LED grow lights

[Pa-uul]

LEDs continue to develop and get cheaper. You can improve the light coverage, reduce the distance between plant and light, slice your power by 3/4, lengthen the time between trips to the hydro store, and reduce heat by using LED grow lights. The only problem right now is with the high start-up cost.

 

Imagine this system in your cupboard (costs US$299): http://webzoom.freewebs.com/growmidwestled/LED%20Starter%20Kit.jpg

 

 

This star trek-like technology is here today:

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/growmidwestled/Cool%20400%20Composite%2015.jpg

Photos copyright, growwithleds.com

 

There is a great advantage in spectrum efficiency: http://www.ledgrowlights.com/images/charts/led_gr5.jpg

Photo copyright, ledgrowlights.com

 

There is another thread on this topic.

[nugget]

$299.00 USD = $404.752 AUD

 

So what would this light be equal to if you were to compare it to an HPS light?

 

as in would it do the same job as a 400w, 600w etc?

[Pa-uul]

The above small system is the model 100 and takes 22 watts and is only equal to 100W metal halide.

Click on the links in post above. I believe you need 1/4 the wattage for same growing power. E.g. the model 400 (also pictured above) from growwithleds.com is comparable to 400 Watt mateal Halide but uses 88 watts and costs US$1,180.

Edited February 10, 2006 by Pa-uul

[raverspec]

How many ounces would you yield from one of the 100W equivalents

[HighRising]

Woah... awesome concept. I can't wait to see this get cheaper.

 

I'm with RS, how much are you likely to yield off a 100w? I'm only after a couple of oz, this might fit my bill perfectly!

[raverspec]

HR, go you halves in the startup costs, I'll use the lights 9am-9pm, you can have them 9pm-9pm

 

[Luke Skywalker]

Great things, and there are more and more professionally designed systems for growing plants coming out all the time.

 

The only sticking point is the cost, but other than that, they fit all the bills perfectly.

 

As to yeilds, you'd have to grow with em to find out a comparison, but they are something that will certainly make more of an impact on growing as time goes by.

[Gush]

Oooh it'll make for pretty budshots aswell

[dsyfer]

I have looked at the little versions that are torches, they have 20 odd leds

that make up the beam, they may be bright, but they just don't have the

reach of conventions bulbs, the light they give off doesn't pentrate well.

[Luke Skywalker]

It doesn't necessarily have to. You can place led lamps practically on top of the plants as there is no heat involved, and grow plants a heck of a lot smaller than otherwise required....

 

That said, there's something nice about seeing canopy development 15cm deep which is still decent.

 

Has anyone here seen the adverts for "Rosalux HOTBOX" LED arrays? They're only a red spectrum from what I can find, but these could be of benefit for MH growers....

 

The problem is that we don't have any comparison grows going to see their effects.... I'm sure some have actually grown under LED lights, but whether they've done so from units they've set up themselves or from bought units.....