LED Growlights???

Were we all asleep at the wheel - or was it just me? I just spent the better part of the day on several sites learning all about the "next generation" of LED (Light Emitting diode) Growlights. I remember hearing about them a few years ago , early experiments, the results were really crap - but they were on to something. Looks like they may be the next big thing!!! NASA uses them to grow veggies in orbit so you know there are big bucks in the R&D dept.
Has anybody been following this developement? This seems to be the real deal! Right now there are a few models on the market and DIY experimenters are, kind of, "in the dark" (pun intended)! Some electronic geek growers are working on getting the right combinations of LED colors (wavelengths measured in nanometers) so they can be "home built". Otherwise the store bought versions are pretty expensive for the time being - only cost effective in the long run.

The benefits are incredible: very little heat (almost none), about 1/4 electrical consumption of HID's, no reflectors needed, 7 1/2 year life expectancy (at 18/6 hrs.), no balast (uses simple power supply), extremely light weight (less cumbersome).

I know! It sounds too good to be true - me too! It sounds like this technology is just taking off - let's see where it goes! Anybody else have anything on this? I just typed led+growlights in the "search window" and stated surfing!!!

 

http://www.ledtronics.com/ds/plantled/faq.asp

http://www.ledtronics.com/ds/plantled/default.asp

http://www.ledtronics.com/ds/plantled/LED-PlantBar_Technology_Comparision.pdf

but what about penetration?

 

I truly believe that LED's will take over because just as Cammo said, they're lighter, can produce almost ANY light that you manipulate it to, they're smaller, use less power, last longer, and they're super easy to build if you don't have the cash.

I think around here LED's are around 10 cents each or something, maybe like 100 for 2 bucks or something. But all you have to do it solder it all together and you're good.

 

I bought a 12" red led traffic light that fits right on top of my igloo water cooler which I've converted into a half-ass hydroponics box. The light has 630 leds under a dome case that sits atop the cooler and even after 16hrs it isn't hot. Uses only 20 watts !

 

Originally posted by Iber - But what about penetration?

Well, I don't know! It all remains to be seen at this point. Most of the experiments I have seen so far are using rather low powered LED's, in the 5,000 mcd range, as they are available very cheaply (a couple of pennies each!). As the emitted light intensity goes up (some LED's can put out 120 lumens each), so does the penetration and of course the cost. The commercially available units all seem to bundle a hundred, or so, LED's together into clusters. Either in the "3 to the bar" configuration of www.westcoastleds.com and www.ledtronics.com or the standard screw-in lamp base configuration of www.ledgrowlights.com.
It seems to me that a better method would be wider spaced LED's covering a flat panel; that would give multiple light sources (allowing better penetration) instead of a few "point" sources of light. Of course, using the more powerful LED's would help with the penetration too!!!
I have worked with LED's a little in the past and I know that they are available in a mind boggleing array of precise colors, light intensities and power ratings. That makes them confusing, at first, to the novice; but that is exactly what makes them appear to be right for growlights. LED's seem to be weak, little, wimpy "flashlight bulbs", but remember we are talking about hundreds or thousands of them all working together. Each one putting out only it's narrow part of the color spectrum - there is no wasted light! Did you know that about 2/3 of the light from your HID lamp is wasted? That's right, 2/3 of an HID's output is in the spectrum of light that is absolutely useless for growing plants! HID bulbs are "wide spectrum" (wasteful) and give limited output at certain critical color wavelengths. With LED's, on the other hand, you are only using the color wavelengths you need and in the right proportion to suit the plants critical needs - no light is wasted! I'm not saying that HID's are bad, hell they are the best things we've got for now! But it looks like that may be changing here pretty soon!!! Probably within a year or two they will get all the wrinkles ironed out, or it will prove to be a big bust!
Right now it seems that the biggest debates are over the proper combinations of LED's to use to get the proper wavelengths in the right amounts. I just can't waite untill somebody finally gets the right combination and posts some directions on how to build one. I want to make one of these suckers!!!

 

right, that's what I've heard, that you can figure a 20 watt being like an 80 watt hid , and I've got basically a 1'x1' box (12"x18") I could go to mars, ha ha.

 

^that great stuff but when will the HUGH Commercial Price on this Cheap Ass Hardware come down..

, but I just feel that theres a big big energy conspiracy... if these LED are so good and dependable. Why are we not seeing more pushing towards their use. and more ad campains on their energy savings.

The only real question I had is Penetration into bud top..

Figured that out myself...GEE these lights dont get hot, therefore you can get them closer to Bud tops.. without the risk of burns, LEDS are even 50 times cooler than Flurotubes which have high hot spots. thats a PLUS!
Grow vegitation...thats a plus...

Do they grow thc producing buds? not just buds ?

LPS/HPS is the BUD light. < without this end of the light spectrum..buds are weak in THC IMO...

I couldnt bother risking some bud catastrophy on a *lightbulb* dealers word they grow buds..
till real results are documented.. work out the bugs, come down in price for 1000w/2000w complete systems and then Id concider them.

till then THE SUN, MH,LPS,HPS is all Ill use....

 

yeah im thinking of investing in some of these LED lights. There supposed to save all kinds of energy and have not produce a lot of heat. Since theres not a lot of heat you dont have to worry about buying fans!! I really think these lights are going to work but ill post back with results.

 

You still need fans btw. Fresh air is a keystone to a good grow.

 

ok.. but for growing for personal use and not to distribute i dont think these lights are that ridiculously expensive. ive looked at prices and you wouldnt have to spend to much to grow a couple plants.

 

You have to spend more $ on a bank of leds than a HID at this point (for equivalent lumens). Regardless, plan on having a fan of some sort. Box fan even.