BIIIIG CFL's

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VanishingToaster

Active Member
has anyone got any experience using big CFL's, i've got a dual spec 300w actually get heat off it! as its my first grow i've nothing to really compare it too, was wondering if using a CFL this size had any unique disadvantages or advantages

i'm only using the one bulb, so i've not got a surruond-bulb setup, had 8 plants under it and doing well ... at one point lol
 
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carnage11

Active Member
Is it 300 true watts? Or are you reading the equivalent. If it's the later, then it's actually 68w. I've used the 68w or 300w equivalent before and they work well. They also sell the 250 actual watt CFLs which are designed for growing. These work well when combined with the 68w.
 
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BlazedMonkey

Well-Known Member
VanishingToaster said:
has anyone got any experience using big CFL's, i've got a dual spec 300w actually get heat off it! as its my first grow i've nothing to really compare it too, was wondering if using a CFL this size had any unique disadvantages or advantages

i'm only using the one bulb, so i've not got a surruond-bulb setup, had 8 plants under it and doing well ... at one point lol
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Damn that is the biggest CFL ive ever seen/heard of being used.
From what others have said/found out you generate less heat per watt if you use multiple small bulbs as opposed to one big one as well as you can get them closer/from more than one point, and if a bulb burns out its 1/8 your light not 100%.

That being said ive no experience and im guessing few go that big :)
What are you growing in terms of size? And what kind of heat are you getting???
 
alotaball

alotaball

Well-Known Member
I run a 250 actual watt cfl in my veg/clone tent Works just as well as my 4 bulb 4 foot t5. The cool thing with the huge cfl is that it is perfect for a small grow area or tent.. where you cant get a 4 foot t5 setup.. I use it in a 3x3 tent for veg only.. in a aluma wing reflector.. Works like a charm.. heat is still low! The cfl's of this size just look like a bunch of t5s with a bend in the middle .. The 250w puts out 15,000 lumens .. not too bad.
 
silverserf

silverserf

Well-Known Member
Wow, i wish i could get thoses around here. Never seen one in the hydro shops, but i don't visit often.
 
alotaball

alotaball

Well-Known Member
Order it online its like 79 bucks for a 250watt 15,000 lumens one.. it is self ballasted so there is no external ballast and fits in a cheapy 30 dollar aluma wing relfector
 
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VanishingToaster

Active Member
thats pretty much my set up, but u can see the colour difference in the 2k and 6k tubing, got mine on a reflector.

i had 8 plants all about a foot and a half under it then lost a couple males, another 2 to spidermites an two failed autos that dieded, got donated a jack herer cutting still got my n lights big bud cross and white siberian on the go.
 
jondamon

jondamon

Well-Known Member
a friend of mine grows 2 plants under a 250w RED SPEC CFL.

He keeps them LST'd and under 1.5ft tall and pulls around 1.5-2oz per plant.

Keeps him happy and off my back for smoke lol,



J
 
alotaball

alotaball

Well-Known Member
The one you see stretch is because its a 100 percent sativa.. all 3 in the back are Barny's farm laughing buddhas ...She is a 14-17 week strain..

here is a more indica dominate strain.. they dont stretch at all under that light.... But I only veg under it ..
 
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gobskiii

Well-Known Member
i have a 125w full spec. CFL for side lighting...also just got a 4oow hps...dont really need the CFL anymore, but im sure it cant hurt either...i had a 250w hps and my area is about 2 x 2...anyone think i should expand a lil bit since i got the bigger light? just tryin to make sure i dont have too much lighting for a 2 x 2 area...so i have 525 actual watts in that area.
 
alotaball

alotaball

Well-Known Member
jondamon said:
Also i have used a 200w BLUE spec cfl for mothers and clones. At one point i had around 16 clones and 2 seedlings under one. Hang on i'll try and upload a pic of them all.


J
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How do you like those pots? sorry off topic


A cool thing with the cfl's is that if your veg and flower are in the same room.. it doesnt add much heat to your grow room... I used to run all MH for my veg.. and they performed WELL.. but they also added about 6 degrees to my ambient temperature in the room.. which makes it even harder to keep the flower cool.. ect
 
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