hybrid system...

Wyckoff

Member
I've been growing with HPS lamps for 10 years but have recently been trying to follow developments in LED technology as this is likely the future of growing.

I am designing a system with a 4 x 8 flowering space. I was considering using 2 1000w HPS air-cooled lamps. I have read about how LED light seems to increase the resin production and density of buds. I don't want to go totally LED because of cost and because I need the heat from the lamps in the summer. I could add some supplementary LED fixtures for improving my crop and filling out the cool spots. I have a ton of questions.

1) Is it true that an HPS light can be replaced with a lower wattage (real watts) LED light?

2) Is there any scientific research into the best light angle for LEDs and growing?

3) I know the spectrum debate will most likely never end but is PAR king? Is there evidence that light outside of the PAR spectrum has some effect on plants? Do you need a fixture w/ x number of light bands to be effective.

So if anyone has any ideas on how to couple HPS and LED lights for flowering I would love to hear it. I'm willing to go with 2 or 3 600w HPS instead of 2 1000w if that helps add some LED while maximizing the foot print.
 

budbro18

Well-Known Member
1) NO, get the equivalent watts of the light youre replacing. They may get a better result at 1000w of leds than 1000w hps but dont fall for the "our 400w panel replaces a 1000w HPS" bullshit. Also make sure you are getting the true watts, not the total number of watts in LED diodes. All LED makers dim leds to prolong life and reduce heat.

2) Light angle is up in the air. The LEDs i use dont have a lens. Theyre the only ones i know that do this. Lenes (supposedly) kill about 10-15% of light i think. Dont quote me because i havent dont the tests but if you put anything in front of light it reduces total output by some %. That being said the lights i have have reflectors without lenses to increase effeciency. Not sure how this will effect penetration yet but we will see. I feel that the panels will be strong enough to make up for the lack of a lens with raw power. In reality its how you grow. If you grow taller plants, get the lenses. The % loss will be made up for with more lower buds. If you mainline/train get the ones without because you make the light accessible to the lower branches.

3)Alot of people say par is king but its hard to hit all those spots with individual LEDs so sometimes they will mix in whites to balance those parts of the plant that need that 3 to 5 to 10% of those few spectrums. Im not sure on this but it seems most makers are leaning incorporating some amount of white leds into their panels.

As long as you can control the heat and pay for the electric bill go ahead with the 1000ws. But if you want to keep all the lights and even heights than go with the 600s

Just alternate LED---HPS---LED---HPS--- and continue until you find a good way.

Im going to be upscaling to a 4x8 grow area (6x10 actual room size) and it will be with all leds. Im going to be using about 2000w of LEDs

The nice thing about this is that i can spread those 2000w of leds across the whole room instead of have 2 1000ws on half the room each.

Mixing anyting with hps or led helps make up for the limitations of each. HPS can penetrate like no tomorrow and LEDs have an unbeatable color spectrum.

Check out the grow journal in my sig to see the leds i have. Theyre a good site and give discounts all day for multiple light purchases.

growevolution.com

If you like em i got a discount code i used from my order id be glad to share with you.
 

hyroot

Well-Known Member
1) Yes roughly about 600 watts of quality led to 1000 watts of hps

2) There is no set angle. its preference really. The smaller the angle the more intensity. The larger or wider angle has a larger foot print but less intensity. If you have enough par. Intensity doesn't really matter. Intensity is measured in lumens....

3) yes par is how you measure light for plants. there is also cri (color rendering index) and spectrum. The higher the cri the more even the spectral distribution.
 
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