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- yo arse
I not entirely sure if a, no best way, really works here, after all some people just like to go with what they know, if it aint broke don't fix it kinda mentality.
DIYers can only use the tech made available to them from the LED manufactures and using COB/intergrated arrays is childs play to make due to their modular construction (chip, driver,heatsink,fan), compared to more traditional LED lights , which some more techy people have made, using maths and electronics knowledge and engineering skills, which puts making them out of most peoples comfort zone.
Total respect to DIYers but they aren't creating the future of LED light only using what is already available, it is the LED manufacturers who will create the future with new LED tech and experienced elecetronic designers who will put them to use.
As I mentioned people are suckers for old tech, because they know it to work and in no way am I disrespecting anyone for using their lights of choice.
Is exactly that, a choice, sometimes made because of money , sometimes because it is what works for them but the issue here is tech advancement and in particular of LED's.
Funny thing is people were using flouro tubes way back in the seventies to grow indoors and strains such as Northern light were grown under them.
There are still plenty of people using them but the tech has moved on a bit since then, but not a whole heap, but it does work and grows buds. A T5 now ,will do what a T8 or a T12 used to do, the T size refers to the diameter of the tube.
HID is very old tech but once again advances have been made with magnetic ballasts being replaced with electronic ballasts, dual colour bulbs and advances in bulbs specifically for electronics ballasts.
MH bulbs are also available in different colours and there is CMH (ceramic Metal Halides) which can give an excellent full spectrum light.
However both flouro and HID are still fairly inefficient and waste a large portion of energy as heat.
LEP (Light Emitting Plasma) is one of the new kiddies on the block and were vastly expensive just a couple of years ago but prices have dropped, whilst advertised as full spectrum they were heaver on the blue side of the spectrum, which made them great for veg but not so much for flowering. I think this has been looked into and bulbs with more red are available. One problem with a microwave powered light is that the magnetrons do eventually die, just like your kitchen microwaves do.
Then there is LED's which has seen a meteoric rise in tech advancement year on year and it doesn't seem to be slowing down, not that long ago less than a decade LED's were in their infancy for growing weed, now they are kicking ass with big steel toe capped hob nailed boots.
Soon in a few weeks we will see the next installment in the rise of the the LED's from GN, whilst other lights such as flouros & HID grow some really nice bud (not knocking them for that) their tech advancement and efficiency is in no way keeping up at the same rate as LED's.
I guess the rate LED tech advances will slow down at some point, it just doesn't look to be any time soon.
One problem to consider is, with LED moving forwards so fast is ,will it leave a trail of out dated and outmoded electronc junkers that have no real second hand value. Who wants to buy a second hand light with no warranty, especially if it the next advancement has just hit the shops.
DIYers can only use the tech made available to them from the LED manufactures and using COB/intergrated arrays is childs play to make due to their modular construction (chip, driver,heatsink,fan), compared to more traditional LED lights , which some more techy people have made, using maths and electronics knowledge and engineering skills, which puts making them out of most peoples comfort zone.
Total respect to DIYers but they aren't creating the future of LED light only using what is already available, it is the LED manufacturers who will create the future with new LED tech and experienced elecetronic designers who will put them to use.
As I mentioned people are suckers for old tech, because they know it to work and in no way am I disrespecting anyone for using their lights of choice.
Is exactly that, a choice, sometimes made because of money , sometimes because it is what works for them but the issue here is tech advancement and in particular of LED's.
Funny thing is people were using flouro tubes way back in the seventies to grow indoors and strains such as Northern light were grown under them.
There are still plenty of people using them but the tech has moved on a bit since then, but not a whole heap, but it does work and grows buds. A T5 now ,will do what a T8 or a T12 used to do, the T size refers to the diameter of the tube.
HID is very old tech but once again advances have been made with magnetic ballasts being replaced with electronic ballasts, dual colour bulbs and advances in bulbs specifically for electronics ballasts.
MH bulbs are also available in different colours and there is CMH (ceramic Metal Halides) which can give an excellent full spectrum light.
However both flouro and HID are still fairly inefficient and waste a large portion of energy as heat.
LEP (Light Emitting Plasma) is one of the new kiddies on the block and were vastly expensive just a couple of years ago but prices have dropped, whilst advertised as full spectrum they were heaver on the blue side of the spectrum, which made them great for veg but not so much for flowering. I think this has been looked into and bulbs with more red are available. One problem with a microwave powered light is that the magnetrons do eventually die, just like your kitchen microwaves do.
Then there is LED's which has seen a meteoric rise in tech advancement year on year and it doesn't seem to be slowing down, not that long ago less than a decade LED's were in their infancy for growing weed, now they are kicking ass with big steel toe capped hob nailed boots.
Soon in a few weeks we will see the next installment in the rise of the the LED's from GN, whilst other lights such as flouros & HID grow some really nice bud (not knocking them for that) their tech advancement and efficiency is in no way keeping up at the same rate as LED's.
I guess the rate LED tech advances will slow down at some point, it just doesn't look to be any time soon.
One problem to consider is, with LED moving forwards so fast is ,will it leave a trail of out dated and outmoded electronc junkers that have no real second hand value. Who wants to buy a second hand light with no warranty, especially if it the next advancement has just hit the shops.
