Illumination for seedlings on the windowsill - compare the lamps and choose the best one. Types of lamps for lighting seedlings

Doing LED lamp for seedlings

On the this moment, serious firms are not yet engaged in lamps

For seedlings. It is unprofitable for them because of the low demand and high cost of LEDs. Therefore, such products are produced in a semi-handicraft way in small volumes.

And this leads to best case greatly inflated prices, and

At worst - the fixtures do not correspond to the "vegetative" purpose, or

Simply put, it's a fake. At the same time, they will look quite

Respectably.

In the near future, it is hardly worth hoping that the situation is at its root.

Will change. This is how beautiful boxes with hundreds of indicator LEDs stuck in them, “mowing” like vegetable ones, will be sold. It will grow under them, but not in the right way.

And, if you realize that you are being offered at an expensive price, an inappropriate

Goods - then do the manufacture yourself. It will cost you many times over

Cheaper and sure to please your muffins.

Before considering the manufacturing technology of such a lamp,

It should be determined what it is intended for:

The purpose of the lamp is to illuminate seedlings, complete illumination of seedlings without

Light from windows, lighting for full cycle cultivation. It defines him

Power, number and ratio of LEDs by color.

Where will it stand - in a rack, on a windowsill, in a greenhouse, etc. This

Defines its structure.

What is the size of the illuminated area. It also determines the size of the luminaire and its power.

To make a lamp for plant seedlings, you will need:

1. LEDs up to 1 watt, blue (440nm) and red (660nm). In brackets

The length of the light wave is indicated, which determines the "plant" purpose

LED. Today there are more powerful LEDs. They are advertised as 3 watts, but at 750mA they are no more than 2 watts. This is how lucky the seller is.
Are they hard to find? - then read the article "budget lamp" and its continuation

2. Any aluminum profile: corner, channel, Taurus, strips, sheets, etc. -

Aluminum bowls will work too. Aluminum is needed as a heat conductor

Material. Copper is much better, but where to get it!

3. Insulated mounting wire of small cross section - 0.2 -0.5 sq. mm

4. Thermal paste or hot melt adhesive.

5. Power cord with plug

6. Power supply - there are many options here, so let's look at it below.

Metal, file, drill or screwdriver, riveter, screwdrivers.

The manufacturing steps are as follows:

Calculation of the required number of LEDs.

Elaboration of the design of the frame of the lamp.

Frame manufacturing.

Acquisition of a specified number of LEDs.

Selection of LED power supply.

Mounting LEDs on the frame.

Soldering LEDs in a circuit.

Checking the completed installation.

Checking the performance of the lamp.

Safe power supply installation.

We are happy with the result.

Calculation of the required number of LEDs

The price is the only disadvantage of LEDs. And for "vegetable"

Especially. This is due to the fact that the need for "vegetable" is much less,

Than in white LEDs for lighting. The smaller the batch produced -

The more expensive the copy.

But anyway, these LEDs should not cost more than 50r apiece,

Therefore, look. They are constantly getting cheaper. Cheapest to buy them

Auction ebay.com Search "led 1W 660nm" and you will see hundreds

Offers. Quality is strictly controlled there.

The total amount depends on the area of ​​your containers, pots and

Glasses. On the one square meter enough seedlings 30-50 watts LED

Power. That is, 30-50 pieces of LEDs at 1W. This is provided that you

You only need illuminate seedlings in the presence of daylight. This is experienced

Windows - the more you need to increase this rate.

There is no concept of overkill in this case. More is better. How much to buy -

Decide for yourself.

While the seedlings are small, the minimum power is enough for them, but with growth

Stem and leaves need for light increases. And rastyushki are also different

Dimensions. If the lamp is universal, for any, then it should be

Power reserve. If only for petunias, then 40W/sq.m is enough.

Let's look at a specific example.

If you have a window sill 1.5 m long and 0.3 m wide, its area is 0.45 sq.m.

This means that 30-40 / 2 = 15-20 pieces are enough to illuminate the seedlings.

1. With confidence that planting seedlings will occur on time, combination

Red-blue select 2:1 .

2. If you not sure about timing- better to use more blue, up to

Before 1 :2 or even 1:1 , which will allow seedlings to reach longer better conditions. (this applies most to tomatoes as it affects future yields)

So we get:

According to the first condition, 11 red and 4 blue - a total of 15 pieces.

According to the second condition, 8 red and 7 blue. It is wiser to buy the maximum:

11 red(660nm) and 7 blue(440nm) + stock = 0 things. (1000 rubles).

Elaboration of the design of the frame of the lamp and the manufacture of the frame.

The convenience of LEDs is that you can arrange them in your own way.
discretion over the illuminated area. If the width of the illuminated area
less than 250mm, then you can mount the LEDs on one "line".
In our example, we have 0.3m = 300mm, then we make it in two rulers to ensure
uniform illumination of the entire area. For my 400mm shelves, I take three
rulers.
A ruler is a piece of aluminum profile 100mm shorter than the length
window sill. For our example, this will be 140cm. Mark two lines like this
so that 15 LEDs are reasonably located on them (16pcs would be more convenient, but
we save).

