Light Bulbs.

Got a 15 watt array. Made up of a 75/25 ratio of red and blue in the ideal bandwidth for photosynthesis.

15 watts isn't much compared to the big tungsten hallide lamps (i think that's right ) but LED arrays have two main advantages. They don't lose energy in the form of heat, which is where the vast majority of energy is lost in incandescent lamps, and secondly, they have very tight bandwidth, so no energy is lost generating light in parts of the spectrum that plants can't use (which is actually most of the spectrum ). The net result is that all of the energy used produces light that can be used for photosynthesis, rather than a tiny fraction of it.

That said, 15w is still not much. I find it is enough for most plants up until they get big enough such that in their natural development it would be summer. Ie the lamp gives a reasonable approximation of spring but can't do late spring or summer.

 

Wow that's a good price @JWK, thanks

 

@clueless1

Please excuse my ignorance here, when it comes to the electricity, I can change a plug or fuse and that is about it really.

With your LED setup of "75/25 ratio of red and blue" apart from it being 15W, which is I assume is in total for all 100 lights, are these led bulbs of a special type or just as your post infers...ie red and blue leds.

Many thanks

Steve...

 

I like Screwfix LED lights , used GU10 s for years . I would like to replace our hall and stair lightbulbs which are always blowing and knocking off the lighting circuit . Does anyone make the "golf ball" bulb in LED with a small edison screw ?

 

Hi @HarryS I think B&Q stock them.
We've just change all our lighting to LED

 

They are just red and blue, but not quite like say, regular indicator types. The red and blue are specific frequency for photosynthesis. There's a chart floating about in horticulture references that shows light frequency usefulness in photosynthesis. There are two distinct blips in the chart, one somewhere in the blue area of the spectrum, and another in the red. The LEDs in the array are at bandwidths that coincide with the spikes in the charts.

Furthermore, it seems of these two spikes, the red and the blue are used in slightly different sub processes within the overall photosynthesis process. I can't remember which colour there are more of in the array (probably red), but plants need more of one than the other, hence the 4:1 ratio.

 

Thank you Clueless..

Steve...

 

I think I read that at different stages of a plant's lifecycle, different amounts of red and blue are used. You can get LED arrays containing just the red or just the blue, each for different specialist purposes, but the basic introductory model, such as I have, us geared for more general photosynthesis for all round cell growth, whereas I think the others are meant to induce flowering or build strong stems or some such. I don't understand such advanced intricacies, so the more general one suits me I think.

 

I agree with @clueless1 , the light spectrum does mean a great deal. I believe I read somewhere that the blue was very good to the vegetative stage and red for flowering and producing fruit.

'Course I didn't read this until after I had already bought my flourescents and one hps light.

This is the first time I have read an assessment by someone in a forum who has gone the extra step to actually use one. Interesting....

 

As above, if you use a dimmer switch, then any LED bulb you buy, must be a specific dimmable bulb.

Homebase have a great selection of LED bulbs, and B&Qs is coming on too. Aldi often have them in on special at competitive prices too.

Where did you buy it?
Any shop in the UK should replace it given it is less than a year.
That said, replace your bulbs with proper LED bulbs, and they will last. LED bulbs are fairly expensive, but a decent brand like Philips will not die on you so suddenly.

If you like the idea of colour changing bulbs to replace normal bulbs, have a look at LIFX bulbs, I have a couple and they're great. Not cheap though.

 

I saw these for the first time a few weeks ago. As stated, they are expensive. The thing that amazes me is that they come with a remote control for changing the colour. Which made me wonder. The light in the room I am sitting in now has 5 bulbs. If I changed to either coloured, or for that matter dimmable ones, would I need 5 remotes? Whether I do or not, just the manufacture of so many pieces must negate the positive effect on the environment these are supposed to give...