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Email features have been reactivated 4/17/24
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First I will say hello. This is my first post after lurking for a couple of years. Also thanks for all the useful information you folks post on here it has been of great help.
I have used a huge T5 unit 4 foot 12 bulb for the last couple of years as a primary light source in winter.I had considered traditional 1000 watt and even cmh 315 watt options but they would have been within inches of wooden support beams so I decided it wasn't worth the risk. My experience with T5 has been that it will keep the trees alive but they will not thrive under them especially when used as a primary source. Replacement bulbs are pricey with the risk of breakage in transport. When I purchased this unit Led lights were expensive and I didn't care for the options. I need a new light for a single Tangerine tree which will be by itself in front of the patio door. I have found two options that appear to be good options but I cannot vouch for them at this point. The first is Quantum boards from Horticulture lighting group. I have no affiliation with them and will probably avoid them due to high shipping cost to Canada. If you are in America they ship for free so it might be a good option for lighting.
The alternative is to build my own Led light using Samsung F strips which ends up being cheaper. I will be building a light using either 4 or 5 two foot F strips for my Tangerine. If it works well I will build a unit using 4 foot strips for my trees that receive no sun. I have not seen either this type of build or a Quantum board build used for Citrus so I cannot vouch for them yet. Marijuana growers seem to really like both of these types of lights for efficiency and heat reduction as well as good penetration. I will update on the lights once I see some results.
This link below talks about 3 different Samsung strip leds and a bridgelux. It also shows grow light configurations that can be built using the strips. It's a nice little guide.
http://ledgardener.com/diy-led-strip-build-designs-samsung-bridgelux/