900W Led Grow System (Grow Journal Starting From Purchase To Harvest)

[garyfisher]

Hello.  Dont post on here much but figured I would enlighten ya with my guineapig trial.

With summer finally coming and nights warming up, I have to solve the summertime growing problem.

I chose to buy some really cheap LED's directly from China with a 3 year warranty. 

I've never ordered direct before but this will be a documented experience.

I purchased two of these 900w LED panels powered by 288 3W LEDs.  The total cost was $1060 shipped with 3 year warranty.

 

I am going to use this thread to document the experience from the point of buying them until harvest and final product evaluation.  I am a biased HPS grower but I am a little excited to play with these lights.  I figure if these last 3 years as warrantied, each unit will replace one working hortilux bulb/ballast/reflector combo.  If you replace your hortilux bulb($90) annually, the cost over 3 years is $270 If you replace biannually, the cost has doubled to 540.  The cost of a decent ballast and reflector/hood is going to cost at least $200.  Not including energy rates, the total cost of HPS light operation is either $470 or $740 over 3 years.

 

This is how I justified paying $530 per light.  Hopefully it lasts the 3 years problem-free.

But again, the main concern is heat because of summer.  Ideally, I'd like to not run AC if I dont have.

Edited May 1, 2013 by garyfisher

[Kingdiamond]

About time ive been dying to see an entire LED grow from start to finish I have my dew and popcorn ready !

[DailyToker]

About time ive been dying to see an entire LED grow from start to finish I have my dew and popcorn ready !

 

Plenty of them around the net currently. 

[Kingdiamond]

Plenty of them around the net currently. 

True by people I don't know this person I can trust to show me everything and be honest hard to tell if a journals being done by a patient or just a person hawking their wares I trust Garyfisher will give honest results.

[garyfisher]

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I received the lights within 5 days ofpurchasing them online.  THat was FAST from china.  Here are some pictures of them above a few plants in HEMPY buckets.  The plants have been flowered under 600w HPS and are week 6.

Edited May 9, 2013 by garyfisher

[imiubu]

[Kingdiamond]

Im dying to see final trichome production and overall yield compared to running the same strain under the LEDs and HPS I'm looking to find a cooler method to use in my flower room its not even that warm outside and I'm already running high temps .

[garyfisher]

KD:  I cant wait to do some side by side experiments and then send the finished product to a few different labs to compare cannabinoid content.  What I've noticed already is that these suckers are HOT a few inches under the light.  I actually burned a veg plant!  If I could do this over again, I would buy several 200w units.

[Kingdiamond]

KD:  I cant wait to do some side by side experiments and then send the finished product to a few different labs to compare cannabinoid content.  What I've noticed already is that these suckers are HOT a few inches under the light.  I actually burned a veg plant!  If I could do this over again, I would buy several 200w units.

Whats the change overall in room temps because that's my main problem is heat they tout these panels as being much cooler than aircooled hoods I need a better alternative then just giving more money to DTE for using my portable air.

[garyfisher]

I didn't record any data regarding temperatures.  I have two 800cfm fans exhausting at all times.  It gets warm but not too hot.  I doubt the LEDs added much heat if any because they are right underneath the exhaust.  Hot air from LED's rises to exhaust and exits house.  See the carbon scrubbers above LEDs?

 

I would say the heat is comparable to a 250/400 HPS.  It's not much but its there.  The deal with LEDs is they are supposed to be more efficient because you can provide the exact wavelength the chloraphyll use to convert photons into electrons.

Edited May 10, 2013 by garyfisher

[Kingdiamond]

Sweet cant wait to see the finished medicine ,.

[Captain Obvious]

Those 900 watt LED lights draw just 600 watts of electricity but they do create a lot of heat that needs to be exhausted.

 

Best to use these lights as a side light in combination with 1000 watt HPS.