Cree led grow lights?

[alkbud]

hey guys,

i make my own led grow light using cree chips and have been using them for the past couple years now. anybody see the new led lights available from that dutch guy on ledgrow,eu? hes been playing around with led exclusively for the purpose of growing marijuana for the past 5 years, most recent harvest was 153g for 112w of led light. hes selling his own lights now but its $240 a pop plus $50 shipping for 60w cree XPE. his 60w claim 35% more light than 90w chinese ufo.
Which reputable led dealers sell cree made grow lights for relatively affordable prices. i keep seeing and hearing lots of good things about the blackstars from light house hydro. would they be one of the best to get? I want to see if i would save time and money buying premade.

thanx.

 

[alkbud]

really? 58 views and nobody has their 2 cents to pitch? thanx for nothing guys.

 

[alkbud]

wow guys so much for asking whether any of you think im better of building my new flowering panels even though i dont have too much time currently because of work. or would a prebought system from either ledgrow.eu or gotham hydro that makes the blackstar be any good? all 3 options would end up costing me around the same. have to go to flowering in a few weeks and want to make sure have a light ready.
thanx

 

[jessicalennita]

Yes you can have the CREE LED grow lights which you can get in reasonable prices also they provide high lighting sources with more safety performance. There are different models of CREE LED lights available in the market based upon the prices which are more reliable and durable.

 

[Phychotron]

didn't see this till today. maybe a mod moved it into here, it's kinda hard to find this sub-sub-sub-sub topic

I started with the blackstar and I'm done with them. They are alright fixtures but they dont seem to be as powerful as others out there. The real problem is that they are @ 130w instead of 240 like they claim. Had a 500 but a bank of lights went out and had to return it. I opted for two 240's in return in order to space the light out, but also when i was testing it i noticed that the heat sink is just a sheet of aluminum, not finned like it needed to be. so the larger fixture seemed like it would have more of a heat issue since it's got a higher concentration of led. Also, the clear led cover looks like its made of plastic, and starting to show white spotting from the heat/light. I'm switching over to the diamond series from advanced led.

I have a 400w diamond series that seems like a much sturdier light,finned heat sink, larger quieter fans, glass led cover as well as much more powerful. it's pulling 390w, which is exactly 3 blackstars. @ $950 vs $900 (for three blackstars) your not saving that much money buying the cheaper equipment, your just buying it one piece at a time. realistically though, 3 blackstars at that price are overpriced. Buy one at most just to get started, especially if you plan on ripping it apart when it breaks.

led is an investment, know that, and realize that the cheaper equipment is not worth it in the long run.

 

[Guest304546]

really? 58 views and nobody has their 2 cents to pitch? thanx for nothing guys.

yeah, whining won't get you far in these parts bro, ...why not actually do a search here for LEDs as there are several here who are quite knowledgeable and would gladly help you if they knew you needed help.

and you can't go by how many views you've gotten as all those who have viewed may be noobs.

AD

 

[PaullyHighBred]

I'd stay away from from the china panels, blackstar, HGL ect, they're not terrible, (they'll grow good bud for a while) but they're expensive, use cheap components, noisy fans and generally burn out far faster then they should.

Most panels using top binned CREE leds made in the US or EU are expensive, way more then they ought to be.

check out; mouser.com, rapidled.com, ledgroupbuy.com, for pricing of components


You can build and customize your own light pretty easily these days ( hint: BJB solderless connectors) and have the ability to easily upgrade as better leds become available.

Also dont rule out the combination of led and HPS, something along the lines of 150 HPS and 50-100watts of Cree XP-E 625 and XT-E 455 Royal Blue. This would provide you with a very complete spectrum of light.

hope this helps
-PHB

 

[Smoking Gun]

I know Diamond Series is producing a light that uses 3w Bridgelux diodes for their colored spectrum and Cree 10w XM-L for white light in a single unit. The specs say the unit runs at 135w and it is a 12.5" x 12.5" unit. The cost is a bit high at $549 but its a unit I would absolutely buy if I had the money for it.

