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newbie curious on led

ecotec

New member
Hi all in the next few weeks I'll be designing a a small stealth grow and I'm curious to know if I'm on the right track so any help would be great..specs are 6ft high by 2 by 2...using 250 hps/mh and open reflector with a 6" 200 cfm fan venting out each side of the reflector...3-4 unsexed seeds..I'm curious on led strips..I know I'm in the right wave length but I'm curious on ratios..I can get 5:1 red/blue 5 meter flexible strip or 4:1 for supplement side lighting in flower totaling 60w..so plan was to put it along the sides and back..what would be more suitable 5:1 or 4:1..the plants will probably touch the LEDs...is the strip worth it..its 50 bux..I can't add more light due to heat and limited space so strips are the only
way to go
 

Phaeton

Speed of Dark
Veteran
Morning sun is 9:1 red:blue, same as evening sun. At high noon this ratio is 2:1 red:blue.
As the suns's angle through the atmosphere increases so does the red:blue ratio, the blue is both absorbed and scattered by air, moisture, and dust.
A plant does most of its growing in the eight hours centered on noon, which averages 3:1 or 4:1 red:blue, depending on how far north.
I live at 66 degrees north and at high noon on solstice (June 21) the sun is at a 44 degree angle. Compare this to Texas on the same day and time with only a 7 degree angle, more red and way more blue while the UVB goes up exponentially with Texas getting triple the amount as interior Alaska.

This accounts for much of the arguing over what is the 'natural' red:blue ratio. It varies a major amount every day and a minor amount every season, take your pick.

Intensity is a factor a number can be put on, an LED gentle enough for a leaf to touch without dying is not going to increase the yield of the entire plant, most of which will not be touching the LED and will not be receiving the minimum for photosynthesis.

LED screw in floodlights can be bought for about $15 each for 14 watts at local hardware stores (Lowes, Home Depot).
Three of these for fifty bux will be intense enough make a difference, if there is room so the leaves won't touch the lens.

Passive cooled LED strips for most brand's are roughly 1/4 to 1/6 of the rated wattage. A 60 watt strip would draw 10 to 15 watts.
This is why the name brand screw in floodlights are so much more intense, the 14 watts each is what they actually put out, not their maximum rating.
 

LostTribe

Well-known member
Premium user
I run strictly HPS so I wouldn't be one to recommend suplamenting any led's. It just a new fad so retailers can try to make a quick buck. The LED units I have seen don't put out light like an old school HPS of the same wattage.
 

ecotec

New member
Wow some great information pheaton thank you and thanks to every one else for the reply :)...I dident think about the led bulbs them selves that's a great idea I could mount them in the reflector as that's the only place I would have control over the distance so they won't touch the plants..is there any info on what type of led bulbs to use?...I've uses 600 hps/mh years ago so I do under stand hid is tryed a proven I've just never done any thing in a small space/hidden grow so I figured why not try led to supplement my 250 while trying to minimize heat as that's my concerning factor...
 

ecotec

New member
So I found some bulbs from Mars hydro online the specs are 36wat but 14w+5% true wat 12x3 w LEDs 9red 3 blue 460nm,630nm,660nm 30 bux each..fits e27 socket
 

Boyd Crowder

Teem MiCr0B35
dude just upgrade to 400 or 600 dimmable for your space
leds get no penetration and weak shit at the corners aint gonna help much
leds are cool and all but theres no substitute for horsepower

unless of course you roll your own....
 

stoned-trout

if it smells like fish
Veteran
I have yet to see an led grow that impressed me....hid all the way baby... I too am gonna play with then tho soon....yeehaw..I would seal light and improve your ventilation and get a real light more powerfull....
 

LostTribe

Well-known member
Premium user
See just use your hid and save your dough for a bigger one. 600w are nice for personal stash!
 

bushed

Active member
Im a HPS grower too, mainly because when setting up a personal grow as a beginner the huge increase in cost for LED's didn't seem worth it and the general opinion of a lot of the community here is that there just not worth it.

However I watched this video comparison of a top of the line LED vs HPS and the LED produced a higher GPW and THC count.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9gdoTO3_kw

Ide say for $50 go for it.
 

3546cy8

New member
Hi all in the next few weeks I'll be designing a a small stealth grow and I'm curious to know if I'm on the right track so any help would be great..specs are 6ft high by 2 by 2...using 250 hps/mh and open reflector with a 6" 200 cfm fan venting out each side of the reflector...3-4 unsexed seeds..I'm curious on led strips..I know I'm in the right wave length but I'm curious on ratios..I can get 5:1 red/blue 5 meter flexible strip or 4:1 for supplement side lighting in flower totaling 60w..so plan was to put it along the sides and back..what would be more suitable 5:1 or 4:1..the plants will probably touch the LEDs...is the strip worth it..its 50 bux..I can't add more light due to heat and limited space so strips are the only
way to go



I'm probably too late. Tent is about 27 x 27 x 56. I bought 2 - 300W LED - I think about $75 each. I think all in I was about $750 all in for setup. LARGE soil pot. At least 6 gallons. Purple Haze (Sativa...Suzy)


Grew very tight nodes, dense, and green. I could barely supercrop because even 3 nodes back was thick and woody but I twisted the heck out of them. After 8 weeks veg plant was 12" high and maybe 19" wide. Very dense and plush. I called Suzy and yelled that it was an Indigo. I added a 3rd - 300W "Reddish" LED recommended for flowering.


Now after 8 weeks of flowering plant has stretched maybe to 2 feet but buds are large and plentiful. A buddy says I should get > 8 oz. I will need to apologize to Suzy. I think I do have too much light but it's worked well. Just wish my tent could be bigger.
 

SHAMROCKROVER

New member
Have a look at what blynx has managed to achieve with store bought domestic LED bulbs in the MICRO GROW section,31gr with 30 watts of led.
 

aridbud

automeister
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Yeah, small-ish space, a good LED.....it's really kicks it out!!

Have several between 200-600w....like leaving a smaller (electric) footprint and utility savings. Do primarily random grows checking out hybrids developed in summer and 2-3 photos.
 
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