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LED Grow Light Manufacturers

cjk

cjk

Member
LED's are starting to be a real option for me and I thought we should have a thread to list reputable LED companies for people to research. My mind is a little boggled trying to figure out which company to buy from but I have narrowed it down to four or five companies. Please feel free to add any manufacturers and/or grow diaries that you have witnessed to be successful lights. My findings are ...

Black Dog LED
Lighthouse Hydroponics Blackstar Series (pull less wattage than advertised)
Hydro Grow LED (new series coming out in Aug-Sep '11)
Grow LED Hydro Spectra Series
Lumigrow
StealthGrow (i think i read there utilizing 50 watt led's in their top model)
 
Mr. Bongjangles

Mr. Bongjangles

Head Brewer
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Dunno but IMO, HydrogrowLED should be removed from the "reputable" list.

When they had a sponsored forum here, I personally witnessed a couple of incidents that were downright offensive.

Firstly, they posted light meter readings on their led unit, and when multiple people with knowledge of the specific meter posted in detail how they were done incorrectly, the posts were all removed, thread locked and made a sticky.

Secondly, they posted pictures of colas that were supposedly dry on a scale, but, clearly visible in the pictures were fan leaf stems that were not dry at all - indicating that they took the pictures as soon as the buds shrank, but well before they were fully dry.

Now that they are no longer sponsoring the site, I feel the need to bring up these things I noticed in their time here that have entirely turned me off to the possibility of doing business with them.
 
cjk

cjk

Member
Mr. Bongjangles said:
Dunno but IMO, HydrogrowLED should be removed from the "reputable" list.

When they had a sponsored forum here, I personally witnessed a couple of incidents that were downright offensive.

Firstly, they posted light meter readings on their led unit, and when multiple people with knowledge of the specific meter posted in detail how they were done incorrectly, the posts were all removed, thread locked and made a sticky.

Secondly, they posted pictures of colas that were supposedly dry on a scale, but, clearly visible in the pictures were fan leaf stems that were not dry at all - indicating that they took the pictures as soon as the buds shrank, but well before they were fully dry.

Now that they are no longer sponsoring the site, I feel the need to bring up these things I noticed in their time here that have entirely turned me off to the possibility of doing business with them.
Click to expand...

i agree but the fact is i've seen grow results hovering around 1gpw with her units by regulars on this forum. with all forum BS aside, they're still decent lights. wouldn't you agree? i'm really interested in her 3w x models that are about to come out. i'm hoping someone will pick one up or maybe i will...
 
Mr. Bongjangles

Mr. Bongjangles

Head Brewer
ICMag Donor
Veteran
cjk said:
i agree but the fact is i've seen grow results hovering around 1gpw with her units by regulars on this forum. with all forum BS aside, they're still decent lights. wouldn't you agree? i'm really interested in her 3w x models that are about to come out. i'm hoping someone will pick one up or maybe i will...
Click to expand...

Yes, I make no comment on the effectiveness of their units, but I do suspect someone like blaze1up or the others who tested them with decent results would have done just as well with the newest Lumigrow gear.

You used the term "reputable" though, and that speaks to a company's reputation - something that entails more than just how well their product works.
 
S

Shafto

Member
If you going to buy an LED fixture from one of these vendors there are 3 main things you need to find out before you do anything.

1. First off, don't listen to a single bit of the marketing crap about LEDs. They make heat, more heat than an HPS per watt, and they only last a long time if they run cool.

2. Find out what kind of LED is used. If it's not Lumileds, CREE, Osram, Nichia, SSC, or another quality, non chinese knockoff type LED, then the fixture is complete crap.

3. Find out the junction to ambient thermal resistance. If the company can't readily provide you with the junction to ambient thermal resistance of their fixture, then the fixture is most definitely, complete and total crap, and they are either hiding a terrible figure, or they never even did the calculations to build a proper LED array into a fixture in the first place.
 
cjk

cjk

Member
Mr. Bongjangles said:
Yes, I make no comment on the effectiveness of their units, but I do suspect someone like blaze1up or the others who tested them with decent results would have done just as well with the newest Lumigrow gear.

You used the term "reputable" though, and that speaks to a company's reputation - something that entails more than just how well their product works.
Click to expand...

reputable as in having a reputation of producing effective lights for growing...
 
S

sm0k4

Shafto said:
If you going to buy an LED fixture from one of these vendors there are 3 main things you need to find out before you do anything.

1. First off, don't listen to a single bit of the marketing crap about LEDs. They make heat, more heat than an HPS per watt, and they only last a long time if they run cool.

2. Find out what kind of LED is used. If it's not Lumileds, CREE, Osram, Nichia, SSC, or another quality, non chinese knockoff type LED, then the fixture is complete crap.

3. Find out the junction to ambient thermal resistance. If the company can't readily provide you with the junction to ambient thermal resistance of their fixture, then the fixture is most definitely, complete and total crap, and they are either hiding a terrible figure, or they never even did the calculations to build a proper LED array into a fixture in the first place.
Click to expand...


