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UFO LED or HID or T5HO?

While Moyboy and Huntsman and the rest of the crew on the wrong side of the planet get started on their crops outside, I'm in the process of moving mine back indoors- or will be, when I get back home from work next week. While in the past I've had good success in using standard T12 flouros for starting seeds and even overwintering a few plants, I'd like to actually get some growth during the winter out of a few plants without pissing away lots of money either on initial startup costs or on electricity. I know HID are extremely effective- however, I also know I pay almost 18¢ a kilowatt hour for electricity. HID would tear my wallet up.

  • The UFO is 80W, which on a 16/8 schedule would work out to be, coincidentally enough, $80 for electricity for the year.
  • IF one were to say the UFO is equivalent to 300W, that would work out to be over $300 for the year for the same 16/8 schedule.

So the UFO would save me about $230 a year in electricity over a conventional HID light in one year- again, if one presumes the UFO would be equivalent to 300-ish watts of HID lighting. The UFO costs about $185 more than the cheapest switchable 400W HID system I can find at HID Hut. If the UFO is insufficient on it's own, I could supplement it with my poor boy T12s

Up until now I hadn't done all that much research on T5 though it does look very promising as well. I'll have to contact local suppliers for ballasts and tubes but I'm pretty sure I could build a dual-tube T5HO setup with reflectors for about $100 at the most, including tubes.

  • HID initial output - 120-130 lumens per watt
  • T5HO initial output- 92 lumens per watt

While the HID puts out more light initially, they rapidly lose efficiency relative to the T5HO. Since I'm a cheap bastard, I'm averse to changing bulbs out that often- and I know the T5 will last WAY longer than any HID bulb will. A 4 tube T5HO setup would be 216W. Would that be equivalent to the UFO LED? Hell if I know, it depends on who you ask- those who aren't trying to sell the damn things say they're equivalent to 250W and up. Fatalii is definitely pleased with his, though I don't know if he's done much HID growing to compare it to. For conversations sake, let's say it's equivalent to 300W-ish of HID light. What's 216W of T5HO equate to in HID? If we go back to the lumen count, the T5HO will give an HID setup a run for the money, especially when considering ROI over time.

  • Again- the UFO is 80W, which on a 16/8 schedule would work out to be, coincidentally enough, $80 for electricity for the year.
  • T5HO at 216W ~ $220

So the UFO would cost me about $140 less than a 216W T5HO setup in electrical usage in one year. I'm fairly certain that since the 80W UFO is being compared to anything from 250W to 400W, I'm sure it'll produce more than the 216W setup will. Unfortunately it'll also cost about $300 more than one 4 tube T5HO setup would cost.


So what say ye? I'm a bit torn between the UFO and building a couple T5HO setups, even though the T5s will cost more in electricity. I've already got 20 Luxeon III LEDs with Buck Puck drivers and a 28VDC power supply that I'm going to use to build an array this winter, so that somewhat lessens the appeal of the UFO- for the price of the UFO I could build a freaking array with 40 3 watt Luxeons, WITH drivers.
 
If fluorescent lamps were so efficient, they would be used in roadway lighting

Seen any fluoros on the interstates?

Life-cycle costs for area lighting show HID is best.
 
I think flouros are ok at close range, low wattage so inverse square etc on the distance. Thats why they're not used on the interstate - 30' up its no use to anyone but moths.

Thats about all I understood of the original post so I'll butt-out now

:beer:

~bent
 
Actually, they replaced all the HID streetlamps in my town with LEDs, and all the new warehouses/big box stores are using T5HO fixtures rather than HID ;)
 
Are you trying to grow plants from seeds to fruit or just take already grown plants from outside back in to keep them growing all year long? How many plants are you trying to grow and what is the size of your grow room? Are you looking to just grow a couple of plants or are you trying to grow a monster plants that will give you gallons of sauce all year long? I mean what is you goal??? I did research on all the systems and they are have there advantages and disadvantages and the best system should be based on your goal is.
 
LGHT-
Sorry 'bout that, I forgot to include the specs on the lab- it's about 8' x 5' x 7' tall and windowless (we get no light in the winter anyway). I'm going to wire in a digital thermometer for heat control and a programmable light switch. Primary goal is to overwinter mature plants with enough light to get them to set fruit. I have a separate area for germination and seedlings.
 
Hinky said:
LGHT- the lab- it's about 8'x5'x7' tall and windowless
Primary goal is to overwinter mature plants with enough light to get them to set fruit.

