LEDs or traditional lighting?

[khyberkitsune]

So what ur saying is that a 5-600 watt led is equal to only a 100 watt hps hid light??? doesn't sound right to me from what i'm hearing about led lights

Ack, I meant to say 1000w. My stupid fingers sometimes don't hit the key fully, stupid laptop keyboards. I'm used to my Model M.

Apologies.

[means2010]

From what stra8toutaweed said,he got really good results from just led in veg stage then a combo of 2-150 watt leds and 1- 600 watt hps in flowering,he got some really good results,sounds like a combo of led and hps is the way to go

[stra8outtaWeed]

you can flower w/LED alone but you better have the right spectral balance or flowering sucks which i why you see so many LED threads start but none finish...i think mine is one of the few...so depending on needs, power constraints and personal goals a combination of LED/HPS is the easiest formula for success...all LED takes more skill :jointsmile:

[means2010]

u said u flowered with a 600 watt hps with 2-150 watt leds on each side,how bout just a single 300 watt led for flowering,do u thinki that would be enough lighting for flowering and growing some nice buds,did u go hydro or soil?

[StoneMeadow]

So back to the OP's question, what is the best LED combo? I have not yet bought any lights, and I want to do it right from a cost-to-yield-to-discretion basis. So what do I buy?

For you experienced guys...stra8outtaWeed and khyberkitsune...if you had, say, $1000 to buy lights and wanted to stay discrete, like the OP says (IOW, not throw off a ginormous thermal bloom and peg the electricity meter), what would you buy, knowing what you know now?

Thanks!

[khyberkitsune]

So back to the OP's question, what is the best LED combo? I have not yet bought any lights, and I want to do it right from a cost-to-yield-to-discretion basis. So what do I buy?

For you experienced guys...stra8outtaWeed and khyberkitsune...if you had, say, $1000 to buy lights and wanted to stay discrete, like the OP says (IOW, not throw off a ginormous thermal bloom and peg the electricity meter), what would you buy, knowing what you know now?

Thanks!

I'd buy a solid 300w panel using the newest single-emitter 3w diodes, with a proper tri-band blend and balance. That 300w alone would rock my current setup with 36 constantly flowering plants.

[StoneMeadow]

I'd buy a solid 300w panel using the newest single-emitter 3w diodes, with a proper tri-band blend and balance. That 300w alone would rock my current setup with 36 constantly flowering plants.

Thanks...can you recommend a make and model that fits your criteria?

[khyberkitsune]

Thanks...can you recommend a make and model that fits your criteria?

I can't do that without being biased towards my own equipment, I'm sorry.

Not to mention, what I have specced isn't in production, yet.

[StoneMeadow]

I can't do that without being biased towards my own equipment, I'm sorry.

Okay...that's understandable.

Not to mention, what I have specced isn't in production, yet.

Oops...awkwaaaaarrdd!

[StoneMeadow]

LED in veg rocks all lighting.....a combo of HPS and LED in flower will get the best yield and quality....i've grown with about every combonation from T5/HPS...HPS alone...LED alone....and the HPS/LED will be your best bet....i use 150w LED's on either side of a 600wHPS for 900w total over a 3x3 tray and have been yielding 560-610gr dry....with HPS 600w alone the yield was 330-350 and w/1000w HPS i yielded 400-445gr....w/450w LED i yielded 330-360....those are hard numbers w/same strains and nutes...you can check out my LED runs in the link in my sig :jointsmile:

This is very interesting information...thanks!

1) 2x150w LEDs + 1 600w HPS = 900w: 585/900 = .65 gm per watt yield.

2) 600w HPS alone: 340/600 = .57 gm per watt.

3) 1000w HPS alone: 422.5/1000 = .42 gm per watt.

4) 450w LED alone: 345/450 = .77 gm per watt.

So, LEDs are most efficient, but it's also clear that the more light you throw down on a given area the better. Presumably, right up to the point where you can no longer control the temperature, right?

Thanks again...really good stuff!