Platinum LED
- Thread starter JimmyIndica
- Start date
Humple
Well-Known Member
Of course Platinum told you their product is optimal - they're trying to sell it to you. With a couple of exceptions (like Purpsmagurps), the growers here who have had first-hand experience with them are telling you they're not worth it. Yes, they'll grow weed, but you'll get better results with white light from COBs or Quantum Boards. I don't know what else we can say to finally convince you of this, and I have the feeling you're going to end up buying the Platinum regardless, so I'll sign off of this discussion. Best of luck.
iGrow420710
Active Member
I’m not going to buy platinum.
I really like the Optics 8+
I feel as if this is better than the quantum boards but there was another company that do quantum boards a lot more expensive but looks like the real deal
Johnny Lawrence
Well-Known Member
Of course they did.
Purpsmagurps
Well-Known Member
secondary lensing focuses the beam down not out. not a wide open footprint. I just ordered seeds for my next grow and I will be replacing my 2 600w cool tubes with 500w of CXB 3590 to go with my platinum I'll post photos when its built
DankaDank
Well-Known Member
Secondary lens means double the light loss in optical efficiency and that the lights need to be lifted higher. Platinum led's Famous bullshit line is "PlatinumLED grow lights have the highest PAR per watt of any other LED grow light available today"
This is like saying "Ford cars have the highest speed per gallon of any other car today"
Davos Tyrell
Active Member
Can you post some facts behind this? From people other than yourself. Preferably science backed resources. Honestly most of these posts are people who have never tried it and are just stating their opinion. as far as I can tell users of the light have liked it, and most people just hate on it. I just want someone with solid eveidence with their results with a comparison with PLED and whatever their light preference is. Until then I don’t know who to believe. I use PLED I’m open for change but need some evidenece on why everyone (who actually has used the light) like or don’t like the light. I hate how most of these posts are from people who have never even tried PLED and just hate on it, I read the first 7 pages of this thread and the last 3 and only came across 4 total people who have actually tried the light. Someone even brought up this point in page 7. I have the P300 as a new grower and personally like it. Now reading all this I started to think that maybe my light is “insufficient or shit” in some of these people’s words, but None of the non users of this light have provided any actual evidence or science backed knowledge, so I really don’t understand how you guys are any better than the company you’re hating on for the exact same reason of apparently not providing evidence of their lights, yet they do with science backed knowledge unlike the people on this site. I’m trying to understand why my light might be bad but no one in this thread has any credibility. It’s like you’re reviewing a restaurant you’ve never eaten at, but have seen the menu. READERS BEWARE: Not a lot of commenters don’t have actual experience with this light. I had to read through about half of this thread to find that out. First 7 pages only 4 people who have used this light have commented and so far it was all good. I’m not saying it’s the best light, I’ve never used anything else idk, But have used PLED with great success. If I could go back I would buy a lush led light or spectrum king but do not regret this PLED at all. I don’t have science backed facts; that’s what I’m looking for, but I have more evidence than most here; experience with the light in question.
nfhiggs
Well-Known Member
OK, you want some science....
Lenses. Lets start here. Lenses absorb and reflect a portion of the light that shines through them. The best lenses are Fluorite Glass with anti-reflective coatings or "multicoated". This is the kind of glass used in telescopes costing thousands of dollars. They have light transmission approaching 98%. Pretty sure thats not being used here. Ordinary uncoated "float glass" has a light transmission of about 92-93%. So at best you are losing 7% of the photons emitted due to the lenses. I already have to sacrifice 7% of my efficiency to driver losses, now you want me to throw away another 7%?
No thanks. Lenses suck.
Science.
PAR. Lets talk about PAR. Its measured in unit called "uMols/s" - its the number of photons emitted by a luminous object every second. Its also referred to as "PPF"'. A 600W HPS light, for example puts out about 1100 uMols/s. A horticultural light's efficiency is defined as "uMols per Joule" (uMols/J). A Joule is equal to one watt. So the 600W HPS light has an efficiency of 1.83 uMols/J. Samsung Strips and Quantum boards can generally hit 2.5 uMols/J efficiency before driver losses. Running them softer can kick that up to 2.7 uMols/J or better. Now, after perusing the Platinum site for about 45 minutes or so, I find all kind of references to "PAR" and how their light has the "highest PAR per Watt". Funny thing is, while they take center spot PPFD measurements - those say nothing about the total output of the light, and I cannot find an actual total PPF number for their lights. None. Nada. Zip. Now why is that?
OK, next I watched the "PAR" video for the 300W light. You know what jumped right out at me? The small oval of light on the floor of the tent. A BRIGHT oval of light with almost nothing outside of it. Even at the 24" height that circle is BARELY larger than the light itself. I don't know about you, but I don't grow in a small 9x19 oval. And while the video claims there are full PAR maps on the website, I could not seem to dig one up. Hmmm.
Thats what lenses do for you - they don't "magnify" the light, they just concentrate it into a smaller area, so your light has poor coverage.
Science.
And that spectrum he shows for about half a second? Ummmm…. hate to tell ya but thats a pathetic spectrum, IMHO. A blue spike and a red spike and a nothing much in between. A decent spectrum ought to look something like this:
![Cree-TW-T8-4000-SPD_R-600x339[1].jpg](/data/attachments/3260/3260656-d3103b9ad94fa60cfafab32ce3869965.jpg)
Thats a white light spectrum. which leads me to...
