My two new LEDs - The Good & the Bad

[RackitMan]

A few months back I picked up a 50 watt red LED panel. It works fine and grows well. No problems

Then I picked up an all blue 50 watt panel from a different vendor. Damn it was bright! My seedlings loved it, but the power supply fried in a week. The vendor sent me another power supply and it got hot as hell so I am returning the whole unit as it was poorly designed and I cannot have my house burning down.

Then I went for a 120 watt tri-band ($234!) on E-Bay from a Canadian vendor. To my utter delight the unit is v-e-r-y heavy and seems to be very well engineered. It yells out QUALITY.

Here is the very interesting thing about the 120w tri-band (red/blue/orange): the light is bright enough to burn a hole in your eyes and light up my whole room and yet my babies (about 10-12") look totally black under it. If you see pictures of other LED grows, you see tinges of red and blue and purple. My plants are bright green under fluorescent, but completely black under the LED without a hint of red or blue. I have to guess this is fantastic as the plant is absorbing nearly all of the light.

If there is enough interest, I might take the time to post some pics.

I cannot compare to other lights at this time, but as heat in a small area in the desert is a real issue, where even a 250w HPS was too much, this seems ideal for me. My ceiling is about 180 watts for 3/4 plants in a 2' * 2' area.

[perpetr8r]

Would love to see some pictures as I am interested in this LED you speak of. Considering them for side lighting.
:hippy:

[bigtopsfinn]

Yes... post some pics! :thumbsup:

[ForgetClassC]

I am intrigued.....

[beef74]

A few months back I picked up a 50 watt red LED panel. It works fine and grows well. No problems

Then I picked up an all blue 50 watt panel from a different vendor. Damn it was bright! My seedlings loved it, but the power supply fried in a week. The vendor sent me another power supply and it got hot as hell so I am returning the whole unit as it was poorly designed and I cannot have my house burning down.

Then I went for a 120 watt tri-band ($234!) on E-Bay from a Canadian vendor. To my utter delight the unit is v-e-r-y heavy and seems to be very well engineered. It yells out QUALITY.

Here is the very interesting thing about the 120w tri-band (red/blue/orange): the light is bright enough to burn a hole in your eyes and light up my whole room and yet my babies (about 10-12") look totally black under it. If you see pictures of other LED grows, you see tinges of red and blue and purple. My plants are bright green under fluorescent, but completely black under the LED without a hint of red or blue. I have to guess this is fantastic as the plant is absorbing nearly all of the light.

If there is enough interest, I might take the time to post some pics.

I cannot compare to other lights at this time, but as heat in a small area in the desert is a real issue, where even a 250w HPS was too much, this seems ideal for me. My ceiling is about 180 watts for 3/4 plants in a 2' * 2' area.good call on the tri-band man, thats what I've had the most success with.Happy growin.peace

[beef74]

this is what my tri-band ufo produced

[RackitMan]

Very nice helathy flowers!

But notice how your plants look red & blue (probably from your sidelighting)? This tells me that the spectrums are not ideal else they would not be reflected. Try turning off your panels and see how they look.

I will try to upload some pics in the next day or two so that y'all can see what I am talking about.

[RackitMan]

Here are the pics as promised.

The first one is a Sugar Haze sativa dominant under fluoro at 26 days. It was grown under 50w red and 50w blue (until it fried) LED panel and a 42 watt cfl.
[attachment=o218864]

The second one is the same plant under the 120w tricolor LED. The plant looks blacker in person. Notice how little light is reflected.
[attachment=o218865]

[McLuvin]

Please let me know how the orange works out for you. I have had great success with Red Blue, all red and all blue, but have heard the orange has a negative effect on the MMJ plants themselves.

[stra8outtaWeed]

you can look at my LED grow in the first link of my sig!

i have flower lights and veg lights!

my veg side 630/nm 460nm

flower 660/nm 460/nm

the 630nm LED's are cheaper so it is important to look at what wavelengths you are buying..the 660nm are more expensive and work better in flower!

Also my LED's are 3w diodes...makes a big difference in penetration!:jointsmile:

[McLuvin]

If stra8outtaWeed cant help you I also offer a full line of LED lights. :thumbsup: 14 to 600 watts

[jtsik330]

wwwooowww LED's are attracting me more and more!:pimp:

[dadogg]

yo beef, what kind of ufo led's are those. Will be following as I'm also thinking about getting some led's, so thanks Racktman. Where can I look at your led's Mcluvin.

[redtails]

wwwooowww LED's are attracting me more and more!:pimp:

I know, right? I spent $40 on a little 14w panel on ebay the other day just to see what it's like in person with the crazy purple glow lol. It really looks like it'd be completely useless except for seedlings and rooting clones, but it makes a cool party light! One day I'll get a decent one, maybe something like the 120w panel for my closet or something...

[stra8outtaWeed]

I know, right? I spent $40 on a little 14w panel on ebay the other day just to see what it's like in person with the crazy purple glow lol. It really looks like it'd be completely useless except for seedlings and rooting clones, but it makes a cool party light! One day I'll get a decent one, maybe something like the 120w panel for my closet or something...

yeah thats all those "lite brite" panels are good for...i use one on my clones but the screw in bulbs are better for cloning..jmo!

take alook at my albums :thumbsup:

$450~150 watts and it is a 40" bar w/LED's spread out so they are not concentrated in a little square window :D

[Maxor420]

yeah, I use LED's as well. I made my own panels, with 3W LED's similar to the Cree LED's.

I agree with the guy who was saying that your plants won't reflect as much of that light if they were at optimal wavelengths. Mine turned out well, and produce a dark colored plant, it almost looks like it's going to die...lol.

If anyone is interested, I could assemble a custom kit for anyone who wants to get a cheaper/better alternative to what's obviously being produced. I can even assemble it for a bit extra, just has a larger chance of breaking during transit. I do protect them as best I can.

The Kit would come with:

- Tube of epoxy
- LED's (however many your panel requires)
- Pre-Cut aluminum sheet (This acts as your light reflector/heat sink/mounting plate. It's what they make road signs out of, I get it through a local sign company)
- Wire (You have to cut it to the length you need, the metal sheet will come with a template drawn on it for mounting the LED's)
- Larger Wire (For the main power Lines to Power Supply)
- *Optional* 12V 20+ amp Power Supply (Required, however if you have one...)
- Instructions
(Or I can assemble it for a little extra, prices vary by custom requirements)

I built my panel that can run at:
- 11.5VDC - 12VDC (All the panels will have this range)
- 8.35amps - 9amps
- 96.02watts - 108watts

And it can keep up with a 400 watt HPS at it's lowest voltage (It's what I've tested, I currently have a power supply that can't produce a true 12V, however my kits would use a better supply that I've sourced for my own replacement)

Keep on Tokin!
Maxor420:rastasmoke:

[DocKgreenThumb]

wHat up with the prices? Kit and ready made hmm n what about craftmanship would they fry?