Remember that each LED emits a light cone with an angle of 70-120
degrees, so place them at such a distance from each other that these
the projections of the cones at least slightly overlapped each other.
The frame is needed in order to fasten the rulers together.
The main requirement for the frame on which the LEDs will stand and
connecting wires - rigidity. At the same time, when choosing a profile for
ruler, we must take into account the heat removal area. We will consider this later.
For our window sill 1.5m long we calculated the number of LEDs:
According to the first condition, you need 11 red and 4 blue.
According to the second condition, you need 8 red and 7 blue. Only 15 pieces, but we decided in
two arrange lines - let it be 16 pieces.
So for each ruler we need to evenly install 8 pieces
LEDs.

Let's mark it first on paper, and then on a real profile. If the window sill
1.5m, then we take the length of the lamp 1400mm, divide by 8 = 75mm. Means
distance between LEDs will be 75mm. Everything is ready!
Now let's return to the question of choosing the profile itself for the ruler.
For normal heat removal with each LED power in 1 watt
required surface area 25 sq. cm.
Having the length of the location zone of one LED 7.5 cm, we calculate its width:
25/7.5 = 3.3 cm. This means that the width of our profile in unfolded, not
should be less than 35mm. e.g. aluminum corner 25 x 25 if
expand the width, it turns out 50mm. Suitable, and with a margin - it's good.
The thickness of the metal for heat transfer does not play a special role, not necessarily
spend money on "thick" profiles - they are expensive. But the second condition is strength
- rigidity.

In our case, even the thinnest (1mm) corner will do. More convenient
use a U-shaped symmetrical profile for rulers. He has an area
always more than a corner.
We mark the profile along the length: from the edge 75/2 \u003d 37.5 mm - the first LED, then
after 75mm we make 7 more marks. high precision not required.
In order not to damage the LEDs when turning the frame with the glow side down,
it is desirable to provide stops at least 10 mm high (above
LED). In the photo of a three-line lamp, the sidewalls are made of
square:
(don't mind the twisted wires - this is experimental
option with switching the ratio between blue-red)
So with the frame of the lamp it is clear. You can fasten two rulers into the frame with screws,
I prefer pull-out rivets. They are fast and easy to fasten
profiles.

Mounting LEDs on the frame. soldering LEDs in a circuit.
After the frame is ready, proceed to the installation of LEDs. If
LEDs "on asterisks", then it is necessary to drill for each LED
two mounting holes for marking.
When installing, do not forget about the uniform alternation of red and blue
LEDs, according to the selected ratio between them.
The LEDs must be pressed against the profile for thermal contact. Great effort
aluminum does not allow, therefore, a thermally compensating
pad. The simplest "thermal pad" is a viscous thermal paste that
fills all the irregularities and due to the presence of copper particles in its mass, it is good
transfers heat from the LED to the ruler (profile). Clamping methods
a lot of LEDs: screws, self-tapping screws, rivets and a finger with hot melt adhesive.
Hot melt adhesive "Alsil-5" or "Radial", I allow t mount LEDs without drilling and thermal paste -
smeared, pressed, held and ready. There is also
There are various self-adhesive thermal tapes, if you get it - good
option.
In the photo, a "riveted" LED. I also use 2.5mm self-tapping screws,
which I screw into the profile. (Not the most aesthetic option...
against)
Please note - the head of the rivet with a diameter of 3.2 mm had to be bitten off
side cutters so as not to touch the conductive areas. If you find
rivets 2.4mm, then this will not need to be done.
After mounting all the LEDs on the frame, remove with a cotton swab
excess thermal paste squeezed out from under the sprocket. Please note: not
stain the silicone lenses of the LEDs. Cotton wool with alcohol will help with this.
Let's start soldering the LED chain. The LEDs have
polarity marking, connect the "+" of one with the "-" of the next. soldering iron not
over 40W. Standard soldering technology - clean, tin, solder,
Rinse the soldering area from excess flux.
Note: This is a laborious but most effective option.
Attached is my first article from 2011.

Growing seedlings at home is not an easy task. Often, natural daylight and sunlight are not enough for plants to grow fully and normally, especially in winter. The first task that needs to be solved is to take care of additional effective lighting.

What lamps are needed for seedlings

You can illuminate the areas, racks or window sills on which plants are grown using different types lamps. Great solution is considered a phytolamp or phytolamp. Widely used infrared, fluorescent, sodium or LED lamp for seedlings. These devices, unlike conventional incandescent lamps, do not emit excessive amounts of heat and do not damage the stem of plants. They save energy by minimizing costs.

Phytolamps

Such devices have important advantage- create radiation, as close as possible to sunlight. However, they provide a certain duration of daylight hours. This guarantees the maintenance of normal life of seedlings in autumn-winter period. Phytolight emitted by phytolamps restores the natural process of photosynthesis, increases the amount of carbohydrates, oxygen and energy produced. This accelerates nutrition, growth, and supports the development and health of plants.

LED lamp

Unlike other phyto-lights, LED or LED-lamps for plants have a minimum power consumption, providing a high intensity of artificial light. They can shine in the red and blue radiation spectra, which guarantees the rapid development of plants, do not produce a spectrum that is not used by seedlings, significantly activating the process of photosynthesis.

