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Any Decently priced LED that’ll compete with hps??

M

miltiano32

Member
MrBungle said:
It says it is a 400 watt equivalent but only produces 18,000 lumens... a 400 watt HPS produces 50,000-60,000 lumens... I'm not so sure about these claims
Click to expand...

Yeah thats true but the thing is the plant doesnt grow due to lumens. Thats a measurement of light thats only really applicable to how humans perceive light. Plants have a different standard to energy they need to grow and thats PAR and the true measurement of the lights need to be measured with a PPF meter.
 
A

Alexphillips

Member
there are many LEDs which are better than HPS bulbs. Marshydro, Platinum, Viparspectra, Kind LED are some of the good manufacturers of LED grow lights. Choose any brand and save money on electrical bills.
 
gladysvjubb

gladysvjubb

Active member
Veteran
From Black Dog LED Site:

"Various artificial grow light technologies create different light spectrums. LED grow lights differ significantly from other forms of artificial plant lights in that the spectrum can be tuned, eliminating unwanted excesses of light wavelengths (colors) while providing light plants can use most efficiently. Other artificial lighting technologies produce much of their light as an unintended and unavoidable byproduct of how they operate, ultimately wasting energy in heating up plant leaves.

When a photon of light hits a plant leaf, it can either be reflected or absorbed. Reflected photons will not affect the leaf temperature at all, but physics dictates that all photons absorbed by the leaf will increase the leaf temperature; how much depends on the energy (wavelength) of the photon and whether or not some of that energy was used to trigger other chemical reactions, such as photosynthesis. Photons fully utilized by the plant in chemical reactions will heat the leaf less than photons which are absorbed but not utilized. Therefore, measuring leaf surface temperature indirectly measures the efficiency of the light spectrum for growing plants-- less-efficient spectrums will tend to heat the leaf more, while more-efficient spectrums will heat the leaf less as more of the light energy is being converted to chemical energy.

High Pressure Sodium (HPS) in particular converts a significant portion of the energy consumed by the light directly to non-visible infrared light in the 810-830nm range, peaking about 819nm. This infrared light is perceptible to you (and plants) by the warmth it creates when exposed to the light. Additionally, much of the visible light HPS bulbs produce is yellow and not highly-utilized by plants. This radiation not used for photosynthesis or other chemical reactions only serves to heat up the leaves, requiring cooler ambient temperatures to keep the plants' leaves at their ideal temperature."
 
Koondense

Koondense

Well-known member
Veteran
People, please stop with this nonsense.

The mentioned brands are really not much better than hps. And quoting Black Dog leds is nonsense when you say you use a white led light fixture, it's a totally different product with different spectrum.

Also saying lumens from a hps vs led can't compare(but you need a par meter), you clearly need to dig deeper in the matter because there are many truths to be found.

It's been at least three good years since the cob revolution and two years since the QB evolution and it goes the same way... certain white leds are the best photon production tech for the electric input. Period.
These certain models are cree cxb cobs, bridgelux vero cobs, citizen cobs, samsung smd... and that's pretty much it. If a fixture has these parts, it will almost certainly make much more and better spectrum light than any hps light.
If a fixture has other led parts, it will most certainly be in the same or similar league as a regular hps, from the light output per watt point of view.

Anything else is mostly unrelated business people nonsense talk to make you believe one product is much better than any other brand/product.

Basics comes first, remember that.


Cheers
 
P

Platinumtitty

Member
Bait much?

Bait much?

Koondense said:
People, please stop with this nonsense.

The mentioned brands are really not much better than hps. And quoting Black Dog leds is nonsense when you say you use a white led light fixture, it's a totally different product with different spectrum.

Also saying lumens from a hps vs led can't compare(but you need a par meter), you clearly need to dig deeper in the matter because there are many truths to be found.

It's been at least three good years since the cob revolution and two years since the QB evolution and it goes the same way... certain white leds are the best photon production tech for the electric input. Period.
These certain models are cree cxb cobs, bridgelux vero cobs, citizen cobs, samsung smd... and that's pretty much it. If a fixture has these parts, it will almost certainly make much more and better spectrum light than any hps light.
If a fixture has other led parts, it will most certainly be in the same or similar league as a regular hps, from the light output per watt point of view.

