5050 SMD Led change to 3watt Led. Update 14 june 2015

[tish]

Hi, I intend to replace my T5HO tubes with 5050 SMD LED strips. I currently use 2 x 2ft T5HO tubes, am thinking of replacing them with 2 strips of Blue 5050 SMD and 1 strip of mix Red and Orange Led. Is this led a good replacement for thr T5HO?

Edited June 14, 2015 by tish

[pmatil]

Sounds like not enough for the leds. What is the wattage of the led strips?

[tish]

60led in a 1meter strip at 14.4watts. Cuttable at every 3 led mark

[tish]

Some info I found

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMD_LED_Module

SMD LED (module) :5050

Dimensions ( mm x mm) :5.0 x 5.0

Power (watt) :0.2

Flux(lumen) :16-18

Intensity(candela) :5.1-5.75

Beam angle(degree) :120

http://szgmled.en.alibaba.com/product/521208168-0/5050_smd_led_datasheet.html

5050 smd led datasheet[/size][/size]

Color: white(2000-20000k), red, blue, green, yellow, RGB

Current: 60mA

Power: 0.2w

Chips: Epistar 10*23 mil chips

Three chips inside super bright!!!

Lumens: 10-24lm

Lighting degree: 120 degree

Package: 1000 pcs/reel

Life span: 50000 hrs-80000 hrs

Warranty: 3 years

Certification: FCC, CE and RoHS certification

Edited October 1, 2014 by tish

[Hud357]

Hi, I intend to replace my T5HO tubes with 5050 SMD LED strips. I currently use 2 x 2ft T5HO tubes, am thinking of replacing them with 2 strips of Blue 5050 SMD and 1 strip of mix Red and Orange Led. Is this led a good replacement for thr T5HO?

 

Been there, done that. I would look elsewhere for an LED based replacement.

 

I'm currently experimenting with the LED 'COB strips' like these...  http://www.ebay.com/itm/10W-COB-LED-Strip-Light-Bulb-Lamp-White-12-24V-1000LM-for-DIY-200x10MM-Rectangle-/360934272481?pt=US_Light_Bulbs&var=&hash=item54095bede1

 

They seem to be working out well (3x10w in a 3 foot tank) but I have only been using them for a month or so!

 

Provided that you can dissipate the heat then you can chain them together into whatever form you require. You will also need an appropriate 'driver' so take note of the typical forward voltage and current of the parts and stick with similar requirements for each component eg if you want to use 20W 'COB' then make them all 20W 'COB' That way you can buy an 'off the shelf' PSU.

 

The ones I got needed about 12v/0.9A each (3 in series - 36V/0.9A) and I happened to have an appropriate 30W driver hanging around.

 

To be honest I was not really looking at 'energy savings' or 'spectral enhancement' but control. Most (useful) lighting is 'on/off', LED can be controlled down to the last 'Lumen'.  

[notostracan]

I would agree with the others unfortunately, one of those 5050 SMD LED strips wont put out nearly as much PAR as the equivalent length T5HO tube (or even 2x that), even if it looked just as bright to your eyes.

 

What is your goal for using LEDs? Higher light intensity in a smaller space, less heat or energy savings?

Edited October 1, 2014 by notostracan

[tish]

notostracan , Hud357,

 

Thanks for your feedback. You have used 5050 strips before? This might be bad for me, I want to replace my T5HO because they are generating additional 5°C to my ambient temperature 30°C . The second motive is to save on power.  5050 SMD LED is using 3 led in 1 module, I thought that is quite strong.

 

Currently I'm using  2x 2 ft  T5HO, I am thinking of replacing with 3 or 4 strips of  (I meter )  5050 SMD LED in hoping to achieve a replacement. My current setup is taking a space of  85cm X 60cm. 

 

 

The LED you are using looks interesting, you have been using it. how many are you using for your 3 feet tank which is almost the same space as mine. How many do you think will light up my space 85cm x 60cm.

[Hud357]

notostracan , Hud357,

 

Thanks for your feedback. You have used 5050 strips before? This might be bad for me, I want to replace my T5HO because they are generating additional 5°C to my ambient temperature 30°C . The second motive is to save on power.  5050 SMD LED is using 3 led in 1 module, I thought that is quite strong.

 

Currently I'm using  2x 2 ft  T5HO, I am thinking of replacing with 3 or 4 strips of  (I meter )  5050 SMD LED in hoping to achieve a replacement. My current setup is taking a space of  85cm X 60cm. 

 

 

The LED you are using looks interesting, you have been using it. how many are you using for your 3 feet tank which is almost the same space as mine. How many do you think will light up my space 85cm x 60cm.

 

Yes I tried the strips but wasn't impressed. They light up the kitchen surfaces just fine but I think that you would need a lot of them to properly light a tank.

 

I've settled on three of the LED's above for the moment. It is just an experiment though and I may well just get a multi tube florescent tube setup.

