IF you are new to LED and want help choosing what to buy, POST HERE!

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starcraftguy1988

starcraftguy1988

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Those may be Ok. But if you need LEDS for heat restrictions as well as continuity/electric bill. etc.... you are better off going with a more reputable company that makes LEDS here in the United states. Area 51 is the best bang for buck right now from what people are saying. Apache tech boasts the best performance ive seen on here out of leds but you have to pay for them. There is a light called the HANS panel it is supposedly a very good light for the price, not sure where it stacks up next to Area 51 sgs 160 or the Apache Tech 120. Apart from that I couldnt recommend anything else. Id do alot of research before choosing to buy LEDs or anything you arent completely familiar with. Good luck!
 
Gravity Man

Gravity Man

Member
Hello. I need an LED fixture for my micro grow. My grow space is approximately 6-7 cubic feet and about 3 ish square feet.

What wattage should I be looking for?

Thank you.
 
R

rryyddeerr

Well-Known Member
i have this large heat sink i bought to make an led panel for a reef a few years back. never used it. i would like to make a grow light out of it. what would be appropriate for 5 small plants in a 4'x4'x6' tent currently running a 90W led red/blue fixture?

i am relatively good a diy stuff. i made a MH fixture for a clam tank a few years ago. worked great. i am thinking it would be nice and simple to use this product:

http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/top-emitting/2nfls-x1200-24v-series-double-row-120-high-power-led-flexible-light-strip-sample/879/

red and blue. are the strips crap? should i just buy the cree ones like:

http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/high-powered/xpe-series-cree-led/325/

i know this is going to cost a bit of $$ and time.

please forgive my ignorance. and thanks for any assistance.
 
FranJan

FranJan

Well-Known Member
Hi RRyyddeerr. The strips are not too good for what you want them for and the XPEs would be better used on several smaller panels for your space. If you've got a big heat sink, you've got options, including selling it ;). Stay with LEDs from CREE, OSRAM, Nichia and perhaps Illumitex and you should get great results. If you want my opinion one big panel over a whole 4x4 is kinda wasteful, and penetration can be lacking if it's not designed properly. Even 2 panels would be better than one. Good Luck.
 
R

rryyddeerr

Well-Known Member
FranJan said:
Hi RRyyddeerr. The strips are not too good for what you want them for and the XPEs would be better used on several smaller panels for your space. If you've got a big heat sink, you've got options, including selling it ;). Stay with LEDs from CREE, OSRAM, Nichia and perhaps Illumitex and you should get great results. If you want my opinion one big panel over a whole 4x4 is kinda wasteful, and penetration can be lacking if it's not designed properly. Even 2 panels would be better than one. Good Luck.
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i can easily cut the heat sink into thirds. if i have 90W already, do you think 90-100W of the cree blue25% and red75%/third would be adequate? around 370W total?
 
FranJan

FranJan

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If cooled right, I think so. It's still a tough call but you have options. How many plants do you want? 4? And what are you trying to get, weight wise? Questions like that will dictate whether it works or not. A big ass ScroG would work I bet but 4 footers, IDK.

Are you thinking about lenses, which seem to make sense with better companies' LEDs? Oh and maybe you should wait to see what Hans (bonsaihero.com) is putting out soon. He's a CREE man :). LOL.
 
J

jcmjrt

Well-Known Member
...and Philips Luxeon ES chips are top notch as well...especially their deep red. I agree with FJ that multiple panels are better. Coverage is vital and you'll achieve that better with multiple panels. 370 watts even of top quality is a little low if you are really looking to fill that 4 x 4 space. I'd be looking at 370 watts (of top quality) for no more than about 3 x 3.

As far as spectrum - on my last fixture I went with 13 WW XML2, 3 CW XML2, 8 XPE red, 7 Philips Luxeon ES deep red (reds and whites on separate dimmers). I think that the three cool white chips will provide as much blue as I need. This fixture is really aimed mostly at flowering...if I wanted it to veg really well too, I might go with one less WW and one more CW...but spectrum is waaaaay up for discussion. I think that at least some white is probably a good idea to fill in spectrum as plants do use all visible (and some) wavelengths in various processes (not just photosynthesis which is an important process but not the only one). If you want to go the primarily red and blue route, you still might want to consider a few WWs thrown in for spectrum.
 
Gravity Man

Gravity Man

Member
PSUAGRO. said:
http://www.bonsaihero.com/ledgrow.html wait a couple of days for an "improved" version........should do well, one wont cover ALL of your space, but close:)
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This actually looks like a great light! The price is excellent. I could see myself receiving this for Christmas! According to the site, it works for a 1.6' x 2' area. Mine is just below that range. That light is supposedly good for 3.3 sq feet and I have 3.2 sq feet.

Thanks for this recommendation. This has me amped for LED.
 
Gravity Man

Gravity Man

Member
FranJan said:
College students = SCroG and Cree Bulbs with a small UFO thrown in for flowering gets my vote.
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I have actually seen these Cree bulbs. I'll have to take a closer look into them. I was definitely thinking about a small UFO, but I'm not really sure who is reliable in that department. That seems to be the biggest issue I have: finding a reliable panel.

Scrog is definitely happening.

Beefbisquit said:
If you're poor and only have a small area, just buy some CFL's. x3 40W CFL's and you're bompin'....
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I actually just finished completion of a light fixture. It currently houses 6 26w 6500k bulbs. I have 6 42w 2700k on standby for flowering. I'll probably only use 4 though and fill the other two slots with the 6500k for flowering.
 
smokingrubber

smokingrubber

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I'm interested in replacing my HID with LED. I (currently) have a GrowLab 4'x9' with 2 x 1k watt enclosed hoods. I would like to stay with 2 lights if possible, but I could probably be talked into going with 8 if that's what it will take. I can't say "money is no object", but I want to buy quality. I want to grow the BEST budz possible. If I sink $2-4k into new lights, I want to make sure I'm not losing quality.
 
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