LED phytolamps for plants have the following advantages:

• Profitability. The devices consume at least 8 times less electrical energy than standard seedling lamps.
• Durability, high efficiency work. In the presence of heat dissipation, the lamps can function properly for 50 thousand hours.
• Possibility of installing LEDs of different spectrum and power. This ensures that you receive lighting that ensures the full and rapid development of seedlings at any time of the year.
• Ability to change the spectrum. To get blue, green, red or yellow light, activating growth, nutrition and improving plant synthesis, you just need to replace the diode in the device with a suitable one.
• Minimum heating. This allows you to install seedling lamps above plants, eliminating the risk of burning their leaves.

LED lighting devices have one drawback - high cost. But if you wish, you can make them yourself, significantly reducing the cost of buying a finished device. Provided self-creation Seedling lamps need to take into account the level of natural light in the room, the expected intensity of use, the type of plants grown and a number of other factors.

Fluorescent

Lighting devices of this type for growing seedlings are preferred by 70% of gardeners. The lamps have a tubular shape, they create both basic lighting and are used for supplementary lighting, they give diffused uniform light over the entire surface of the seedling box or cassettes. The ultraviolet emitted by the devices is absolutely safe for plants, it does not cause burns of leaves and stems. Fluorescent lamps must be installed at a distance of 15 cm above the seedlings. In this case, their lighting will be absolutely safe.

Fluorescent lamps for plants have the following advantages:

• the whole spectrum of flowers necessary for the full growth and normal development of plants;
• generation of a small amount of heat by radiation;
• cost-effective device, designed for different financial possibilities.

Sodium lamps for greenhouses

Lighting for seedlings at home using lamps of this type is of no less quality than lighting with similar devices. Lamps with sodium lamps can be installed on windows, placed above and below seedlings without the threat of leaf burns. The advantages of such devices:

• minimum power consumption;
• production of a spectrum of rays necessary for the full development of seedlings;
• high radiation power;
• creating a warm climate in large and small rooms;
• availability of maintenance and repair;
• relatively low price;
• high power;
• ergonomic and practical design.

When buying sodium lamps for seedlings, study their technical characteristics in detail. Pay special attention to the power of the device, it should not exceed 100W, otherwise the seedlings may burn. If the window sills in the house are up to 1.5 meters wide, then to create a normal level artificial lighting just one lamp is enough.

Illumination of seedlings with energy-saving lamps

The advantage of led-lamps is that the user has the opportunity to choose the required spectrum. There are lamps with a "warm", "daylight" and "cold" spectrum. The latter is used for additional illumination of plants during germination and vegetative growth. The warm spectrum is indispensable for the flowering phase. The daily spectrum is applied throughout the plant cycle.

LED lamps as lighting for seedlings are placed taking into account the following criteria:

• in case of burn marks on the leaves, the lighting equipment must be raised, otherwise the seedlings will die;
• elongated stems and pale leaves indicate that lighting fixture located too far, in which case it must be lowered;
• if the lamp is placed on the side, seedlings can grow with a twisted stem, so it is best to place lighting equipment above the plants from above.

DIY lighting for seedlings

If the budget for organizing lighting for seedlings is limited, it is quite possible to make the necessary lighting fixtures on your own, there are many affordable and inexpensive ways. The main thing is to follow all the instructions from the instructions and take into account the characteristics of the plants. The best option for home use- phytolamps. The materials required for their manufacture are inexpensive, and the maintenance of the equipment does not require excessive time.

How to make a phytolamp

Step-by-step instruction:

• drawing up a diagram (a drawing is being developed taking into account all technical parameters, each diode must overlap each other, in this case the entire area under the lamp will be illuminated evenly);
• preparation the right materials(you will need the body of an old lamp, diodes - 20 white, 30 red, 10 simulating midday lighting, 20 blue, led drive);
• equipment assembly (using hot glue, the diodes are attached to an aluminum plate, installed circuit breaker, the device connects to the network).

DIY LED lamp

This type equipment that organizes effective lighting for seedlings at home is made in this way:

1. The necessary consumables are pre-prepared:

• old energy-saving light bulb;
• a piece of one-sided fiberglass;
• a set of radio components;
• LEDs - red, white and blue;
• capacitor, resistance.

1. The scheme is made:

• from textolite or foil, you need to cut a circle with a diameter of 30 mm;
• draw paths on it with nail polish;
• make a solvent for copper and place a board there to clean the tracks;
• drill small holes in the board and solder all the parts.

1. The lamp is assembled:

• it is necessary to disassemble the old lamp and remove all the insides, with the exception of the wires that come from the base;
• solder the circuit to the wires coming from the base.

Video: what light is better for seedlings

A bunch of experienced summer residents engaged in the cultivation of seedlings of various crops at home. Thanks to this, they get stronger plants and an early harvest. However, growing seedlings is not the easiest thing, it requires specialized knowledge, experience and a certain amount of time and effort. Since for most horticultural crops this process begins at the end of winter or the beginning of spring; at the first stages of development, they experience an acute shortage of sunlight. They desperately need an additional source of light. How to ensure optimal seedling lighting at home, will be discussed later.

Sunlight is the ideal lighting for seedlings of any crop. But if the time of sun exposure to the plants is less than 12 hours or the windows are located on the north side, additional artificial lighting is necessary. Before you start installing lighting fixtures, you need to know something about the effect of certain rays on seedlings.

