move from hps to led
- Thread starter critical89
- Start date
critical89
Member
i think 2x mars 1600w in growth and add hps 600w in flowering its better then 3X hps 600w...
the hot from the hps is on the girls and the hot from the led is the back panel not on the girls
hop you understand
the hot from the hps is on the girls and the hot from the led is the back panel not on the girls
hop you understand
komrade komura
Active Member
Mars 700W rocked my 90CM x 90CM tent. Was expecting to give up and put in the air cooled 600W HPS but the LED just kept kicking butt during the grow. But LED always makes pretty talk in veg, from all the journals I read. It's flowering where everyone gets skeptical. My only complaint? The label peeled off....yeah, who cares, besides them.
The 5W LEDs worked real well throughout the cycle. It was the straight FULL SPECTRUM.
However, I topped 3 plants over and over in 8 week veg then lolipopped them hard because of all the talk about less penetration. Created a thick canopy that needed tomato cages for support. 5 Gallon Ocean Forest Soil.
Don't like messing with the small lower stuff anyway. Might not have been so good on a christmas tree shape.
Next experiment will have Mars700 W LED run 12 hours for flowering but with my 600W HPS kicked on for the middle 4 hours too. I'm think the HPS v LED debate is unnecessary, just need to know when its best to use either or both. I can't wait to try a Screen of Green with both lights working together.
So far, I like the results. For personal, I think it works well.
Wish this had been around when I was in university...would have saved a lot of money.
I give it a thumbs up.
But seriously, there are so many variables in the growing equation, it would take significant scientific rigor or many experiences with LED for my opinion to be more than 'it worked for me, the first time.'
.
The 5W LEDs worked real well throughout the cycle. It was the straight FULL SPECTRUM.
However, I topped 3 plants over and over in 8 week veg then lolipopped them hard because of all the talk about less penetration. Created a thick canopy that needed tomato cages for support. 5 Gallon Ocean Forest Soil.
Don't like messing with the small lower stuff anyway. Might not have been so good on a christmas tree shape.
Next experiment will have Mars700 W LED run 12 hours for flowering but with my 600W HPS kicked on for the middle 4 hours too. I'm think the HPS v LED debate is unnecessary, just need to know when its best to use either or both. I can't wait to try a Screen of Green with both lights working together.
So far, I like the results. For personal, I think it works well.
Wish this had been around when I was in university...would have saved a lot of money.
I give it a thumbs up.
But seriously, there are so many variables in the growing equation, it would take significant scientific rigor or many experiences with LED for my opinion to be more than 'it worked for me, the first time.'
.
Tim Fox
Well-Known Member
HUM could it be realstyles,, maybe,,
Budget Buds
Well-Known Member
I would stick with hid lighting, led's aren't all that and a bag of chips YET but they are getting better all the time, I tried one and wasn't impressed with the results, Sold it and took a small loss and never looked back. Maybe in a few years but not for me now 
BB
BB
Tim Fox
Well-Known Member
even I am struggling to decide weather to buy a 400 watter bulb set up for my cab, only like 120 bucks on ebay, or add more cobs, the cobs crees I want are another 300 bucks,I would stick with hid lighting, led's aren't all that and a bag of chips YET but they are getting better all the time, I tried one and wasn't impressed with the results, Sold it and took a small loss and never looked back. Maybe in a few years but not for me now
Budget Buds
Well-Known Member
I'd say a 400 HPS but that is just me
Flagg420
Well-Known Member
I'd just add another fan or two.... exhaust (with filter if u must) and maybe active intake from cool location?.... Make sure somethings moving the air well inside the tent......
just got my veg room under control by adding a bathroom exhaust fan for all of like $22....
just got my veg room under control by adding a bathroom exhaust fan for all of like $22....
ttystikk
Well-Known Member
The money you spend now on COB LED will come back to you many times over the next few years of operating them. This is actually more true in veg than bloom, due to them running longer hours.
The other thing they help with is climate management. Reducing the heat signature from the lights has all kinds of knock on benefits for cutting the cost and complexity of environmental control. All the above means 'saving money'.
I've been frustrated with the results of both HPS and MH, which encouraged my switch to 860W CDM. They have great spectrum but the efficiency isn't there.
I'm planning some big COB LED moves soon, I'm thinking they're the big new thing in grows this year.
Queece
Well-Known Member
I run panels I built out of 8 cree cxa 2540s @3500k with a typical cpu cooler style build and two hlg-120hC700B drivers mounted outside my 3'*3'*6' tent with a couple usb fans blowing around in there. Currently pulled down over 2g/watt using jack's 3-2-1 formula, silicates, liquid kept, and humic acid. Super cheap, calculated everything, 11 bucks a month electric including my one outtake fan, and three usb fans circulating air. Temps never get above 80F, really recommend using the cxa2540s, better bin on 3500K that the 3070s aren't even available in, way less expensive ($28/chip), and my koshertangies love em. Pro tip though, mount the drivers outside your growing space, heat is almost negligible at that point and your actual panels have a much smaller footprint.
