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LED growlight tape

Discussion in 'Growing Areas' started by blestbeing, Jan 26, 2016.

  1. Jan 26, 2016 #1
    blestbeing

    blestbeing Member

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    Hi Guys. Dave here. I sent away for and just received the 5M reel of LED strip tape; the one that has four red and one blue light in a row. I am going to cut them into 4 equal strips approximately 4 feet long. my questions to you all are;
    How far away from the plants should I keep the strips?, how far apart should I space the strips?, I have a 12 volt 2 amp Driver, is that enough to drive them?, should I leave space for the addition of white strips in-between in the future? I'm thinking of building for their support Something like a lattice work grid that would be 36 by 52 inches and hung in suspension with an adjustable pulley system above the plants. Any suggestions? Thanks guys. Dave .
     
  2. Jan 26, 2016 #2
    Ray

    Ray Orchid Iconoclast Supporting Member

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    What is the wattage rating of the LEDs? How large of an area do you wish to cover? What types of plants are you hoping to grow under them?
     
  3. Jan 26, 2016 #3
    blestbeing

    blestbeing Member

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    I don't know what the wattage is, the size area is 36 by 52 inches and right now mainly Phalaenopsis but want to try some brassovollas.
     
  4. Jan 26, 2016 #4
    blestbeing

    blestbeing Member

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    I might add that my grow area is stationed in front of a west facing window
     
  5. Jan 26, 2016 #5
    Ray

    Ray Orchid Iconoclast Supporting Member

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    There's a whole lot wrong with your plans, then.

    Without the details, it's really difficult to answer your questions.

    I really doubt that a 12V, 2 amp driver is sufficient, but again, without knowing the specs on the LEDs, I can't say.

    Phalenopsis and brassavolas ave VASTLY different needs in terms of light. At the same light-to-plant distance, what's sufficient for the phals is of little value to the brassavola, and conversely, what's sufficient for the brassavolas will burn the hell out of the phals.
     
  6. Jan 27, 2016 #6
    blestbeing

    blestbeing Member

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    I found out the wattage... It's .5 watt (1/2 watt)
     
  7. Jan 27, 2016 #7
    Ray

    Ray Orchid Iconoclast Supporting Member

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    And the number of chips?
     
  8. Jan 27, 2016 #8
    blestbeing

    blestbeing Member

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    300. These are the specs that I copied from the website.
    BrandMORSENTypeFlexible LED Light StripsVoltage (V)DC12Wattage (W)0.5Light Source5050 SMDLight ColorBlue, RedLength (m)5FeatureCuttable, Waterproof
     
  9. Jan 27, 2016 #9
    blestbeing

    blestbeing Member

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    300.
    BrandMORSENTypeFlexible LED Light StripsVoltage (V)DC12Wattage (W)0.5Light Source5050 SMDLight ColorBlue, RedLength (m)5FeatureCuttable, Waterproof.
     
  10. Jan 27, 2016 #10
    Ray

    Ray Orchid Iconoclast Supporting Member

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    That would suggest 150 watts total, and at 12v, that says that you need at least 150/12= a 12.5 amp driver.
     
  11. Jan 27, 2016 #11
    blestbeing

    blestbeing Member

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    Thank you. Lately I have a new shopping place. It is the recycle yard down the block. I find everything there. It's like a Pickers Chuck E Cheese. I get fans, converters, Motors, switches and even thermostats. Just today I went and picked up about a dozen CPU fans of various sizes for $5. Also a whole mess of switches. I'll go back tomorrow and look for a larger Driver. I'm sure they have a couple for my choosing. Thanks again
     
  12. Jan 27, 2016 #12
    blestbeing

    blestbeing Member

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    Pardon my ignorance but what does 5050 SMD mean and also the equation for arriving at that amp number?
     
  13. Jan 28, 2016 #13
    naoki

    naoki Well-Known Member

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    Dave, with SMD 5050, 5050 part corresponds to the size of 5x5mm. A newer SMD2835 has the size of 2.8 x 3.5mm etc. There are several different standard size for SMD. SMD means surface mounted diode. It is directly soldered onto the circuit board (in contrast to through-hole). 5050 is a bit older technology; I haven't looked into this type for a long time, but efficiency used to be a bit lower than fluorescent light. So when you are thinking about the distance, you can think it to be similar to fluorescent light of similar wattage.

    Ray calculated 0.5W x 300 diodes = 150 total W. Since you are using 12V constant voltage driver (power supply), it will require about 12.5A to get 150W (W = V * I).

    I'm not sure if 0.5W is the actual driven watt, though. It could be the misleading marketing by the seller, and it may be the maximum capacity. Most LEDs aren't driven at the maximum (for efficiency and longevity). I think 5050 is usually driven at 0.2W or so, but it may have changed. You can still use a higher amp driver (12.5A) for this type of light. The efficiency of the driver suffers a little bit, but it won't harm diodes.
     
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2016
  14. Jan 28, 2016 #14
    blestbeing

    blestbeing Member

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    Thank you very much. I'm learning a lot from you guys
     
  15. Jan 28, 2016 #15
    Ray

    Ray Orchid Iconoclast Supporting Member

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    (I've been hoping Naoki would chime in...)