led vs hps

vegetta

Member
HELLO WORLD
First I would like to thank everyone who helped me you rock

gotta question Im using a 600w hps cool hood and I was reading up and came across the new led lights just would like to know how many are using them oppose to a hps and what company makes a good led thats equivalent to a 600w hps thanks
 

Captain Keg

Well-Known Member
HELLO WORLD
First I would like to thank everyone who helped me you rock

gotta question Im using a 600w hps cool hood and I was reading up and came across the new led lights just would like to know how many are using them oppose to a hps and what company makes a good led thats equivalent to a 600w hps thanks
I've several HPS I don't use anymore, several crap LED lights I regret buying & looking into cob lights.

They seem to be the way to go.

In saying that I'm about to invest in 5x 600w viper spectre LED's until I gather all the parts to build my own cob.
 
I've several HPS I don't use anymore, several crap LED lights I regret buying & looking into cob lights.

They seem to be the way to go.


In saying that I'm about to invest in 5x 600w viper spectre LED's until I gather all the parts to build my own cob.
Won't it be like just as efficient to run those hps compared to those viperspectre and since u already own the hps it wouldn't cost you anything, what I'm trying to say is, wouldn't it be a waste of money to buy those leds wen you already have hps that is basically just as efficient to run.

Unless your going to reuse the bodies of the leds for a cob build, but even then I'm pretty sure some aluminum angle and some 140mm pin sinks would cost less and probably look better ?

And be easier to put together
 

CobKits

Well-Known Member
Won't it be like just as efficient to run those hps compared to those viperspectre and since u already own the hps it wouldn't cost you anything, what I'm trying to say is, wouldn't it be a waste of money to buy those leds wen you already have hps that is basically just as efficient to run.

Unless your going to reuse the bodies of the leds for a cob build, but even then I'm pretty sure some aluminum angle and some 140mm pin sinks would cost less and probably look better ?

And be easier to put together
this.keep using your hps till you can afford the rig you want. nobody wants a pile of half-assed year old leds
 

canadian1969

Well-Known Member
30-40% is the number you are looking for.
Things you need to consider:
1. Growing under LED takes a bit of adjustment. Environmental, light positioning, lenses and spectrum all have to be considered. There will be a bit of a learning curve. Took me 3 grows to dial everything in once I had the light I needed.
2. Efficiency is offset by capital cost. While savings are pretty decent the initial cost of the lights is high and ROI is difficult to achieve in some cases. A theft or seizure of grow equipment would be devastating for a small operator. Whereas with HPS, you could be operational again within a day or two due to the low cost and ready availability.

So if you are running 600 watts HPS, if you go watt per watt and do 600 watts of LED, your yield should increase and your cooling costs decrease. If you want the same yield you get presently under HPS, shave 30-40% off the LED wattage; therefor a LED light with approx 450 watts (actual, not equivalent, ignore equivalents) should do the job for you. In this example your savings are on cooling (which you basically will no longer need) and electricity, again (obviously) to the tune of 30-40%. Growth characteristics of your plant may also change under LED, if your crop under LED is lighter/fluffy, the plant is stretching etc, it could be you dont have enough watts or the lights are too far from the plants. You will definitely see your plants do different things under LED. Buying multiple smaller LEDs is sometimes a better option than one big one that has to be raised up higher to cover the entire canopy. Smaller, overlapping lights give you better PAR values without hot spots and will provode some redundancy in the event a panel dies. (rare). Active or passive cooling is another choice you need to make and is primarily dependent on your LED light manufacturer and your grow space.

As for how many people are doing it, I have no idea, but it is catching on and most of the early adopter pains are over. Cost of the lights is still the primary issue. The tech keeps getting better every year. The low heat footprint makes indoor grows way stealthier, choppers with FLIR will not be able to see your grow glow from the air :-)

I also learned it's a waste to use LED for cloning/rooting/vegetative growth (florescent works fine at a fraction of the cost), so go with a flowering spectrum, heavy in the reds or warm whites or both. The best part of LED is that you get to design your own spectrum.
Don't bother with UV LEDs, If you really want UV you will have to supplement with tanning bed floros or some other source. Always wear eye protection.

One last piece of advice, if you are going LED, take that opportunity to entirely re-engineer your grow. Reconsider how you do everything, cooling, odour control, humidity, circulation etc.
 
Last edited:

MichiganMedGrower

Well-Known Member
30-40% is the number you are looking for.
Things you need to consider:
1. Growing under LED takes a bit of adjustment. Environmental, light positioning, lenses and spectrum all have to be considered. There will be a bit of a learning curve. Took me 3 grows to dial everything in once I had the light I needed.
2. Efficiency is offset by capital cost. While savings are pretty decent the initial cost of the lights is high and ROI is difficult to achieve in some cases. A theft or seizure of grow equipment would be devastating for a small operator. Whereas with HPS, you could be operational again within a day or two due to the low cost and ready availability.

