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pics Xmas light LED grow panel pics

I did not want to further hi-jack davetaylors thread, nor is this a competition. Just giving further ideas and pics of what is possibly a cheaper solution to the higher price of stronger wattage LED grow panels...an experiment.
My panels are 18" X 24" plexiglas from menards and the led strings are mini 70's....2 strings of blue, mixing in 1 red string. Drill bit used is 15/64, which make a tight fit. Forcing lights through will crack glass. Looser fit with a little glue may be best. The colored lense releases from led housing, "if" led ever burns out. Therefore, colored lense could remain permanent.
Menards sku for blue: 284-0933. Red: 284-0934
2 panels complete at $60

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lts were discounted at $7 ea. normally $14
plastic cover is the color. lt is just a normal LED.
the entire string pulls something like 2.4 watts.
 
Sorry to be the one to tell you this but I'm pretty sure its the wavelength of the light that matters not just the color it appears to be. A normal LED filtered through blue plastic doesn't make it true blue light. You need LED that actually output blue or red light, not white light filtered to those colors.

I'm a noob too so let's wait and see if someone else can confirm or deny this. I hope i'm wrong!
 
I have been thinking this all along while reading these threads on christmas lights but did not want to comment. UnNatural I believe you may be right on this one. Wheres Omri when you need him.

Dale
 
I wonder if it is worth it since one can buy 225 bulb panels on e-bay for $25-35. Now, building your own by buying bulbs, resistors, etc., and wiring them together sounds a lot less expensive.

Mike
 
Do they sell LED's in those color spectrums? Just to be clear, I know nothing about lighting other than you need to plug them in to get them to work. :idea:

Dale
 
Dale,

I don't know if they sell LEDs in every single spectrum but they sell the more popular bulbs and in various sizes, angles, etc.

Mike
 
thepodpiper said:
Do they sell LED's in those color spectrums? Just to be clear, I know nothing about lighting other than you need to plug them in to get them to work. :idea:

Dale

Yes. That's one of the things that is supposed to be great about using LEDs. They can output specific wavelengths, so basically the plant can use all the light that is emitted. This way there is no energy being wasted on wavelengths the plant cannot use. The LED grow lights on ebay and the ones other people doing DIY LED projects here use LEDS that emit blue and red light, not white light filtered to appear blue and red.
 
UnNatural said:
Yes. That's one of the things that is supposed to be great about using LEDs. They can output specific wavelengths, so basically the plant can use all the light that is emitted. This way there is no energy being wasted on wavelengths the plant cannot use. The LED grow lights on ebay and the ones other people doing DIY LED projects here use LEDS that emit blue and red light, not white light filtered to appear blue and red.

QFT. The ones that are true blue or true red leds will appear clear when they are powered off. The color(wavelength) is determined by the semiconductor material used to create the LED. The ones with colored plastic housing aren't ideal for growing plants.
 
hello...

...I'm simply experimenting, as davetaylor is with growing his peppers with the same type lighting. i'm having fun, as i love hobbies (like i don't have anything better to do....hehehe)
i will post pic's with the results. this will be a controlled air/soil temp environment. Most likely will give some bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and some ornatmental grass. It is pitch dark in my area, controlled lighting with a timer.
I'm new to this and am not the greatest with the good-ole-sun!
I'll let ya know what comes about.....
 
I bought 50 10mm blue leds. They appear clear when not powered up and are 130,000mcd - which is the brightest ones i could find.

My overwintered tepin has been doing extremly well underneith - not particularly fast but the pannel uses £0.04 worth of electricity a week. I can't complain.

Chris
 
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