Need help with led light decision!

SonsOfAvery

Well-Known Member
If your friend is willing to lend you the 600 HPS, then use it and use the money you would have spent on a light on a cool tube hood to put it in if it isn't in one already.

It's not the LED that puts off that much less heat; it's the fact that they're so much less powerful to begin with.
I have considered that, and on your recommendation I'll do a bit more research on it today.
The hps I can get won't be permanently mine though, so I'm tempted to just get the light, and I can add to\adjust my setup as I go, and as I can afford it.
Thnks for the help :-)
 

HankDank

Well-Known Member
the most important thing about LEDs is actual wattage is all that matters.... I thought i was getting a great deal on some "1200w" blurple off amazon turns out it's only 200w actual draw.... replaced that with 4x QBs for a 4x4 area
It was labeled "1200w" because it contained 240x5w LED diodes. Not because of how much power it draws from the wall.
 

HankDank

Well-Known Member
"Cheap" LEDs can still produce decent buds. that was a 125w blackstar ufo as you can see in the pic. Bud is a cola cured at 3 months. Original weight was closer to 20g. Is it a monster or record setting, not even close. But for a beginner budget grow on a cheap LED it produced 2 oz total dried on that little light and I was happy.8g.jpg BLT7.jpg
 

HankDank

Well-Known Member
to the OP, this is basically how LED vs HPS breaks down. a watt is a watt. However LEDs and HPS efficiency is different.

Example 600w HPS will use something closer to 650w with ballast. HPS uses roughly 35% of that wattage efficiently as light the rest becomes heat.

LED is more efficient at around 60%. Now for this let's go with an LED unit that labels itself at "1200w" based on amount of diodes and their rated wattage. While it's only actually drawing 200-250w from the wall.

So let's do the quick math. HPS 600w is harnessing 35% equaling 210w of light. the LED is using 60% at 250w equaling 150w of light. Here the HPS is the clear winner. But at what cost $$ wise.

Now let's say you up your LED game to drawing the same amount of power as your HPS. for my math I used the base 600w. So for an LED consumption of 600w that would equal 360w of light.

So as you can see LED is more efficient.Now you have to factor in real world costs. Of course quality LED set ups using high quality diodes are more reliable and usually have better spectrum as they use an array of different colored diodes.This makes high end, high quality LEDs expensive. HPS has its own drawbacks as you have higher heat to deal with which requires more efficient ventilation needs compared to LED.

What it has to come down to for you as a grower is cost vs your needs.
 

legalcanada

Well-Known Member
It was labeled "1200w" because it contained 240x5w LED diodes. Not because of how much power it draws from the wall.
it's actually 120 10w doublechip diodes which I think is the reason why i have to keep it so high above the canopy. manufacturer recommendation is 4.5-6 feet. I saw zero growth and eventually burning even at 36". didn't really recover and start growing until I maxed the light out just over 4ft

my quantum boards I got 4x with 304 mid level LM561C S6(top) bin diodes each so up to maybe ~640w at the wall for like $450US + tax without the drivers. at that wattage you're getting ~165 lumen per watt and 2.45 umoles per joule at the board. i think it's pretty fair price and you can start with 1 or 2 boards for a lot cheaper and add to it at any time. it's probably between 2x-3x as much as i paid for this blurple light i got off amazon for 3x the wattage and probably way better quality diodes
 
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SonsOfAvery

Well-Known Member
Thanks for all the info in the thread, it's quite a lot to take in for a newbie grower, but I'm learning.

I decided to go with the Meizhi 600w, got it on eBay for £114 with free delivery from Germany to UK, not a bad price I think.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221948614481

I started the seeds in a homemade grow setup, with 2 LED bulbs and a CFL (all 6500k with total lumen of 2040).
But I had trouble with the heat rising to 28c at one point and the first set of leaves have started to curl up and burn at tip...hope they'll recover :-/
I've moved all 3 into my big tent now (4'x4'x6') and put them under the Meizhi, now sitting comfortably at 25-26c. Fingers crossed that is will get them going.
 

OrganicGorilla

Well-Known Member
Do you have recommendations for COB led lights? Or would making one myself be a better option when it comes to cost?
I've been looking at some DIY LEDs and might give that a go.
Honestly, if you are handy (I am not), build your own! You will save 50% on DIY. If you wanna buy one pre made, I recommend Par-Horta or Timber or Tasty. Par-Horta will also build a QB unit.
 

SonsOfAvery

Well-Known Member
I do think I could build my own with a little help from my dad, he has a lot of experience with electronics.
Getting the parts in the UK seems to be expensive still, but I'll keep looking around.
I'll check out those suggestions though, thanks.
Honestly, if you are handy (I am not), build your own! You will save 50% on DIY. If you wanna buy one pre made, I recommend Par-Horta or Timber or Tasty. Par-Horta will also build a QB unit.
 

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
I do think I could build my own with a little help from my dad, he has a lot of experience with electronics.
Getting the parts in the UK seems to be expensive still, but I'll keep looking around.
I'll check out those suggestions though, thanks.
Might of said earlier, but, Kingbrite on Alibaba is the best bet for cheap Cob DIY in the UK, since you can fluff the tax down to very little. Most of the guys on here are close price wise. I would recommend a US or Aussie seller if you were in those parts of the world. I would still recommend HLG in USA too. That's where a lot of my stuff is from. Anyhow, that's a long way away if you decide to go down that road.

Good luck with the grow!
 

mauricem00

Well-Known Member
one thing I find curious is that both meizhi and viperspectra use the same diodes and drivers but meizhi claim a much higher output and efficiency. in fact higher than the efficiency rating bridgelux list for their top bin diodes without driver loss.how is meizhi getting 40% efficiency when top bin bridgelux diodes and bottom bin Crees only produce 35% efficiency?
all these cheap chinese grow lights are about the same. some just lie more in their ads than others. they all use the same cheap diodes and drivers
 

legalcanada

Well-Known Member
I used the mars hydro 900w for a year and got almost half a kilo on 80/80/170cm every 3 mont, now been looking everywhere to get a new light, everyone talks about quantum boards but they talk about 1 to 1.5 g per watt and that is just shit to me (seen photos and grows and not impressed at all), maybe Im really good grower or I dont know. Mars worked for me and customer support is the best from any company I talked to.
why use a vague number like 'almost half a kilo' i'm going to assume you were only getting 1g a watt with your 375w garbo and i know someone almost hitting 5g a watt with LED so if you really are such a great grower you'll get a lot more than 1.5g a watt
 

legalcanada

Well-Known Member
you could also order the same PCBs from china for $35 a board but then shipping+customs so if youre only getting a couple prob not worth it. i'm very pleased with my QBs but i've never flowered under a blurple - i fell for the '1200w equivalent' at first but realized as soon as i plugged it in and it was 235w i got got and the QBs were just coming out so i ordered those

do you grow hydro? 1.5g a watt is def good for a mars hydro
 

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
Not sure why the inflation from 500 to 600 replacement. I would say 500 because that's what I was told from the horses mouth.
I bought both mine knowing it would smash my 600w and they do together, didn't realise they would compete with a 1000w at the time. But they are awesome. They cover a 3x3 or 2x4 so saying 600 replacement is a bit of a stretch, but I don't have the tools to check that. I know the two of them rock my flower tent though.
 
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