400w HPS are alright, but if you're growing in an enclosed space, you're fighting a pitched battle with heat. While totally manageable, cooling the bulb can reduce efficiency and par output pretty significantly at up to 25%, stack that with a cooltube setup with a glass enclosure and there's another 10% radiant intensity through the glass. Cob led's are amazing, my panels cost ~$388 having had bus wire, soldering irons, etc prior to building them. Factor in how efficient they are (true 320w at the wall with ~80% efficiency), longevity, par output, heat management, and raw g/w, they're actually a cheaper alternative to HID lighting in a five year float. My tip would be to use definitely use a trellis and put your panels ~10 inches off your canopy, the heat won't come close to burning anything, the chips just have a native 115* beam angle that can be lacking in terms of penetration. There are reflectors available to sculpt the beam angle but they're an added expense and not entirely necessary with proper canopy management.
Driver: http://www.trcelectronics.com/View/Mean-Well/HLG-120H-C700B.shtml
Chips: http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Cree-Inc/CXA2540-0000-000N00V235F/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMu4Prknbu83y1rZLMTsDUTv3oCGGoLiV2E=
Much easier build than OP's, I think. Just solder on a power cord to a driver, put the chips on cpu coolers with thermal paste, run a good amount of a decent gauge wire from the driver output, and wire the chips in series (no more than 5 per driver). I just superglued the cpu cooler's fan housing to a white piece of plywood, screwed a 12v molex supply to the bottom -> 8way 4-pin fan splitter, hooked the cpu coolers up, plug the 12v supply in separately, and plug the drivers into your timer. Boom, screw some hooks onnat biatch and rope ratchet away. And all this is modular, if you want a bigger panel, double the recipe. 1 driver = 160W, so I recommend two for a 4*4 situation. I'll upload some pics of my last wifi alien x gorilla glue run if I can find my camera.
400w HPS are alright, but if you're growing in an enclosed space, you're fighting a pitched battle with heat. While totally manageable, cooling the bulb can reduce efficiency and par output pretty significantly at up to 25%, stack that with a cooltube setup with a glass enclosure and there's another 10% radiant intensity through the glass. Cob led's are amazing, my panels cost ~$388 having had bus wire, soldering irons, etc prior to building them. Factor in how efficient they are (true 320w at the wall with ~80% efficiency), longevity, par output, heat management, and raw g/w, they're actually a cheaper alternative to HID lighting in a five year float. My tip would be to use definitely use a trellis and put your panels ~10 inches off your canopy, the heat won't come close to burning anything, the chips just have a native 115* beam angle that can be lacking in terms of penetration. There are reflectors available to sculpt the beam angle but they're an added expense and not entirely necessary with proper canopy management.
Driver: http://www.trcelectronics.com/View/Mean-Well/HLG-120H-C700B.shtml
Chips: http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Cree-Inc/CXA2540-0000-000N00V235F/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMu4Prknbu83y1rZLMTsDUTv3oCGGoLiV2E=
Much easier build than OP's, I think. Just solder on a power cord to a driver, put the chips on cpu coolers with thermal paste, run a good amount of a decent gauge wire from the driver output, and wire the chips in series (no more than 5 per driver). I just superglued the cpu cooler's fan housing to a white piece of plywood, screwed a 12v molex supply to the bottom -> 8way 4-pin fan splitter, hooked the cpu coolers up, plug the 12v supply in separately, and plug the drivers into your timer. Boom, screw some hooks onnat biatch and rope ratchet away. And all this is modular, if you want a bigger panel, double the recipe. 1 driver = 160W, so I recommend two for a 4*4 situation. I'll upload some pics of my last wifi alien x gorilla glue run if I can find my camera.
rob333
Well-Known Member
u will just cry as soon as u see the results that the mars do my 2 180w cheapo ufo's did better then a 600w mars led
rob333
Well-Known Member
just stay with hps whats the isue u have with them ?
critical89
Member
I want to move to led light.. What about kind led ?
critical89
Member
Which led you have?
rob333
Well-Known Member
unless u build your own or spend big money on s.e.t or clw its a wast of time hps will rock them out just listen to what a few posters have said it will be a wast of ur money and time
rob333
Well-Known Member
i run hps i just use leds for veg i use em cause i have them if i had a mh or t5 i would toss them but they do ok for veg
critical89
Member
I'm not in a hurry to buy . I first ask first
rob333
Well-Known Member
unless u wanna spend big bucks on a good led lighting system well just use hps u would be looking at about 900-1200 for a led that could do what a hps can
rob333
Well-Known Member
all i can say is give led a miss use ur hps with a good inline and carbon