Critique My Grow Room

[Camaro1691]

LEDs are based off of Par value not lumens. Wattage plays a small roll in the par value compared to how it would with the output of a mh/hps.. things that would affect your par value more are the reflectors around the led diodes, if they are being driven at full potential with a heat sink as well and the height of the light

 

[Camaro1691]

Decent room, I suggest taking the nutrients out of the tent and storing them in a dark area though

 

[fanleaf]

LEDs are based off of Par value not lumens. Wattage plays a small roll in the par value compared to how it would with the output of a mh/hps.. things that would affect your par value more are the reflectors around the led diodes, if they are being driven at full potential with a heat sink as well and the height of the light

Total par has zero to do with reflectors or lenses. A light creates the same amount of photons regardless if it has no reflector or lense vs having a 60,45 or 30 degree lense the output is the same. Lenses or reflectors just put more of the light in 1 place. No LED is driven at full potential either. This would not be efficient. LED's are driven at 50% and usually much less than that "full potential" for 2 reasons, so they last longer and because that is where they are energy efficient or more umol/j.
Wattage is a measurement of "work being done" as is a Joule. Since all blurple LED's run at near the same efficiency, wattage being used is a HUGE indicator for people to know they have the par potential to grow weed successfully.
Obviously keeping a blurple LED cool does have a relationship with its efficiency but again, most blurple LEDs are about the same in this regard.
Blurple LED's 35wpsq min-50wpsq will ALWAYS output the par needed to grow weed.

 

[spyro]

Well I think it's safe to say that, while LED is no doubt the wave of the future, a beginner should learn the ropes with HID to get a feel for the process before delving into the LED world. I bought a 600w HPS when I began indoor growing, and that taught me a lot about light placement in general. Now my room has a total of six 600w air cooled lamps, 2 for veg and 4 for flower. I think each lamp including the bulb cost me about $160 each. Significantly less than the price of a good LED. And HID is tried and true. I don't have to worry about PAR, etc. I only use a lux meter to check light saturation around the edges of my grow room.

 

[Jackalope]

That is my feeling. Not that they are better just easier. My first lights were 4' fluorescent shop lights with 40 CW bulbs. Grew good pot just not much of it.

Simplicity when starting is the way to go. I am growing under a 400 watt HPS now with good results. It doesn't always have to be big lights and big power. I bet these would work amazing in a small tent with a air cooled hood.

spyro. Tell me more about the lux meter. Are they expensive? My big light is getting light to everything in my 60 x 60 tent. The plants on the edges seem to do fine. I am still curious how much light is getting to the edges.

 

[spyro]

Actually the lux meter costed me about $35 from eBay, and it's a very good one. Dr. Meter brand. It has definitely helped me keep things growing as evenly as possible. 25000-40000 lux is the veg window I like. 60000-75000 for flowering. But I do have to bend those rules some too. for instance, during flowering, the edges are not going to get more than 55000 Lux. For obvious reasons. The edges can't get 60000 Lux without the part of the plant right under the light getting burned. Howwever that tool will also surprise you at how much of a difference it makes sometimes to turn your plants a quarter to half way. Especially during flowering. Cuts back on larfs around the edges by the wall where light penetration is pretty weak.

 

[Camaro1691]

Well I think it's safe to say that, while LED is no doubt the wave of the future, a beginner should learn the ropes with HID to get a feel for the process before delving into the LED world. I bought a 600w HPS when I began indoor growing, and that taught me a lot about light placement in general. Now my room has a total of six 600w air cooled lamps, 2 for veg and 4 for flower. I think each lamp including the bulb cost me about $160 each. Significantly less than the price of a good LED. And HID is tried and true. I don't have to worry about PAR, etc. I only use a lux meter to check light saturation around the edges of my grow room.

