Im offically a LED grower. Spectra Im here.

Well after reading all the journals and post on LED and trying the cheap little Chinese 14ws for myself, I was determine to convert into a LED GROWER. After researching most of the popular LED on the market I decided i go with SPECTRA by GLH. I just took a great huge leap and purchased 10 Spectra 100 140W draw LED lights. Hopefully they will be here sooner then later, so I can enjoy the pink light.
Just want to thank all the LED growers out there, for posting all the good info. SO us new comers to LED can make a sound decision on whats best for us. Reason Im switching from 600w HPS/MH to LED is first and foremost the electricity it uses compare to a ballast. It puts out barely any heat signatures, thats a good thing because helicopters fly over often. Lastly Im in love with LED and how that pink light can grow some of the frostiest bud imaginable.

So I do have time until the LED get here, and Im starting a whole new grow for my LED, to see how it matches with all the HPS/MH grows Ive done. Im starting in my personal Cab I had for years now. Using my tote ive been using forever. I want to see if LED can match how much I yield off my 600W HPS grow. I grow single cola plants, because from my experience this is how you get the most bud out of an area. Im use to getting 1-2 oz a plant. This tote can hold 20 plants. Im going to start from seed. My own personal seed, that can take nutes in the 2000ppm range. Grows like crazy, I call it my Platinum Og Coconut Kush (hehe). Mixed the best male and females to get this lovely seed. Clones like no other too, but thats going to be part of the journal, when I write one.

So here is the set-up, I will let the pictures do the talking. Then I will let the LED do the talking once they arrive.
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I start off by, putting a bunch of seeds in a dvd case, then put it ontop of my dvr. I like to do 50 seeds. Get a even ratio of female/males. Just take straight tap water and cover them. Most pop in 24 hours. Usually I start from rooted clones, much faster and better for single cola grows. But, I want to see what these led can do.

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I put the popped seeds in cubes in my humidity tray. I take the best looking 20 then put those in my hydro tote.

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Mind you I leave the rest of the seeds in my humidity tray, I let those get big in there, then transfer those to bubble buckets, once they get to large. These are put there, so I can switch the females in the tote, when I find out there are males.

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These plants are 3 days old. I transplant early, because plants grow fast in hydro. They are under a 400w MH for right now/ with side 42w and 24w cfl. 24hour light. Until my LEDs come.

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This is my cab setup, I should be able to fit 4 spectra 100 draw 140w lights in here, im hopeing more. But we wil see when the time comes. I pull 1-2 oz a plant, 20 - 40oz for the tote. Thats under 600w hps. If I can get 4 spectra lights in here thats 560w led. SO we will see how much led ill yield me. I will keep this post going until I get my lights. Then I will start a grow journal. Thats more organized.

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Originally Posted by karr

Sweet! I'm using a spectra 120, 180w draw. It's an older model, but has been working great thus far. Check out my journals for the lowdown.

I have seen that Some of the new spectras have intensity issues, being that they put out too high of intensity and actually hinder plant growth. I know mike is aware of this issue and i believe to have resolved the problem, but it might be worth emailing him to be sure your units are covered. The fix was to hang the lights at excessively high levels. My own spectra has been great and i believe now I am within about 10 inches from the light with no poor effects.

I own and use the 180 models without power modifications. Mike has sent me the mods but I have yet to install them, most likely this weekend. They have issues. IMO the problem is light intensity @ 660-670 nm where Chloro A is most available in flower, the PAR value is through the roof. Hanging the lights high may work, but its not a fix. The problem with that ideology is that hanging the lights higher reduces other spectrums as well, that are also important through flowering for chloro B and other elements.

Red is too strong, Blue is too weak, raising the roof to adjust just weakens the blue even more.