Should I get an led light?

JorgeGonzales

Well-Known Member
They exist on Amazon and eBay, same as Mars. Chinese based manufacturer, like Mars. Can Mars' 400 equivalent get 675 micromols at 18", 1200+ at 12", and 2400 at 6"?
I think lumping everything China together is a bit unfair, and sorry, where is the "viparspectra" website and New Years party? Asking the hard questions. .

https://www.mars-hydro.com


On a more serious note, this is a truly impressive hotspot. Which is why "micromoles" at such and such inches are meaningless if you are talking about a spread that looks like this:

image.jpg

And this chart speaks for itself. Or maybe it doesn't but it's really bizarre:
image.jpg

What is up with all that blue? Is that a veg setting?
 

Olive Drab Green

Well-Known Member
I think lumping everything China together is a bit unfair, and sorry, where is the "viparspectra" website and New Years party? Asking the hard questions. .

https://www.mars-hydro.com


On a more serious note, this is a truly impressive hotspot. Which is why "micromoles" at such and such inches are meaningless if you are talking about a spread that looks like this:

View attachment 3760114

And this chart speaks for itself. Or maybe it doesn't but it's really bizarre:
View attachment 3760115

What is up with all that blue? Is that a veg setting?
I believe my company spends more money on quality components and actual intuitive design than barbecue parties, which they fund with your money.

Anyway, my stuff speaks pretty well for itself. 3 week veg, seedling included.
 

edwardvanhalen123456

Well-Known Member
Its a classic question, most folks will not recommend a mars hydro light due to the lack of efficiency and the amount of problems cheap LED lights are prone to having. Such as diodes burning out or them running hotter than expected.
People assume all LEDs are cooler than HPS and that isn't always the case. In cheap panels it can be the case but because they are not actually pulling the amount of watts they claim. So people look for the most efficient LEDs (as Airwalker is talking about) This means lots of photons per watt and less heat. It also usually means building your own or paying more for a pre built unit.
There are a few folks on here using Mars lights so you can use the search bar and find them. They will grow you some weed and likely more than CFLs will but they are cheap for a reason. Ask the guys who use them and look at the grows.
Really you would get more bang for your buck from something like Airwalker16 is talking about, but that's not always everyones cup of tea.
Which ever way you turn don't make the mistake of thinking because a light fixture is cool that you don't have to vent heat or exchange air. Air exchange is one of the 3 key ingredients to growing weed, without good air exchange( topping up co2 levels within your cab) your plants are going to be limited.
If you post more info on what wattage you are running now and what you are looking at plus what the dimensions of your grow space are then folks may be able to help a bit more.
In the meantime please do some research and find those growing in similar situations as you with the lights you are currently looking for.
Thank you very much for the reply. I'm just thinking in the long run, can I shave off a couple weeks of grow time if I get a good led because my main problem is it takes forever to grow a plant under a cfl.
I also have a very small grow space so I would only be able to put one of those ufo lights in there. I really like olive drabs pics. He has some nice buds with that led.
So do you think I should get the led if my only concern is time?
 

edwardvanhalen123456

Well-Known Member
That is really nice man. I might have to look into getting that led light. How long does it take you to harvest a plant?
Their really isn't that much heat that comes out of that light is there? That's what I like about led's, no heat and good results. Thanks for the great pics.
 

Olive Drab Green

Well-Known Member
That is really nice man. I might have to look into getting that led light. How long does it take you to harvest a plant?
Their really isn't that much heat that comes out of that light is there? That's what I like about led's, no heat and good results. Thanks for the great pics.
They harvest on time, save the usual rule for just about everything of "wait a week or two past the breeder recommendations. No heat. Here were my colas at 2am this morning:


image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg
 

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
Thank you very much for the reply. I'm just thinking in the long run, can I shave off a couple weeks of grow time if I get a good led because my main problem is it takes forever to grow a plant under a cfl.
I also have a very small grow space so I would only be able to put one of those ufo lights in there. I really like olive drabs pics. He has some nice buds with that led.
So do you think I should get the led if my only concern is time?
If its taking a long time to grow and flower then the space probably doesn't have enough lighting or enough new air coming in. If a ufo would solve this I don't know because I have never used one, if the issue is co2 levels then no light will fix that issue.
Olivedrab certainly gets a lot out of his fixture.
If your plants are slow to grow maybe your not exchanging your air enough for your plant.
What is the size of your grow cab?
What wattage of cfl have you been using previously?
How are you taking out old air and bringing in new?
 
Last edited:

Fevs

Well-Known Member
Yes go led if hid lighting isn't suitable.

I have used it for years and it's excellent. You get the odd person that thinks it doesn't work well. Everybody is entitled to their pwn opinion. It does work very well imo, especially with cfl. I have done several grows with led and cfl.

I would say this though. Your cab is 2ft x 4ft. So you need 2 leds which cover about 2ft each, then grow two plants and hang the cfl in the center between them, low down, this stops the roots getting to cold.

If you live in Europe I'd go with 2 plantphotonics leds - 90w panels, or 2 hans panels. If you live in the USA, get either 2 solareflare 110's or 2 x 220's. I have used them and they are very good leds that plants really like.

I have recently switched to cmh from led and hps. I have come to regret selling my led's and will purchase more soon. Don't buy 1 big panel. Get a few smaller panels, then whatever you do in the future with regards to changing lighting or set up round, the leds will always fit in the corners, or run a supreme veg tent one day. I'm going to run a ring of leds around 315w cmh.

If you have lots of height, like 1.5 meters or more go with 5w leds, if not and you are going to have them very close to the plants, go for 3w leds so you don't bleach the buds/hash tips :lol:

I like these white cobs they're doing. But they are so expensive currently. I'm not very good with build your own leds, but if I was good at it, I'd be on it like flies to shit!

