I disagree with almost everything in this post.Quote:
Originally Posted by SaintCannabis
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I disagree with almost everything in this post.Quote:
Originally Posted by SaintCannabis
maybe the LED "systems" that are commercially available aren't really ready but that's not what i'm talking about... with the right wavelengths and 90%+ efficient drivers (which i can build thanks to Dan @ instructables.com) it is easy to accomplish as quoted below from that thread...
"You have to figure in more than just the initial cost. If you are using HID lighting, you will need to replace the bulb once or twice a year. The LEDs will last for years. Then you have to figure in the cost of much more electricity. The LED/HID grow I am doing right now pits a 82w LED against a 400w HID. After 14 days, the LED is clearly ahead in both height and bushiness. So I am getting better growth with less than a quarter of the energy expenditure. Then you may also have to deal with heat issues brought about by the HID. Up front costs may indeed make it a bit iffy right now. But there is a tipping point where the total lighting costs (including electricity) for a year or two years leans in the direction of LEDs. I think we may already be there.
For those who would prefer to not deal with law inforcement, LEDs should be of particular interest. High power consumption is often a clue to the authorities that there may be a grow op inside. If you can cut your consumption by a quarter or even half, you will present a lower profile. Also, there have been reports of LEO using infrared sensing devices in helicopters and even in patrol cars to find unusually hot places that suggest an indoor grow. Lower heat may not be just good for the plants. It may give the grower better security."
I have just enough electronics understanding to be dangerous, hehe. There was nothing new to me in that thread. I've seen all of that and then some... when i say i've done plenty of research i mean it. When you take your time and know where to get the parts and information you need, you can build a LED system that costs less (unless it's stolen) and out-performs anything else. Forget commercial availability, just like growing your own buds, building your own LED light will be a great reward in itself!
Oh and another thing about light... Lumen is absolutely useless when i comes to measuring light output useful for plant growth. Lumens is only a measure of how bright a light appears to the human eye. The human eye responds most sensitively to the green, middle part of the visual spectrum and perception is reduced and the color gets closer to the outside red and blue wavelengths. One reason IR lasers are so dangerous, your eyes don't really perceive those longer wavelengths but there is still enough energy to fry your retina. Plants on the other hand respond to and photosynthesis chlorophyll mostly the red (630-680nm) and blue (410-470nm) wavelengths and have almost no use for the green/yellow parts of the spectrum. This is why our little friends are usually green... they are reflecting the useless green light. Thus high lumen white lights are wasting most of their energy producing light that the plant is just gonna reject. Good to see the plant with but not the best for growth. I know this is an over simplification but some people here haven't heard this stuff b4.
St. Cannabis - Thanks for the explanation. :thumbsup:
There has been so much hype, and so little actual performance, surrounding led's that you should expect a lot of skepticism. But, if you have a viable system, post some photos of your lights and your grow It would be great to see some led's that actually work.
PC :smokin: