1st Grow: Help /w hanging lights

Hey dudes (and dudettes?),

So in most of the pics I see, people are using single socket hanging lights with a Y splitter on them and no deflector... the only ones I can find locally have no plug for an electrical outlet on them. I'm not very handy with elec/mechanical stuff and I am wondering how I can take one of those hanging light dealies and make them so I can just plug them in to a socket? Is that doable?

Right now the only light I am using is this: 6x 100W (equivalent) CFLs, 4 of which are 6500K and 2 of which are 2700K. I have them on a power bar with 3 Y-splitters and I have a deflector made out of a turkey pan and cookie sheet over top of them to send all light downward. You can't see the bulbs in the pic, but I'm sure you can imagine what the array looks like.

My thinking on using a light array like that was I would be able to shower the plants below with a flood of light concentrated on an area. I would be adding side lighting as they grow and for flowering.

I think most people don't use reflectors for CFLs because you have to move them a lot, get them close to plants, put them at all angles.. top, side, in the middle, etc. Not only that but the lumen output is so low that any reflected light won't be powerful enough to make any difference once the plant is bushier. If you want to keep that as the 'main' top light and add new ones as they grow up that would be a good idea.

I think the little piece of hardware you are looking for is: http://www.amazon.com/Leviton-61-Outlet-Lampholder-adapter/dp/B001OM1L06/ref=pd_cp_hi_0 or something similar?

ULMResearch said:

I think most people don't use reflectors for CFLs because you have to move them a lot, get them close to plants, put them at all angles.. top, side, in the middle, etc. Not only that but the lumen output is so low that any reflected light won't be powerful enough to make any difference once the plant is bushier. If you want to keep that as the 'main' top light and add new ones as they grow up that would be a good idea.

I think the little piece of hardware you are looking for is: http://www.amazon.com/Leviton-61-Outlet-Lampholder-adapter/dp/B001OM1L06/ref=pd_cp_hi_0 or something similar?

Click to expand...

I have a bunch of those, and Y-splitters, making up my lighting array.

What I meant was, when you see what looks like the guts from a lamp hanging down...like...just the socket for the bulb attached to a cord. Are people just using those socket converters on an extension cord, and hanging THOSE down amongst the plants?? Now that I say that...no reason that wouldn't work hahaha.

You can find workshop lights that are basically just a cord, a socket and a switch.. and usually some sort of hanger.

home depot has clamp lights, menards has clamp lights w/ reflector usually a smaller one then a really big one

Wallyworld has some of that stuff too...cheap.(not clamp lamps though..that i ever seen)

The clamps can be good but don't go buying 10 of them cause they are on sale...you'll go nuts trying to clamp em all....

I gave up on all the clamps and little cfl's and just got a 150hps...for the little corner it's in...it's been great for bbq'ing plants

Cheers,
SilverSerf

I went to lowes today and bought a clamp lamp with wide reflector. it was $ 11.95. reflector was wide enough to put a $2.00 Y connector in and let me put 2-35 watt 6500K CFL's. hope this helps. New myself....

Tony

Thanks all. I have found the clamp lights, and also the hanging shop lights. The clamps with a deflector are about $20 here. I picked up an extension cord, socket convertor, and y adaptor for about $10, so I'm going to play around with that a bit too and see how sturdy it turns out /w two bulbs