I was thinking the other day, most led lights suck ass because they are the wrong spectrum. So in steed of trying to go for the perfect spectrum then fail horribly just go for a proven spectrum. what do you guys think? i can get a shit load of the 5600K 1 watt diodes to 0$.25 shipped.
A temp of 5600K makes your wavelength to be approx 520nm which if you look at a chlorophyll absorption spectrum makes them bloody useless. You need ~420nm and ~660nm
You would be incorrect in that assumption. Plants absorb mostly only certain wavelengths of light. In actuality the vast majority of it is wasted. HPS and MH are excellent because they blast out high levels of certain wavelengths of light but alot is wasted in the form of heat. LEDs are excellent to grow with but you have to spend. My LED cost me 1k and that was half off. What has plagued LEDs is cheap makers, makers throwing in wrong LEDs selling it as a grow light and early ones just not being powerfull enough.