 

If it is just a matter of temperature then you might be better off installing a fan, perhaps even a fan and a thermostatic control. Something like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Digital-Temperature-Controller-Thermocouple-40-to-120-with-Sensor-10A-12V-/201009640978?pt=UK_BOI_Industrial_Automation_Control_ET&hash=item2ecd1bb612 so that you can run the fan and the controller from the same 12V supply.

[Hud357]

If you are seriously looking at the COB type modules then try http://www.dx.com/s/led+strip+cob

 

Something for everyone there.

[tish]

Hi Hud357,

thanks again for the advise, i already had a fan on and it is not helping much. As my objective is to cut cost. Adding more fan or turning on air condition will not be a good option.

I already bought the 5050 SMD LED strips 3 weeks ago so I need to experiment on this first. They are not here yet. I might have to run some test for a month or 2 to see if the current LED I bought will do any good. Alternatively I think I cano measure the LUX value on my T5HO tubes and from the LED to do a quick comparison if the lights are enough. There is an App for android that utilized the proximity sensor to measure lights in LUX value.

What I have bought are

4 x 1 meter Cool white

4 x 1m blue

1 x 1m red

2 x 1m warm white

I thought I will be using more blue for plant growth, but seems like everyone is using Red more than blue.

this is how it looks like, is this the same 5050 you used to use? Not efficient?

Edited October 3, 2014 by tish

[Prompt]

Hello, I cultivate only with white LEDs, and in my years of cultivation under smd led, I can tell you with certainty that the 5050 are efficient for terrariums less than 50 cm high, exceeded this height you have to pass to the LEDs with additional optics.  

 

My calculation for your 85cm x 60cm terrarium  is 6 strips of a 1 meter (about 85Watt). 

 

The configuration that I recommend is to put striped warm-white and neutral white with a ratio of 1: 1. 

 

You must also be attentive to the adhesive strips because it tends to detach due to the heat. 

 

I personally use the rigid strips led that are much better for the installation.

 

Prompt

Edited October 4, 2014 by Prompt

[notostracan]

 I might have to run some test for a month or 2 to see if the current LED I bought will do any good. Alternatively I think I cano measure the LUX value on my T5HO tubes and from the LED to do a quick comparison if the lights are enough. There is an App for android that utilized the proximity sensor to measure lights in LUX value. 

Unfortunately LUX is a useless measurement for plant growth, and would only be a little bit more useful for a rough comparison if the light sources outputting the same wavelengths of light.

 

LUX is only a measurement of light that human eyes can see, not what plants can use, you would need a PAR meter for that.

 

 

 

What I have bought are 4 x 1 meter Cool white 4 x 1m blue 1 x 1m red 2 x 1m warm white I thought I will be using more blue for plant growth, but seems like everyone is using Red more than blue. this is how it looks like, is this the same 5050 you used to use? Not efficient? 

Your twin SMD strips may be just adequate to keep your plants alive and maybe growing, but they wont nearly equal the light intensity from twin 24W T5HO bulbs. 

 

Theoretically red/blue lights are more efficient as more power is going into wavelengths the plants can use, however this may not be the case for all plants in all stages of growth and the difference is very small IMO.  

 

The picture you posted looks the same as the LED light strips I've used many times before on aquariums. Personally I find them very poor for plant growth, they are cheap for a reason IMO. Brilliant for lots of applications, but there are far more efficient lights for growing plants.

 

Maybe perfect if you don't mind your plants growing slower to save electricity/cut down on heat.

[tish]

Thank you Prompt for your feedback on your experiences with 5050 LED and the recommendation on the setup. I got most of my answers from your reply.

 

 

Hi notostracan, a Lux meter was all I have for measuring light. Perhaps I will not take too serious with the reading. Just for a comparison between the T5HO tube and the LED.

 

I do have the intention to using Red and blue, but also cool white and warm white. Will be a trial. I value your advise and suggestion. 

 

 

 

 

Thanks everyone. I think I have good suggestions and advises with and against using the 5050 LED. Now I know what to look for when I do my test.

[tish]

Hi all,  I've finally got all the equipments in place.  I mention a long time ago that I want to switch from T5HO to LED. I was aiming at low cost cheap leds to save electricity $ cost and reduce heat. My 2 feet T5 HO each is drawing 24watts. I have 4 fixtures that sums up to 96 watts. I was actually planning on replacing them with all LED. A meter strip of 60 LED draws 14.4 watt. To replace the the T5HO and fully utilise the empty space in my grow rack. I would need 10 strips of LED but short ones like 0.8 meters which i sum up to 10watt each

 

T5HO : 4 x 2ft tubes = 96watt ( light up 70% of the grow rack)

5050 SMD LED : 20 x 8m strips = 201watt ( Light up 100% of the grow rack)

 

In the end I think they don't make any difference in price unless I reduce the LEDs. I want to know how the LED affect the plants in my choice of colors. So I am testing it out first. I found myself an old and small fish tank. I've decided to use test it as a terrarium with my LED, the choice of lights are (4 strips of cool white - 2 stripes of Red - 2 strips of blue) They will be covered with many holes on top. And I hope to find a suitable fan for ventilation.

