SmokesLikeBob
Well-Known Member
Wow! That's something to think about...I'll probably do some research and start a thread...grab some multiple opinions and maybe someone can clarify this...
LOW wattage CFL's VS HIGH wattage CFL's
- Thread starter HookdOnChronics
- Start date
ID10TError
Member
Nice one Jakenbake! Just like a couple hundred .22 rifles dont come close to the effects of an Iowa's class battleship's 16"/50 Mark 7. yike's been playing too much navy field.
HookdOnChronics
Well-Known Member
Hmmmmmmm this makes me very confused! lol
Do you happen to have a source of information where you got this? I do not completely understand your post, and would like to read a link or something if you've got one, that's all.
Jakenbake, so I've got a question for you. I'm just confused by your post so maybe you can help clear it up for me. My flower room is JUST under 10 cubic feet. Now, along the ENTIRE top of it (I'll attach a pic so you can see what I'm talking about) is alight strip of CFL's. I have 12, 16W, 1750 lumen, 2700K CFL's. So your saying that my total lumen output is 1750 lumens, just spread out? and it's NOT 21,000 lumens????? I dunno, this just doesn't make sense to me. Because then I'd be yielding 125 G's off 1750 spread out lumens per grow?
I dunno man, maybe I'm just super, super confused or something because what you said doesn't make sense to me. lol, I'm really not trying to be an ass hole or anything! Believe me! Please share that link where you read this or something to help me get un confused!
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MuppetMan1989
Active Member
It makes plenty sence, but yes source? ooo I can't wait to read up on this!
I will look for my source, but let me first try to explain it better. Lumens are a measurement of brightness or the intensity of a light source. You cannot increase the brightness of a light source by adding another of the same brightness. You just end up with more light, but of the same intensity. Granted, you are adding more photons and a more even spread of those 1500 lumens by adding more, smaller CFLs, which I know does help quite a bit from experience, but as for getting high number lumens in your grow area, you MUST have a high-lumen output bulb. If anyone has a luxometer I'd say do a little experiment. Take one 23W, plug it in and take a reading 2 inches below it. Then take another 23W and plug it in right next to the first one and take a reading 2 inches below both and see if it's not the same.
But yeah, I'll find my source and post it in a bit, once I go get some breakfast.
But yeah, I'll find my source and post it in a bit, once I go get some breakfast.
Read my above post and let me know if it helps to clarify. I just recently found out too and was pretty bummed, but I'd be looking at your grams/watt instead of grams/lumen. I think if you replaced even a couple of those smaller ones with a 105W or a 150W you'd notice a HUGE increase in yieldHmmmmmmm this makes me very confused! lol
Do you happen to have a source of information where you got this? I do not completely understand your post, and would like to read a link or something if you've got one, that's all.
Jakenbake, so I've got a question for you. I'm just confused by your post so maybe you can help clear it up for me. My flower room is JUST under 10 cubic feet. Now, along the ENTIRE top of it (I'll attach a pic so you can see what I'm talking about) is alight strip of CFL's. I have 12, 16W, 1750 lumen, 2700K CFL's. So your saying that my total lumen output is 1750 lumens, just spread out? and it's NOT 21,000 lumens????? I dunno, this just doesn't make sense to me. Because then I'd be yielding 125 G's off 1750 spread out lumens per grow?
I dunno man, maybe I'm just super, super confused or something because what you said doesn't make sense to me. lol, I'm really not trying to be an ass hole or anything! Believe me! Please share that link where you read this or something to help me get un confused!
Pretty much exactly
You may be able to slowly wear away at your target with A .22 but with a Mark 7 cannon it'd be gone before you knew what happened. Both work, but one's obviously better.
HookdOnChronics
Well-Known Member
It would be REALLY fuckin cool if someone did this!!!!! I'd like to see it!
DumpsterKeeper
Well-Known Member
Anyone with a luxometer should do this idea, I'd like to know asap so I can make any changes to my grow now.
HookdOnChronics
Well-Known Member
Yea that hepled a little.Read my above post and let me know if it helps to clarify. I just recently found out too and was pretty bummed, but I'd be looking at your grams/watt instead of grams/lumen. I think if you replaced even a couple of those smaller ones with a 105W or a 150W you'd notice a HUGE increase in yield
Oh yea I've never even tried to calculate my grams/lumen. That's dumb to me, lol, I always am looking at my gram/watt ratio!
