T5 LED Bulb Suggestions
 

I have a floralight with T5 LEDs, but I am struggling to get accurate light readings and I am now doubting their output.

/https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/garden/planting/grow-lights/102173-floralight-t5-led-full-spectrum-multi-tier-grow-light-stands

I am trying to grow cattleyas, so I need high reliable light levels. Any suggestions on powerful T5 LED bulbs? I need 24” ones to fit the stand.

Thanks!

T5 is a size of fluorescent bulbs. LED is a different kind of lighting technology. T5 LED makes no sense... are they LED lamps that fit into T5 size fluorescent fixtures? The link doesn't work for me.

ES they are the same size and shape of t5 but they are led not fluorescent. I have not tried them yet in my fixtures but they are supposedly interchangeable.

I am using something called "T5 LED conversion bulbs" in my T5 HO fluorescent ballasts. It's an LED bulb specifically made to work in the "old" fluorescent ballasts as people moved to LEDs. Maybe that's what OP is using? Mine work perfectly.

---------- Post added at 11:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:50 PM ----------

Btw, as to the original question. Mine are Sunblasters, but I just got them, so am not in a position to recommend them yet.

Yes, I’m currently using the conversion LEDs that came with it - they look just like a T5 bulb but have LEDs. There is no name on the ones I am using however, so I have no way to tell what the output is supposed to be...

---------- Post added at 09:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:07 PM ----------

Have you taken any measurements? I’m curious what the output is like on them.

I have not. I just got them for a terrarium build and they're not installed there yet -- currently all hooked up, but sitting upside down on my family room table waiting for me to devise a way to hang them.

What kind of light meter do you use? I have a couple of apps on my cell phone but the accuracy of that technology is probably a little dubious. I need to buy a reliable one.

I plan to take readings as soon as these are in place and will happily share them, but I am probably 2 weeks away from being able to do that.

Yeah, I have been using the cell phone apps too. I did purchase a light meter but returned it because it didn’t read LED lights very well. I found out that if you put a Kleenex over your camera when you take the measurements with your phone, it acts like a light diffuser and gives more accurate readings :D Will be interested to see what kind of measurements you get once it’s set up.

Cell phone light meter apps don't work unless they are written specifically for the camera chip and software in your model phone.

LEDs tend to emit only a few wavelengths of light. Ordinary light meters don't accurately represent the light emitted. Chlorophyll doesn't look at the world the way human eyes do. It's hard to make decisions about growing under LEDs with a regular light meter. You either need detailed data from the manufacturer about photon flux at the different wavelengths, or you need a light meter that can read at different wavelengths (expensive!!!)

The practical solution is to go to a hydroponics shop and find out what the best marijuana growers use.

That makes sense because I bought some blue/red LEDs that came with specs on flux and PPFD at various distances, but I can’t get the measurements with my cell phone to match up for the life of me!

It actually doesn’t work too bad for full spectrum LEDs. The Korona app (terrible name) measures lux, PPFD and DLI, but the blue/red spectrum really throws it off.

I guess the real test is to see how the plants react. So far my vandas are doing really well - even got a couple starting to bloom nicely.

For my purposes over the long run, it's the empirical data that's going to matter. I'm going to be hanging these lights over a 36" deep terrarium. I will probably have to tweak as I go to get adequate light to the bottom without burning out the orchids at the top. But I will be interested in readings, as they will help my decision making.

G85, do you use reflectors? They can help. Also, I spent 3 solid days googling and reading different articles about lights before I bought the Sunblasters. There are some good technical write-ups out there about different bulbs if you're willing to wade through all the other stuff.