Once more unto the breach, dear friends...

[Kelo]

OK, here we go...LEDs..before you recoil in horror at yet another post about the abilities, or lack of them, of LEDs, as of August 2011 are there any firm reports that LEDs have actually become better than they were, say, last year? I suppose those who are intent on getting them installed will do it anyway and those who wont, well, wont. After reading the for's and agin's I find it a little unforgiving of the naysayers that these lights are almost a complete waste of time, effort and money while the magic seekers - that probably includes me - are standing in the wings telepathically willing them on to do better!

So, do these links aid or hinder the debate or should we just forget about it for another few years until LEDs have passed muster? Perhaps they do neither.

NASA and LED Grow Lights

A Complete Guide to LED Grow Lights | LED Technical Data

Light PAR Specifications For Our LED Grow Light Range | LED Technical Data

[Wjs2nd]

All I know is when I have the money for the led grow light system I want I'm getting it. Do I think they're as bright as some places claim, NO. However, most people don't want them because they may think their bright. They want them because they work well on light a plant uses.

[Kelo]

I don't honestly know if they are good or not so great and wonder if I should go down the CFL road. The type of CFL I would need plus the reflectors and the amount of them makes it far more expensive. I don't mind spending the money I just want to get the right thing.

[Wjs2nd]

Everyone seems to have their own opinion when it comes to led lights. I'm going to get a hydro grow led setup when I can. It is red and blue LEDs. You need to have added white lights to see the plants in their green color.
LED Grow Lights | Hydro Grow LED | LED Grow Light

[DavidCampen]

Originally Posted by Kelo

A Complete Guide to LED Grow Lights | LED Technical Data

I read this. There are some facts there but mixed with so much misinformation that I would say it is nearly worthless.

I am building LED lamps for use in my plant room but I have specific and particular reasons for having decided to use LED over t8 or t5 fluorescent or High Pressure Sodium.

I have decided to use LED lamps of my own design because I can make very tightly focused spotlights that can be effectively mounted many feet away from the plant(s) they are illuminating and also I can improve the efficiency a bit over fluorescent or HPS by using LEDs that emit light that will be mostly absorbed by the plant.

But if you are going to be buying commercial LED grow lamps that are arrays of many LEDs and then hanging them a foot above your plants then you might as well use fluorescent or HPS.

[Kelo]

I think that, based purely on price, I will go for the CFL type since it's going to cost me thousands to have several light a foot above my plants and that just isn't going down well - unless I build my own and I have no idea how to do that. Can anyone tell me what we need, how we do it etc?

[DavidCampen]

Why CFL and not t8 or t5 fluorescent?

If it is because you want spotlights then that is why I am building my own LED lights. I will be using LEDEngin LZ4-40R100 LEDs.
http://www.ledengin.com/files/produc...LZ4-00R100.pdf

With this lens also from LEDEngin
http://www.ledengin.com/files/produc...LNS-1T06-H.pdf

They will be mounted on a 75mm long heatsink.
Ohmite Heatsinks

And using this Magtech constant current LED driver.
L07U-700 - LED Supply.com

but this is just for supplemental lighting yet even then I will want dozens of these.

[Kelo]

A fellow grower uses these lights with reflectors and grows vandas with them to supplement daylight in winter and gets excellent results.

Plug And Grow - Lighting

I don't think I could justify the cost of some of these LED pro lights but I need something for winter, preferably covering a large area but I suppose this would be an unrealistic aim.