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Originally Posted by nc208082
Your not quite right on your led rant sorry. Mh and t5's and pc the best method of comparison is par. But for LEDs the best measurement of their effectiveness is pur.
Mh and t5 only have the blue an white look. LEDs have numerous color combinations blue, royal blue, white , red, violet, ultraviolet to just name a few. LEDs are replacing hid lighting in the rest of worlds application so its safe to assume they will be here for a while. They run a lot more efficient than halides an cooler.
Long term resale is not something most companies are looking for. Because they designed their units to be able to be upgraded that is why they are modular. You don't have to buy bulbs every eight months but you will have the option to swap put for better diodes.
Mh are awesome for coral growth but LEDs are now showing to be as effective. And have more of an ability to make your colors pop. The long term data isn't there yet. But it will be after the short term results we have seen.
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This is all mostly true but has nothing to do with my previous comments. To contradict MH and T5s have more options than blue and white and LED fixtures that are available today for the most part only offer blue and white, yes other colors are available but are they used in fixtures?. Resale is not usually the concern of the manufacturer but it is something a customer should consider. And yes like I mentioned many fixtures are now upgradeable but how much will this cost and when buying a fixture with a premium price for the intention of it lasting many years how financially feasible is it to spend additional money on such a fixture well before it's lifespan?
As it stands LEDs cost more money but have a good potential of saving you time and money down the road and of course offer other advantages relating to heat and controllability. But you still have to consider if this will pay off for the individual. First you should plan on keeping the fixture long enough for it to pay off. Then you need to weigh whether you need/want that controllability as many actually don't. As for heat this can vary as well, people with T5s don't typically have issues and if they do it's a result from a combination of equipment and environment, using LEDs may not solve the problem completely.
As for color saying LEDs is better is providing false information. This completely depends on the individual and like I said is personal preference. I personally like the single light source effect from halides for a more natural look. Also T5s IMO offer better color distribution and the actinic effect available just doesn't compare to what's available in today's LED fixtures.
One needs to consider more than efficiency alone, doesn't matter if you compare PAR or PUR you're still talking about efficiency and there are many debates regarding which is the better measurement. Don't get me wrong I'm not anti-LED I'm actually currently building a custom LED fixture but it's important to consider everything and remember LEDs may not be for everyone. This is not a rant, simply providing information to consider.