I’m trying to get a clearer picture of the breakdown of lights growers are using in their facilities. I built a basic poll to gauge what lights we are all using. Thanks for giving us some feedback, @memberdirectory!
0 voters
I don’t grow professionally (I work at an equipment manufacturer), but at my house I have been using a mix of HID and DIY LED’s for years. This year I’m hoping to build a dimmable half kW COB array that will cover a more square area (i.e. Grow tent). My previous biggest effort with LED’s was originally used for a 6’ planted aquarium, but it grows all of my herbs, succulents, and seedlings very, very well. After getting a 3A driver for the XM-L’s I’m seeing that I can actually raise it considerably and cover a much larger area when I get my seedlings going for spring.
Mine has always been adapting and evolving, as I’ve been moving a lot in recent years.
The LED array for the aquarium was a 6’ heatsink with 12 Cree XM-L diodes on stars, with 40 degree optics so that I could hang it well above the aquarium, and keep the light on the glass less intense. They’re connected in series for wiring simplicity. I have looked recently and I’m having difficulty finding the correct part number for what I ended up with, but they are more into the blue spectrum, as that’s what I liked over the aquarium at the time. I was originally driving them with an inventronics 2.1A constant current driver, but have since upgraded to a Meanwell HLG driver that runs them up to the full 3A. I’ll only really be using that when I’m needing the extra capacity as the system will run more efficiently at 50-66% capacity. I used to dim it on and off over a few hours to mimic sunrise and sunset… just because I thought it was a neat effect. At this same time I grew peppers and herbs through the winter in my basement with a 400 watt HPS.
When I was down in Cap Hill in Denver my apartment had a massive wall of windows that faced 16th street to the north so I ran both lights in there to supplement the indirect sunlight, and in winter I’d insulate the windows and grow strictly under artificial light (both in the same space).
Now that I’m back in a house, I’ve got the LED array up in my office and I’m growing food herbs, peppers, succulents, and houseplants that my fiancee likes ( Monstera Deliciosa, Rubber Tree, etc.) under that same array with the HLG driver. I have had a lot of luck, but I see some things that almost refuse to grow under it (these are few and far between and could be coincidental), things like the S.O.'s Chinese money plant… it just sort of… froze, there was zero regression but zero progress. Those appear to do better on the window sill.
My cannabis is in a tent in the basement, it is growing with the 400watt HID as that’s what I have at the moment, the new LED fixture will replace it, and I’ll be using something like a Vero 29, Cree 3590 in that build. Hopefully that’s in the spring, but I’m also saving for a wedding, so I might jump to a cheap 600-1000 watt HID fixture in the mean time, we’ll just see how that all pans out. A PAR meter is on the docket for me as well, but I always have a hard time pulling the trigger on that as a more hobbyist gardener.
FWIW, lights are not at all what I do professionally, it’s just something I have a general interest in, and I enjoy building things.
My experience is that both work very well, but given the choice, I’m pursuing LED.
EDIT, A few pictures of my office setup. Getting some Fish Peppers going currently.
I got lucky and found some California Lightworks LED’s on Craigslist when I started out a few years ago and they work great. I am now building up my own COB LED’s since the other ones generate too much heat in the summer. I call them my winter lights!
Sounds like a great CL score! How do you like those CLW lights?
I like them a lot since they have the veg/bloom setting as well as UVB florescent’s on the side for the end of grow. They do blow a lot of heat into the room which is their only downside to use them year round. I have another newer kind led that doesn’t generate any heat but it doesn’t have the uvb option.
Dear All,
If anyone really wants to hear about the next step in innovation of LED light systems, feel free to approach me and i will elaborate more about our EVA3 system by Flora Fotonica. We are here in favor of LED of course :grinning !
I am using big ochosand have been for 10yrs now. No double ended bulbs for now. Happy with 1-1 1/2 lbs per light. Dont want to fix what isnt broken.
Thank you,
GROWUROWN
These results are interesting and surprising. Based on this poll, it seems LED’s are outpacing HID’s. We are talking about this in the office for sure! Let’s keep this poll going and get some more results. Thanks to everybody who already answered!
For CMH I like the new Boss with Philips 4200K or 3100K Agro bulb. They can be daisy chain, dimmed, and on a controller.
Personal favorites are Spectrum King Closet Case 100w and 140W 4k and 5k. 1 light per plant with 3-4 lights overlapping.
Each phenotype gets her own light and
mixed with Kessil.
I have used Kessil Horticultual for 8 years ranging from H150,H350 and now the H380. Relialble.
Set the Kessil up on accessory goosenecks and position them at angles in the corners of a tent with the main white lights overhead CMH or S.K.
Mix ceramic metal halide with LED for dual spectums but maintaining environment could be a challenge.
Nice! Thanks for those recommendations, @FarmerK. How many of those Boss lights can you daisy chain together? How do you like the CMH/LED combo (that’s my personal favorite)?
As of this morning, polling is showing that growers prefer LED’s over any other lights! Mixed light is neck and neck with HID. This is proving to be interesting data. If you haven’t yet voted, please just click the poll. Super easy!
I’m currently using 3 lights:
300w HPS
400w Mars LED
150ish w Mars LED
Cool DIY setup @trees138
I will double check on the Boss my local grow store sells them like hot cakes and loaded up stock last year. They came out right after I got mine so I don’t have a Boss. Heard good feedback from guys using them in as small as 3x3’. The OE controller Sun S. Etelligent does 2 zones up to 200 ballast per zone 400 total?
I like the low profile of the Boss reflector.
If ceiling height is an issue these lights can be hung high and the ballast can be outside the garden.
Next CMH I buy will be air coolled though.
Things can get pretty hot mixing spectrum with HID and LED. For someone that has good control of their garden and uses cO2, LED and CMH can bring conditions in a good range for aggresive growing.
Keep in mind safety and to much light/heat can over do it.
When i came indoors, i started with HID/HPS fixtures. A few years back i switched to LED. Best choice ever. Just costly on the front end.
Wow!! I am shocked to see CMH at the bottom. i can’t wait to change that. The results will blow you away…literally!!!
I think it’s because people just don’t know how well CMH works! People just need to learn, brother!
CMH rocks. Id love to take a few out for a run.
