***compairing lights*** yeild/watts/flavour/taste/ quality

[GotchoTickyTicky]

I know someone who has been a grower for over 15 years. He said that when the price in LEDs dropped, he gave them a shot, to compare to HPS.

He said he was blown away by the intensity and quality of the light. Other benefits included a much lower electricity bill, and his wife said their house no longer sounds like a hurricane without all the air handlers. He said that the light is so intense with LEDs that you have to be careful not to burn your plants.

 

[Soilscience]

Going back to the original post here...
I recently purchased a PAR meter and went to local garden shop, grow store. I tested their displayed lights.
PAR stands for Photosyntheticly Active Radiation.
I tested LEC (same as CMH), HPS, t5, and LEDs. Nothing came close to the LEC.
The LEDs were good directly under the lamp. The LEC filled the tent with quality PAR.
The LED market is the wild west right now. Some very good product mixed with a lot of misinformation. Even the best ones have issues with being too directional. That is, they work great directly under and close by.
​​​​​​​I build my own COB LED lights, and I can beat the performance of the LEC and save on electric. But for off the shelf, the LEC is the ticket.

 

[dontknownuttin]

When LED light prices drop below HID and MH bulb fixture cost I too will look at LEDs. My 600 watt bulb grows plants fine!

 

[bobsakamoto]

Soilscience thanks for this. do you mind sharing which PAR meter you purchased and what you like (or dislike) about it?

 

[Soilscience]

Sorry it took so long to get back. I go dark sometimes for weeks.
I just have the Hydro Farm cheapo. Still real money. But I need it if I'm going to optimize my DIY lights.
I doubt its accuracy, but it's all relative. As long as I use the same meter, all of my numbers will relate to each other. I can use it to find out optimal distance from lamp andI use dimmers, so it lets me know the best settings.
Not sure it actually reports all PAR, but way better than testing for lumens.
It is very easy to use, it's rechargable, no battery to replace.
It's one of those tools that is transformative right out of the box, but might sit on the shelf for weeks at a time.

 

[NA420]

I just ordered another 600w mh for $16! Once the LEC gains more popularity and the price goes down i will scoop one up, in the meantime I'm rolling with the MH as well. Peace!

 

[GDTRFB95]

$16 bucks? Where's that at? For just the bulb I'm guessing

 

[bobsakamoto]

thank you Soilscience ! yep, as i understand it all handheld ones employ conversion software and only the lab grade ones do not. but i agree with everything you said, as long as you're measuring with it alone it's certainly clearly better than measuring lumens or lux or only the humanly visible spectrum. looking forward to seeing your progress!

 

[NA420]

Bulb only on amazon, i use apollo horticulture, first bulb is going on 5 months and has never evwn flickered, it is losing its intensity though so the new one is going in after this harvest.

 

[dontknownuttin]

My 600 watt Solis Tek bulbs are $65.74 EACH

 

[tyler_ hobbyist]

I just finished a full led grow 1200w 1000w 600w over 3 autos and this is what I found I got a huge yield 111g tangerine dream and 337g of blueberry dry weights 101days lights 24/0. Taste was amazing and smooth. Buds were no where as tight as hps grows and the strength of the buds wernt as strong as they should of been. This is what I have exsperinced

 

[Sammy]

My 2© I have 2 mars hydro 600 w pulls about 280 w each. Ok for cheap leds. 1 400 w hps pulls about 440 w. Great light for small tent. Also 2 315 phantom lec puls about 350 w. Best light on the market. Just my opinion. 😎