1. LEDs do not radiate heat, they conduct heat via heat sinks. All the heat is on the rear end of the light source, which allows you to get them closer to the plants without burning. HPS are intense and must be kept higher above the canopy. For those with restricted heights, LEDs are a good alternate option. While they do generate heat, it is way more easily managed than with an HID.

2. Agree, but some still lie and say they use Cree 3W emitter when we all know for a fact Cree does not make 3W emitters, but their 1W can get a little over 2W output.

3. They use aluminum profiles with a wide fin gap and they aren't very tall fins for. Overall surface area of the sinks seem pretty bad, so they compensate by adding multiple fans to it. It does the job, but costs more power to run. They don't care about your power usage, they only care about making the light at a cheaper cost. Fans are cheaper than Aluminum. The efficiency is kind of lost with these units. Your saved energy is just wasted on running the 6 DC fans non-stop.
 
S

Shafto

Member
The heat is conducted out of the junction, yes, but the belief that there is no heat radiated is also somewhat of a myth. There is also a lot more heat created per watt of input with LEDs than HPS, radiated or not, especially the red LEDs.

The myth I was speaking of, is that there's no heat out the front with LEDs. While there is no actual radiated heat, extra light hitting the plant, especially blue wavelengths that are not used for photosynthesis or reflected, turn into heat on the plant surface. This is the same effect as when a laser using radiometric power turns into heat on a surface.

You can test this out yourself with a high power blue LED. Use something light absorbent like black electrical tape and hold it right over a blue LED. The tape will quickly melt.

When I first started testing and working with high power LEDs many years ago, I used to turn them over and face them downward on my workbench so I wasn't blinded while trying to read at my instruments, but I soon had to come up with another solution because the LEDs started leaving little black burn holes all over my work bench.


P.S. Surface mount soldering with solder paste and a hotplate with proper MCPCBs is much easier than you'd think, way better thermally, and will save you a lot of time. Also, you don't need to further insulate the MCPCB from the heatsink, even if the heatpad on the LED isn't isolated. The MCPCB has an insulation layer already. Gluing directly to an anodized heatsink will have more thermal resistance than soldering to a MCPCB and then gluing the MCPCB to the heatsink. MCPCB is the way to go hands down.
 
habeeb

habeeb

follow your heart
ICMag Donor
Veteran
I made one of these posts a while back, here


but using for some time my LED's. I have a lumigrow, kessil, and a GLH. I like the lumigrow actually for veg as I can tune to what watt I want to use, and upping the blue to make a nice squat plant.. also am playing with the other one in flower ( I have 2 )

I only use the GLH in another veg room so no comment in flower ( used for some autos.. but I want to test regular seed )

the kessil sucked the most for the cost, but I am playing with it more, and doing another round to see if I can boost up the yield ).. also it might be nice though for people in computers or people who like little experiments.. don't buy this for yield, buy it because you need that small a light


someone show me a new LED then these, and I will buy one, but I think I have to wait another year or two to get another light that can beat what I have now.. I was planning to buy the new kessil but being as it lacks white or green or other spectrum then red and blues I'm not sure how there advancing???




kessil:



GLH:



lumi ( set of pics is 3 week in, mind you there DJ plants.. also was running new soil, nutes and setup ( new house ) and news strains... ):


 
Last edited:
habeeb

habeeb

follow your heart
ICMag Donor
Veteran
anyone seen the LED MR.X is using?

I will link later.. to tired



if it is as good as he's showing, that is just amazing!!!
 
SOTF420

SOTF420

Humble Human, Freedom Fighter, Cannabis Lover, Bre
ICMag Donor
Veteran
:bow: Lumigrow 330 watt ES model, 5 year warranty & used by the USDA & SOTF too! You can even grow salad toppers with it! :biggrin: 'Nuf said! :good:

You can get a discount also on them just call them and ask they take $300 off the listed price on the website I believe. You could probably get a bigger discount on multiple units. ;)
 
C

cannarelief

I see Theoreme Innovation (TI) has a vertical LED bulb unit-Maybe the bulb could be purchased alone


PDF WARNING!

http://www.theoremeinnovation.com/media/TI SmartBarQuadro en.pdf



I wonder if someone who understands light output etc could make some general comparisons between the Lumigrow ES330 and the Theoreme Innovation Smart lamp

I am too medicated to even add numbers with accuracy-trying to read and understand comparables is beyond me at the moment -are they fairly close or miles apart?

http://www.lumigrow.com/ ES330 page is giving me a 404

http://www.theoremeinnovation.com/sl-presentation-en.html


MR X and the lights he uses (look very nice) http://gudomeledgrow.com/blog/

http://gudomeledgrow.com/blog/?page_id=31
 
C

CLOWD11

cjk said:
reputable as in having a reputation of producing effective lights for growing...
Click to expand...
I can vouch for effective lights. :dance013:
You wont go wrong, the new lights start shipping in a week and will kick arse. They already make lumigrow look like christmas tree lights despite the kicking and screaming from lumigrow pimps here. Just ask the lumigrow crowd how many other lights they NEED to run in order to see average results. They DONT just run a lumigrow light. Ask them how many T5s and far-red ancillary lights they use.
All the HGL lights im using have been hassle free and produce good results. The new models with completely new lenses, heatsinks, cases and cooling system also designed by cammie are going to leave the rest in a cloud of dust.
Ive ordered mine and have recently seen the pre-production parts prior to assembly, there is no way id buy anything else atm.
 