8'x5'x7' is a good amount of space. How many plants are you talking about and when you say set fruit would getting a lot of fruit be more important or saving money on electricity? In a space that large I would do 2 600w HPS full spectrum bulbs to get maximum growth or 2 400 watts to get good growth. The full spectrum bulbs will also not only set fruit they continue to help the plants grow as well. I would set the light so your timers give them 8-10 hours of light a day. How do you plan on cooling the room? Since your in Alaska the room might stay cool enough by itself so you might not need an additional exhaust fan, but I had to add a large 400 cfm exhaust fan to keep my room because the 1x1000 watt light I'm running gets the room pretty hot.
 
LGHT-
Yeah, regardless of lighting method I'll be wiring an exhaust fan into the thermostat as well as plumbing up an outside air inlet. For most of the year cooling is not a problem for me. :lol:
Unfortunately 800W-1200W is out of my comfort range on account of the 18¢ a kilowatt hour thing. 400W or so I'd be alright with I guess- if that means a smaller area then so be it.
As for how many plants- well, as many as I can, of course ;) probably 3, maybe 4 peppers.
 
Hinky said:
400W or so I'd be alright with I guess- if that means a smaller area then so be it.

Yeah I totally here you on the electricity although you have enough room to run 2 600 watts it would be a bit pricey. The only reason I run so much light is because I got my equipment for pennies on the dollar so all my cost is in electricity only. If you place a single 400 watt 12-15" from your plants your going to get about 3'x3' area of coverage. You will get some light around 4x4', but it won't be focused light and won't be as intense. I've only had my plants under HID for about 4 months and I already have 2 plants that are over 3x3 each. That's why I suggested 2 lights. You could always get 2 of the 400's and just run them 6-8 hours a day instead of a single 400 12-16 hours a day. It all depends on if you would like to have twice as many small plants or less, but bigger ones.
 
Another option for making HID more palatable would be a light mover I suppose- a 400W or maybe 600W HID would be somewhat more easy to swallow if I knew it'd cover the whole room. It'd add another $100 to startup costs, but increase effective coverage as well I suppose...
 
Hinky said:
Another option for making HID more palatable would be a light mover I suppose- a 400W or maybe 600W HID would be somewhat more easy to swallow if I knew it'd cover the whole room. It'd add another $100 to startup costs, but increase effective coverage as well I suppose...

They may be a good solution.

I've never used them before, but the ones I've read about are used in large greenhouses where they light 1 side of the room for say 8 hours and have the mover move the light to the other side of the room to light those plants for 8 hours and then it shuts off. Essentially your running the light twice as long increasing electricity, but you don't have to buy 2 sets of equipment.
 
I have had good luck using t5ho for alot of things from plants to saltwater aquariums, and they are extremely efficient. And Geissmann makes the best t5ho bulbs for the spectrums you need and mine have not lost intensity in 2 years according to a light meter.
 
Piper,

Those are nice lights, a seller (maybe the same one) agreed to sell me three of them for $100 each, including shipping this spring. But the bottom line is each panel will only cover about 5 sq. ft. Plus, they do not have the intensity to support big plants once they start flowering.

I did a simple cost analysis - it would take me six years to break even in costs if I bought the LED lights instead of the 105 watt CFL bulbs.

All this AR stuff aside, if I had a 5 sq. ft. grow area for seedlings, I would jump on the LED panel.

Mike
 
LEDS great for germination and seelings, thats Bout it

225 LEDs 15 watts.. 2foot x 2 foot coverage
LEDS.jpg


ledSeeds.jpg


Shithot for seedlings though, Heat What Heat.. Unreal
leds-1.jpg


Cost Yes here these $54 each but Ok just got my electricty bill its $1300 as had couple of 600Watters and a 400w going Over winter 18/6

So Thats something to consider as Well, im Lucky its Tax deductable
 
Hinky said:
Actually, they replaced all the HID streetlamps in my town with LEDs, and all the new warehouses/big box stores are using T5HO fixtures rather than HID ;)

We are switching out our HPS for T5HO's in the plant where I work also. They do quite nicely.
 
theHippySeedCo said:
LEDS great for germination and seelings, thats Bout it

225 LEDs 15 watts.. 2foot x 2 foot coverage
LEDS.jpg


ledSeeds.jpg


Shithot for seedlings though, Heat What Heat.. Unreal
leds-1.jpg


Cost Yes here these $54 each but Ok just got my electricty bill its $1300 as had couple of 600Watters and a 400w going Over winter 18/6

So Thats something to consider as Well, im Lucky its Tax deductable

I use one of these LED's on my Thai's for 3-4 hours in the evening. During the day they get natural sunlight. They are starting their second set of blooms. Were planted in July. I think I paid $28.00 US on Ebay.
 
I never got more than about 14 inches square from one of those panel. I have a 45 watt that covers about 2.5 foot square area.

Mike
 
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