# "UFO" grow light LED upgrade.



## Cereal_Killer (Feb 27, 2013)

I'm attempting to upgrade one of these 90 watt "UFO" grow lights, it has 90 1 watt 5mm LED's. I'm not looking to spend a bunch of money converting it to drive a different number of more or less powerful led's or anything crazy, I'm simply looking to get better output from current technology 5mm LED's. I have found zero info on this subject anywhere on the Internet. Is this something worthwhile? The one I have I am welling to experiment on (if it never works again I wouldn't be mad) is a cheap made-in-china version so I don't know the brand or anything. I'm looking for any info on the led's themselves or possible replacements. The way it's setup is the 90 LEDs are mounted on a bored with an aluminum plate as the heatsinc. The board has 2 sides (electricial sides, both side A and B are facing the same way) so I'm guessing the unit has 2 45 watt drivers with1/2 of the LEDs wires in series one side to each driver. Is the correct? Does that mean the LED's should be the kind WITH or WITHOUT the built in resistor? 

Thats my main question- do the led's I add need resistors (or to be the kind with the built in resistor) or are the boxes (im guessing the "drivers") eleminate the need for resistors because its not a direct drive setup?


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## Ken_McE (Mar 18, 2013)

Cereal_Killer said:


> it has 90 1 watt 5mm LED's.



a 5mm LED should be some small fraction of a watt. Are these little bullet shaped LEDs?




> I'm simply looking to get better output from current technology 5mm LED's.



If it came from some generic Chinese vendor then there is no particular reason to think that these LEDs are state of the art.




> I have found zero info on this subject anywhere on the Internet.



A 5 mm LED has a small range of current where it can safely be driven. If you overdrive them they get brighter, but die quick.



> Is this something worthwhile?



As an experiment 'cause you're bored? Sure. 'Cause you need a reliable way to get more light? No.



> I'm looking for any info on the led's themselves or possible replacements



Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there's much work being done with improving 5mm LEDs.



> Does that mean the LED's should be the kind WITH or WITHOUT the built in resistor?



It depends on how many milliamps they're getting. What you want is to have them get enough current to light, but not enough to insta-flash.


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## Optical Inferno (Mar 27, 2013)

Ken_McE said:


> Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there's much work being done with improving 5mm LEDs.



I'll second that thought. I haven't seen too much innovation in regards to 5mm LED technology. I think manufacturers make them to round out the portfolio kinda like...

"OK...so your buying our high powered LEDs for your product, but you have another product that needs the 5mm technology due to whatever. We make those too and can sell them to you cheaper than the other guy because you are buying our high powered LED"


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## SemiMan (Mar 27, 2013)

Optical Inferno said:


> I'll second that thought. I haven't seen too much innovation in regards to 5mm LED technology. I think manufacturers make them to round out the portfolio kinda like...
> 
> "OK...so your buying our high powered LEDs for your product, but you have another product that needs the 5mm technology due to whatever. We make those too and can sell them to you cheaper than the other guy because you are buying our high powered LED"



Only innovation I have seen lately in through hole is for display purposes and that is just till they find better packaging for the SMT equiv with optical capabilities.

No real grow light will ever be through hole leds ... no heat dissipation.

Semiman


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## kaichu dento (Mar 28, 2013)

SemiMan said:


> No real grow light will ever be through hole leds ... no heat dissipation.


Sorry if I'm not following you, but the round and squared multi-emitter LED grow lights we have are fan cooled.


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## AnAppleSnail (Mar 28, 2013)

kaichu dento said:


> Sorry if I'm not following you, but the round and squared multi-emitter LED grow lights we have are fan cooled.


Yep, but...
The LED bone's connected to the heat sink bone. That's not possible with through-hole LEDs, where the diode only releases heat through a few half-centimeter wires.


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## kaichu dento (Mar 28, 2013)

AnAppleSnail said:


> Yep, but...
> The LED bone's connected to the heat sink bone. That's not possible with through-hole LEDs, where the diode only releases heat through a few half-centimeter wires.


LOL!
Okay, I follow now, and yes, the fixtures we have do exhibit the proper anatomical connections.


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