Red- influence the development of roots, the formation and ripening of fruits.
Blue- promote growth and development, but prevent stretching.
Yellow, green, orange- make a small contribution to the development of seedlings.

Seedlings need the entire spectrum of radiation

The task of any agronomist and summer resident growing seedlings at home is to provide her with such lighting that will combine all these rays, that is, as close as possible to natural. To this end, various lighting devices have been created.

Lighting options for indoor seedlings

Incandescent lamp - the least beneficial effect on plants, emitting only yellow and red light. But it's quite budget convenient option, which does not require special connection systems.
Sodium - not particularly practical in the initial stages of seedling growth, but brings good results when applied on final stages its development. Requires a special connection.

Illumination of seedlings with a sodium lamp

Fluorescent is a great option for seedlings, as its radiation has the entire spectrum of rays. It usually requires a special connection (needs a ballast).
LED - allows you to provide seedlings with radiation of the entire spectrum. Plants at home will grow especially strong if more blue light is included in the lighting in the early stages of the growing season, and yellow and red in the latter stages. The advantage is also low power consumption and no heating.

LED lamp

See also: What can be sown in April for seedlings?

Good tips for lighting plants at home

It is important not only what spectrum of rays will provide seedlings additional lighting, but also in what mode it will be produced. Here are some tips regarding this aspect:

Seedlings do not tolerate a change of regime, so it is important that additional lighting is always turned on during the day and turned off at night.
If possible, place plants near south windows so they get the largest number the best for them natural light.
Installation of reflective screens made of foil, mirrors or white cardboard, will allow more economical use of lighting.
It is important to find out what intensity and duration of lighting each individual crop that is grown at home needs. This requires an individual approach.

Lighting for seedlings at home is a factor that has a strong influence on the quality of plants that will later be planted in open ground. It is important that it be as close to natural as possible and regulated in accordance with the needs of each individual culture. It is best to use fluorescent or LED lamps as additional lighting.

Types of lamps for lighting seedlings

No plant can live without light. This is a well known fact. Therefore, the arrangement of good lighting in the greenhouse is the key beautiful harvest. But many people prefer to grow a variety of plants at home, and sometimes even seedlings, or arrange a home garden on their own windowsill.

Home plants suffer greatly without proper lighting, especially in winter, especially if the windows of the apartment face north side. In this case, the situation is even more difficult, since it is never possible to achieve a normal amount of sunlight here.

And all because to ensure the normal photosynthesis of plants, as well as their active growth daylight just needed.

See also: How to make a mold for artificial stone

Phytolamps for plants: features

Of course, there is nothing in the world that could serve as a means for complete replacement sunlight. However, there is still some alternative. Just an inexhaustible source of a wide variety of ideas are modern technologies. Keeping up with the latter without much difficulty with your own hands at home, it is really possible to make a sufficiently high-quality lamp that could illuminate seedlings at any time of the day or year.

It should be noted that the least suitable element for lighting plants are the most ordinary incandescent lamps. The fact is that they are not endowed with a sufficient light spectrum, and during a sufficiently long operation they are able to heat up strongly, thereby burning the plants.

Therefore, it is LEDs that are considered the best choice for such a thing. And all because they not only emit the necessary spectrum, but practically do not heat up. The most common monochrome LED boasts the most important spectra for plants:

• blue (stimulates plant growth);
• red (provides flowering);
• violet or magenta (supports the above processes).

All these colors are emitted in a fairly narrow range, and therefore the efficiency of LED seedling lamps is increased to the highest level.

Connecting a phytolamp for plants

Do-it-yourself connection of a special LED strip with a power of 220 V is done using a converting inverter for 12 or 24 Volts. When choosing this unit, it is necessary to take into account the number of LED lamps per meter of tape length, as well as their RGB features and, of course, monochrome.

It is noteworthy that it is with the help of this kind of tapes that you can make not only phytolamps for plants, but also easy tuning of a car or motorcycle with your own hands. However, they all have at least one, but a very significant drawback, which is their cost.

In this regard, many people prefer to make phytolamps on their own. Nevertheless, before you start making phytolamps for plants with your own hands, you need to consider some features:

1. The opinion that other colors than those indicated above play no role is categorically erroneous.

   Both green and yellow are also necessary, regardless of the fact that the overwhelming majority of radiation in a given light range is reflected by sheet plates.

2. Having equipped phytolamps with your own hands, you must remember that each plant must also rest from the light. Therefore, it is most correct if the backlight will work for about 12-14 hours a day. The only time when it is necessary to provide round-the-clock lighting is until the sprouts hatch.
3. To illuminate seedlings, it is important to consider the distance between the plant and the lamp itself, since the higher the light source is located, the light intensity decreases.
4. To ensure proper light dispersion, it is necessary to use a special matte screen, since diffuse light, firstly, will not cause overheating in plants, and secondly, it is much better absorbed by them.

Scheme and assembly procedure for do-it-yourself phytolamps for plants

The success of using this kind of lamp directly depends on the correctly chosen spectrum. So, for example, at the very first stage, red and blue diodes will be needed. By the way, not only their correct placement, but also the ratio.

