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az2000

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JimmyIndica said:
Resources and why is the LED bin important!
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Chuckle. You're the one who made it sound important by mentioning it.

It doesn't say what you said it does, does it? That's why you won't link to or quote what you referred to? And now you're saying it's not an important factor? :)
 
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az2000

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JimmyIndica said:
I don't know why they would put a osram graph up and not use them!
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@Spectrum KIng LED 's web site has a similar "LED 101" page which appears to be designed to imply they're using the best LEDs when they're not. In similar fashion, HGL probably uses an Osram chart because they can't find one for the epi-whatever chips they use?

As self-promoting as HydroGrowLED is (and Cammie McKenzie's reputation for promoting her interests in disreputable ways), I see the "LED Basics" page as simply that: not specific to their product. If it was specific to their product, don't you think they'd say which diodes they use on their *product* page?

At the end of the "LED Basics" page, all they say is:

Hydro Grow has found time after time that the most efficient 5W LED can be matched in output by a competing 3W at 33% less power consumption. Companies selling LED Grow Lights with 5W LEDs are preying on the uneducated consumer who doesn't realize that more power consumed doesn't equate to more light output with 5W LED Grow Lights. It is for this reason Hydro Grow uses 3W LEDs in all X-PRO LED Grow Lights to ensure the highest output with the least power consumed.​

That's the complaint people have about Kind, Lush, BlackDog, HydroGrowLED. As the "LED Basics" page points out: expensive lights tend to use top-bin Osrams, et. al. But, those expensive lights can't be assumed to use them because, if they did, they'd certainly advertise that fact to justify their expense. Instead, they imply it through commentary somewhat removed from the product pages where it would have to be more factual.

That's what SpectrumKingLED does. They have a "LED 101" page which says it's to describe what "sets their light apart." It then talks in generalities about the best individual LEDs versus the worst COBs, concluding COBs are a "myth." But, they use diodes that are a couple generations old, far from the 200% performance edge they imply they have.

You could ask the same question: Why does SpectrumKingLED compare COBs to the best individual LEDs if they don't use them? The answer should be obvious, right? It's not a very attractive answer. People gotta sell lights and make a profit. Why would you spend $1000 on Cree XB-Ds when you can get XT-Es for the same money? You can buy 400w of XB-D light in the form of 42 Cree A19 lightbulbs at Home Depot for $300. It's hardly anything special. But, that "101" page makes the uninformed go ga-ga over what they want to believe.

To their credit they use Cree, it's just that they use Kind/Lush/HGL tactics to make themselves look better than they are. Kind, Lush and HGL are expected to use epistar/epiled because they won't say what they use. If they'll go to the levels of that "LED Basics" page to imply what thy use, why wouldn't they say it on their product page?
 
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az2000

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JimmyIndica said:
So Hydrogrow uses subpar diodes but uses a osram graph to compare?
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You don't know, do you?

That's all I'm saying. You said they use top-bin Osram. Nowhere on that "LED Basics" does it say that. It only *implies* it in the same way SpectrumKingLED implies things are more favorable than they really are. (Be sure to re-read my post. I edited after you replied. It should explain my point.).
 
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ellydee

ellydee

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az2000 said:
A51 doesn't fit a 2.5x2.5' space very well. One RW-75 with some Cree lightbulbs from Home Depot would supplement it pretty well to fill the 5" of space all the way around that wouldn't be lit appropriately at 15w/sq/ft from just one RW-75. Basically need to double that to 30-35w/sq ft.

Adding a second RW-75 would do that, but it wouldn't be proportional.

Could use 4 RW-75s (or 2 RW-150s) but now you're up to 60w/sq ft. (Not sure where @ellydee came up with 48w/sq ft.).

Even 48w/sq ft. would be overkill. If it were me, I'd go with 1 RW-75 and about 8-10 9.5-12w Cree lightbulbs around the sides as sidelighting. Or, wait for the next A51 fixture which is supposed to be narrower and fits together for different spaces.

If someone doesn't care about energy efficiency, they could do 60w/sq ft of high-efficiency light. But, they'll be way past the point of diminishing returns which is probably around 40w/sq ft for these lights. (For your MARS II epi-whatever diodes, 55w/sq ft is probably the point of diminishing returns, therefore 48w/sq ft may not sound bad to you.).
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I used math.
2.5 feet X 2.5 feet = 6.25 square feet.
4-75 watt or 2 150 watt Area51s = 300 watts.
300 watts / 6.25 feet = 48 watts per square foot.
 
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shane28

Member
I am looking to upgrage from CFL to a LED. I have a Secret Jardin 60x60x140 what wattage LED full spectrum would be the best to use and produce a decent yeild?... I was looking at purchasing a 300 Watt LED would this be to powerful for the space that i have to use?... :-?
 
FranJan

FranJan

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Hey Cat I just tried it on some drivers. No go. Is there a minimum $$$? Things it will or won't work on?
 
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