LED Grow Lights: What Do You Want To Know?

[ocnugs]

This might sound stupid but since these dont get as hot could you have one or two u.f.o's coming from the top and another one or two from underneath the plants and do you think this would make for a bigger yeild?

[Hydroguy]

Hi ocnugs,

As far as i know the underneath part of the leaf can't absorb light (mother nature never counted on the sun coming from the ground up)

some at the sides may give better penetration under canopy though!!!

peace

[Crudvapors]

Really?

[ocnugs]

mostley what i was thinking the underneath of the buds that have trouble getting light

[HydroGrowLED]

Originally Posted by ocnugs

This might sound stupid but since these dont get as hot could you have one or two u.f.o's coming from the top and another one or two from underneath the plants and do you think this would make for a bigger yeild?

As long as the light is able to penetrate the leaves in your lower foliage, it should work ok from underneath. Plants don't normally absorb light in this fashion, but penetration is the key. I think side lighting is a better option probably for supplementing the lower areas of your plants.

[desertleaf]

I have 3 plants in small grow room with a 90 watt UFO and though I'm no expert, my plants look great and have starting budding out after 4 weeks under 12/12. I'm adding a cfl to bring more light to the lower extremities. Anyone have luck with this? Thank you, Dee

[Baja Big Dog]

Hey Hydrogrow, I gotta say, some may consider this thread as SPAM, but let me be the first to say, this is one of the most informative, and useful threads around here, and your attention to responding is fantastic!!

I never gave any thought to LED, but this information is changing my thought process, I just which the fricken prices would come down!!!

Since LED technology is not new, I would assume the costs probably wont be coming down in the near future?

Maybe assembly in Mexico would help? (dont flame me guys!!)

[Crudvapors]

Anyone concidering this thread spam needs to be banned...

I figured as long as light pass through photoreceptive cell, it should absorb, from bottom or top. Wasn't sure though. Thanks for the info cammie.

If I were to grow with a 126w penetrator, what should my grow space be? I know they cover a 2x3 at 12". But throughout all of our grows, hgl, you move the light from 6-9" at least, not sure where else you keep them. But it makes since to me that you are actually growing in a less than 2x3 per penetrator. I'm not factoring in the fact the plants won't take up the entire 2x3 from clone.

And don't encourage cammie to outsource, pay me, I'll make lights:). Kinda not in Washington though...

[HydroGrowLED]

Originally Posted by Baja Big Dog

Hey Hydrogrow, I gotta say, some may consider this thread as SPAM, but let me be the first to say, this is one of the most informative, and useful threads around here, and your attention to responding is fantastic!!

I never gave any thought to LED, but this information is changing my thought process, I just which the fricken prices would come down!!!

Since LED technology is not new, I would assume the costs probably wont be coming down in the near future?

Maybe assembly in Mexico would help? (dont flame me guys!!)

Well Baja, I started this thread so that people could have an easy to read informative topic on LED grow lights. I cover most of this information on my website and also in my grow journals, but most people don't want to flip through 30 pages to read it all. I wanted people to have a place where they could ask about this new technology specifically, and receive answers to any of the questions they might have. I don't see this in any way as SPAM, especially when I'm an advertiser on this forum, but everyone is entitled to their own opinions

As far as the costs go, they have come down A LOT in the last two years. While LED's themselves are not a new lighting technology, the level of efficacy that they have currently was not available 3-4 years ago. LED's are constantly being improved upon with new units creating more and more lumens per watt than ever before. These NEW LED's are still expensive to use, as they are the highest quality and highest output. The prices have dropped 1-2 dollars per watt over the last couple years, but there is still more they can come down.

As we currently MFR in China, I don't think Mexico would be any cheaper. What will cause the price of these units to fall in the coming years, will be the sheer volume of people purchasing them. When everyone has finally made the decision that LED lighting tech is here, and that HID is now obsolete, that switch will signal the end of high prices on LED's. MFR's will be selling 100X the LED's that they currently make (Cree, Luxeon, etc...), giving them more flexibility on their pricing, and leading to further development of cheaper manufacturing processes.

[HydroGrowLED]

Originally Posted by Crudvapors

If I were to grow with a 126w penetrator, what should my grow space be? I know they cover a 2x3 at 12". But throughout all of our grows, hgl, you move the light from 6-9" at least, not sure where else you keep them. But it makes since to me that you are actually growing in a less than 2x3 per penetrator. I'm not factoring in the fact the plants won't take up the entire 2x3 from clone.

My grow space right now is 18" x 30" with a single 126W penetrator. It is 12" above most of the plants, and the light spreads a bit beyond my canopy in one direction, as the other 3 are covered in mylar. With this space I have raised and lowered the light on various occasions, and I find it to be a good sized space for a single unit. Most people using small spaces with 1 light, tend to be leaning towards the 20" x 30" space. I'd recommend that if you want to keep your plants within the vast majority of the most intense light being produced by our units.

[go green]

Cammie,

Would it be safe to put your unit above plants that are currently growing other other mfg's units?

In late flowering, hesitancy sets in, and questions arise...

What ya think?

-Go Green-

[HydroGrowLED]

Our lights cause no issues with plants as far as adaptation is concerned. We've taken them from under different LED's, T5's, HID's, etc... and put them under our LED's with great results. Even new clones at 6" below the light show no signs of stress. If you wanted to remove the other MFR's unit and use ours instead, I'm certain your plants will thank you

[go green]

That is exactly what I wanted to know, as usual. :0)

Thank you Cammie~ You have excellent input.

Go Green!

[Soniq420]

Wouldn't more light always be better than less light?

Originally Posted by go green

Cammie,

Would it be safe to put your unit above plants that are currently growing other other mfg's units?

In late flowering, hesitancy sets in, and questions arise...

What ya think?

-Go Green-

[HydroGrowLED]

Yes, more light is generally better, but the quality of light and which specific nm's are being used, make a big deal of difference on whether or not that light will have much benefit in flowering. Let's say the light uses only 630nm red, 612nm orange, and 450nm blue. Because it is way off the peaks and missing 660nm, it won't be very effective or helpful unless it is used within 6". In my personal testing experience though, any light with a decent percentage of orange (15-20%) has had harmful effects when used within 6", so it can almost be viewed as a catch 22.

Ultimately the reason I recommended he switch lights is so that he can see the immediate difference during the latter part of flowering from the light he's been using to ours.