Tstat
Well-Known Member
So, I have been a member here for a number of years. I have stopped in sporadically over the years for advice and now I'd like to give back. I'd like to chronicle my latest project- switching over to COB LEDs!
A year ago I ran into these guys from ProMax Grow. They had a light priced around $1200 that they claimed would replace a 1000 watt HPS at half the energy consumption and virtually no heat. I was intrigued and started looking into LED as an option.
What I found out here was these lights don’t live up to their claims and are old technology. The way to go these days is with COB (Chip On Board) LEDs. They are efficient, provide the right color spectrum, run with hardly any heat, and EXPENSIVE as hell. But I kept looking and learning about LEDs and how to grow with them.
See, I am running 2000 watts of HPS in the cooler months and 1600 in the summer. My electric bill was through the roof and heat was a real problem for a few months here in the Northeast.
I ended up hooking up with a guy who knows his shit about LEDs and electricity. He is assembling these COB LEDs for a crowd funding campaign, and I was able to snag one of his “Mailbox” LED lights for around $200.
So, my ultimate plan is replace ALL the HPS with these COBs. We think it should take about 8 or 9 to fill the main grow area. We grow in RDWC system I built, based on Current Culture’s systems. Right now I have that main RDWC section which is 7×3. I also have a small tote DWC in front where I place 8 plants to get a head start on flowering. By the time there is room for 8 plants in the RDWC, these have already started flowering for a few weeks. It just speeds up the process. Anyway, this is where the mailbox is right now- over the tote. I used to have a 400 watt HPS over the tote. Now, I know that size space should get another mailbox, but I just want to see how the plants react to the light.
Here is a shot of the 7×3 RDWC system with a 1000 watt HPS and a 600 watt HPS:
So, once I get 2 more of these COBs, I am going to replace the 600 with 3 of them (moving the first one I bought and getting rid of the tote for summer). The 600 is closest in the photo, the 1000 back over those taller plants.
So, my purpose is twofold, I want to help people on RIU who are thinking of replacing HPS with COB LED. I see a ton of posts about tents, but not much about using these new lights in a larger area. I also want (need) feedback about my room, my grow, the lights, etc. I have been at this since the 80’s and pretty much have everything under control- except the electrical costs involved with running HPS. Oh, and I want to not have THIS anymore:
So, hopefully there is some interest in the endeavor! Please ask any questions and make any comments you might feel are helpful. It’s going to take while, but I am psyched!
A year ago I ran into these guys from ProMax Grow. They had a light priced around $1200 that they claimed would replace a 1000 watt HPS at half the energy consumption and virtually no heat. I was intrigued and started looking into LED as an option.
What I found out here was these lights don’t live up to their claims and are old technology. The way to go these days is with COB (Chip On Board) LEDs. They are efficient, provide the right color spectrum, run with hardly any heat, and EXPENSIVE as hell. But I kept looking and learning about LEDs and how to grow with them.
See, I am running 2000 watts of HPS in the cooler months and 1600 in the summer. My electric bill was through the roof and heat was a real problem for a few months here in the Northeast.
I ended up hooking up with a guy who knows his shit about LEDs and electricity. He is assembling these COB LEDs for a crowd funding campaign, and I was able to snag one of his “Mailbox” LED lights for around $200.
So, my ultimate plan is replace ALL the HPS with these COBs. We think it should take about 8 or 9 to fill the main grow area. We grow in RDWC system I built, based on Current Culture’s systems. Right now I have that main RDWC section which is 7×3. I also have a small tote DWC in front where I place 8 plants to get a head start on flowering. By the time there is room for 8 plants in the RDWC, these have already started flowering for a few weeks. It just speeds up the process. Anyway, this is where the mailbox is right now- over the tote. I used to have a 400 watt HPS over the tote. Now, I know that size space should get another mailbox, but I just want to see how the plants react to the light.
Here is a shot of the 7×3 RDWC system with a 1000 watt HPS and a 600 watt HPS:
So, once I get 2 more of these COBs, I am going to replace the 600 with 3 of them (moving the first one I bought and getting rid of the tote for summer). The 600 is closest in the photo, the 1000 back over those taller plants.
So, my purpose is twofold, I want to help people on RIU who are thinking of replacing HPS with COB LED. I see a ton of posts about tents, but not much about using these new lights in a larger area. I also want (need) feedback about my room, my grow, the lights, etc. I have been at this since the 80’s and pretty much have everything under control- except the electrical costs involved with running HPS. Oh, and I want to not have THIS anymore:
So, hopefully there is some interest in the endeavor! Please ask any questions and make any comments you might feel are helpful. It’s going to take while, but I am psyched!
)