That $160 per fixture is the same price I pay for a viparspectra V600 light, 600 watt hid equivalent draws 312 watts, and I’ve had amazing results with them and their customer service is on par (pun intended) when I needed a light repaired after years of use. I know there’s better out there but for the price, you pay entry level but get top end results, just stay 600w equivalent and smaller, the bigger ones are better for hanging over a single plant, the smaller ones you can move around more to adjust your light canopy more precisely

 

[Camaro1691]

And while I agree hps/mh have always been known for producing weight, I can run 2 LED panels for each 600w hps hood I could have on my electrical circuit, which makes my garden larger and safer without taxing my electrical circuit as much. Just something else to keep in mind for those with older homes

 

[fanleaf]

Well I think it's safe to say that, while LED is no doubt the wave of the future, a beginner should learn the ropes with HID to get a feel for the process before delving into the LED world. I bought a 600w HPS when I began indoor growing, and that taught me a lot about light placement in general. Now my room has a total of six 600w air cooled lamps, 2 for veg and 4 for flower. I think each lamp including the bulb cost me about $160 each. Significantly less than the price of a good LED. And HID is tried and true. I don't have to worry about PAR, etc. I only use a lux meter to check light saturation around the edges of my grow room.

Soooooo, why is it safe to say anyone should start with old technology? I didnt hear any logical reason. You do have to worry about par just as much as the next guy. Hps is usually fine at 50w per square foot or more. Led guys dont ha e anything more to figure up than hps guys so I dont see your point.

 

[Edzzed]

One thing I read on this site was how to create humidity cheaply. Said hang a wet towel in front of a fan. What I did was get a timer and aquarium pump. I set the pump in a bucket of water and every hour it wets the towel. If you prick needle holes into the water line it wets the towel quite nicely. I have a separate switch to exhaust humidity once it reaches 62% and then the fan shuts off at 55% and it is user adjustable. works quite well in my set up. I also have switches for heating as my grow are is cooler and have switches to turn on an exhaust fan when temps get to high. All in all it is working out well so far. I have two exhaust fans hooked up to one another so one air exhaust line out.

 

[spyro]

Soooooo, why is it safe to say anyone should start with old technology? I didnt hear any logical reason. You do have to worry about par just as much as the next guy. Hps is usually fine at 50w per square foot or more. Led guys dont ha e anything more to figure up than hps guys so I dont see your point.

First, my comment was merely an opinion. I have absolutely nothing against those who use LED. I have seen what they can do as well as their results but, to me, I trust MH/HPS more. That being said, I do not think HIDs are better than LED. Its true, LED runs cooler and is more energy efficient. But, HIDs have always given me great results, and as they say, if it ain't broke... So what if it's "old technology." The fact that I happen to like "old technology" is because, when I started, LED grow lights were not very trustworthy and their prices were insane.

And, I did not say that PAR was not important. I just said that I don't have to worry about it because my lux meter works just fine. PAR was something I read about after having a lux meter for so long.

 

[Soildawg]

This is my 2x4x5 and I’m putting down 600 real watts of purple led with decent results even with my humidity only holding 25-30%. I get about 2-4 ounces a plant 4 gallon pots.. watch ur watering till they develop roots to take more water. with 4 autos perpetually so I harvest about every 3 weeks when the plants work sometimes they need to stay a few weeks longer than the breeders say

 

[Edzzed]

One thing I read on this site was how to create humidity cheaply. Said hang a wet towel in front of a fan. What I did was get a timer and aquarium pump. I set the pump in a bucket of water and every hour it wets the towel. If you prick needle holes into the water line it wets the towel quite nicely. I have a separate switch to exhaust humidity once it reaches 62% and then the fan shuts off at 55% and it is user adjustable. works quite well in my set up. I also have switches for heating as my grow are is cooler and have switches to turn on an exhaust fan when temps get to high. All in all it is working out well so far. I have two exhaust fans hooked up to one another so one air exhaust line out.

This is how I did it. One fan runs based on temp, Other based on humidity. So far so good.