anyone grown with l.e.d?

benjamin alexander

Active Member
so say im planning on 4-6 bubbleponic sites in a small area what l.e.d light would you reccomend for the whole grow start 2 finish with the best quality results?
 

Viagro

Well-Known Member
so say im planning on 4-6 bubbleponic sites in a small area what l.e.d light would you reccomend for the whole grow start 2 finish with the best quality results?
Find good quality at a fair price with a decent warranty, and good customer service. LEDs are sensitive but servicable, you could even put one together rather easily. But my concern is spending a bunch and having problems. I've looked at so many LED outfits that it's hard to narrow it down, some use German fans, which is something to consider. Some use uv spectrum, some use 3w Cree leds. Some use Luxeon lights look here at these light bars.

If you want to look at some interesting lights and an important trick, check out Haight Solid State and these Penetrator lights.

Procyon lights are an interesting design, and the smaller Lumigrow is an option for you.

If you you want to take a chance and save some money, try the Blackstar line, but expect nothing to arrive with iyour light. No warranty, no service manual, nothing.
 

Viagro

Well-Known Member
ive looked at the lumigrow, would the larger model increase production and yield due to the higher wattage?
Sure, but it might be gilding the lily for a small space. I'm liking the Procyon and Lightblaze 400 styling, with a single larger fan, on top. But this Haight light

http://shop.haightsolidstate.com/Haight-Solid-State-PPF-800-LED-Grow-light-PPF-800.htm

without any fan at all intrigues me more and more.

I think prices are going to be much more reasonable soon, and plasmas are going to steal the spotlight, so I'm focusing on a max expenditre of @ $500.



http://www.hydrogrowled.com/
 

benjamin alexander

Active Member
i checked out those penetrator light panels and i def like the look of them, my only concern is everyone is saying more blue for flower but you can't adjust the spectrum intensities on these?
 

benjamin alexander

Active Member
sorry got a bit backwards there, should probably post before a sesh lol well the main problem that seems to keep popping up with led's is the lack of penetration during flowering wich is what the penetrator series claims to achieve by using the narrower 60 degree lens but surely if i was going to lst or even cob than penetration need would go from 18 inches to about 8? would solve that problem surely and then the correct spectrums for flowering COULD penetrate to every juicy bit of the plant and alleviate this problem hence i could get one of the less expensive lights still with the adjustable light intensities amd the 120 degree viewing angle and still achieve great results?
 

Viagro

Well-Known Member
sorry got a bit backwards there, should probably post before a sesh lol well the main problem that seems to keep popping up with led's is the lack of penetration during flowering wich is what the penetrator series claims to achieve by using the narrower 60 degree lens but surely if i was going to lst or even cob than penetration need would go from 18 inches to about 8? would solve that problem surely and then the correct spectrums for flowering COULD penetrate to every juicy bit of the plant and alleviate this problem hence i could get one of the less expensive lights still with the adjustable light intensities amd the 120 degree viewing angle and still achieve great results?
Good question, I've been wondering that myself. Focusing the light in a 60 degree cone of light seems logically better, more intense, yet a smaller field of light. I'm not sure, but I read somewhere that the wider angle lights were preferable. Some leds are very narrow beam, tough, like 18 degrees or so. Maybe 60 degrees is relatively wide, optimal even. I don't know.
 

benjamin alexander

Active Member
the way ive been reading and understanding, the narrower the beam of light the more intense it is and the greater prenetration it will achieve hence the benefit in growing larger plants with deeper penetration lol is needed but by training bushier plants or even crossing the stems and going cob style would mean less penetration is needed, use a wider viewing angle say 60 or 120 then the light can be as intense at 8 or 6 inches as it was at 18 but would cover a much larger area.
SO i would come to the conclusion that a narrower viewing angle led array would be better for fewer, larger plants maybe with some cfl lighting on the sides/low when flowering to help light saturation but a wider viewing angle led array would suit much smaller, bushier plants in either the same or a slightly larger footprint and still achieve comparible results assuming the lights have similar spectrum coverage, power rating and features?
maybe im studying a bit too hard into this and just go cfls instead but it would be so much easier if the led's can be made to work and well with my intended setup which from what ive learnt and not just word of mouth or internet talk, ive asked a few people and read a few real studies, will work very well indeed just want someone to confirm my suspicions with real results lol
PLUS- those purple hughes are kinda sexy on mj plants i think and it looks so DAMN COOL lol

