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These terms won't help you understand the differences, or get more technical or just get a good led light and use it.
My general opinion is - leds(quantum boards, cobs) are the most efficient light source right now, CMH has the best spectrum of all lights.
not sure which LED's you mean Hubbleman, I'm having fair luck with these 'Corn' bulbs, just harvested a little LowRyder & I'm gonna try to bring in a plant or two (small grow chamber) of BOG's Sour Bubble.
U know when u driving , i was this morning, when u see cars with led head lights, there light stands out: it looks very ... aggressive? Intruding ?? I hope plants like it
I made a thread earlier today called Information About Grow Light Spectrum, PAR, Photosynthesis, Leaf Surface Temperature. Should help fully explain photosynthesis and the different types of grow lighting, Led is the most efficient Lighting.
Hps have a far more agressive penetration but its restricted to a relatively small circle under the lights. This can be rectified a bit with better reflective surfaces but there will still be a fireball essentially coming out of that singular very hot source of light or the best way in big grows you put your lights up high and have lots of them.
Different models of LED have different postives and negatives like penetration, a COB for example is a powerful single source of light so it will have better penetration than a board/strip of LEDs but will fall down in the same areas as a HID in that the light is more concentrated and not as evenly spread as a board.
I think the benefits of one over the other just come down a lot to how much you adapt your growing technique to get the best out of the lights and how you can spread them, if you have multiple, but also how well that form of lighting works in your unique growing situation because the height/temperature limitations make a pretty big difference to whether you can really get the best out of the light source as well.
Currently i dont need insane amounts of energy in the form of heat from my light and i also cant grow trees so LED is the only way. But im not going back apart from maybe a touch of cmh because LEDs just kick ass now theres no two ways about it. They're even much safer and wont explode or get worn down for many many many years.. whats not to love?
guys are getting more than 1g/w on off the shelf leds. Low tech,low cost, low heat. Great frost, fast growth. I love my off the shelf led setup. Best grows ever for me, and I have grown for over 40 years. Bought some blurple bullshit a few years ago. Did not work.