• each individual LED emits light rays in the form of a cone. In order for the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe plant to be illuminated evenly, the cones must overlap each other;
• The color ratio should be 2:1. That is, for every two blue LEDs, you need one red one. It is this ratio that perfectly contributes to the development of the root system. As a result, the plant turns out to be rather short in growth, while its stem and leaves are well developed. Thus, the seedlings become ready for picking.

But already at the second stage of plant growth, the ratio of red and blue diodes will need to be changed to 1:1.

Remember that the next few days after picking, the illumination of seedlings should be less intense.

Home / Human life

Last year, among the products persistently offered to flower lovers, so-called phytolamps appeared. The sellers assured that ordinary light was not suitable for plants, that it was almost defective, but the agrolamp would immediately fix everything. Her light is the most correct, plants from this will grow and run amok. These lamps themselves shine with a nasty purple light, which is annoying even as a night light. Well, such beautiful lamps are, of course, more expensive than usual. Let's figure out where is the truth here, and where is the deceit.

Our usual source of light is the sun. It is thanks to him that life in its present manifestation flourishes on our planet. The solar spectrum is the most complete for all existing life forms, we are all adapted to it.

But it turns out that plants do not need the entire spectrum at all. Green chlorophyll does not absorb green light. For this reason, plants do not need the green part of the spectrum. And white light, as you know, consists of a mixture of blue, red and green. That is, if you turn on three light sources of the above colors at the same time, the result will be white. And if green plants is not needed, then we can remove it from this trinity, saving 33%. What will be left? There will be blue and red, which in total will give that very nasty purple.

What do we get? The light emitted by filo lamps is actually just defective, it just does not contain the green part.

How is such a lamp arranged? They come in two types: fluorescent and LED.

Lighting for seedlings at home

They look exactly the same as ordinary lamps. How are they different? Fluorescent lamps differ from conventional lamps only in the composition of the phosphor. It gives not white, but violet light. So why are fluorescent phytolamps more expensive than conventional ones? LED lamps instead of white LEDs contain blue and red LEDs, which add up to purple. So why are LED agricultural lamps more expensive than conventional ones?

Of course, this is an example of the injustice that arises from the ignorance cultivated in our day. In other words, deception of the inhabitants. The prices of phytolamps should be the same as for conventional lamps, because they are arranged in the same way.

The spectrum of the glow of such lamps is not particularly useful for plants, but it simply does not contain a part they do not need. With the same success, flowers can be illuminated with the usual light of ordinary lamps, without saving 33%.

Copying is prohibited! Why?

Any questions, comments, additions? Please write a comment:

White light is a combination of blue, red and yellow. Green light is a combination of blue and yellow.

See also:

Further in Human Life: Hypnosis

Lighting for seedlings - how to choose the right color and spectrum of lamps for lighting?

1. Always carry a flashlight or lighter with you.

The fastest and easiest option, ideal for smokers, especially since they are now available gas lighters with a built-in LED flashlight, which is much more convenient to shine than a lighter. However, for non-smokers there are many compact and cheap models of flashlights. Seemingly, perfect way solving the problem, however, it is not always convenient to attach a flashlight to a keychain with keys, and it is even harder to find a flashlight in a lady's purse than a switch in complete darkness, besides, the flashlight can get lost, and the battery runs out.

2. Install an autonomous light source with a sensor that reacts to movement or heat

Advantages of installing autonomous luminaires with a sensor:

- A small price. Standalone lamps powered by batteries or accumulators are not expensive - $ 10-15.

- Ease of installation. The only thing that needs to be done is to drill a couple of holes in the ceiling or in the wall above the door. And if the surface on which the lamp will be attached is iron, and there are magnets on the bottom of the lamp, as on the model shown in photo 1 on the right, then nothing needs to be drilled at all.

- Settings. Some lamps have the ability to set the brightness, operating time after switching on, sensitivity and light sensitivity, for example, in the daytime with good lighting, such a lamp will not light up.

Disadvantages of autonomous lamps:

- Limited design options. If you have overall design apartments are designed in a classic, antique or rustic style, then the following types of lamps are unlikely to fit into such a design:

Photo 1. Autonomous LED lamps with built-in motion sensor. The sensor is in the middle, the LEDs are on the edges.

On the left is a lamp for 2 batteries or accumulators and 8 LEDs, lamp size 88 x 88 x 25 mm. On the right is a lamp for 4 batteries or accumulators and 6 LEDs, diameter 85 mm, height 50 mm.

- The level of illumination from such lamps is quite low, in fact it is the same flashlight, but suspended from the ceiling, and this also does not suit everyone.

- The need for maintenance. No matter how economical an autonomous lamp is, you still have to change the batteries from time to time.

— Relatively low availability. It will not work to buy such a lamp at the nearest construction market. So far, such lamps have not received wide distribution.

3. Connect a lamp with a motion sensor to the electrical circuit.

Advantages of installing luminaires with a sensor:

- Great design possibilities. Lamps for additional lighting in the corridor, hallway or vestibule can be not only LED, but whatever you like: for conventional lamps, energy-saving, fluorescent, halogen, etc. In addition, it is not at all necessary to buy a lamp with a built-in motion sensor. The motion sensor can be purchased separately and connected to any standard fixture.

— Good level illumination. In principle, this is full-fledged lighting, like from any other lamp.