VIAGRO- you certainly arent making it easy deciding which light to buy offerin me all those choices lol but i really like the look of the kits you found, wonder if you could wire in controllers for the intensities of the spectrums? if so i might just get one and see! i certainly have the skills to build it lol
 

Viagro

Well-Known Member
VIAGRO- you certainly arent making it easy deciding which light to buy offerin me all those choices lol but i really like the look of the kits you found, wonder if you could wire in controllers for the intensities of the spectrums? if so i might just get one and see! i certainly have the skills to build it lol
I thought the info the kit guy posted was interesting. I learned alot. The bit about warm white in the flowering cycle was new to me. I sent the guy a note thanking him for the info. I'm going to hunt down the parts and build one. The kit is too steep.

I don't like cfls because of the threat of mercury contamination. they DO blow up, occasionally.

And I don't like dealing with uv light produced by the Blackstar light. But it seems the biggest bang for the buck. I've found a ton of other led grow lights that haven't shown up in this arena yet. But i'm beginning to experience data overload, I'm going to have to chill awhile.

Have you checked-out the Blackstar thread?

https://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/377163-lighthouse-blackstar-240w-led-any.html
 

benjamin alexander

Active Member
nope havent looked at the blackstar thread, most of the sites are all just marketing and claims no real technical data thats why i got interested in the kit you found, its not that steep i dont think, not if it produces results, id just buy hi pre fab light really, i like the way he's done it and he has me the most convined, mainly because i havent found anyone that i can get the bulbs from etc and because i really would rather put my mind power to use on my plants, not my lights. need to know more about his kit i think.
 

Viagro

Well-Known Member
Well, that's pounds not dollars, and for a 108w or so light that you have to build, it seems steep to me. I'd like to contribute to the guys effort, but I can't go that much.
I found all the good bulbs and parts for Cree and Luxeon. maybe I'll ask the guy if I can pay him for instruction and consultation?

I'd really like to build one

I think it's usually best to turn your plants loose, and stay the hell out of their way. They know what to do, and they do it well if they aren't overfed and fucked with too much. Product is moved by reinforcing the notion of the need to do too much with them. True that, to a point.

I'm smitten with LED tech. I need a distraction, this might be fun.
 

benjamin alexander

Active Member
hey here's a thought, ive got pretty good understanding of electronics tech, i could eady throw together his kit without instructions, if you can lead me to a place i can source the parts from cheap, ill throw together a good design using that fellas basic priciple, i think some tweaks could be needed :P then we can both build one, grow with it and maybe combine all this tech we've been reading and build a rock solid led panel designed purelyu and soley for mmj? i reckon i can do it, i wanna throw in independent spectrum strength adjustment, i could even custom build them to order or at least sell kits pretty cheap?
 

Viagro

Well-Known Member
hey here's a thought, ive got pretty good understanding of electronics tech, i could eady throw together his kit without instructions, if you can lead me to a place i can source the parts from cheap, ill throw together a good design using that fellas basic priciple, i think some tweaks could be needed :P then we can both build one, grow with it and maybe combine all this tech we've been reading and build a rock solid led panel designed purelyu and soley for mmj? i reckon i can do it, i wanna throw in independent spectrum strength adjustment, i could even custom build them to order or at least sell kits pretty cheap?
Great idea. I burnt my eyeballs out looking at parts sources yesterday, but I'll dig around and find the one with the basic Cree equipment. I'd like to build a lightbox similar t Procyon's design.

I just wrote to Richard Boesch in England, who will soon be putting up a website about custom LEDs.

www.plantphotonics.com

And here's a thread I ran across discussing DIY LED lights.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/lights/msg1219242618366.html
 

benjamin alexander

Active Member
i love it, im just gathering the best ideas from everywhere that has the theory and proof to back it up, throw it all together in a sleek unit custom built for just one type of grow, led's are not jacks of all like hps, t5s etc. i was thinking more a flatter, squarer panel, help with heat soak, light dispersion and weight savings. hey maybe even smaller horisontal 'bars' for light satureation from underneath too? led's everywhere!! or hows this, an entire GROWBOX lined with the right amount of leds roof and walls, no light fitting to worry about, full saturation from every angle, adjustment knobs built into the cab?
 

Viagro

Well-Known Member
I bought one of these, it might be good for underneath?

Those Luxeon bars I pointed you to might be good, too. That website has parts, btw.
 
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