I have been looking through the Cree site to try and figure out what it would take me to put together my own unit. I am really interested in the XR-E diodes. They run at 4w and offer three different types of white light , but what really excites me about them is they offer a 90 degree light spread. From what I have been seeing in my LED research is that a spread of 90 degrees or less is ideal for growing.

 

[de145]

I just ran across a grow light that uses Cree's, here is the manufacturers site: http://www.bysenled.com/led-grow-light/h158d-140w.html

It's retailed by others (some with a 5 year warranty!) and seems to be quite new. I was originally thinking it might be a flaky design but then I saw a few posts and web pages showing people are starting to think they are the way to go.

Only problem is that they don't give the spectrums of the outer led's around the Crees but they are Bridgelux according to one source. I'm trying to pin it down now actually.

 

[Smoking Gun]

I just ran across a grow light that uses Cree's, here is the manufacturers site: http://www.bysenled.com/led-grow-light/h158d-140w.html

It's retailed by others (some with a 5 year warranty!) and seems to be quite new. I was originally thinking it might be a flaky design but then I saw a few posts and web pages showing people are starting to think they are the way to go.

Only problem is that they don't give the spectrums of the outer led's around the Crees but they are Bridgelux according to one source. I'm trying to pin it down now actually.

Can you show us the other places you found those units. It appears that bysen is indeed in china, so I am not sure exactly how good those units will be, especially because there are no real specs about the product on the site.

 

[grow_right]

my new led grow lamp has 10w cree led's. so far so good!

cannot go wrong with advancedledlights.com.

 

[Smoking Gun]

my new led grow lamp has 10w cree led's. so far so good!

cannot go wrong with advancedledlights.com.

You got the Diamond Series XML? What is the actual coverage area for that unit? Can you throw up a pic of it on please? I was looking at getting that unit, so being able to see it actually working would be great.

 

[grow_right]

You got the Diamond Series XML? What is the actual coverage area for that unit? Can you throw up a pic of it on please? I was looking at getting that unit, so being able to see it actually working would be great.

yes it is the ds xml. i will upload a pic asap. when i do, i will hit you up so you can see it. my understanding is the ds xml only covers about 2x2 feet. they say 2.5x2.5 feet. one advantage of this new lamp is it is dimable. as well has dual switches for 3w led's and the 10w cree's. i was shocked to see the color of the lamp is different from the regular ds200. this new lamp has a whiter color from the 10w cree's.

at over 500 clams, it is not for everyone who wants to cover large spaces. i see them more valuable to small cabinets growers like me.

 

[Smoking Gun]

yes it is the ds xml. i will upload a pic asap. when i do, i will hit you up so you can see it. my understanding is the ds xml only covers about 2x2 feet. they say 2.5x2.5 feet. one advantage of this new lamp is it is dimable. as well has dual switches for 3w led's and the 10w cree's. i was shocked to see the color of the lamp is different from the regular ds200. this new lamp has a whiter color from the 10w cree's.

at over 500 clams, it is not for everyone who wants to cover large spaces. i see them more valuable to small cabinets growers like me.

I was really hoping that the unit really did cover a 2.5' x 2.5' area, but 2x2 is still acceptable. That white light that is what I expected from the unit, in fact it was something I was hoping for. I have always thought that only using the red and blue ends of the color spectrum in the LED's actually limits the growth of the plants. While it is those spectrums that the plants most readily absorb, they do still utilize the colors in between. Hopefully this unit works well for you, it would be nice to see an LED grow without that strange magenta glow.

 

[Socrates]

DE145, I'd also be interested to know what retailers are selling those Bysen units. They look alright, though I'd need to know more about heat-sink design, etc. Am hoping that if there are English-language resellers, they will do a better job of detailing the specs. Looks intriguing, anyway.