Disadvantages of installing luminaires with a sensor:

- New wiring. This is the biggest drawback. Under the wires, you will have to scratch the walls if the repair in the apartment has not yet been completed, or put the wires in plastic boxes, and this view of the room does not improve either. In order to hide the wires as much as possible when wiring without cutting, they try to hang the lamp directly above the door, and not on the ceiling, and then you may encounter the next disadvantage:

- Sensitivity. Like any other device designed to partially replace human intelligence, motion sensors at this stage of human development are imperfect. For example, if such a lamp is fixed on the wall above one of the doors to the apartment in the vestibule, then it will clearly work only when the door to the vestibule opens.

Lighting for seedlings and flowers

Therefore, when leaving the apartment, sometimes you have to wave your hand near the sensor to make it work. Not everyone likes this kind of automation.

- Working hours. The luminaire sensor, as in the case of an autonomous luminaire, can be set for a certain operating time. However, a person does not always spend the same time in the vestibule or corridor. Sometimes in the vestibule you need to sweep, wash the floors, or even paint the walls, but it will not work in those 30-60 seconds for which the sensor is set. Therefore, again, you have to additionally wave your arms.

4. Put an additional switch near the door on an existing lamp.

In this case, you do not need to buy new lamp, but you can’t do without chiselling and pass-through switches. How to connect pass-through switches is described separately. In this case, the light will have to be turned on and off by hand.

5. Use the door as a switch.

Since the possibilities of teleportation are still very limited, in order to enter the apartment, it is necessary to open the door, and after entering the apartment, close the door. If you insert a special button into the door frame, which, when pressed, opens electrical circuit, and in the normal (not pressed) state it closes, the light will light up every time the door is opened, to turn off the additional lighting, just close the door. More correctly, such a button is called a push-button switch with a NC contact. The advantages of this option are the same as when installing luminaires with a sensor or walk-through switches. Look button on door frame will be something like this:

Photo 2.

View of the button for additional lighting.

Moreover, when the door is closed, then, of course, no button is visible:

Photo 3. General form doors with built-in button for additional lighting.

In addition to the push-button switch, a conventional switch can also be used to turn on the additional lighting fixture. In the photo, such a switch can be seen on the right (next to the door handle).

How the whole system works can be seen in the following video:

circuit diagram connection of a push-button switch with a NC contact is no different from the connection diagram of a conventional switch:

Picture 1. Schematic diagram of connecting a conventional switch (A) and wiring diagram in the junction box (B).

Here is just a push-button switch with a NC contact in a different way:

Figure 2. Conventional designation of a push-button switch with a NC contact.

and therefore the connection diagram will look a little different:

Figure 3. Schematic diagram of the connection of the push-button switch (A) and wiring diagram in the junction box (B).

And if, in addition to the button, a regular switch is also used, then the connection diagram will look like this:

Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the connection of the push-button and conventional switches (A) and the wiring diagram in the junction box (B).

As can be seen from the diagram above, the number of pushbutton switches can be arbitrarily large, i.e. it is possible to insert push-button switches into all doors leading to the vestibule.

Disadvantages of installing luminaires with a button:

New wiring. This is the biggest drawback. Under the wires, you will have to scratch the walls and make a hole in the wall for a new junction box. If an additional conventional switch is made, as shown in photo 3 and in figure 4, then in some cases you can do without junction box by connecting the wires in the socket.

- Limited mounting options. It is most convenient to put the push-button switch on metal box doors, but even in this case it is far from always possible to fix the switch with a nut. For example, the button switch shown in photo 2 is installed without a fixing nut, so a neat hole had to be made under it so that the button would fit very tightly. The design of the door may be such that the side of the door may not press the button to the end or not press the button at all, but increasing the height of the button by gluing the appropriate adapter is not a problem, but choosing the height of the adapter may be more difficult.

- Low availability. Buy push button switch in the near hardware store will not work. For this, I go to the radio market, but it’s difficult to find a push-button switch designed for 220 V there. Usually I install pushbutton switches rated at 110V and 5A, for a 60W light bulb this is more than enough.

- Working hours. When I am about to leave, I often turn on additional lighting, and it is advisable to turn it off when Entrance door already open. At the same time, the lighting remains on, since the door is open and if you are distracted, you can forget to turn off the additional lighting.

As you can see ideal options no, it's up to you which one to choose.

Everyone knows that plants cannot live without light. Good lighting is important not only in the greenhouse, but also at home, where many owners, in addition to indoor plants grow seedlings for a summer residence or arrange a mini-garden on the windowsill of dwarf tomatoes and peppers.

Without the right light, especially during the cold season, houseplants have a hard time. And if the apartment is oriented with windows to the north, the situation is aggravated - here all year round no sun rays.

To ensure normal photosynthesis and active growth at each stage of development, plants need daylight, which contains the entire spectrum of illumination. Of course, it is impossible to find an artificial replacement for the sun, but caring owners will still be able to do a lot to make life easier for plants.

Modern technologies are an inexhaustible source for original ideas. In the conditions of home workshops, you can build a quite high-quality lamp for highlighting seedlings. To succeed in this matter, you need to figure out which artificial light for plants will be the best, that is -.

Ordinary incandescent lamps are the most inappropriate lighting element. They have an insufficient light spectrum, and when they work for a long time, they heat up and burn the foliage.

