LED Thinking of going that route.

[khyberkitsune]

Double Post - the proper one with quote below.

[khyberkitsune]

Cheap chinese models that people are buying on ebay suck, I did a lot of research and found this.

YouTube - ‪90w LED Grow Light Comparison - Lighthouse Hydro VOL 1 , HTG , Bridgelux , Head To Head‬‏

I tried 1 at first because they are a little pricey compared to the tri-band
and quad-band, but well worth the $$. 16k lumens sitting right on top of the plants is the ticket!!! I now have 3 and they totally kick ass!

That youtube video - as soon as I heard 'lux' I turned it off.

Photon flux density is what you look for with LED - anybody advertising or measuring by lux has no clue what they're doing or saying, almost guaranteed.

Also, I've recently heard that many LED sellers are going "240w only consumes 120w" and let me tell you this - if you get one of those units, take it apart, you will find that you're paying way more for less. You're getting 240w of diodes, but only pushing about 120-140w of power through them (one guy in a thread said he took it apart, read the labels, did the math, three drivers only pushing about 4w each in the panel.) I think it was the Lighthouse Hydro Blackstar, in fact.

Such deceptive and misleading advertising. I hate it with a passion.

[canniwhatsis]

That youtube video - as soon as I heard 'lux' I turned it off.

Photon flux density is what you look for with LED - anybody advertising or measuring by lux has no clue what they're doing or saying, almost guaranteed.

Also, I've recently heard that many LED sellers are going "240w only consumes 120w" and let me tell you this - if you get one of those units, take it apart, you will find that you're paying way more for less. You're getting 240w of diodes, but only pushing about 120-140w of power through them (one guy in a thread said he took it apart, read the labels, did the math, three drivers only pushing about 4w each in the panel.) I think it was the Lighthouse Hydro Blackstar, in fact.

Such deceptive and misleading advertising. I hate it with a passion.

I think part of the problem is that very few growers know shit about LED's, the spectrum or intensity of light they produce or anything! Myself included (tho I've at least got a clue)

So, many in the industry would seek to abuse that lack of knowledge for personal gain.

I don't agree with the ethics either, but "There is a fool born every minuet" and there are those who target those fools.

[silent leprechaun]

Hey guys,
I think LED are getting a bad rap because of all the rip-off Chinese junk on ebay and other similar sites.
I did a lot of research before buying and Im happy so far. The veg stage has been unreal. Massive burst of growth.
I will be blooming in 5 days. You can see my grow on here: LED Grow log testing the Pro-Grow 260.
To be fair I don't know what the blooming power will be like but if its anything like the veg I'm in for a surprise !

You can also find it here LED LOGGER

This is just my third grow ever so I might make mistakes.

I also commented on the LUX produced by the led and took some readings.
But as khyberkitsune said, its the photon flux density I should be focusing on.

Anyway, we are all learning.

So far I love the LED light I'm using. Let me know what you think.

take care

[williboy]

Has anyone been looking at some of the latest grow tests with some of the various LEDs? Some are looking very impressive. I really like the modular construction of one of the manufacutors, unlike some, if a part is needed they send it, you replace it, and you're not down time at all. Been growing a while in NorCal outside, but I think I'll try these very soon, indoors. At least they be out of sight of the deer and 'other' herbivores!

[bigsby]

I've been growing with 2x 150w Welthink Wex-C150 bars for both veg and flower - 1 in veg and I add the 2nd for flower. As a veg light it's great. I couldn't be happier. As a flower light the results have been mixed. It definitely flowers my ladies with decent results but I don't get the density that I see others achieving with HPS/MH lights, and they take 1 - 2 weeks longer to finish. That said, strain and growing skill are factors to be considered. I'm still learning to be sure. What I will say is that Welthink stands behind their product. I had an issue with poor workmanship in one of the lights and they moved very quickly to deal with it.

If you are going to grow LED and invest that kind of $$ do your homework and buy from a reputable company. 3w diodes minimum and be sure it is true 3w and not some fraction of 3w... The biggest benefits I see are lower electrical draw, cooler temps, and longevity. Although note that while the diodes my be rated for 20,000 hours, the components that drive them will most likely die well before the diodes so the longevity argument has some holes in it to be sure.

[bigsby]

My issue with Welthink is now resolved. It took 10 days start to finish. I get the light back tomorrow. They took 1 day to evaluate it and decided it would be too much effort to fix so they sent me a new one. It's ~18 months old. Service was excellent. Try that with some random UFO! I love my Welthink Wex-C150s. Now I love them even more!