Considering LED Lighting

racer123

New Member
Good morning,

I have recently started growing with CFL's and they really haven't impressed me all that much. Since I am in a closet with no exhaust duct, I am pretty much stuck with CFL's unless I go the LED route. I had a couple of questions regarding LED lighting and would love it if someone could answer them for me.

I am currently looking at this grow light: LED Grow Light Lighthouse Hydro BlackStar 240 Watts, I found it for roughly $270

1. I heard that with LED growing takes longer, is that true? I heard someone saying that he was flowing for 3 1/2 months. That concerns me a little.
2. How is the yield compared to HID lighting?
3. Would these lights be enough to grow 3 mature plants (in a small 2' - 3.5' closet) planning on growing bushy plants. How many plants could I be growing under this light?
4. Could I take plants from seedlings to flower with this light!?
 
Hello,

If you use the forum search feature, you'll find myriads of grows using LEDs. My personal experiences (I've used units from 4 different vendors, so I have so exposure):

1) If someone is taking 14 weeks to flower, they've got a shitty strain, or don't know what they're doing. Modern LED units flower just as well as any HID.

2) You will get less yield for a given area. The LEDs do NOT have the footprint of HID lighting. It's just the facts.

3) When you describe mature bushes, I don't think 3 of them will fit in a 2' x 3.5' closet, do you? I'm not familiar with the vendor/model you're looking at, but you'll want a core coverage of the area of your closet.

4) Absolutely. I've grown with nothing but LEDs all along, and I take plants from this:

DSCF2297.JPG

to this:

DSCF22243.JPG

So yeah, not an issue. Good luck, and welcome to 420!

Peace,




:bongrip: - JZ
 
Hey I appreciate the response. Since LED's are still pretty damn expensive / watt. I might just hold off and switch to HID instead if that is the case. That would mean that I need to buy a growing tent but that shouldn't be a problem.

I guess I am going to switch this thread over to HID lighting haha.

So I was thinking about getting a growing tent that is 24"x48"x60" (maybe a little taller)

Would that be big enough for 3 mature plants? Also how much wattage do I need. Could I get away with a 400 Watt HID or do I need a 600 Watt HID?
 
Stay away from blackstar. They simply make a crappy product with crappy parts and under-drive their poor quality LEDs. The actual power consumption of that unit is ~ 168 watts.

Please take a look at the link in my signature. It will answer a lot of your questions and give you some more basic info that you will be looking for soon.
 
Hey thanks Hosebomber! Appreciate the response, I just went to the link in your signature. I think I am pretty much set with HID lighting then, at least till LED lights become a lot cheaper. Also I think I might as well go for the 600 watt HID system since there is only like a $30 difference between the two.
 
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