Fluorescent Vs Hps In Flowering Room

[Croppled1]

I have been trying to get some info on the Lithro Lighting and my internet search is not paying off,When I asked about the lighting @ my local hydro shops I was told that the lighting is no good and that's why the don't carry it..Is there a place in Michigan that carries the Lithro Full Spectrum T8 lighting? If so I need that info because a reduction in my energy bill and less heat and good quality meds is worth looking into.

 

Not in Michigan but it might help with information saw a page on t - 8 in the catolog . I like PB's system .Make sure you pick out the right Kelvins . 5900 and 3000 I think people said . The cost is in the fixture / ballast . In PB's example is that a makeup mirror fixture they used ? Those 26 watt bulbs should not require a ballast just a socket in a fixture you can make yourself if your handy . I just worry about people not grounding or having shorts with twenty self wired sockets . Be careful out there and use smoke detectors . Someone very enterprising could run that set up off a 900 watt wind generator mounted on their roof with batteries and a inverter . I know you all are amazing individuals .

 

 

http://www.budgetlig...st-catalog.html

Edited December 26, 2011 by Croppled1

[peanutbutter]

yeah, pb. 20 new bulbs would only be $2,000.

 

Well .. actually the "soft white" bulbs (2700K) run about $2 each.

 

The "daylight" bulbs (6500K) run about $3 each.

[peanutbutter]

why not use the komee god cfl bulbs if going the that way P.B.????????

 

15,000 Lumen 200 watt...

 

OK .. $100 for 200 watts of CFL.

 

With regular 26 (I call 'em 25) watt bulbs .. @ 3$ each = $24 for 200 watts of CFL.

[CaffeineForAll]

I forget who makes them but the 300watt CFL's may have some real potential. Problem will always be penetration. For veg however, most high elevation/temperate zoned strains do better under CFL's from their softer light. Mimicking the sunlight of spring time conditions when the suns rays are not as intense. Properly used, CFL's greatly speed veg time in seed plants, and cloning time.

 

T5's are unfortunately outdated technology, but just like the engineers who can't let go of the past (steam punk) growers wont let go of the T5's.

 

No worries, I'm sure the Chinese are busy reverse engineering Luxim plasma technology as we speak and will have them flood the market

 

Full sun spectrum (or darn near) achieved!

[purklize]

I've never tried T5s for flowering, but I use a 192w one for vegging, and I swear the growth is nearly as fast as with a 400w MH (new bulb). It illuminates a 2x2ft space, so it comes to about 50w/sq ft.

[peanutbutter]

Heres the story guys. T5 light quality is just as good or better than HPS. Period.

 

The real problem is T5 does not throw the light as far as HPS. Thats it.

 

12" is probably the realistic distance for T5 lighting. So if your doing a scrog and maintain the light and buds less than 12" from the top of the screen, T5 should work just as good as an HPS. Anything farther than 12" and T5 light intensity drops amazingly quick.

 

I personally wouldn't use T5 for flower. But its the only thing I would use in veg.

 

Light density is the problem with T-5. CFL can put out much more light per square foot than T-5.

 

Color is important. Orange light represents fall to the plants. I blend about 75% "soft white" (2700K= orange) with about 25% "daylight" (6500K=blue) cfl bulbs in an array.

[rustyjams]

thanks for the tips/advice. i'll run with the hps for flowering.

 As a few said in this thread, watch your room temp!! I'm a first time grower that vegged under flourescents and when I hooked up my new 400w HPS today for flower the room temp raised 10 degrees in a 20x20 room. My dumb*** wasn't expecting this but I got it covered.

 

VENTILATION, VENTILATION AND MORE VENTILATION

[trix]

Keeping the air circulating is important, out with the old in with the new. keeping your humidity AND your temps down gets a bit harder come Flower time.. Air conditioner, dehumidifier, air cooled hoods..

I'm actually going to shut down my grow for the hot summer months, My veg room is down now, has been since the first of the month.. I was going to go perpetual,, but gosh that gets costly and its just a personal grow... hoping that this harvest and will last for a while, cause Im on ssi and cannot afford the electric bills that come along with keeping 3-4 plants going 18 hours a day under 1000w lights..

 

[tony1960]

I'm very pleased with the LITRO F32T8 / LitroGlo 5000  I got them from Green Hands Aloha but now I see they appear to be out of them.  I use four tubes along with 180W of LEDs.  I'll be adding six more when I can find them.

Edited June 21, 2013 by tony1960

[outsideinthecold]

About this light-penetration thing.

 

Is that scientifically measureable?

 

What is different about a CFL photon from an HID photon?

[Budz-4-U]

Clones = 100 watt fluorescent spirals are fine.

 

Veg = Mh   600w or 1,000w

 

Flower = HPS   600w or 1,000w

 

The closer you get to re-creating the sun, the better.

[greenleaf]

Buy a 400 watt HPS and master that light, it'll reward you and give you all that you can smoke, as a smoker.  If you have more intensive medical reasons, get a 1,000 HPS.

 

The 1,000 HPS will cost you about $100 a month, will the addtl fans, etc.  The 400 watt HPS takes a lot less extras, in terms of fans and Air Conditioning, etc. in less than favorable grow rooms, like a closet vs. a basement in January.

 

Learn on the 400 and jump to the 1,000 because you won't have heat management issues and more intense plant needs.

 

 

[peacefulfield]

I prefer to mix it up. I have almost always used combinations in lighting.. If you use Just LED their is little coverage but the intensity is their. If you use just Florescent the coverage is their but the intensity is not great after about 10-16 inches. If you use MH you only get about half of the lumen of HPS per watt. If you use HPS only you don't get full spectrum and lots of heat. Yet heat is great when the room gets cooler. But its not all about just Lumens & watts. Its also about light wavelengths & spectrum's.

 

 So in the summer grows, the best choice is really outside period. I refuse to use an AC unit because it takes about 1000 watts to cool 1000 watts if your not running vented hoods that is..  But what you can do inside is use all 3 in flower HPS,  Florescent, & LED. In my opinion Having all 3 is really the best. Because you can use them in sequence or all together. Like hps for 4-8 hours then LED FLO combo for 4-8 hours. On the real hot days/nights I use less HID and more Flo/LED etc.... Most growers complain about LED's but if you use them with florescent and or HPS you get great quality results..