 

[medmaker420]

DE145, I'd also be interested to know what retailers are selling those Bysen units. They look alright, though I'd need to know more about heat-sink design, etc. Am hoping that if there are English-language resellers, they will do a better job of detailing the specs. Looks intriguing, anyway.

I am actually testing those right now ( look at my avatar ) for growblu.com however I am testing a few other "manufacturers" as well for them as well.

You can see the heat sink setup on bysens site where they explain how you can do repairs etc and shows them opened and the individual heat sinks per led "module".

I am diggin the hell out of them at the moment but am actually testing different spectrums as well as the different manufacturers to help growblu figure out which spectrums/manufacturers to go through and then they will be open for business once those details are ironed out.

You can follow my tests and grows on youtube to see how the different tests go but so far I am diggin the bysens.

I am testing 4 veg lights right now and then will be testing 4 more veg and 6 flowering leds from various companies etc and all will be posted on the ledgrowshows youtube channel.

Once I start my led grow show for Field Marshall Seeds I will be starting a grow journal here for everyone to follow as well.

 

[stealthnstoned]

fyi nova and blackdiamond lighting use the bysen lights. i have actually also chatted with the reps from alibaba. They use epistar and bridgelux in those lights. Cree is only used for the centre LED in each module... i think its the white spectrum one...

 

[medmaker420]

fyi nova and blackdiamond lighting use the bysen lights. i have actually also chatted with the reps from alibaba. They use epistar and bridgelux in those lights. Cree is only used for the centre LED in each module... i think its the white spectrum one...

on the bysen though they say it is an 8w cree in the middle but there are actually 8 1ws in there but call and verify BUT the site isn't correct compared to the lights I have and what bysen said.

the spectrums can be different/custom etc as what I am testing with growblu for example.

 

[GrowbagUK]

Not enough companies elaborate on the optimum height above canopy and the area covered with adequate light at specified height.

Its important to know the light will be suited to the grow area but without the above info it is a shot in the dark.

I think the best route is a series of LED 'bars' designed to cover 1ft width at certain height - aiming for 30W per square foot to save energy. Then offer a range from 2ftx1ft to 6ftx1ft so people can mix and match to fit their areas. Multiple units give people more flexibility to create an even light coverage.

Multiple units = more $$ outlay, which is why people want to know they can run with less power, save on lamp replacements, cover an adequate area etc. I'm still undecided if LEDs are worth the money.

I'm not so sure the push for more Watts in a small footprint is the right path for LEDS now. 3W diodes are most efficient when driven at approx. 1W but they are being pushed to ever higher currents in the chinese models.

Optics - even though they focus the light, surely they also lower efficiency as the light passes through the lens?

I would prefer good spread of light which can be closer to the canopy for more efficiency but I'm not seeing many LEDs which fit my requirements yet.

 

[vukman]

Hi GrowbagUK........what you mention about the optics is somewhat true. Generally up to and including the 90degree optics, the light is still quite concentrated. Beyond that, the light is diffused. Not to the point where it is ineffective, just inefficient. I would say stay away from the 120degree lenses but then again, as you have mentioned, you have to figure out height above canopy and PAR strength as well. Believe it or not, I have used a protractor and placed it against my LED's. Figuring that a 90degree lens is 45 degrees in either direction, I mark off the 45degree point and then raise or lower the light accordingly so I get the most coverage relative to height...Seems to have worked so far..
Mind you, the information about the optics I have gleaned from what I would consider being reputable sources such as university studies and the like, not from wholesalers and retailers who are only looking to turn a profit. The protractor trick was trial and error...
I will always say that the more you educate yourself in this and any field, you are a much better off consumer.
What was that old saying from one of those TV commercials.
"An educated consumer is our best customer".........just can't remember what the advertisement was for.
Medmaker420 is doing some great work and is the one to watch and listen to. He is personally undertaking a great deal of research to get to the truth of this still young field.

Good Luck