The best choice is LEDs. They emit the desired spectrum and do not heat up. Monochrome has the most important spectra for plants:

• blue - stimulating growth,
• red - providing friendly flowering,
• magenta (or violet) - supporting both of the processes mentioned.

Colors are emitted in a narrow range, which increases the efficiency of LED lamps for illuminating seedlings.

carried out through a converting inverter for 12 or 24 volts. It is necessary to take into account the density of placement of LEDs per 1 meter of the length of the tape, as well as its monochrome or RGB features.

With the help of tapes make light modern cars. At self installation such LED designs, attention should be paid to the same parameters: type, density, power and color of the tape.

Unfortunately, such lamps are an expensive pleasure that not everyone can afford. Therefore, home craftsmen resort to self-assembly.

Before you start making lamps for seedlings with your own hands, you need to remember the following features.

1. It is a mistake to think that colors other than blue, red and purple are less important. In fact, yellow and green are also necessary, although most of radiation in this light range is still reflected by sheet plates.
2. Turning on the lighting, do not forget that the plants need a rest from the light, so it is not advisable to illuminate the seedlings for more than 12-14 hours a day. 24/7 coverage required only until sprouts spit.
3. It is also important to consider the distance from the tray to the lamp to illuminate the seedlings. The higher the light source is located, the lower the intensity of illumination (it is proportional to the square of the distance).

For example, having 1000 lux at a distance of 1 meter, when moving the light source another 1 meter further, we will reduce the light intensity to 250 lux.

4. A matte screen must be used for proper dispersion! Diffuse light is better absorbed by plants and does not cause overheating.

Do-it-yourself LED phytolamp: diagrams and assembly order

Having made a choice in favor of the LED design of a phytolamp with your own hands, you need to understand that the success of its application depends on the correctness of the spectrum. And it is selected in accordance with the development of plants.

On the initial stage blue and red diodes are required. Their ratio is just as important as proper placement.

1. Each diode emits light in a “cone” and these cones must overlap each other so that the entire area under the lamp is illuminated evenly.
2. The color ratio is two to one: one red is taken for two blue diodes. This spectrum contributes to the development of the root system. In this case, the plant turns out to be low, with well-developed leaves and a thick stem. That is, the seedlings are ready for picking.

At the second stage, plants need rest and a ratio of blue and red in a ratio of 1: 1.

For two or three days after picking, seedlings should be highlighted less intensely. One blue diode is taken for one red diode.

Let's analyze first way how to make a seedling lamp For this you will need:

• body of the old ;
• diodes: 30 red (3GR-R); 20 white (3HP2C): 10 pieces at 3800-4300 Kelvin, simulating midday lighting; and 10 more, with "morning" light, at 4800-5300 Kelvin; 20 blue (3GR-B).
• led drive in the amount of two pieces: HG2217 and a driver with PWM control RLD10.

Diodes are attached with hot glue directly to the aluminum plate.

By are determined by the rated current and the group. To understand the principle of operation of such a device, it is necessary to consider how the machine operates when the network is overloaded and during a short circuit.

After that, you can make the right one for the home power supply security system, and then the device.

At second option how to make a phytolamp yourself you will need:

• industrial building fluorescent lamp;
• two inverters for 24 and 12 Volts (suitable, for example,);
• cooler;
• 10 watt LED matrices, two red and one blue;
• anodized aluminum strip.

Assembly order:

1. wires to matrices, taking into account polarity;
2. the resulting design is connected through wires to the power supply (the total power of the diodes must be selected taking into account the power of the inverter);
3. a cooler, which will be used for cooling, and its 12-volt power supply are attached to the aluminum strip with hot glue;
4. holes are drilled on the body from a fluorescent lamp - warm air will be blown out from here;
5. diodes are fixed on an aluminum strip with epoxy glue;
6. the strip is bent to give it the shape of a reflector and is installed on the prepared housing.

Do-it-yourself LED phytolamp for seedlings is ready!

The main reason homemade lamps for plants, of course, the high cost of products of this type offered in stores.

There are few firms engaged in the production of diode-based phytolamps on the market. Therefore, the risk of getting a low-quality product for a lot of money increases. This is another reason to assemble a lamp with your own hands, controlling the quality of all its details.

How to make a do-it-yourself phytolamp on video

Lighting is a necessary component for the life and growth of plants. Without enough light, the seedlings turn pale and wither.

What should be the lighting, prices for different kinds fixtures and how to make a device for supplementary lighting yourself from inexpensive materials and LED strip we will describe in this article.

Seedling lighting

The most popular plants grown from seedlings are tomatoes, cucumbers, Bell pepper and cabbage. Many decorative flowering annuals are also sown first in small containers and only after reaching a certain size are transplanted into open ground.

This need is due to the inconsistency climatic zones and the duration of the growing season of individual species, or the need to pick the main root to improve the development of the root system.

Illumination of seedlings with LEDs

There is a fairly significant difference between lighting for adult plants and seedlings. Seedlings capture light not only with chlorophyll for photosynthesis. Phytochrome and cryptochrome also absorb light and are responsible for the division, stretching and specialization of the cells of the future plant.

