Facinating Lighting Theory... PLMK What You Think

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itsalways420

Active Member
Hello all, this is only my second thread, so here goes. I have been wanting to grow for the past 2 or 3 months now, but I am the kind of person who likes to do the research first before going out and buying all that I need and not knowing what I am doing. So, as I am slowly collecting all that I need. I was at my local HD, and had a thought that I felt I had to share. I don't know if someone else has already posted this or tried this, but here goes.

I am in the lighting section of HD and I am purchasing a couple of 150w CFLs. Oh, I almost forgot, since I started my research, the lighting issue has been the one I have been doing the most reasearch on. L.E.D's, Flourescents, Envirolites, CFL, HPS, MH and so on. I am trying to figure out a way, like everyone else to reduce heat. So as I am in HD, it hits me, the CFL I am about to purchase has 2600 lumens, and uses 42 watts.

Ok, so here is were it gets into the theory part. First, I really don't know how many watts you are really using when you use a 400w/600w/1000w HPS, or MH. Is is 400w/600w/1000w for the use of the light only, or the ballast included, does it run more than 400w? If someone can help me with that one.

So, I have an old 10 outlet computer strip 5' long, that can take up to 750w, and lets say I was to get 10 edison(house outlet) to light socket adaptor, and place one in every outlet, and place a 150w CFL in all 10. That would be 26,000 lumens at 420 watts, but almost no heat. So, 3 of those strips like that would be 78,000 lumens and 1260 watts, but again, almost no heat.

So, as I read more and more, I see that lumens are the key to growing wIth whatever light you use.

The question in this theory is thus;

Is it worth the sacrifice of using 1,260 (3 strips) watts for 76,000 lumens for 90% greater reduction in heat creation?

You have eliminated the need for an A/C and can probably just use the exhaust fans. So I was trying to figure what the usage of power would be to sacrifice off the A/C and HPS, ballast and so on, for more wattage, or is it really more or less overall?

It's really cool to think that 6 of these strips would be over 150,000 lumens, but the 2,620 watts might kill ya, but it sounds good, in theory...

I think this would work great using 1 or 2 strips for veg, maybe with a 6400k flourescent T12.

So, wadda ya think?
 
EarlyMisty#1

EarlyMisty#1

Active Member
dude im blazed and good luck with your grow! i dont know much about electrical stuff but your not alone man, the electricians of RIU are coming your way!!! :D
 
I

itsalways420

Active Member
While I'm in the research process, and just for shiggles(shits and giggles) I have started a few plants to clone when I am ready in a couple months. I am using 2 150w CFLs (5400 lumens-84 usage of watts), also I have a 2' 6400k flourescents with 1060 lumes in each bulb, 2 bulbs.
 
R

ROBINBANKS

New Member
The very best of luck with it and welcome to RIU, you have used 3 words i can only praise you for and wish there was more people like you.

Your 3 words were--( RESEARCH FIRST BEFORE )
 
I

itsalways420

Active Member
ROBINBANKS said:
The very best of luck with it and welcome to RIU, you have used 3 words i can only praise you for and wish there was more people like you.

Your 3 words were--( RESEARCH FIRST BEFORE )
Click to expand...

All my friends are killing me, "Hurry up and get started," or "When we hooking everything up?"

If they did research before they all started, they wouldn't have to fail the first 2 or 3 times. hehe
 
stumps

stumps

Well-Known Member
lumas don't stack. you are right the 26w cfl's don't put off allot of heat. But every one of them has a self ballist on them and you'll be shoched at how much heat they put off. you would have something about the same as a 250w mh or hps with less power. I run a 80w and a 100w cfl that is close to 400w light out put. I have one plant under the 100w and seedlings and clones under the 80w. or it would be one light per plant. with a 400w mh I can veg 8 plants till flower. Sorry way tired to find all the data tonight but will try to get to it tomorrow. or ask and I can try to give some feed back got about 20 min left in me.
 
stumps

stumps

Well-Known Member
you get two sets of the same output. Say 50,000 lumas per light you would have allot more light but still only 50,000 lumas. I know there is better wording for for this do you understand the point I'm trying to make?
 
Chillums

Chillums

Well-Known Member
Just use the hps/Mh, I use all cfls. 400 watts in my flower cabinet and bout 200 in my veg and the amount of heat they put off stacks up man. In my flower cab I'm running 7 pc fans to keep it cool, like it works and shit. But in the end I think in retrospect putting in the initial investment and setting up a hid light with a cool tube will save you alot of trouble and make for a more pleasurable growing experience. And lumens aren't what plants use anyway, a more realistic way to look at it is to compare watts to lumens and that will give you an idea of the iffiency of the bulb. Cuz after all lumens are just a measure of light put off that is preceptible to the human eye. But good luck keep growing and props on learning first.
 
