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LED propagation lighting upgrade questions.

Spaventa

Spaventa

...
Veteran
I moved on to CMH last year after decades of HPS and wondering if its time to move up to LED for my mother/clone tent. Ive been using a Maxibright 110w which has 2 x 55w fluorescents in it.

I heard I only need half the watts with LED. I also heard they work better without having to be so close. Are these things true? Is there a specific type that is ideal for slow vegging a few mothers and rooting babies? Thanks
 
Phaeton

Phaeton

Speed of Dark
Veteran
Meters are used to set light levels. Clones and seedlings get 100 to 120 umol. This happens with a 324 watt T5 at two feet or a 270 watt LED at three feet. Coverage is not the same.

As soon as the clones take root and the seedling get their third pair of leaves the light is tripled to 300-350 umol. The T5 at 8" or the LED at 18". This is good until the plants reach 8" inches tall.
At that point the T5 is maxed out, upgrades in light must be LED or discharge units. The Maxibright is comparable to T5 and is fine for clones and seedlings.
Moms get side lights to encourage bushy growth

I see no reason to upgrade unless larger plants are used. This problem was solved here by a veg 'prep' room with plants put in at 10" and kept there until 24".
Ideal light throughout their existence.
 
Spaventa

Spaventa

...
Veteran
Phaeton said:
Meters are used to set light levels. Clones and seedlings get 100 to 120 umol. This happens with a 324 watt T5 at two feet or a 270 watt LED at three feet. Coverage is not the same.

As soon as the clones take root and the seedling get their third pair of leaves the light is tripled to 300-350 umol. The T5 at 8" or the LED at 18". This is good until the plants reach 8" inches tall.
At that point the T5 is maxed out, upgrades in light must be LED or discharge units. The Maxibright is comparable to T5 and is fine for clones and seedlings.
Moms get side lights to encourage bushy growth

I see no reason to upgrade unless larger plants are used. This problem was solved here by a veg 'prep' room with plants put in at 10" and kept there until 24".
Ideal light throughout their existence.
Click to expand...

Amazingly helpful answer, thanks for taking the time Phaeton.

Based on that, Im going to buy LED. It has the flexibility with distance to be a do it all veg light for everything from cuttings to mothers and saves the planet at the same time :) but seriously.. I like saving electric :woohoo:
 
Chevy cHaze

Chevy cHaze

Out Of Dankness Cometh Light
ICMag Donor
Veteran
What's up Spaventa,
Check out the LED T5s I'm using.
two of them, I think 9w each. like with my headless LED bulbs I
have removed the plastic from over the LEDs.


These are some plants re-vegging.
LEDs for veg and moms are the shit, so little energy used.
CC
 
Spaventa

Spaventa

...
Veteran
Chevy cHaze said:
What's up Spaventa,
Check out the LED T5s I'm using.
two of them, I think 9w each. like with my headless LED bulbs I
have removed the plastic from over the LEDs.

[URL=https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=71351&pictureid=1799592&thumb=1]View Image[/URL]
These are some plants re-vegging.
LEDs for veg and moms are the shit, so little energy used.
CC
Click to expand...

Nice. Im going for the Secret Jardin TLED - two of the 26w veg ones for 52w total which should more than replace the 110w PLL/T5 Maxibright I have. It will also give off less heat.

secret-jardin-led-grow-26w-57c.jpg
 
Spaventa

Spaventa

...
Veteran
I just worked it out. I will save 60 pounds a year on juice. The lights themselves are 39 each and ill get two. The saving almost pays for the upgrade in the first year :)

Now I know this, its hurting me that I don't have them already lol
 
Spaventa

Spaventa

...
Veteran
Well I didn't get the TLEDs. The cheapest I could find a pair for was TWICE the price of a couple of LED PL-L lamps that fit my Maxibright PL2 propagation light. They take consumption down from 110w to 50w and increase usable light. The cool white 26w units were 19.99 each so a cheap way to upgrade the stuff I have.
 
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