Light, its intensity, color temperature, spectrum and duration of illumination are very important for seed germination and growing viable seedlings. With a lack of light, the plants stretch, become pale or turn yellow, their development slows down, and the timing of flowering and fruiting is postponed.

In conditions where the seedlings are on the windowsill, passive lighting can be arranged for it. A reflective screen (white paper or cloth, foil on a substrate) is installed between the seedlings and the room. The light from the window reflects off the screen and illuminates the plants from the other side. But all this is half measures, since natural light is completely insufficient.

Backlighting with old incandescent lamps, despite the brightness, gave a very low result, since plants need a certain spectrum, and the necessary blue and red remains in general luminous flux far less. Incandescent lamps get very hot, requiring additional ventilation and watering.

Options for artificial plant lighting

For artificial lighting of plants (in particular - seedlings), the following types of lamps are recommended:

1. Luminescent. The time-tested option is still used by most greenhouses. Inferior to other types of lighting for seedlings.
2. Metal halide. Economical, but do not give enough light in the blue spectrum.
3. sodium. Quite an expensive type of lamp, requiring the installation of additional control equipment. The glow is predominantly in the orange and yellow spectra.
4. LED. Of all types of artificial lighting, the future lies with LED grow lights. They deserve a separate enumeration of numerous advantages. For plants located on racks, it is convenient to use, for example, such as in.

Advantages

Advantages of illumination of seedlings namely:

1. economical– use 8 times less electricity than standard lamps.
2. durable– in the presence of heat dissipation, they can work up to 50,000 hours.
3. Repaired - an LED that has stopped working can be easily replaced. Agree, it is much cheaper than buying a new lamp.
4. Installing LEDs different power and spectrum allows you to get exactly the lighting that best meets the needs of a particular seedling at a particular time. If you need to change the spectrum - just replace one with another in the same lamp.
5. Turns on instantly and gives an even glow without flickering.
6. Heats up very little, which makes it possible to place them lower above the plants without the risk of causing burns on the leaf plate.
7. Low voltage operation improves security settings.
8. Eco-friendly- do not contain harmful chemical substances and do not require special conditions for disposal.

It can be assumed that the ever-increasing interest of consumers will affect production volumes and prices will begin to fall.

Consider more.

Popular Models

The choice of a particular model depends on where exactly the lighting will be installed, for which crops, at what distance from the tops of the plants.

Professional LED lamp for plants 75W (10 spectra)

Where can phytolamps for seedlings on LEDs be used:

• in greenhouses and farms;
• in private houses;
• apartments;
• in suburban areas.

Depending on the types of racks and the number of seedlings, LED lamps can be of different shapes:

1. Pipe- suitable for additional illumination of seedlings in narrow long rows, often used on window sills.
2. Tablet or phytopanel- the shape of the lamp in the form of a rather large square. This is a professional luminaire designed to illuminate wide racks.
3. Single lamp- supplementary lighting in this form is used when growing a small amount of seedlings for personal needs.
4. - illuminate from a greater distance and large area than single lamps.
5. LED strips– can be configured in any order. They are most often used for making do-it-yourself phyto-lights.

When choosing a phytolamp, carefully read the instructions. good manufacturer necessarily indicates from what distance what area can be effectively illuminated by a particular phytolamp model. This information will be very useful when planning the number and power of purchased lamps.

Example: "Topaz", the parameters and price of which are given in table 2, depending on the distance to the plants, gives the indicators indicated in table 1.

As can be seen from the table, the prices are not encouraging. This main reason the fact that LED backlighting is not so popular, despite the obvious advantages. But you can significantly reduce the cost of a lighting fixture if you make it yourself.

How to assemble an LED seedling light

The simplest version of LED phytolamps is made from LED strip.

Materials for work:

1. Panel, the size and shape of which coincide with the area on which the seedlings will grow. You can use a lamp from a damaged fluorescent lamp.
2. Aluminum profile.
3. Red and blue LED tape with Velcro. Before buying, do not forget to correctly calculate the proportions of the blue and red spectra recommended for your plants. Most often, this is 1 length of the blue spectrum by 8 lengths of the red spectrum.
4. Power supply or driver.

Do-it-yourself phyto tape assembly scheme

When choosing between a driver and a simple power supply, keep in mind that the first not only transforms the standard 220 volts into the required 12 or 24, but also stabilizes the voltage. Drivers are available for a specific LED power.

The assembly of the lamp consists of the following sequential steps:

1. Clean and degrease the surface of the panel.
2. We attach an aluminum profile to the panel - it is needed to remove heat and extend the life of the LEDs.
3. Cut the tape into desired lengths. You need to cut between soldering - it is visible on the tape.
4. We connect the segments with a connector or with a soldering iron.
5. We are filming protective covering from the inside of the tape and glue with a little pressure on the aluminum profile. Avoid strong bends of the tape, so as not to damage the tracks that feed the diodes.
6. We install the panel on a stand-legs that will hold the lamp above the seedlings at the required height.
7. We place the power source at the right distance from the outlet and connect it to the LED strip. It is important to observe the polarity.
8. You can use.

The price of an LED seedling lamp should not make you give up such high-quality lighting. If you have hard-working hands, you can make a completely high-quality lamp with your own hands.

Video

This video will show you how to make led lamp for seedlings with their own hands.