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 OrgoneConclusion
Stranger
Registered: 05/06/11
Posts: 93
Last seen: 7 years, 2 months
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 Re: Perfect LED panel  [Re: djnoktirnal]
#554954 - 05/12/11 01:10 PM (13 years, 10 months ago) |
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Whatever you do, stay away from the 50W LED panels with 10mm 0.5w LEDs. They work fine for growing, but the power supplies are NOT current-regulated and they are prone to blow out and take many LEDs with them.
I bought a 120w LED fixture with 1W LEDs that has been working fine for over a year. The problem is it is only putting about about 25-30 lumens per watt.
Now, I know that lumens is not the correct measurement for plants, but as a comparison, My homemade 60W unit puts out more light than the factory 120W as it is putting out about 55 lumens per watt.
BTW folks, stay tuned as I am working on a new lamp that may revolutionize the whole market. Yes, yes, you have heard all the hype before, but there are some new developments that could be a game-changer.
These lamps will be putting out over 100 lumens per watt when driven at the low end down to 70 lumens per watt when driven at the high end.
Why drive at the high end? Well how about one lamp variable from 90 to 360 watts using the same LEDs? Current lamps can be tweaked down, but lose lots of power to the dimming mechanism. Others can turn LEDS completely off. This is an entirely different approach.
Here is the other BIG news. These lamps will ONLY be using white leds. White LEDs have not been efficient for horticulture in the past because they have two peaks, one in the blue region (good) and one in the green/yellow region (not so good). These new ones will have a peak in the blue region and the another peak at 630nm (orange-red) which slopes into the 660nm (near-red), 720nm (far red), and infrared regions. This will make them awesome for flowering as well as vegging.
I will also make it very easy to replace a defective LED.
Please don't get too excited yet as I/we are at least a year from market. Cannot answer any specifics at this time.
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OrgoneConclusion
Stranger
Registered: 05/06/11
Posts: 93
Last seen: 7 years, 2 months
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Re: Perfect LED panel [Re: djnoktirnal]
#555000 - 05/12/11 03:26 PM (13 years, 10 months ago) |
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Like I say, the wattage alone means little as it tells nothing of its efficacy. We need to know how much power is converted to light and how much of that light is usable by the plant(spectrum). View angle is also important depending on your growing style. And don't forget the warrantee. An awesome light on spec sheets that fails prematurely will grow nothing.
On a tangent, when I first started many people recommended a cheap 150W HPS for a small space. Turns out the cheap ballast added another 165W. watts, so the total LPW measurement was much worse than T5s and some CFLs. All relevant factors must be taken into account.
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OrgoneConclusion
Stranger
Registered: 05/06/11
Posts: 93
Last seen: 7 years, 2 months
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Re: Perfect LED panel [Re: Pandor]
#555019 - 05/12/11 04:11 PM (13 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
I am still researching LEDs, but my understanding was that you want at least 3w diodes.
Third and final time, not sure why saying again will get through: the wattage of the chip is not important, but the efficacy. At the time of the article, the 3 watters being reviewed by the author had the greatest LPW ratio. Are ALL 3 watters better? No. Do 3 watters still have the best LPW ratio? No.
Of course, the other main factor is cost per lumen. There are 10W white LEDs capable of 130 LPW, but cost 3.5 times as much as 10W LEDs capable of 100 LPW. Great for research or very limited applications. Horrible for large gardens.
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OrgoneConclusion
Stranger
Registered: 05/06/11
Posts: 93
Last seen: 7 years, 2 months
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Re: Perfect LED panel [Re: chowdan]
#555020 - 05/12/11 04:14 PM (13 years, 10 months ago) |
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Look at the lumen output then check out the price and answer your own question.
I don't mind helping out, but dig in a little deeper, people. The basics are not beyond anybody here.
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OrgoneConclusion
Stranger
Registered: 05/06/11
Posts: 93
Last seen: 7 years, 2 months
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Re: Perfect LED panel [Re: djnoktirnal]
#555040 - 05/12/11 06:08 PM (13 years, 10 months ago) |
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You are not telling me anything I am unaware of - note I already made such a disclaimer. As most mfgs do not publish that info one has to go by other things. Also note this is basically a primer for noobs who are doing rough comparisons.
Quote:
This number drops further from the surface.
Yes and?
You may find it interesting that a few years back an engineer compared a household flouro to a specifically designed horticultural flouro. The household one with the wrong spectrum clearly outperformed the horticultural light because it was more efficient in converting electricity to light.
Same with HPS. The spectra is horrible for plants from a design standpoint, but the lumen output more than compensates. This is due to the Emerson Effect. Despite popular misconception, plants can and do use yellow and green light.
The trick is to get BOTH the optimal spectral curve AND significant photonic output from a lamp.
Edited by OrgoneConclusion (05/12/11 06:41 PM)
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OrgoneConclusion
Stranger
Registered: 05/06/11
Posts: 93
Last seen: 7 years, 2 months
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Re: Perfect LED panel [Re: djnoktirnal]
#555113 - 05/12/11 10:52 PM (13 years, 10 months ago) |
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Check out the curve for the 3000K. Nearly perfect!
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OrgoneConclusion
Stranger
Registered: 05/06/11
Posts: 93
Last seen: 7 years, 2 months
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Re: Perfect LED panel [Re: chowdan]
#555129 - 05/13/11 01:32 AM (13 years, 10 months ago) |
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I am not searching for your link. It is not about home-made vs. manufactured. It is about efficient vs. inefficient; correct spectra vs. incorrect spectra.
Any lighting will 'work'. So what? We are searching for the most bang.
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OrgoneConclusion
Stranger
Registered: 05/06/11
Posts: 93
Last seen: 7 years, 2 months
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Re: Perfect LED panel [Re: djnoktirnal]
#555240 - 05/13/11 03:45 PM (13 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
Do you have a chart or anything that would show a "perfect" spectrum for a MJ plant? Or in general?
Just do a Google search. There is no cannabis specific one, but the generalized plant growth spectral graphs are close enough.
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