see4
Well-Known Member
Build two tents. Put a 60 watt LED light in one, and a 1000 watt HPS light in the other.I'm claiming there is a very good possibility that 1,008 LEDs spread uniformly across the canopy at a height of 100mm will beat the shit out of an HPS at 1 meter.
I showed you the math. It's about the uniformity of the irradiance (e.g. PPFD), spreading the photons proportionately across the canopy. The greater the uniformity the less the distance required between fixture and canopy. The difference in irradiance between a height of 1 meter vs. 100mm is 100x. For 1% of the electrical power you get the same amount of radiant power reaching the leaves. These 1200mm strips sell between $10 and $15. There is no way a small volume manufacturer could compete with those prices and distribution network. Samsung has the ability to bin their LEDs by forward voltage to a very tight tolerance which allows them to wire the LEDs in parallel and maintain a reasonable current balance and thereby uniformity. Using many mid power LEDs spread out keeps the temperature down to around 40° C. This minimizes thermal issues and maximizes efficacy.
I will bet you $5.00 and a hand job that the 1000 watt HPS light will produce better yields than the 60 watt LED.