So check out these two videos... they will speak for themselves. P.s. When the math is done accounting for actual lumen/photon reaching the canopy the 180W 2 & 3W chip board outperforms a 400W HPS; and that is without accounting for LED's better PAR. So the whole saving money thing on electric bill is pretty much a side present. There really is only one downside to LED technology and that's their ability to penetrate the canopy as far as an HPS. Truth is though; if you know what you're doing you'll be doing multiple stress training's and canopy depth wont be any problem. First video is more important. Second video just showing how American LED's are better. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jszZ2GuRmR8&feature=player_embedded]Lighthouse Hydro Cree Blackstar vs LH 90UV vs HTG 90w LED Grow Light Comparison - YouTube[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jszZ2GuRmR8&feature=player_embedded]Lighthouse Hydro Cree Blackstar vs LH 90UV vs HTG 90w LED Grow Light Comparison - YouTube[/ame]
The one thing that your missing is light intensity. Low wattage LEDs suck. Low wattage LEDs result in fluffy bud or cant complete flowering very well. LEDs have been out for a while so has that video. Dunno if your just getting to the LED world now but what plagued LEDs of the past was low wattage devices and inaccurate spectrums. The vast majority of the LEDs out there are cheap ass units filled with LEDs that are used from traffic lights. The same LED makers that make LEDs for all the worlds electronics also supply most of the LED makers with there garbage. Ever wonder why every LED out there looks very similar right down to the number of LEDs that are in the unit. I notice that alot use around 119 LEDs. The reason being is there like the PC world with laptops. About 90% of the worlds laptops are all made in the same factory just different configurations slighty and they slap on a different shell. This debate of LED vs HID is ages old and most makers have migrated from using that as in real world growing it never really panned out. If your going after a LED watts still matter. Ive been through numerous. Had a 90w UFO, 240w Blackstar. Blackstar was ok for 1 plant. UFO could not do enough for flowering. Its been a ongoing side project while I still ran my HID in another tent. Thats the fallacy of the LED makers slick advertising that there dumb ass little 180w LED is equal to a 600w HPS!!! If you think about that and have any common sense you know thats simply not true. Being that most LEDs run at half the rated amount 100 watts of any light grows you jack shit. I now have a 800w California Lightworks Solarstorm 5 watt LED Diode, and a 200w Solarflare with 5 watt LED Diodes. They pull 690 watts and 165 watts actual. I would never say my 800w LED is equal to a 1000w more like a 600 HID system...actually I would say its equal to about a 750 HID light. 200w well jury is still out as I am conducting my first grow with it. If your using the comparison on energy saved well Im pulling 690 watts with a 100w inline fan, and fan inside the tent so Im using a little over 800 watts. No real money saved on energy. Heat? Without my fan on max the inside of my tent would be over 120 degrees. Whys it run so hot? Well if you know anything about electricity then you know that electricity is run through semiconductors and the side effect of that process is heat. 690 watts and 5 amps of power running through anything generates alot of heat. Its why your blow dryer generates heat to dry your hair. 1200 watts running through semiconductor coils with a fan to push the heat out. Its all about choice. The nonsense of saying LED vs HID should stop. People grow with CFLs, Induction, T5s, T8s, HID. Grow with what you want, buy what you want. You have a choice.
So you're saying if I invest in the 3W/LED 180W BlackStar I'll only be able to grow one clone with it? I'm trying to flower 4-6 1 footers with it.. heat: if I am running in a 5x5x6 tent and I'm only using 3x3x3 is there not enough cubic volume for heat to more easily dissipate without using a hardcore fan. Also if it's outside during winter in the tent (~50-65 F averaging during winter) would the heat just bring this up to a more normal temp? P.S. not arguing with you, just more interested in the information. And Yes I know that video is two years old; and yes I am pretty new to LED world/
I dunno about that product but I do know about the Blackstar 240w..used to own it and sold it earlier in the year. It actually pulls about 130 watts. Your not going to get more then about 2 plants at a time outta a Blackstar 240w. That being said I have no idea how much a 180w Blackstar actually pulls...stands to reason it would be less and less would equate to probably 1 full plant...you could veg a bunch though with it.
Heres a good link to some reviews. The LED Grow Lights Review I suggest you do your homework throughly. In the HID world HID performs usually about 99% of the time..be it a cheap one or expensive. In the LED world about 40-50% of the time. Theres no standards, no proof no nada and most make wild claims on there light. 90% of all the lights out there are cheap chinese made lamps made in some sweat shop that get sold to unsupecting people who buy them and find out it just plain sucks. There a by product of the massive amount of LEDs that China makes..finding a use for inventory to turn a buck. When I say they make a massive amount I read that the largest one in China is turning out LEDs in the billion mark yearly to meet demand. Hardly any will tell you the actual wattage of the light..most run at 50% as well. Theres no real review site I have found other then the one I just linked. Right now the LED world is still like the wild west...so do your homework. Consider buying a more expensive LED rather then one you cant find any information on because its cheaper...the end result will be you trashing that light to get another. Good Luck.
Interesting website; I'll check it out in more detail from my laptop (on iPhone right now). Thanks again for the info. One more question though..or two lol: what do you think about LED (at least reputable companies) having such a higher PAR efficiency than other lights making up for lowered W output [like how the 180W is really 135w].. P.s. about to run through your Led journals!