Why LEDs?

DocofRock

Well-Known Member
I have enough heat as it is in the middle of the summer. The last thing I need is an inefficient HPS dumping even more into my grow area. I’ll take 2.4+ PPFD per watt, more vertical leeway, significantly lower temps, significantly less electrical usage, and long term cost savings over blasting an HPS any day. In the end, who really gives a shit? We’re all cannabis enthusiasts who aspire to produce great meds. As long as they are frosty, tasty, and potent, the rest is all just dick-swinging, bro-scientifical semantics. HPS lights have utility and can produce great product for sure, but it’d have to be the dead of winter in the far north for it to make any practical sense for me...
 

Hooligan94

Member
Personally cant stand LEDs, had a Viparspectra R900 (bullshit blurple) for ages, only thing it did well was vegging! Built a couple of COB based lights and these did pretty well but after two runs I just couldnt get anywhere near what my HPS can pull.
Over all in my experience I have found LEDs fairly useless, the R900 pulled 420w from the wall with both switches on and my room was always hot, up to 34 degrees Celsius! Put my HPS back in (new bulb obviously), smell is back up through the roof, trichome count is exploding again, light penetration is better! Cant claim its genetics either as every plant grown under these methods came from the same mothers (been running the same genetics for 2 years now)
With my 400w hps and 8 inch extractor running Canna Pro Coco and Canna Coco nutes with some plant magic bloom boost thrown in, I sit at a steady 22-25 degrees Celsius! My yields are also back up to 12+ oz a harvest!
I'm not saying LEDs cant rival HID, just I cant seem to adapt my growing to using them and never saw the benefits or results!
 

sethimus

Well-Known Member
Personally cant stand LEDs, had a Viparspectra R900 (bullshit blurple) for ages, only thing it did well was vegging! Built a couple of COB based lights and these did pretty well but after two runs I just couldnt get anywhere near what my HPS can pull.
Over all in my experience I have found LEDs fairly useless, the R900 pulled 420w from the wall with both switches on and my room was always hot, up to 34 degrees Celsius! Put my HPS back in (new bulb obviously), smell is back up through the roof, trichome count is exploding again, light penetration is better! Cant claim its genetics either as every plant grown under these methods came from the same mothers (been running the same genetics for 2 years now)
With my 400w hps and 8 inch extractor running Canna Pro Coco and Canna Coco nutes with some plant magic bloom boost thrown in, I sit at a steady 22-25 degrees Celsius! My yields are also back up to 12+ oz a harvest!
I'm not saying LEDs cant rival HID, just I cant seem to adapt my growing to using them and never saw the benefits or results!
do you live in another universe? one in which the laws of physics dont apply to your grow?
 

CikaBika

Well-Known Member
Simple. Why LEDs? In my experience they suck. I am looking to switch, but have not seen any reason to. Looking for info. Especially when to get the weight per watt I get now would be 1000-1300 a light and wouldn’t cover the same area as my Gav.

Thanks to all who respond.

Much Love
Never switch.. stay on sun..
 

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
I notice a lot of numbers get casually thrown around online that I have NEVER SEEN actually achieved in person and I've seen a lot of grows, both personal and commercial.

Funny how the claim is 3 a light but everyone is always happy with 2-2.5 from a DE.

Another thing I notice is that new people love to bash on LED while assuming that growing conditions remain constant. They do not; to get the best from LED, you need to run the room warmer to compensate for having less IR from the lighting. Nutrient requirements change, too.

The biggest difference I've seen from the switch is better density and quality. These are harder to quantify but well worth the upgrade.

@DuBR I hear you about wanting to get objective info on LED lighting. High performance full spectrum- that is, white- lighting can be found from HLG, Timber and other vendors here on RIU. Best flowering is seen under lights from 2700K-3500K, at least 80 CRI. They do veg very well also. These lights are far better than nearly anything I've seen from commercial sources and especially from places like eBay or Amazon.

It's important to run the room in the mid 80s for best results under LED. Be sure to get the correct light pressure and PAR values when setting up the space.

Few people understand that pusher props are different than standard types, even fewer know why. Kudos to your dad for filling you in! Jets are better for specific applications but turboprops are still very popular, and for good reason.

Best of luck brother, hit me up with any questions you might have.
 
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hybridway2

Amare Shill
You people are a waste of time. A decade ago on air cooled small hood hps 1000, no de, no Co2, in 3 gl pots, soil, no netting, I would pull 3lbs. 1-1/2 a light, sometimes more. At air temps hitting 101 as well.

Maybe you all need to go back to class.
Marijuana 101 maybe

I might have a lot to learn about LEDs, doesn’t take away what I can with out them though.
No real info here.
So what Spectrum is your white LEDs, no close red, far red? No blue for inhances veg and more vigor?
Full Spectrum maybe?

I could care less what you people think.
Much Love
So now its 1 -1.5 a light instead of 3 or 4? Or did you just assume DE would be that much increase over your SE a decade ago? Last time you grew?
I use primarily enhanced white. Yes, beefed up with chloro peaks. Including 730nm & 470nm, not limited to 630 + 660 as well.
 

a mongo frog

Well-Known Member
View attachment 4361081

View attachment 4361082

18oz @345W left, 20oz @400W right in 7-8 weeks. One plant per light, so not the most efficient way to grow. But 1.4-1.5gpw is entirely possible with LED.

4lb from a DE HPS? I want to see it.
That's no where near the quality the OP put up. Thats fucking weak sauce. Switch to the bar 8 or get the fuck off the boards.
If you are really harvesting after 7 weeks, you need to be kicked in the nuts. Facts.
 

Porky101

Well-Known Member
I notice a lot of numbers get casually thrown around online that I have NEVER SEEN actually achieved in person and I've seen a lot of grows, both personal and commercial.

Funny how the claim is 3 a light but everyone is always happy with 2-2.5 from a DE.

Another thing I notice is that new people love to bash on LED while assuming that growing conditions remain constant. They do not; to get the best from LED, you need to run the room warmer to compensate for having less IR from the lighting. Nutrient requirements change, too.

The biggest difference I've seen from the switch is better density and quality. These are harder to quantify but well worth the upgrade.

@DuBR I hear you about wanting to get objective info on LED lighting. High performance full spectrum- that is, white- lighting can be found from HLG, Timber and other vendors here on RIU. Best flowering is seen under lights from 2700K-3500K, at least 80 CRI. They do veg very well also. These lights are far better than nearly anything I've seen from commercial sources and especially from places like eBay or Amazon.

It's important to run the room in the mid 80s for best results under LED. Be sure to get the correct light pressure and PAR values when setting up the space.

Few people understand that pusher props are different than standard types, even fewer know why. Kudos to your dad for filling you in! Jets are better for specific applications but turboprops are still very popular, and for good reason.

Best of luck brother, hit me up with any questions you might have.

Be sure to get the correct light pressure and PAR values when setting up the space. ---TTYstick, what is light pressure?

What par values would you reccomend with LED? Tempratures?
 
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