There are major advantages to you going led, like this, if you are vegging and rh is too low, turn off the cfl's and just run leds, this will decrease the rate of air extraction and raise the rh. Growing with cfl + led is a way you can really find a great overall spectrum of light. Targeted par with led, with a nice daylight blue cfl in for bushy plants, or red for stretchier plants.

Sky's the limit :razz:
 

edwardvanhalen123456

Well-Known Member
So your gonna waste money on a shit light but you can't afford to buy a cheap carbon filter to control the smell?
I don't have space to buy a carbon filter, I've said this multiple times.
I have a very small space to grow. This is a closet grow so I can't get any filters or anything like that.
I never had a filter or inline fan on my previous grows and I grew about 4 or 5 plants under cfl's using miracle gro and the plants were very good so I wouldn't need a carbon filter anyway. So I'm just going to get stuff like ona gel and I'll be fine.
 

edwardvanhalen123456

Well-Known Member
How long does it take for you to harvest a plant. Is it about the same time it would take an hps to get it done?
Also do you think if I buy this light would it take a month or a couple weeks off of my harvest time because I'm using cfl's?
 

edwardvanhalen123456

Well-Known Member
Yes go led if hid lighting isn't suitable.

I have used it for years and it's excellent. You get the odd person that thinks it doesn't work well. Everybody is entitled to their pwn opinion. It does work very well imo, especially with cfl. I have done several grows with led and cfl.

I would say this though. Your cab is 2ft x 4ft. So you need 2 leds which cover about 2ft each, then grow two plants and hang the cfl in the center between them, low down, this stops the roots getting to cold.

If you live in Europe I'd go with 2 plantphotonics leds - 90w panels, or 2 hans panels. If you live in the USA, get either 2 solareflare 110's or 2 x 220's. I have used them and they are very good leds that plants really like.

I have recently switched to cmh from led and hps. I have come to regret selling my led's and will purchase more soon. Don't buy 1 big panel. Get a few smaller panels, then whatever you do in the future with regards to changing lighting or set up round, the leds will always fit in the corners, or run a supreme veg tent one day. I'm going to run a ring of leds around 315w cmh.

If you have lots of height, like 1.5 meters or more go with 5w leds, if not and you are going to have them very close to the plants, go for 3w leds so you don't bleach the buds/hash tips :lol:

I like these white cobs they're doing. But they are so expensive currently. I'm not very good with build your own leds, but if I was good at it, I'd be on it like flies to shit!

There are major advantages to you going led, like this, if you are vegging and rh is too low, turn off the cfl's and just run leds, this will decrease the rate of air extraction and raise the rh. Growing with cfl + led is a way you can really find a great overall spectrum of light. Targeted par with led, with a nice daylight blue cfl in for bushy plants, or red for stretchier plants.

Thank you a lot for your detailed description.
The problem is I can't spend much money. The most I could probably spend is around 150 and that solarflare led is really awesome but really expensive.
I don't even know what cmh is lol. The main thing I'm looking at is the time it would take a plant to grow under an led light. How much of a difference is it between the led and hps.

My autoflower is supposed to be ready to harvest in 8 to 9 weeks. I know an hps would be able to finish in 8 weeks but would an led be around the same?
I'm growing with cfl's and it's going to take a lot longer to harvest, prolly 12 weeks or more. It would be great to find an led that could really shorten that time, any ideas?
 

edwardvanhalen123456

Well-Known Member
Thank you a lot for your detailed description.
The problem is I can't spend much money. The most I could probably spend is around 150 and that solarflare led is really awesome but really expensive.
I don't even know what cmh is lol. The main thing I'm looking at is the time it would take a plant to grow under an led light. How much of a difference is it between the led and hps.

My autoflower is supposed to be ready to harvest in 8 to 9 weeks. I know an hps would be able to finish in 8 weeks but would an led be around the same?
I'm growing with cfl's and it's going to take a lot longer to harvest, prolly 12 weeks or more. It would be great to find an led that could really shorten that time, any ideas?
 

Airwalker16

Well-Known Member
Thank you a lot for your detailed description.
The problem is I can't spend much money. The most I could probably spend is around 150 and that solarflare led is really awesome but really expensive.
I don't even know what cmh is lol. The main thing I'm looking at is the time it would take a plant to grow under an led light. How much of a difference is it between the led and hps.

My autoflower is supposed to be ready to harvest in 8 to 9 weeks. I know an hps would be able to finish in 8 weeks but would an led be around the same?
I'm growing with cfl's and it's going to take a lot longer to harvest, prolly 12 weeks or more. It would be great to find an led that could really shorten that time, any ideas?
If you want LED you need cobs... and cash for the cobs. With $150, this is about the best bang for your buck. And by the way, CMH/LEC = Ceramic Metal Halide/Light Emitting Ceramic.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01I50CCPW/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472029187&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=roleadro+cree
 

Thefarmer12

Well-Known Member
Thank you a lot for your detailed description.
The problem is I can't spend much money. The most I could probably spend is around 150 and that solarflare led is really awesome but really expensive.
I don't even know what cmh is lol. The main thing I'm looking at is the time it would take a plant to grow under an led light. How much of a difference is it between the led and hps.

My autoflower is supposed to be ready to harvest in 8 to 9 weeks. I know an hps would be able to finish in 8 weeks but would an led be around the same?
I'm growing with cfl's and it's going to take a lot longer to harvest, prolly 12 weeks or more. It would be great to find an led that could really shorten that time, any ideas?
Plants don't necessarily flower faster under different lights. Better lights will just increase weight, potency, etc..not "speed up" the growing process.
 
Top