LED Lights

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Post by Dick Fein »

Probably. The results are very impressive and scale makes it more so.

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Post by Dick Fein »

1200w LED 329.00 through Amazon. It might be time to switch. https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B01J19AGRM" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Post by Prawn Connery »

It's really only a 550w fixture. And it's not full spectrum, either. You'd be better off trying to find a normal white LED fixture in a warmer kelvin range for flowering.
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I see 5 different models there but if it is false advertising I would like to know about it so please elaborate?
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Post by Dick Fein »

Compare that with the heliospectra that sells for about 2 dollars per watt.
Spectral Distribution G Type: 450nm, 660nm, and 5700K white
C Type: 450nm, 660nm, 735nm, and 5700K white
Power Consumption 10.5 to 630 W
Photon flux (µmol/s) 862 to 1011 µmol/s (full spectrum in stable operation and 25 ºC ambient temperature. Photon flux value varies based on “C” or “G” Plate Type)
Optics LX601 | LX501: Indoor
LX602 | LX502: Greenhouse
Made of high transparency, clear acrylic glass. No visible yellowing rated to 30 years
Control Interface Web browser system for intuitive light recipe management
Connectivity Wifi and/or Ethernet
Certifications MET Certified to UL 1598 & CSA C22.2, CE, RoHS, REACH, EN55015
Warranty 3 years.

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Post by Prawn Connery »

If you follow the Amazon link you posted (click on product name) it states 568w: https://www.amazon.com/MEIZHI-Reflector ... op?ie=UTF8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There's a lot of confusing advertising around LEDs. For example, how can a "1200w" LED fixture really only be less than half that?

Well, the maximum drive capacity may be 1200w - that is, the fixture has a total of 240x 5w LEDs - but LEDs are almost never driven at full capacity (full, continuous operational wattage). They are usually driven at 40-60% of capacity.

Driving a LED softer than full capacity has three advantages: lumen efficiency (they put out more light per watt); thermal efficiency (they run cooler, and cool LEDs run more efficiently that hot LEDs for the same wattage); and lifespan (running at full capacity generates more heat that reduces LED life).

So that's why all these fixtures claim to be 1200w but, if you read the fine print, only draw 568w. Of that 568w, about 70w is being consumed by the drivers (similar to a ballast on a HID), so there is really only about 500w being converted to LED light.
Vegstripfront.jpg
Samsung LED veg frame
FloweringFrames.jpg
Flowering frames
4halfweeks.jpg
4 weeks
5weeksLightson.jpg
5 weeks

I run strip LEDs, which I built myself. My two flowering frames have a total capacity of 691w, but my two drivers are 240w each for a total of 480w total power (the drivers can be overdriven to 280w each for a total of 560w, but that's another story).

Right now, I'm running each driver at 200w for a total of 400w over a 4'x2' area. I'm in the middle of harvest at the moment, but based on what I've pulled so far, I'll end up with over a pound. It's my first LED grow, so much to dial in, but reasonable figures nonetheless.

So my frame is equivalent to the link you posted. Mine actually cost a little more to build than yours is to buy.

Why? Probably because I'm running Samsung LM561C 3000K LEDs which are among the most efficient LEDs on the market at the moment. I'm also running Mean Well drivers, which are the industry standard and have a seven year warranty.

My frames are passive cooled - so no fans to break or make noise. And the LEDs are full spectrum, which put out light from 380nm-800nm:

[image]https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1538/ ... 1515717917[/image]
Full spectrum lights contain all the wavelengths that the "blurple" (blue, red combo) LED fixtures have, but with no gaps in the spectrum, and much more efficient design. It's also generally accepted now that while red light is needed for flowering and blue light for overall growth, green also plays a very important role in photosynthesis, as well as canopy penetration and lower bud development.

All this is just a way of saying that I'm sure you could grow decent plants with the Chinese light you posted, and it is very reasonably priced, but there's no way it will replace 1200w of HPS. No way. I reckon my 400w of LED would replace 600w of HPS through efficiency gains and better spectrum and your fixture would probably be about the same (because it will be less efficient than mine).

As for fixture life, I can't comment. But from what I've read, you could get a good one that lasts a few years or not. You're probably only going to want to use it for 2-3 years anyway, as developments in LED horticulture technology are accelerating so fast, there's something bigger and better out every six months or so. My 180+lpw LEDs have already been superseded by the new 200+lpw Samsung LM301B chips.
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Post by Dick Fein »

How close together would you put those 200+ ? All I can find is a press release. No prices.

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Post by Dick Fein »

I found DigiKey Electronics but I am getting a headache trying to find that model. It may not be for sale yet.
https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/ ... ND/7562243" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Post by Prawn Connery »

That's the new Q Series strip using the latest LM301B 3030 chips.

My LM561C strips are here:

Veg board F Series 5000K 560x40mm: https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/ ... ND/6624008" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Flowering board H Series 3000K 560x18mm: https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/ ... ND/6149745" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


The veg frame strips (top photo) are about 90mm apart, while the flower frame strips are about 50mm apart. The flower frame has 2x H Series strips mounted side-by side for each aluminium U channel, which is why they look like double-row strips. The F Series strips are double row (they also come in single row)

Those 4 F Series strips are equal to 12 H Series strips in terms of number of LEDs. I went with the H Series for the flowering frame as they allowed better light distribution and less heat with the 6-channel set-up vs 4-channel for the F Series veg frame.
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Post by Dick Fein »

I found those 301 B's, in China. https://www.alibaba.com/trade/search?fs ... 301b+strip" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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