple months later I was moving stuff around and noticed mold in the corner of the room. Since then I have always been monitoring the relative humidity in my basement.

LEDs do net get nearly as hot as HPS and MH, but they do generate some heat, if you were to grow in a slightly bigger space, you could get away with a simple portable fan exchanging the air from one room to the next. However, if you are serious about growing some good quality weed and if you also want to make sure there is no smell, there is just no way around the fan and scrubber.

If you go in the Indoor Setup section of RIU, people will tell you that back pressure is best, you do no want your tent to puff that is for sure. One thing I am starting to realize is that those tent are pretty convenient but I doubt that they are made to last so back pressure will probably decrease the lifespan of your tent. In the future I would recommend building a small room if you own your place.

The saving in LEDs is mostly from the decrease in lighting wattage (in my experience, 540W LEDs has replaced 800W HPS quite well and improved overall results) and you also save from not having to change bulbs, cool tube, ballast (dont forget that a 400W HPS will use a fair bit more than 400W, so I can say that my 540W LED actually replaced nearly 900watts, I was using older ballasts)

Personally I prefer to use only 1 inline fan and for the exhaust only, like I said in my previous post, my room is sealed and the back pressure truly brings in fresh air 24/7, in my situation, an intake fan would be a waste of electricity.
 

Endur0xX

Well-Known Member
i was using the 1000 watt in a 4x4 room. i want to use the 4x4 as a veg room and buy a 6x6 for flowering. i was just curious about what is equal to 1000 watt hps as far as led is concerned for my own reference. i really want to decide whether to stick with the 1000 watt hps and then supplement the rest of light demand in the 6x6 with led or cfl or go with all led if electricity cost will drop significantly without sacrificing quality/results. more than likely the entire 6x6 will not be covered with plant matter, room to move inside the tent is necessary. thanks.
how many 1000W were you going to use in the 6x6 flowering space? Even if you go with HPS in your new flowering room, I would recommend using the 600Watters if you want to be a bit more environmentally friendly because I hear you can pull higher yield with 3x600W hps as opposed to 2x1000W hps using less power. If you are too worry that LEDs won't match your expectation, don't go all LEDs right off the bat, but you could get 1 600W LED next to your 600W HPS and as time goes on you can decide to slowly replace your HPS for LEDs, or not, or simply keep it half and half.
 

oldsoul86

Member
right on! thanks Endur! Since i have invested in the 1000 watt hps and i have seen good results i think i might stay with the hps in the center of the grow and supplement lumens and white spectrum from an LED on each side of the HPS at lower outputs just to add enough lumens for the remaining space the HPS doesnt cover. would anyone recommend this?

Thanks Campo Cultivator! you think the AF 600s u have could support 36 sq. ft. of flowering canopy?
 

FreeStateLumpy

Active Member
how many 1000W were you going to use in the 6x6 flowering space? Even if you go with HPS in your new flowering room, I would recommend using the 600Watters if you want to be a bit more environmentally friendly because I hear you can pull higher yield with 3x600W hps as opposed to 2x1000W hps using less power. If you are too worry that LEDs won't match your expectation, don't go all LEDs right off the bat, but you could get 1 600W LED next to your 600W HPS and as time goes on you can decide to slowly replace your HPS for LEDs, or not, or simply keep it half and half.
Hahahaaa, "more enviornmentaly friendly"... with more hoods, more gear, more wires, more bulbs... when will you idiots stop listening to the bullshit spewing from the mouths of people who only want to redistribure your wealth into their lying sack of turd pockets... yeah, 3 600's work slightly better for a slightly better yield than to 1,000 w hps but please wake up and stop making yourself sound like another carbon footprint ignoramous, we're supposed to have brains (and a hint of discernment skills) of some kind here as opposed to the other sites... hell, I'm a non violent guy and if you said that shit next to me and I didn't have a couple of tokes in me, if I didn't laugh my ass of, I might just slap the stupid off of someone dumb ape's face. kiss-ass

Thanks for letting me rant. I really love you all anyway. Hope the grow rocks ass and you enjoy every moment of the journey. And sorry if this sounded "passive aggressive"... just focus on reality will ya folks?
Peace
 

Endur0xX

Well-Known Member
Hahahaaa, "more enviornmentaly friendly"... with more hoods, more gear, more wires, more bulbs... when will you idiots stop listening to the bullshit spewing from the mouths of people who only want to redistribure your wealth into their lying sack of turd pockets... yeah, 3 600's work slightly better for a slightly better yield than to 1,000 w hps but please wake up and stop making yourself sound like another carbon footprint ignoramous, we're supposed to have brains (and a hint of discernment skills) of some kind here as opposed to the other sites... hell, I'm a non violent guy and if you said that shit next to me and I didn't have a couple of tokes in me, if I didn't laugh my ass of, I might just slap the stupid off of someone dumb ape's face. kiss-ass

Thanks for letting me rant. I really love you all anyway. Hope the grow rocks ass and you enjoy every moment of the journey. And sorry if this sounded "passive aggressive"... just focus on reality will ya folks?
Peace
good thing I wasnt talking to you... The OP said he wanted to be more environmentally friendly and my answer was helping him heading this direction. Personally I am fully aware that growing pot inside is in no way environmentally friendly, but if you can do it using less power it's still not as bad. Overall it's not a big deal considering the zillions of industrial sites that uses 1000Watters in the middle of the night when nobody is working...

Anyway, I dont even know what your point is, it was like a useless post thanks for sharing your thoughts and enjoy your day as well.
 

FreeStateLumpy

Active Member
good thing I wasnt talking to you... The OP said he wanted to be more environmentally friendly and my answer was helping him heading this direction. Personally I am fully aware that growing pot inside is in no way environmentally friendly, but if you can do it using less power it's still not as bad. Overall it's not a big deal considering the zillions of industrial sites that uses 1000Watters in the middle of the night when nobody is working...

Anyway, I dont even know what your point is, it was like a useless post thanks for sharing your thoughts and enjoy your day as well.
... and you didn't even see the point... the point is that you speak about shit you are clueless about, as if you had a clue... that was and remains the point. If you want to help someone, sometimes shutting up until you get a clue is a bit more helpful. Thanks :)
 

williamc87

Active Member
i think this is entertaining...lol....and to think i clicked on a link called "led vs hd lighting".....some funny shit
 
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