 

After working on 2 small wooden plank, soldering, stapling and wiring. I managed to get the LEDS light up in a test run.

 

The test was a success, so I've fasten all the strips firmly and test it on the tank.

 

The pot I intend to use are square and I can fit 6 of them in there.

 

The plants are about 6 inches from the light, I hope to raise the plants higher to the light when I set up in it's final location.

 

I hope they will do well. Since it's a risk throwing 6 plants in at 1 go

[tish]

Hi all, I have run this test for 2 weeks, 13 hours daily from 7pm to 8am from 24 Dec to 7 jan, here's some feedback...

 

24Dec, first tested wtih 2 drosera. 

 

Here's how it looks like for now

 

 

 

30 Dec

The plants still remain green, lets monitor more and see what happens.

 

 

 

7 Jan

The plant did grow but there is not much red, Very green and look like insufficient lights. This is 4inch from light to plant.

 

My conclusion: I think the light intensity is barely enough to grow plants nicely, therefore this is not a good setup. 5050 SMD LED is not ideal for CP.

 

Here's the pictures for today

 

[Hud357]

My conclusion: I think the light intensity is barely enough to grow plants nicely, therefore this is not a good setup. 5050 SMD LED is not ideal for CP.

 

I did wonder.

 

I've just ordered 3 x 18W COB's to replace my current 3 x 10W. The plants seem to be doing well but I want more red.

 

 

[tish]

That's a nice tank. I like how the Heli is sitting in the "stump"

 

I'm surprised 10W COB is not strong enough to turn the plant more red than this, I hope your 18W COB does a good job. Makes me have more doubts over the 5050 smd led I used. Just  maybe I should stick to my current T5HO afterall.

[Hud357]

I like how the Heli is sitting in the "stump"

 

It's a bit of a 'fudge'. Needed to get it closer to the light.

 

What I have been surprised about is how many different plants from quite different (wild) environments will grow together without any problems (as yet).

 

Heli, VFT, Utrics, Nep, Drosera, Pings and some ferns. All from quite different environments (and continents).

[Hud357]

Just  maybe I should stick to my current T5HO after all.

 

If it works then I probably would. As I said my LED set up was just an experiment. I'm not sure what benefits it offers me over traditional T5's. Perhaps a little more efficient? Less heat thrown toward the plants. Longer life?

 

In terms of power, 30W is still 30W and with the new LED's it will go up to ~54W. One bonus was that I just ordered the 3x18W and they came to £10.20 - so that was nice. I'm now looking at some aluminium extrusions that might make good heat sinks. If I can get something suitable the I might take the power up further.

[Karl H.]

Hello,

 

i also grow some plants under low power LEDs.

At the moment i´m developing a LED-module with Osram Duris E5 diodes.

I run these diodes at 100mA, so it´s more of a mid-power LED.

I´m going to mix 3000K 4000K and 6500K. This should work great.

 

 

regards

Karl

 

[Hud357]

Well I made my 54W (COB) conversion and got the 'red' within days. Then again, I now have problems with the 'green'. Some of my sphag is now 'black currant' red other species are showing 'burned' tips.

 

Once I get an idea of how this will change the Heliamphora then I might turn it [the power] down a little (eg 54 --> 40W) (advantage of LED). Most everything else still seems to be happy so I will continue for now.

[tish]

I've decided to change my 5050 smd leds to 3 Watt diode leds. Here's how I DIY the setup. I've have a failed setup before this one, so this is my second 3watt led setup.

 

The heat sink is really solid, exact to be the size of my tank cover. 

 

Thermal silicon/compound for better heat transfer. I learn a experience here with heat dissipating situations, that you will have a very very hard time soldering the wires to the leds, since they dissipate heat so quickly. Perhaps it was better to solder the wires before securing the leds to the heat sink.

 

All in place, 3watt LEDS 12 of the , Row of 3 X 4 ( 6000k and 3000k range). Additional epoxy application to secure the leds.

 

Working!  I left it alone for an hour and it's still working, but the heat build up really hot like my T5s. 

 

 

Added 2 cpu fan, temperature here is 24-26C. After adding the fans, the Temp inside the tank stables at 30C for a few hours. I guess that is the final temp. I might add a small fan in the tank for air movement.

 

 

[pmatil]

I would fix the leds using screws, just to make sure. Also the thermal contact is better if pressed down properly. Other than that, very nice setup!

[tish]

I would fix the leds using screws, just to make sure. Also the thermal contact is better if pressed down properly. Other than that, very nice setup!

The LED seems firm for now with Epoxy.I will monitor it and be careful not to touch it too much. The thermal compound was pressed down quite firmly.  

 

Thanks for your input :)

[JMHoff]

Any updates on your setup Tish?