Colored CFLs: using the LED concept?

What's the whole concept behind LEDs? By using the correct spectrum of light only, you don't need as much power, right? So you use about 75w of LED power and you "get the same growth rate as a 600w HPS", right? WRONG!

We all know that this is good in theory, but doesn't work in practice. LEDs just don't have enough light intensity or lumen output to make this work. But what if we applied this same idea to CFLs? We will get the benefit of the correct spectrum, but without losing lumens, so its a win/win situation! Getting a mix of red and blue CFLs will work like a "hybrid" of CFLs and LEDs, and we all know hybrids are all the rage these days.

Compact Fluorescent - Spring Lamp - Red Party Light - 13 Watt - Energy Miser # FE-IIS-13W-R Light Bulb
Compact Fluorescent - Spring Lamp - Blue Party Light - 13 Watt - Energy Miser # FE-IIS-13W-B Light Bulb

24 Watt Spiral Colored Compact Fluorescent Red CFL
24 Watt Spiral Colored Compact Fluorescent Blue CFL

Compact Fluorescent Colored Light Bulbs

They are low wattage's, but CFLs have more efficient Lumen/watt ratios at lower wattage's. Don't believe me? Do the math for yourself. Plus, you can get better coverage to more parts of the plant with more low wattage bulbs than with more high wattage bulbs.

Good thing lumens DO add
https://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/83128-lumens-lux-adding-all-up.html



Comments/concerns/insults? Please post. I wanna hear y'alls thoughts...

bumpety bump

intresing, I have seen these at the depot. Wonder if it works...............................................................Do you know if they are the same wave length as the led colors?

bikeskill said:

intresing, I have seen these at the depot. Wonder if it works...............................................................Do you know if they are the same wave length as the led colors?

Click to expand...

I am not positive, but i am pretty sure they are.

I'm just surprised no one else has anything to say...

PS. This is the #1 hit on google with the key phrase "colored CFLs wavelength"

woop!

This is something I've been looking into with great interest and very few leads. There are a lot of people who say colored cfls won't work. They say that the bulbs produce white and the other colors are filtered out by the color of the glass and coating.

But florescent lights (including cfls) don't produce white light. They produce UV light which is converted to white by the phosphors coating inside the bulb. The combination of different phosphor compounds in the coating determine the spectrum of light.

If one side is right, then cfls are worthless as grow lights because a colored cfl produces the same light as a white cfl with a colored filter in front of it.

If the other side is right, then a red cfl would produce the same wattage in red light that a white cfl produces in white light.

I've contacted a couple of manufactures for information on spectrum and intensity of their colored cfls, but have received no response so far.

Anyone know where we might be able to find this information? I don't mean someone's opinion on the subject, but actual facts?

Update on the above. I received an answer from Kevin Yonquist of Earthtronics. Their 60w colored bulbs produce the light of a 2700k white light which is filtered for the specific color.

So will it work or not

Will it work??????????

It will work as good as a 2700k white light, or maybe a little less due to the filtering.

You may as well use 2700k CFL's which would presumably be cheaper.

I use the 13 watt blue CFL in my vegetation box and the plant loves it. I put the plant half way between the 13 watt blue CFL and a 23 watt 6000K CFL and the plant (which was only 3 days old at the time) was leaning almost 90 degrees twords the 13 watt blue CFL by morning.

Also. These 13 watt CFLs dont get very hot so I bet I could stick them bare into the vegetation once my plant grows a little.

I will probably be supplementing my LED light panels with some of the red ones when it comes flowering time.

are these blue party lights the ones that can be found at Menards? I'm tring to place exactly which ones youre talking about. if i have the right ones in mind theyre not made specifically for plants at all right?

moved to new thread.