So if you are running 600 watts HPS, if you go watt per watt and do 600 watts of LED, your yield should increase and your cooling costs decrease. If you want the same yield you get presently under HPS, shave 30-40% off the LED wattage; therefor a LED light with approx 450 watts (actual, not equivalent, ignore equivalents) should do the job for you. In this example your savings are on cooling (which you basically will no longer need) and electricity, again (obviously) to the tune of 30-40%. Growth characteristics of your plant may also change under LED, if your crop under LED is lighter/fluffy, the plant is stretching etc, it could be you dont have enough watts or the lights are too far from the plants. You will definitely see your plants do different things under LED. Buying multiple smaller LEDs is sometimes a better option than one big one that has to be raised up higher to cover the entire canopy. Smaller, overlapping lights give you better PAR values without hot spots and will provode some redundancy in the event a panel dies. (rare). Active or passive cooling is another choice you need to make and is primarily dependent on your LED light manufacturer and your grow space.

As for how many people are doing it, I have no idea, but it is catching on and most of the early adopter pains are over. Cost of the lights is still the primary issue. The tech keeps getting better every year. The low heat footprint makes indoor grows way stealthier, choppers with FLIR will not be able to see your grow glow from the air :-)

I also learned it's a waste to use LED for cloning/rooting/vegetative growth (florescent works fine at a fraction of the cost), so go with a flowering spectrum, heavy in the reds or warm whites or both. The best part of LED is that you get to design your own spectrum.
Don't bother with UV LEDs, If you really want UV you will have to supplement with tanning bed floros or some other source. Always wear eye protection.

One last piece of advice, if you are going LED, take that opportunity to entirely re-engineer your grow. Reconsider how you do everything, cooling, odour control, humidity, circulation etc.
Thanks for writing all this. It was very informative and helpful.
 

4nikator

Active Member
Won't it be like just as efficient to run those hps compared to those viperspectre and since u already own the hps it wouldn't cost you anything, what I'm trying to say is, wouldn't it be a waste of money to buy those leds wen you already have hps that is basically just as efficient to run.

Unless your going to reuse the bodies of the leds for a cob build, but even then I'm pretty sure some aluminum angle and some 140mm pin sinks would cost less and probably look better ?

And be easier to put together
Do u know if HPS lights lose Lumens over time? Get weaker?
 

BlazingGunner

Well-Known Member
I've several HPS I don't use anymore, several crap LED lights I regret buying & looking into cob lights.

They seem to be the way to go.

In saying that I'm about to invest in 5x 600w viper spectre LED's until I gather all the parts to build my own cob.
how much are you paying per unit? because 5x 600w viperspectre you could get a cob kit
 

canadian1969

Well-Known Member
HPS bulbs (depending on quality) require replacement every 3-8 grows, some people use cheap bulbs and change them every grow.
Florescent tubes need changing every year pretty much.
LEDs area bit of a different creature, but I think they call this Lumen Deprecation and the standby rating for LEDs is "L70" which means how long before the LED is only emitting 70% of its original capacity. This is typically in the 50K hour range, which also means the light could last way longer, just not at 100%.
 

Captain Keg

Well-Known Member
how much are you paying per unit? because 5x 600w viperspectre you could get a cob kit
Can buy a set of two 450w for around £250
600w is basically £300 for two.

My reason for buying these now, is so I can go ahead & get my grow room running & then gather all the wires, drivers & cobs once that grow has been harvested.
Then I'd move the LED's over to the veg room instead.
I've though crap 300w sunspect LED's in there at the min & probably be better off with CFLs.
 

Captain Keg

Well-Known Member
Do u know if HPS lights lose Lumens over time? Get weaker?
Yes, what happens is the bulb will produce more heat as apposed to light.
Most growers will change their bulbs every 3/4 months or after harvest, they will still work but just not as well.

I set aside a few of the used bulbs, comes in handy incase a bulb blows & you don't have a replacement handy.
 

jay5coat

Well-Known Member
I love my cob LEDs, definitely takes a little learning to grown under them though. No more venting the lights, less heat, able to spread them out more over the plants, and no changing the frickin bulb! They are expensive though but they pay for themselves in power consumption/ heat dissipation and the cost of HP's bulbs over time.
 

disratory

Well-Known Member
HPS bulbs (depending on quality) require replacement every 3-8 grows, some people use cheap bulbs and change them every grow.
Florescent tubes need changing every year pretty much.
LEDs area bit of a different creature, but I think they call this Lumen Deprecation and the standby rating for LEDs is "L70" which means how long before the LED is only emitting 70% of its original capacity. This is typically in the 50K hour range, which also means the light could last way longer, just not at 100%.
Have you tried the kessil h380 led light before?
 

4nikator

Active Member
Yes, what happens is the bulb will produce more heat as apposed to light.
Most growers will change their bulbs every 3/4 months or after harvest, they will still work but just not as well.

I set aside a few of the used bulbs, comes in handy incase a bulb blows & you don't have a replacement handy.

Thx, I had a feeling my indoor tent grow was slow compared to last year. A new bulb is on the way.

Thx to all for the heads up on the degradation of hps bulbs over time.
 
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