High Efficiency LED for Joule Thief, etc.

[MarkE]

The amazing efficiency and affordable cost of current generation LEDs is why Ikea recently announced that they are abandoning CFLs for LEDs.  LEDs are only going to get better and cheaper.  Some researchers believe that ~90% electrical to light efficiency will be attainable over the next few years.  That's almost three times better than what's in the stores right now.  That means that it won't be so long before LED lights produce light using only 5% of what higher wattage incandescents they replace and about 3% of what smaller incandescents consume.  (Higher wattage incandescents are more efficient than lower wattage incandescent bulbs.)

[TinselKoala]

Here's another shot of the same thing but with the camera stopped right down so that the LED is just barely overexposed. Exposure is 1/1000 second, f/36, ISO 200.

[TinselKoala]

And one more: exposure same as above, but the LED is now a cooler 3000K unit, MXA8-PW30-0000, running at 75 mA DC. This is a better color-temperature match to the 2700K A19 "60 watt" reference bulb. The LED is still slightly overexposed according to the camera!

[SoManyWires]

And one more: exposure same as above, but the LED is now a cooler 3000K unit, MXA8-PW30-0000, running at 75 mA DC. This is a better color-temperature match to the 2700K A19 "60 watt" reference bulb. The LED is still slightly overexposed according to the camera!

interesting stuff mentioned above and from others.

wonder what power saving can be had by getting LED's operating at 'useable light' levels for as mentioned, growing lettuce.

can a joule thief create a boost in the LED so it becomes more effective for a plant to produce more yield, while not costing as much as if more emitters had to be used to get the same results?

does PWM really prevent the plant from producing more or even the same amounts, over a 12 hour period or a 18 hour period, when compared to not using PWM or a joule thief?

heat sinks make sense too, liquid cooling by placing the heat producing components into a non conductive clear oil / mineral oil that is not affected towards color change by UV light, or would refraction and dispersion of light from the oil and its lens of a container make the lighting less effective at being 'useable light'?

maybe just placing the LED right attached to the inside of the surface of the cooling tank.
suppose a fresnel lens type of refraction could also be scribed onto the tanks lower and side surfaces if that is helpful,
and or making the tank much thinner only at the points where light will be passing through it to prevent the erosion of light.
passive liquid cooling might be most affordable, dampens sound, and eliminates the need for fans or metal heat sinks.

[gotoluc]

Hi everyone,

if someone would be ready to buy 2 of either style of the below LED Grow lights to be sent to a Joule Thief Guru like TK or LaserSaber so one can be moded and the other kept original in order to test how much power can be saved and still be able to grow a plant hopefully at the rate as the non moded one, that would be of great service.

Box light: http://www.ebay.com/itm/300W-LED-Grow-Light-Hydroponic-Plant-Veg-Flower-Full-Spectrum-Panel-Lamp-/301507617587?hash=item4633412333
or: http://www.ebay.com/itm/MarsHydro-300W-LED-Grow-Light-Full-Spectrum-Panel-Indoor-Medical-Plant-Veg-Bloom-/171620287365

Strip light: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Waterproof-81w-LED-Grow-Light-Strip-Red-Blue-Bar-Hydroponic-Indoor-Plant-Lamp-/301663638915?

Please post if you are ready to do this or if you want to stay private send me a PM.

Thanks for your help

Luc