S

sm0k4

CLOWD11 said:
I can vouch for effective lights. :dance013:
You wont go wrong, the new lights start shipping in a week and will kick arse. They already make lumigrow look like christmas tree lights despite the kicking and screaming from lumigrow pimps here. Just ask the lumigrow crowd how many other lights they NEED to run in order to see average results. They DONT just run a lumigrow light. Ask them how many T5s and far-red ancillary lights they use.
All the HGL lights im using have been hassle free and produce good results. The new models with completely new lenses, heatsinks, cases and cooling system also designed by cammie are going to leave the rest in a cloud of dust.
Ive ordered mine and have recently seen the pre-production parts prior to assembly, there is no way id buy anything else atm.
Click to expand...


Stats, where are the stats. I want to know average PPF at different heights. I also want a spectral graph of output. Why does no manufacturer release this data? That would take the guessing out and allow consumers to make an educated decision. By not showing this info they are only trying to cover something up IMO. Even if their light is "the shiznit", their actions and marketing strategy speak otherwise to anyone with knowledge on the subject. I mean it took them a few years to start using white LEDs when the DIY crowd knew they were better in terms of l/W, efficiency, and intensity.

I hate marketing spins and all the BS that comes with commercial products. They all use flashy words with no substance. Patent Pending is also a joke with HGL. You can't patent LED layout patterns or patent putting a lense on an LED. Unless they spent the money developing their own HGL lense, the patent is a joke.

Give me the data I want to see, otherwise I will never buy one of these. All I read about it claims of being the best available, but no real data or numbers to show.

Illumitex is starting to develop some real advancements in LED lighting for horticulture. Their light engine looks like the real deal. Their engines are more for the DIYer though, they aren't pre-built units from China.
 
S

sm0k4

Shafto said:
The heat is conducted out of the junction, yes, but the belief that there is no heat radiated is also somewhat of a myth. There is also a lot more heat created per watt of input with LEDs than HPS, radiated or not, especially the red LEDs.

The myth I was speaking of, is that there's no heat out the front with LEDs. While there is no actual radiated heat, extra light hitting the plant, especially blue wavelengths that are not used for photosynthesis or reflected, turn into heat on the plant surface. This is the same effect as when a laser using radiometric power turns into heat on a surface.

You can test this out yourself with a high power blue LED. Use something light absorbent like black electrical tape and hold it right over a blue LED. The tape will quickly melt.

When I first started testing and working with high power LEDs many years ago, I used to turn them over and face them downward on my workbench so I wasn't blinded while trying to read at my instruments, but I soon had to come up with another solution because the LEDs started leaving little black burn holes all over my work bench.


P.S. Surface mount soldering with solder paste and a hotplate with proper MCPCBs is much easier than you'd think, way better thermally, and will save you a lot of time. Also, you don't need to further insulate the MCPCB from the heatsink, even if the heatpad on the LED isn't isolated. The MCPCB has an insulation layer already. Gluing directly to an anodized heatsink will have more thermal resistance than soldering to a MCPCB and then gluing the MCPCB to the heatsink. MCPCB is the way to go hands down.
Click to expand...

My blue Crees are always 2" from my plants. They love 'em and the trichs show it. I do get plant burn if they get within an inch though. They are only 1W diodes though. For higher wattages, different rules apply and there will be more heat due to lack of efficiency. The blues are the only ones I can't hold the back of my hand on. The intensity of the lower wavelength gets hot. There is a greater amount of energy emitted with blues. It is still not a problem in my cabinet in the way of heat. Most of the heat is going out the back of the LED and through the heat sink.

The MCPCB does not have an insulation layer either, at least not all of them, if any. Can you link me to one that has the thermal pad insulated from the rest of the MCPCB?
 
GP73LPC

GP73LPC

Strain Collector/Seed Junkie/Landrace Accumulator/
Veteran
i use the Welthink WEX-C150 for a small hydro veggies/herb indoor garden. I also just bought a second.

LetsSeeYa has a couple of them.

And Stra8outtaweed over at cannabis dot com uses 5 or 6 of them with great success...

Each 40" tubular unit is a 150 watts, 50 3 watt leds;

50% 660nm deep red
10% 630nm red
10% 600nm orange
10% 3500K warm white
20% 460nm blue


Although, I haven't grown our beloved plant with them yet, the others have. I find it does well with seedlings, clones, vegging and flowering.

picture.php


picture.php
 
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