In the second video, he tries to tell us that "white light is inefficient", because plants "don't absorb much green", which is just pure nonsense. Here is the spectral reflectivity profile of a high nitrogen cannabis leaf:
http://i.imgur.com/tdKIr.jpg
That small hump at 550 nm is what makes it green. About 90% of the green light falling on it is being absorbed. NOT REFLECTED.
Science.
Now I'm not saying its a shit light and you'll get lousy results from it, cuz it will grow weed, just like all the other blurple lights out there, and it'll do it fairly well, like most of the others. But for what it is, its overpriced. MASSIVELY. Almost 400 bucks for a 180 watt light? One that they won't even tell me the actual efficiency in uMols/J? Not a chance.
Moflow
Well-Known Member
Steer clear of the platinum leds.
Here is a Pled board I pulled apart.
This light now has around the efficiency of an HPS I'd imagine as I rewired it to run the veg and bloom in parallel so its now around 50 watts instead of around
90 watts, 350mA instead of 700Ma.
Also, notice the usual burnt out diodes.......
The center PAR readings with lenses are good but 6" out from center the PAR readings fall away big time. I know cause I've measured it.
I'm far better off with my fake Alibaba samsungs
Here is a Pled board I pulled apart.
This light now has around the efficiency of an HPS I'd imagine as I rewired it to run the veg and bloom in parallel so its now around 50 watts instead of around
90 watts, 350mA instead of 700Ma.Also, notice the usual burnt out diodes.......
The center PAR readings with lenses are good but 6" out from center the PAR readings fall away big time. I know cause I've measured it.
I'm far better off with my fake Alibaba samsungs
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McStrats
Well-Known Member
I can't offer any scientific data but I can say that I have grown excellent cannabis with Platinum P300 LED's -
A P300 is a very good light for someone who wants to grow a nice plant. I don't think it has enough spread to cover an area bigger than one good sized plant, so for a second plant you'll need a second light. For a home grower/hobbyist they are great.
I also have a Vero 29 COB and it is a step up in terms of area it covers...I can grow three plants with a single 400W COB, the nugs are also harder with the COB.
P300 is great for what it is.
A P300 is a very good light for someone who wants to grow a nice plant. I don't think it has enough spread to cover an area bigger than one good sized plant, so for a second plant you'll need a second light. For a home grower/hobbyist they are great.
I also have a Vero 29 COB and it is a step up in terms of area it covers...I can grow three plants with a single 400W COB, the nugs are also harder with the COB.
P300 is great for what it is.
And just imagine powering some quantum boards with the wattage over consumed by P300 ? Hort. Lighting Group or DIY strip led build !!
Purpsmagurps
Well-Known Member
My p600 has been working for a long time. like. 4 years and 8 runs not a burnt out diode. now it adds some spectrum to my 3000k samsungs.
nfhiggs
Well-Known Member
It will cover about 1.5 ft square from what I saw in their own video. For almost $400. OTOH, for $125 my Samsung Strip light at 150 watts will blanket an entire 2x2 area with over 900 uMol's average PPFD. Platinum is an overpriced rip-off.
No doubt. 180W with 6 Samsung strips will blanket a 2x3 area with about 780 uMol's/m2/s average PPFD. For one hell of a lot less money.
That should be a sticky! Why are so many drinking the kool-aid?
nfhiggs
Well-Known Member
I dunno bro, I dunno…
I mean its not like decent lights are much more expensive than those. I mean hell, the QB 260W kits are actually CHEAPER than that thing - better spread, better spectrum, more efficient and more power.
McStrats
Well-Known Member
So someone came along and made a better mousetrap? it happens. I grew very nice bud with my P300's so I'm very happy with their performance as they did what I wanted them to do. When I bought them 5 years ago they seemed to have better reliability than the cheaper brands at the time...and after about 4 years of almost constant use they didn't lose a single bulb. They run cool so they're great for a closet grow...and they grow great pot.
So you found a better bang for your buck? good for you and congratulations!! you should wear a button on your lapel for a week
Aolelon
Well-Known Member
A better mousetrap? Who wants to buy overpriced shit to grow the same dank bud, if not better with a cheaper more efficient product.So someone came along and made a better mousetrap? it happens. I grew very nice bud with my P300's so I'm very happy with their performance as they did what I wanted them to do. When I bought them 5 years ago they seemed to have better reliability than the cheaper brands at the time...and after about 4 years of almost constant use they didn't lose a single bulb. They run cool so they're great for a closet grow...and they grow great pot.
So you found a better bang for your buck? good for you and congratulations!! you should wear a button on your lapel for a week
If you cant figure it out, then sure, it's a mousetrap, for a mouse.
Be smart.
McStrats
Well-Known Member
Dear Dimwit,
I think some of you just come on forums to bicker. Who cares if I like my P300? what is it costing you?
Get a life...
Johnny Lawrence
Well-Known Member
You're in an LED subsection recommending(post #530) that people purchase a garbage light. If people are dead set on buying an inefficient blurple, there are much cheaper options available than a Platinum.