Led vs T5 flourescent....

xtsho

Well-Known Member
Yeah, they burn out pretty fast. I'm seeing 100% improvement using a cheap off the shelf China built LED. Got an auto flowering @ 3 weeks and 2 days from sprout. Don't grow autos much so maybe that's normal?
100% improvement over what? What were you using before? I'll take a high output T5 fixture over any of the cheap LED's. What kind of improvement are you seeing? Any pictures?
 

Moldy

Well-Known Member
I don't know about that. I would take t5 over cheap no name LEDs.

I use a couple led lights now. One has citizen gen 6 cobs and the other has Cree and osram diodes.

The cheaper LEDs tend to be less effecient than t5. I've used a couple different no name LEDs and threw them away.

I will take cobs and certian name brand diode lights over t5.

I still think I may add some t5 back in with the cobs. I was running agromax horticulture bulbs including uv. Makes great pot.

To each thier own though. Whatever makes a person happy. Most lights will grow pot. A lot of.it is the grower.
I'm not sure about the age of my t5 bulbs, that may be one factor that's missing. I use T5s more for a shop light now. They are 54W HO. At one foot from the T5 bulb my light meter says 220 (scale goes to 2000) and one foot from the LED reads 2000. If I put the meter touching the T5 bulb it goes to 2000. I go down to 4 ft (LED) and the meter is at 300. First time trying LED as an experiment for veg since I live in a desert and it is hard to cool a room with an open hooded AC-DE light unless it's winter time.
I've got a lot to learn about LEDs but I'm impressed so far. Best I get new T5 bulbs for a proper test but don't want to spend the money now lol.
20180717_091307.jpg 20180717_091223.jpg
 

Moldy

Well-Known Member
100% improvement over what? What were you using before? I'll take a high output T5 fixture over any of the cheap LED's. What kind of improvement are you seeing? Any pictures?
I did use 4 bulb X 4' w/ 54W HO T5s. Used them for over 10 years but always had to have the lights so close. I stopped using them last few grows and went to my DE light for veg but it's so fucking hot my air conditioner won't keep up so I bought the cheapo Ugrow light from Amazon. They said it was 300 watts but I didn't know how they calculated that but bought it anyway, 84 bucks. See pix on prior post. Not trying to sell anything, just works great for me. Never had a plant do so well in 3 weeks. Usually they are half the size with a lot less foliage.
 

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
I did use 4 bulb X 4' w/ 54W HO T5s. Used them for over 10 years but always had to have the lights so close. I stopped using them last few grows and went to my DE light for veg but it's so fucking hot my air conditioner won't keep up so I bought the cheapo Ugrow light from Amazon. They said it was 300 watts but I didn't know how they calculated that but bought it anyway, 84 bucks. See pix on prior post. Not trying to sell anything, just works great for me. Never had a plant do so well in 3 weeks. Usually they are half the size with a lot less foliage.
Not the t5 I ran. The bulbs were double stacked. 8 bulbs in the same space most 4 bulb t5 use.

If it was closer than 15 inches it would burn my plants.

I'm not sure about the age of my t5 bulbs, that may be one factor that's missing. I use T5s more for a shop light now. They are 54W HO. At one foot from the T5 bulb my light meter says 220 (scale goes to 2000) and one foot from the LED reads 2000. If I put the meter touching the T5 bulb it goes to 2000. I go down to 4 ft (LED) and the meter is at 300. First time trying LED as an experiment for veg since I live in a desert and it is hard to cool a room with an open hooded AC-DE light unless it's winter time.
I've got a lot to learn about LEDs but I'm impressed so far. Best I get new T5 bulbs for a proper test but don't want to spend the money now lol.
View attachment 4166711 View attachment 4166712
Age of bulbs plays a role.

All I know is when I first got the light I listened and tried to run it close and friend my plants.

I have a 40+ page thread on t5 and always ran the t5 at 15+ inches over the canopy. I couldn't run it closer.
 

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
I've posted this pic. They are in 15 inch wide pots for size reference.

The bigger two are almost 3 foot. 18 inch rock hard colas.

I would trust it to grow bigger plants.

IMG_20170215_194218.jpg
 

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
Furthermore I would like to say that the type of light does play a role but I think it's more the grower.

If you can't grow for shit then that's all you will have.

When you get your skills dialed in then moving to more efficient lights will up your game.

Also with any light you can make up for the short comings. If it lacks penetration then grow screen of green so you dont need deep penetration.
 

Moldy

Well-Known Member
Furthermore I would like to say that the type of light does play a role but I think it's more the grower.

If you can't grow for shit then that's all you will have.

When you get your skills dialed in then moving to more efficient lights will up your game.

Also with any light you can make up for the short comings. If it lacks penetration then grow screen of green so you dont need deep penetration.
Thanks! I must have some shitty old bulbs and/or a poorly designed fixture. Even with new bulbs I could put the plants within an 1" without a problem, I'll check out your thread on t5s.
 

Moldy

Well-Known Member

Moldy

Well-Known Member
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