Great job Sleepy!
I am almost finished with my second LED grow- a UFO 90, supplemented with some CFL. I used bag seed (albeit excellent seed), and I vegged too long. My girls are 3 ft+ tall- too tall to optimize what LEDs are best at- short plants or SOG
Knowing what I know now, I would not buy any of the light systems currently being offered, and here's why.
Changing LED bulbs is not user friendly. Once the bulbs lose their values, and the blues will do so a lot sooner than the reds, what do you do? Assuming the mfg will replace them, at what cost, and how long a turn around time?
I am running a side-by-side CFL vs LED (well sort of). The CFL side has 950 watt equivalent. As you might expect, the plants are fuller on that side. While I am not unhappy with my LED yield, I know I will do much better now that I understand the strain dynamic.
I paid $370 for my UFO. In both grows I had a transformer blow, but Sunshine Systems replaced them under warrantee.
You can now buy regular screw in 300 watt equivalent CFLs at Lowes for under $15! You can buy a 4 bulb Vanity light for under $20, and 26/43 watt CFL (soft and brights) for less than $8 each. CFLs don't generate so much heat that a closet grower should be concerned. If you can't vent, don't get the 300s.
I am almost finished with my second LED grow- a UFO 90, supplemented with some CFL. I used bag seed (albeit excellent seed), and I vegged too long. My girls are 3 ft+ tall- too tall to optimize what LEDs are best at- short plants or SOG
Knowing what I know now, I would not buy any of the light systems currently being offered, and here's why.
Changing LED bulbs is not user friendly. Once the bulbs lose their values, and the blues will do so a lot sooner than the reds, what do you do? Assuming the mfg will replace them, at what cost, and how long a turn around time?
I am running a side-by-side CFL vs LED (well sort of). The CFL side has 950 watt equivalent. As you might expect, the plants are fuller on that side. While I am not unhappy with my LED yield, I know I will do much better now that I understand the strain dynamic.
I paid $370 for my UFO. In both grows I had a transformer blow, but Sunshine Systems replaced them under warrantee.
You can now buy regular screw in 300 watt equivalent CFLs at Lowes for under $15! You can buy a 4 bulb Vanity light for under $20, and 26/43 watt CFL (soft and brights) for less than $8 each. CFLs don't generate so much heat that a closet grower should be concerned. If you can't vent, don't get the 300s.