Anything else is mostly unrelated business people nonsense talk to make you believe one product is much better than any other brand/product.

Basics comes first, remember that.


Cheers
Click to expand...

Theres so much info on the site that could answer that question and any gardner that messes with 600 watts or above will know something about LEDs and virtually nothing. Lol. Idk. Looks like a bait thread. Because if I were looking for advice then id say dont look for black dog to be the most efficient or the best...and some might say way overpriced. Lol. Ok. Ramt over. My bad
 
Lucky 7

Lucky 7

Active member
My experience coming from a 400 watt gavita to an Advanced P300 was mixed. The buds were a bit airy, yield down a bit too. Good pot, just not the results I was seeking. I like the safety, cooler ops., and stealth factor of the led. Just need more light, the Advanced put out 180 watts . . . . . Obviously I need more wattage.
I only grow once a year so I'll probably go with a cheaper light this time e and take my chances. One has a switchable feature and puts out 400 watts at the wall . . . . Supposed to be 2000 wts, heheh. But im thinking twice the power will get my small 4 plant grow back where it belongs!
 
xxPeacePipexx

xxPeacePipexx

Member
HLG 550, it's what I replaced multiple 600 watts ran inline throughout the years and have no regrets over. Recent price drops on the first 550 helps..
 
Lost in a SOG

Lost in a SOG

GrassSnakeGenetics
Lucky 7 said:
My experience coming from a 400 watt gavita to an Advanced P300 was mixed. The buds were a bit airy, yield down a bit too. Good pot, just not the results I was seeking. I like the safety, cooler ops., and stealth factor of the led. Just need more light, the Advanced put out 180 watts . . . . . Obviously I need more wattage.
I only grow once a year so I'll probably go with a cheaper light this time e and take my chances. One has a switchable feature and puts out 400 watts at the wall . . . . Supposed to be 2000 wts, heheh. But im thinking twice the power will get my small 4 plant grow back where it belongs!
Click to expand...

Im surprised your experience wasnt less than mixed..

Those are basically made in the same factory as viparspec and mars but with some additions in the US.. it makes sense because years ago i dipped my toe in to led with a platinum p300 and for the wattage it was just terrible..

Dont be fooled by high wattage bargain rigs you are shooting yourselves in the foot IME..

Pay up for actual good technology... not the name.. not the convenience of buying through amazon.. not the cheap price or 100+ 5 star ratings from idiots that have never grown a truly healthy cannabis plant..

These cheapo chinese resellers are using cheapo parts inside and often high 5-10 Wattage diodes that run very hot, often housed in cool looking but poorly thought through cases and will lose efficiency quicker than a well designed rig with well made components..

The amazing thing for me is i can use half my electricity with good efficiency diodes and drivers and get better results, but if i tried to make it pay using many inefficient lights id go back to CMH because my experience with the advanced platinum p300 just showed me if that is one of the better examples of all that tat then its just kiddies who dont know squat bigging them up..

if you havent used hps for a decade or something dont tell me whats better than what, or which watt is better.. i used hps for a long time and unless i was growing somewhere freezing cold id never want to use/waste that much money making heat from lighting again.. having to use ac to sort out the wasteful hid lighting is just retarded.

"5 stars working well so far"

Give it a few years for the shitty design and components to burn out..
 
Lester Beans

Lester Beans

Frequent Flyer
Veteran
Ok so let's say DIY is off the table for conversation sake.

To cover a 4x4 area, what is the best LED light to buy? Best quality regardless of cost.
 
Koondense

Koondense

Well-known member
Veteran
Lester Beans said:
Ok so let's say DIY is off the table for conversation sake.

To cover a 4x4 area, what is the best LED light to buy? Best quality regardless of cost.
Click to expand...

There are different options in different price ranges but I'm confident to say any Timber led for 4x4(like redwood VS), Hlg 550 v2, Fluence spydrx and the latest led by Gavita will be best performing lights one can buy.

Cheers
 
f-e

f-e

Well-known member
Mentor
Veteran
In the hottest of hot weather, or hottest of hot places, It's nice to take all the heat from the lighting away. This can only really be attempted, if you keep the lighting in manageable groups. I mean something like four 50w cobs on a common heatsink, ducted straight to your extract system. These large panels of 3w leds don't offer a good extract opportunity, and in fact actually hinder airflow.

