realgamer84
Member
I've seen journals I've heard tales of beautiful things coming from these new toys so I ask people of rollers any insight for the best of the best led info or links Ok let's do this....
what to look for in the perfect led?
- Thread starter realgamer84
- Start date
hoss12781
Well-Known Member
this is going to get troll flamed so hard, but I'll go ahead and get things started.
1.) Look for a reputable company based out of the usa that offers at least a 3 year warranty
2.) You'll want lights that use at least a 3w chipset, meaning the diodes will be driven to around 2.1w per diode. Leds aren't driven to full capacity this is what keeps them alive for 50,000 plus hours.
3.) Ask for a spec sheet from the company you're considering. Make sure the advertised wattage is the actual output wattage and not the wattage the light could draw if driven to full capacity - there is a huge fucking difference between the two and some companies advertise actual wattage, others advertise chipset wattage.
4.) Type of diode used, look for CREE, bridgelux, or Epistar - those are the three big players. Do some research to make sure the company actually uses them instead of just claiming to use them. There are a ton of people out there to rip off the consumer who hasn't done their research.
5.) I spent a lot of time researching leds before I bought the companies I had on my short list were (in no particular order) - Stealth, Hydroponics Hut, Pro Source, Grow LED Hydro. I'm sure there are other good ones out there though. In the end I wound up purchasing Pro-Grows from Hydro Hut, they've served me well.
6.) Number of spectrums employed - 2,3,& 4 band lights are out of date, most quality 2011 model lights are going to use at least 6 spectrums if not more. In addition to my Pro-Grows I also own a GLH 100w ufo that uses 12 different bands.
7.) Look for quality grow journals featuring the light you're considering and try to make sure they aren't just a smart plug by the company in question.
Hope this helps. Get ready for a bunch of people to stop in and shit on leds. That's what usually happens on this board. There is a journal in my signature line if you'd like to see what I've done with mine.
1.) Look for a reputable company based out of the usa that offers at least a 3 year warranty
2.) You'll want lights that use at least a 3w chipset, meaning the diodes will be driven to around 2.1w per diode. Leds aren't driven to full capacity this is what keeps them alive for 50,000 plus hours.
3.) Ask for a spec sheet from the company you're considering. Make sure the advertised wattage is the actual output wattage and not the wattage the light could draw if driven to full capacity - there is a huge fucking difference between the two and some companies advertise actual wattage, others advertise chipset wattage.
4.) Type of diode used, look for CREE, bridgelux, or Epistar - those are the three big players. Do some research to make sure the company actually uses them instead of just claiming to use them. There are a ton of people out there to rip off the consumer who hasn't done their research.
5.) I spent a lot of time researching leds before I bought the companies I had on my short list were (in no particular order) - Stealth, Hydroponics Hut, Pro Source, Grow LED Hydro. I'm sure there are other good ones out there though. In the end I wound up purchasing Pro-Grows from Hydro Hut, they've served me well.
6.) Number of spectrums employed - 2,3,& 4 band lights are out of date, most quality 2011 model lights are going to use at least 6 spectrums if not more. In addition to my Pro-Grows I also own a GLH 100w ufo that uses 12 different bands.
7.) Look for quality grow journals featuring the light you're considering and try to make sure they aren't just a smart plug by the company in question.
Hope this helps. Get ready for a bunch of people to stop in and shit on leds. That's what usually happens on this board. There is a journal in my signature line if you'd like to see what I've done with mine.
realgamer84
Member
Very good info I've seen your post a lot of respect you at leat trying to do things a different way I'm really trying to dodge the first great brand like stealth ot blackstars even tho I ve heard there the bestn.
hoss12781
Well-Known Member
I consider blackstars to be the walmart of leds. They work yes, they're inexpensive sure, but they only carry a 12 month warranty. These lights are supposed to last 50,000 hours. They are also one of the companies notorious for advertising the total chipset wattage. For instance the power draw on the 240 is really only around 130. They also created their own competition "growboys" in which their lights (of course) won. Seemed a bit too shady for me when I started really researching the company. They also adverise as using cree diodes when the nm spectrums the advertise are not currently available from cree. Just a friendly heads up. There are a ton of kick ass blackstar journals on this site and I'm sure they would work well for you if you go that route.
ninjagaiden
Well-Known Member
im a bit partial to GLH lamps myself.