OregonMeds

OregonMeds

Well-Known Member
Listen to the folks telling you about the heat that adds up with cfl's but the lumens that don't add, they are right. If you want to grow, you are going to have heat to deal with no matter what you use. Figure out what size grow you are going to do, and buy the approprate light to cover that area. The only time you should look at cfl's is if you're growing inside some tiny cabinet or drawer or something. Even a small closet deserves a HID even if it's just the minimum size for your area and nothing compares to MH/HPS, Nothing. There are lots of deals on used lights lately if money is a concern. Lots of folks are selling all kinds of stuff cheap on ebay/craigslist with this economy as it is.

You can find 1kw, 600w ballasts in the same price or less than 400w lights so don't skimp on the size, get what will work best in your area from day one and then you can do what you have to in order to handle the heat whether that's just a cheap window a/c and some fans or cooltube with outside intake and exhaust or whatever.

Do it right from day one and save money you could waste upgrading over and over. That's the whole point of your research right?
 
Drr

Drr

Well-Known Member
100 2600 lumen bulbs isn't just gonna give you 2600 lumens.... i'm sorry...

it may not stack as in double completely.. but if the light beams cross each other, don't tell me there's not more lumens in that spot.. I didn't know we have light experts here at RIU...

and the distance from the bulbs at where the beams cross will determine the intensity... or the lumens stacking.. once again.. sure they don't double or add exactly.. your not rocking 260,000 lumens... and the CFL intensity isn't really high enough to get them close enough to add effectivly...

sure 2 400's cover more since there is 2 light sources and you can put them apart from each other.... but if you put them inch's away under one hood.. the lumens will add where the beams cross.. especially really close to the bulbs.. and in the middle of them.. i bet it's real close to stacking...

if someone wants to test this with a light meter and some lights they have.. i'd be glad to be proved wrong..

;o)
 
I

itsalways420

Active Member
Drr said:
100 2600 lumen bulbs isn't just gonna give you 2600 lumens.... i'm sorry...

it may not stack as in double completely.. but if the light beams cross each other, don't tell me there's not more lumens in that spot.. I didn't know we have light experts here at RIU...


if someone wants to test this with a light meter and some lights they have.. i'd be glad to be proved wrong..

;o)
Click to expand...

Has anyone ever tested this out?
 
WeedIsForMe

WeedIsForMe

Active Member
First and foremost I am a fairly new grower but I thought I would share what has worked for me thus far. I start my girls on a 24/0 under the agrosun full spectrum fluorescents, about 2600lumens. I do this for 2-3 weeks. After that I move them to an 18/6 schedule under a 400w MH and I move another batch of girls under the agro tubes. They stay on the 18/6 MH for about 2-5 weeks. At the end of the 18/6 vegging stage I add 2 full spectrum Flourescents to the sides and change the light schedule to 12/12. After about 2-3 weeks I change the bulb from the 400w MH to the 400w HPS and finish the grow using that. It works pretty well and I havent had any stress issues and the plants seem to enjoy the changing spectrums of lights...especially the final change to HPS in 3 days there is significant bud growth. I have been researching a brand of HPS light that has a small MH chanmber on the tip but havent heard from ne1 that's used them. I dunno if this helps at all but either way I would suggest getting a switchable ballast so you can change out the hps/mh or if money isnt an issue use both...As far as heat is concerned, keep your ballast on the floor it helps. keep the air moving with lots of fans and make sure its moved in and out. Unless you live in a very hot area you don't need an air conditioner.
 
jcdws602

jcdws602

Well-Known Member
WeedIsForMe said:
First and foremost I am a fairly new grower but I thought I would share what has worked for me thus far. I start my girls on a 24/0 under the agrosun full spectrum fluorescents, about 2600lumens. I do this for 2-3 weeks. After that I move them to an 18/6 schedule under a 400w MH and I move another batch of girls under the agro tubes. They stay on the 18/6 MH for about 2-5 weeks. At the end of the 18/6 vegging stage I add 2 full spectrum Flourescents to the sides and change the light schedule to 12/12. After about 2-3 weeks I change the bulb from the 400w MH to the 400w HPS and finish the grow using that. It works pretty well and I havent had any stress issues and the plants seem to enjoy the changing spectrums of lights...especially the final change to HPS in 3 days there is significant bud growth. I have been researching a brand of HPS light that has a small MH chanmber on the tip but havent heard from ne1 that's used them. I dunno if this helps at all but either way I would suggest getting a switchable ballast so you can change out the hps/mh or if money isnt an issue use both...As far as heat is concerned, keep your ballast on the floor it helps. keep the air moving with lots of fans and make sure its moved in and out. Unless you live in a very hot area you don't need an air conditioner.
Click to expand...
I have a 430 watt sun agro light it has an enhanced spectrum (30% more blue) it fits on a standard 400 watt ballast,I don't know if this is what your talking bout
 
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