Picture a ufo actually crammed into the end of a duct. It's a rough image, but it's the general idea.

This is the only thing I'm looking at.

What are the top 5 cobs, and who is using them? If we know this, and buy them, then that is what people will make for us. If we keep spreading our expenditure out over unknown products, we will keep them on the shop shelves.

The diy scene knows the price of the right cobs, and the driver choices, leaving heatsinks and mounting hardware the only difference between manufacturers. Oh.. and price.


I realise leds go in different bins. So some sifting through the manufacturers would still be required.

It's supply and demand, so we need to demand.


Citizen have the clu48 offering. Somebody must put a few together with a meanwell. Giving us a known performer.

Cree have something.

I know other energy dense choices exist?
 
F

Fleur du Mal

New member
Two SolSheet X's run off a single 600w (actual at the wall) Mean Well HLG-480H driver will give you 700-1100 PPFD across every inch of a 4x4 foot canopy at 18 inches, for less than $1/watt delivered. Price for actual measured performance blows Gavita and Fluence away.

-b420
 
Douglas.Curtis

Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
Fleur du Mal said:
Two SolSheet X's run off a single 600w (actual at the wall) Mean Well HLG-480H driver will give you 700-1100 PPFD across every inch of a 4x4 foot canopy at 18 inches, for less than $1/watt delivered. Price for actual measured performance blows Gavita and Fluence away.

-b420
Click to expand...
Welcome to ICMag!! :D

I'd love to see a grow from start to finish. Pics?
 
f-e

f-e

Well-known member
Mentor
Veteran
Fleur du Mal said:
Two SolSheet X's run off a single 600w (actual at the wall) Mean Well HLG-480H driver will give you 700-1100 PPFD across every inch of a 4x4 foot canopy at 18 inches, for less than $1/watt delivered. Price for actual measured performance blows Gavita and Fluence away.

-b420
Click to expand...

Your numbers are off. The 480 is a 480, not 600. The lights are recommended 150-200w each. I didn't bother checking any further. Your sales pitch tells me to try another brand


Edit: Despite my reservations, I'm gonna give the next (more informative) post a 'like'
 
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Lost in a SOG

Lost in a SOG

GrassSnakeGenetics
I think he's right at least..

You can run solstrips at 45W each max with good thermal management without much damage but they've got to stay under 50C maximum.. so you could run those 2 xsheets at 500W between them and cover like 4x4 - 5x5 pretty easily.. idk i dont have the prefab sheets from them.

the Solstrips that are in "solsheets" are great actually.. Really Really useful little strips with very densely packed samsung diodes..

You can adjust the width between them on DIY rigs which is obviously useful.. easily switch around your kelvin and broaden it as you want..

I can make a single rig both a veg and flower light by mixing 5k/3.5k strips that run on one driver for veg and 2.7/3.5k ones used in flower..

They're just so adaptable.. they run nice and cool because of the surface area of strips vs boards..

Also QBs are so good and densely packed, especially the 288 chip boards they form in intense ball of par in the center for a ways down and its just too much..

Sol strips easily beat QBs for spread,, ive seen it with my PAR meter.. and stressed plants under QBs..

So efficiency is even better if spread is better..

Other companies do make exactly the same kind of samsung diode strips including HLG but for my money i just love the modular aspect of solstrips and his red/blue emerson boards are also well worth their money especially when you can custom mix them with the other 2.7/3.5/5k strips..

Good bloke as well, when i bought direct, he sent my parcel and put a low enough price i didnt have to a pay customs fee..

I recommend them for very very easy LED DIY that will kick the ass of almost anything youve seen and not cost very much.. plus last ages..

Thats my sales pitch over for my current favourite DIY led strip/board lol

Id kinda like to go onto Osram oslon strips though,, i feel they can probably pip the samsungs.. cant afford or be arsed much.

Ill have a grow on here with them for anyone interested soon but as i said other near identical samsung strip resellers/manufacturers do exist.
 
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dimodz

dimodz

Elite StrainCloneHunter
Moderator
Veteran
i someone want a good qb LeD panel for faily price range, hit me a pm




is 550watt dimmable with samsung tech and is like a week at your hands :)
 
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