Need advice about LED

[rickchap]

Hi

I want to pick out a good LED panel. Who can advice where can I find it cheapper.
Also, I watched some videos about DIY projects. Will it be cheapper to construct the LED panel? Is there sense to try or purchase a new LED?
thanks

 

[Mafioso]

Honestly I really doubt that it will be cheaper to buy a bunch of parts and assemble them yourself versus buying a factory made one. Unless you know how to machine and fabricate a lot of it from raw material, chances are going to be it will be far more economical to buy a factory made one. Unless you don't value your time or value it very little, then you might possibly save on the labor cost but machines today are very hard to keep up with.

This is just my guess though, I am curious if it is possible. I'd imagine a pretty good starting point would be to make a list of everything you will need to build one and see how much cheaper, if at all, it is to buy individual parts vs assembled.

 

[rickchap]

Thanks for your opinion. What do you mean “factory made”? Are there special manufacturers of LED panels for growing?
I viewed among various led lamps https://www.mrosupply.com/lighting/lamps/
Sorry for odd questions, but I want to start growing. I estimate now how much money should I invest.

 

[Mafioso]

There is a really wide selection of different types of LEDs, many designed specifically for growing. I would definitely try selecting one designed for growing with a high PAR rating. If you don't know much about PAR or lighting in general it would almost definitely be smart to buy a factor made LED. And by factory made.. I mean just that- lights made in a factory that is designed to produce light fixtures.

And a lamp is what most people call a "bulb", does not include ballast and other components more than likely.


Look into grow lights, find out what others are using and try one out. If you want to save money, try to buy used equipment if possible in your area. There are so many variables when it comes to growing, so a lot of it is up to you as far as how much money you want to spend, how much you want to crop out, growing space, and so forth. Many things to consider... the big ones are PAR rating, grow space, heat, and power supply. Figure out your limitations and work within.

 

[Bigazznugz]

I have seen some new ones that will replace a 1000 watt hps bulb. It has different cockpit spectrums in it as well but, It costs around 1000$+! I do like the idea of it being able to save light but until more manufacturers make them and the price goes down I'll get one. There just isn't enough info on how well certain systems work. I know the first generation of LEDs did not work well. So ill let it advance and once I can get one cheaper I'll stick to the sun or hps/mercury hallide.

 

[thujone]

it's simply about the wavelengths (read up on chlorophyll and photosynthesis). HIDs have a really broad range but are inefficient in terms of how much of the energy is being released in just heat alone. CFLs are more energy-efficient but output a narrower spectrum, but with a combination of daylight and warm light CFLs the necessary wavelengths get hit.

you can figure out the true spectrum of any light source you have with a cheap acrylic prism