Cultivation: LED grow lights

[Frankeh]

Has anyone here had experience with L.E.D grow lights?

I started to look into in the other day after calculating the cost of running a 600w HID, about $3500 a year @ 10hr's a day.
I don't want my power bill jumping that much.

It seems the use of them has been around for the last 5 or so years, but is really just starting to get there.
Initial cost being a major factor, but if it saves the power bill and unnecessary attention by you know who then it might be a good idea.

From what I've seen a 90w LED set up will do the job eventually.
Just a few week's longer to flower, and a decrees in yield.
as it's personal use that doesn't bother me too much.

Has anyone grown using LED's here?
or even just looked into it?

A Google of LED grow lights will show you what I'm talking about, I'm not going to link to a specific brand.

[Generic Box Of Cookies]

Sounds like a good plan.

*Can get them in any color you need
*More efficient, more profit.
*Less suspicious power consumption to be investigated and less waste heat means you're less likely to get spotted by thermal/IR cam.
*2-4 times the useful lifespan of an HPS lamp.

In theory, it's an excellent alternative.

In practice, I have no idea.

[Frankeh]

there are a fair few video's on you tube show, eventually it works.
and all the theory say's it's a go.
Just hoping for some experience/ discussion about them.

maybe this should be in the new sub forum, I only just saw it.

[SHARP]

Hey Frankeh, you guys just got your own little subforum, courtesy of the Mod team and the omnipotent deus, so I moved your thread here, congrats, and enjoy.

[Rich White Male]

A guy I knew spent like $100 on ebay for LED grow lights and they failed him horribly. I don't recommend them at all.

[TripleDot]

I have a list of the wavelengths of lights and how many you'd need for each (out of a hundred total) to apparently grow a plant nicely.

[Barney'sDealer]

Originally Posted by Rich White Male

A guy I knew spent like $100 on ebay for LED grow lights and they failed him horribly. I don't recommend them at all.

Maybe because he bought it on ebay.

[Herpy Derpy]

Your calculations are wrong.

.6(kWh) * 10(h/day) * 365(day/year) * .15(very high estimate kWh price) = $328.50 per year

In fact my bill is $116.80 per year with a 400w HPS, with that schedule.

Better example:

3 months per year veg at 24hrs, (.6 * 24 * 90 * .15) + 9 months flowering at 12/12 (.6 * 12 * 270 * .15) = $486

You'll pay less than this. Assuming you get .75g per watt = 1,350g/year = $.36g = $10.08oz

Sounds fine to me.

[Frankeh]

guess I forgot to carry the 1

only 300 bucks a year? that doesn't sound excessive enough for Mr police man to come knocking on your door.

[MunkeyQ]

There's a thread over in DIY about this too.

[Frankeh]

got a link?

[Exploration of Space]

Hey I grew with LED's. It took me once to figure out you shouldn't. They are goood for vegetative growth though. They are expensive, and fail to produce TIGHT DENSE buds.

I grew 4 Afghan Kush (100% indica, nuggs shoulda been hard as a rock) plants under 2 250 watt equivelant LED's. The Veg growth was fine and normal, but the budding was VERY slow, the bud was supposed to be ready after 8-9 weeks and it took 13 for the trichomes to be about 50% milky white and 45% clear and 5% amber. The buds were very leafy and not nearly as hefty as they should have been. After drying/curing I had a little over an ounce, VERY poor yield for four plants that were 4-5 feet tall. the buds themselves were probably the most fluffy I've EVER seen. An Eighth looked like a half oz they were so fluffy.
If you're going to use LED for flowering, don't expect much. They will save you electricity cost if you use for Vegetation, but get HID lamps for flowering, you'll be glad you did.
I can post pics if youd like

[JREwing]

Use a calculator like this:

http://www.citytrf.net/costs_calculator.htm

Also for vegetative growth you need more like 14 hours a day, although I intend to rig up something with CFLs as a veg/clone chamber.

And please have sympathy, electricity is €0.16 per KWh around here About a buck a day. I have a kitty set up that I put all my spare change into. Should help pay off the bill.

[zombo.com]

lol, i was wondering how a 5 kilowatt hours a day and some change could come out to 4 digits in bills per year.
were you by any chance a little high when doing your figuring?
seriously though, i've heard nothing but bad about LED lights.
there is something really cool in the works though calle da plasma bulb. theres a vid on youtube, it's like the size of an xmas light but puts out ten times the light of a 400 watt bulb.
no commercial applications yet, but the company says they're in the testing phase.

[Frankeh]

yes i was a little high when i did the math
That plasma bulb looks like the shit, 250w 6000kelvin
I'd suck a dick to get my hands on one.

[zombo.com]

i emailed the company asking if they were working on agro products, they said next year sometime.