Can someone post the results of a UFO LED system they have purchased?
Misleading or deceptive advertising really clouds the basics needing when comparing costs, country of origin, lifespan, customer support etc.
USA vs. China/Asian companies, etc.
Please post results of growth. company and the price you paid if you don't mind.
I know I'm asking a lot, but I think this is the system that fits my needs, I just need some help with the questions above.
I will post this to the hydroponics foum as well.
ahhh! my mistake. Posting to his blog is disabled and there is no PM ability on this forum.hydroguy wrote:I've not made to transition to LED's yet Halfway. Heck I've not even switched over to electronic ballasts yet.
Hydrogardener is the member here at HG that has the experience running LED's.
hydroguy
Hydrogardener??
I have not used the UFO type but I have used 14-watt, 54-watt and 125-watt panels. The 14-watt all-blue was good for seedlings, albeit not a good overage area - about a square foot. The all-red and red-blue 14-watts produced leggy plants, especially the all-red. They could not hold themselves up after a couple of weeks.
The 125 watt had Red/Blue/Yellow in something like an 8:2:1 ratio. Supposed to be equivalent to a 400-watt HID; it isn't. Tomato plants had long internodes and bloomed far too early. However, it is working great over a Dwarf Cavendish Banana plant in a DWC system.
Mike
The 125 watt had Red/Blue/Yellow in something like an 8:2:1 ratio. Supposed to be equivalent to a 400-watt HID; it isn't. Tomato plants had long internodes and bloomed far too early. However, it is working great over a Dwarf Cavendish Banana plant in a DWC system.
Mike
Halfway,
I think people are focusing too much on the Red/Blue and not enough on the other spectra. True, plants don't use much green, yellow or purple light but they don't use a lot of macronuits either. Yet try growing decent veggies with only NP&K!
Something I will try soon - I need to start a few seeds and I have a couple of little (3.5-8 watt) white LED spotlights. They are worthless at more than about six inches away but almost touching the light meter, I get readings of close to 100,000 lux. Plus, using the old CD reflector thing, it looks like they are full spectrum.
I agree, way more hype than truth. A guy in another forum bought a 600-watt a couple of seasons ago. It was assembled in Australia where he lived so no shipping costs. Suppose to cover something like 18 sq. meters. He reported it really didn't do very good.
Mike
I think people are focusing too much on the Red/Blue and not enough on the other spectra. True, plants don't use much green, yellow or purple light but they don't use a lot of macronuits either. Yet try growing decent veggies with only NP&K!
Something I will try soon - I need to start a few seeds and I have a couple of little (3.5-8 watt) white LED spotlights. They are worthless at more than about six inches away but almost touching the light meter, I get readings of close to 100,000 lux. Plus, using the old CD reflector thing, it looks like they are full spectrum.
I agree, way more hype than truth. A guy in another forum bought a 600-watt a couple of seasons ago. It was assembled in Australia where he lived so no shipping costs. Suppose to cover something like 18 sq. meters. He reported it really didn't do very good.
Mike
An update:
I found a seller that has finally, at last, incorporated lots of colors into a LED light. It's sonnylight.com but the $300 cost for a light that will cover only about the area a 1020 nursery tray takes up is ridiculous. I figure that in another year or three, the same light but much more powerful (it is only 15 watts) will sell for maybe $50.
Mike
I found a seller that has finally, at last, incorporated lots of colors into a LED light. It's sonnylight.com but the $300 cost for a light that will cover only about the area a 1020 nursery tray takes up is ridiculous. I figure that in another year or three, the same light but much more powerful (it is only 15 watts) will sell for maybe $50.
Mike