What are the differences between LEDs and HID lights?
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Welcome to OG. I’ll let someone else who can tell you without typing a full page like I would. For one, LED create very little heat compared to HID.
LED are twice the price and maybe 3 times the price of HID. Both perform well.
LED uses less energy, so less of an electric bill.
Maybe someone else will be more eloquent, lol.
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Led boards also last longer than hid bulbs, meaning the mh and hps lose potency faster than the leds.
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can’t you change the bulb, unlike LEDs?
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if LED uses less energy (watts) then how do the two lights compare in grams per watt.
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Yes and you have to so the costs add up over time vs the one time investment for LED. With LEDs you don’t need to change anything.
I would say they are both comparable. I have seen results where either has won lost. For the most part it comes down to the grower and the environment they provide.
Welcome to OG. Drop by the introduce yourself thread and meet everyone when you get a chance.
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Welcome to OG @zerocool …
Glad to have you onboard with us…
HID makes sense if you live in colder area, it produces lot of heat…
If you live in the tropics like me and didn’t wanna install airconditioner, LED is the better option…
And light spread is also good in LED…
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Quality, yield and light spread exponentially better under high quality LEDs. I live in a moderate/cold climate and the LEDs are great I only have to use a heater in the dead of winter
More light spread right to edges of tent means.more yield at the outside edges too
Less humidity and heat problems although you will need to be much more vigilant of RH as they tend to run dry till your tent has lots of foliage transpirating
Better penetrative of canopy
Quality of flower seems much better
In saying all this it’s better to splash out and spend big $ and buy best quality LED
In a 1.5 x 3m tent I have 2x 680w and in a 1.2 x 2
2m tent I have 2x 630w LEDs so the entire ceiling of tent is a light source. Don’t waste money getting small cheap ones you’ll only upgrade later
I’ve found with LEDs I need to pay much closer attention to VPD (humidity and temp), and other factors but the pay-off is worth it
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LED stands for light emitting diodes. They’re little tiny bulbs like the size of a bubble. They’re what you see in small flashlights, headband lights, … everything. So, they place hundreds of those tiny bulbs on “boards” or rack/frames in sizes that light up a tent or space of your choosing.
But, if you live in a very cold winter climate, some people find that they actually need the extra heat that an HID unit would give off. And, just the opposite for someone in the deep south where it get’s too hot to run HID in a small space.
HID is older technology (bulbs) but are powerful and some like them better than LED. Hope this helps. I’m trying to focus on the reasons and uses in our hobby, and not on the technology, lol… You can look up the science online.
Also, large outlay of money up front, ~$400-$500, compared to around $200 for an HID with bulb, and ballast. peace
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Online research says HID penetrates deeper (18-24in =HID to 6in =LED)
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My experience has been otherwise. Bigger light source has light coming from all directions, I can’t argue with online research but my experience the buds have been better lower down
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Welcome to OG @zerocool, lots of info there, I’ll just add that LED grow lights are “sized” by the wattage drawn from the power outlet, and a lot of lamps are advertised at wattages in the thousands which is false, its usually the sum of all the led diodes on the lamp fixture only.
I use a 400watt full spectrum Quantum Board fixture in a 4x4 tent with good results. HLG are the best bang for buck imo💚
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I’ve read that and the COB style led lamps are also supposed to penetrate the canopy better than QB fixtures but neither have the full spectrum.
are LEDs are suited for smaller grows?
what about yield and quality
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I used a 240w qb in a 3x3 for about a year and 2 240w qbs in a 4x4, I pull around 2 lbs dry in the 4x4 with 480w.
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2gpw is skilled
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LEDs are used commercially and many can be joined together for such operations, and yield size and quality are excellent.
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Coco and jacks, with a bloom booster at the end, but I’m feeding once to twice a day, and I’m running 660 fr, ir, and uva.
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Nice work bro:+1:
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