LED Grow Lights Guide:1W Versus 3W And Higher
Posted by Irish | Posted in LED Growing Guides | Posted on 15-09-2011
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You’ve certainly made a wise investment of your time by deciding to read “The Ultimate LED Grow Lights Guide: 1W versus 3W and Higher.” This Guide explores the process of selecting the ideal grow lights that best suit your individualized needs and situation. As this field becomes increasingly competitive, the decisions will become correspondingly more difficult. So many light vendors currently offer exceptional grow lights. Modern technological advances are responsible for the greatly enhanced array of grow lights available on today’s market. Grow light manufacturers are able to construct superior lights from less costly material. This does not necessarily indicate, however, that all brands are identical. Many use so much hype and hoopla in their ads that you cannot really tell whether the lights they offer are truly worthwhile. This statement is particularly true as it pertains to wattage. If, for instance, a certain company claims that a 5-watt or 6-watt light is omnipotent, do not believe them. The real center of controversy is 1w versus 3w (and above).
1W vs. 3W or higher – which is truly the best?
It would appear as though 3-watt bulbs should shine much brighter than a mere 1-watt light. While this is certainly true in one sense, that theory only scratches the surface of the full story. Three-watt lights are brighter by a ratio of 3:1 as compared to 1-watt bulbs. In summary, a 3-watt grow light does not have treble the power as its lowly 1-watt analogue. It does, however, burn much more efficiently.
Do You Desire Better Plant Growth?
A grow light is an excellent option for those who must cultivate medical marijuana (the sole scenario in which cannabis may currently be grown within the US). These lights are no substitutes for working hard to obtain the desired outcomes, however. Those without green thumbs will still encounter difficulty in trying to get their plants to attain full growth. One website does exist that offers accurate advice and valuable insight. Its URL is howtogrowweed402.com.
Grow Light Efficiency Levels
You may be wondering how a 3-watt light can possibly burn less brightly than one with a 1-watt rating. The answer lies within both lights’ internal chip configurations. LED light chips must generate high energy levels. Bulbs of neither 3-watt or 1-watt power levels can actually produce precisely 3 or 1 watts of light energy. What distinguishes them is the level of internal heat contained within the bulb itself. Three-watt bulbs have higher internal overhead. This is why they last much longer than lower-watt modules.
In layman comprehension levels, 90-watt lights could actually function on just 80 to 85 watts (if they utilized 1-watt LED bulb configurations). On the other hand, using 3-watt bulbs would result in emitted light of only 50 to 55 watts. In this case, the 1-watt light is really superior, because of its greater wattage. This physical phenomenon is a constant within all existing LED grow lights. Whether you buy a 1-watt or 6-watt light, higher values yield less bulb brilliance. With that fact firmly in mind, 1-watt grow lights are ideal for those desiring to raise medical marijuana.
Is Acquiring a 3-watt Diode Desirable?
To the unaided human eye, 3-watt LED grow light emissions will always seem to be brighter. Indeed, a single 3-watt light has much penetrative energy capacity than that of a 1-watt bulb. This means that although 1-watt lights have more efficiency, 3-watt bulbs feature higher plant penetration for emitted illumination. Naturally, this assumes that your lights are procured from a reputable supplier. If you buy grow light brands from a disreputable source, your product is likely to be substandard.
Is Penetration or Efficiency More Essential to Plant Growth?
In contemporary technological realms, 1-watt bulbs have indisputably higher efficiency by far. Likewise, someone who employs a 3-watt bulb is certain to see superior canopy penetration. This feature facilities very healthy plants. The net result boils down to a matter of trade-offs. You must decide whether to forego efficiency for the sake of more energy, or settle for the converse situation. Achieving optimal results in both arena is impossible as technological capabilities current stand.
Keeping this fact in mind, your decision of 1W versus 3w bulbs is reducible to the type of harvesting you intend to conduct. People tend to be very concerned about canopy penetration. In fact, that feature is relatively insignificant, however. If you cultivate plants inside a closet, a 1-watt diode will work just fine. It is irrelevant whether you use an SCROG or SOG technique, as neither format entails canopies. By contrast, if you want your plants to reach taller heights or have relatively sticky buds, 3-watt bulbs are the best choice by far.
Take a brief study tangent into the content displayed to the immediate right of this Article. The in-depth discussion it features offers a general sense of how 1-watt and 3-watt grow light bulbs function. I like to use a garden hose analogy. Using a 1-watt bulb is akin to holding a garden hose that is kinked in one or two spots. The waterflow simply is not the same as that which comes from an unobstructed conduit. Three-watt bulbs are like getting a garden hose that is completely patent, but is not nearly as long as that of a 1-watt bulb format. Because the light stream is much more potent, however, it yields a penetration level with a 4:1 ratio. In other words, a 1-watt bulb can penetrate a 4-inch canopy; whereas, 3-watt bulbs cut right through at least sixteen inches. From that perspective, it is quite obvious which of these lights is the superior choice.
In summary, your choice is made much easier as to which grow light to buy if you invest the time to research the various factors that impact relative quality levels. The main thing is to select a model that is right for your particular plants. Read everything you find. Do not believe manufacturers’ ads at first blush. Quite apparently, these firms have an obvious self-interest in promoting their own products. Thus, seek recent and accurate information only from objective sources.
This is the end of “LED Grow Lights Guide: 1w versus 3w and Higher.” The presentation featured herein is the first of a continuing series. Further updates will be forthcoming on a regular basis. Be sure to let all your friends know about this Series – especially if they are authorized to cultivate medical marijuana. The data set forth herein is not easy to find.
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