So you think if I took 6 of my lights out (156 watts) and put in a single, large, 150 CFL I would get a HUGE increase in yield?
Maybe I'm just not seeing your logic here..... I honestly think I would see a decrease in yield if I did this, because the light wouldn't be spread out as evenly across the top canopy of my 3 plants... It would focuse more on 1 plant... Which would be great for that plant, but the others would suffer because of it I think.
The smaller CFL's are also alot easier to get a hold of, easier and cheaper to replace, cheaper in general. For a budget grower, smaller CFL's are where it's at. If you can afford it, I'd do like others in here said they are doing, and get the one BIG CFL for atop your plants, and then 4-6 smaller CFL's for suplamental side lighting.
Though, in any case, it REALLY is going to depend on the growing area to determine exactly what would be the most efficient in that particular situation. Because every grow room is different.
Great info none-the-less jakenbake. + rep to ya
ID10TError
Member
One thing that appears to be missed is that Lumens is just a measurment that applies to "Human" eyesight. It was absolutley no bearing on photosynthisis. I learned that from reading brainiac RIU postings. I cant think for myself so I parrot smartipants posts.
parabear
Member
the LUX reading is much more important than knowing how many lumens a bulb puts out. Lux is the measure of light intensity from a specific point of observation. This is a much more effective value, and is often used by photogs to ensure optimal film exposure. It can also be used by growers, and will measure how much light is hitting a certain area/spot. On a bright sunny day it is easy to get 10k+ lux in the open, and 5k+ in the shade. a 400W HPS will give you about 7500-10k lux optimally placed, however it does not 'penetrate' very deeply. Sunlight also contains plenty of photons in all wavelengths, thus true full spectrum light, and is really optimal. It is one reason I am looking into doing my medical grow via a greenhouse using some artificial light to supplement the natural sunlight (even during the winter season, here in So. Cal. temp is not an issue, I just need about 3-4 hours of light a day at most, and even then, 1x400w HPS and 1x400w MH would provide plenty of light to the 15x20 structure. Sure the lights will be a little more further away to cover more plants, and as such won't be optimal for growth, however for the electric bill it sure is great.
I also have a nice design if I ever do have the chance to build my own home, how I would put in a little undercover grow room that would be 100% stealth, and would harness sunlight and natural airflow, thus making it very inexpensive.... just would cost a pretty penny to put in....
DumpsterKeeper
Well-Known Member
Found it! Multiple CFLs with a lux meter. Right under our noses, too
https://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/83128-lumens-lux-adding-all-up.html
Basically it proves that more CFLs = more light, but it's still not as effective as one large HID bulb such as MH or HPS. I'm thinking a long fluorescent tube might be better for a big line setup, but you'd still need varying color temperatures for maximum efficiency.
https://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/83128-lumens-lux-adding-all-up.html
Basically it proves that more CFLs = more light, but it's still not as effective as one large HID bulb such as MH or HPS. I'm thinking a long fluorescent tube might be better for a big line setup, but you'd still need varying color temperatures for maximum efficiency.
SmokesLikeBob
Well-Known Member
Thanks, that kind of clears things up...I felt kind of stupid ever since Jakenbake told us that info! haha...It felt like everything I thought I knew about cfl's were all a lie! Thanks for sharing DumpsterKeeper, and thanks for bringing this into question and helping us get the real truth JakenBake!
SLB
DumpsterKeeper
Well-Known Member
No problem. Maybe now you could help me out and tell me if my kids are too small? 
The Potologist
Active Member
Some really good knowledge on this thread. Thanks for the info. Bump
SmokesLikeBob
Well-Known Member
Sure thing, I'll go check your journal!No problem. Maybe now you could help me out and tell me if my kids are too small?
Pretty much you'll never get the same results with CFL as you will with HID bulbs but that's mainly because HIDs output anywhere from 20,000 to 120,000 lumens. CFLs just can't touch the higher end of that =/ But, I have seen some CFL grows using the higher wattage bulbs that yielded what could easily be mistaken for a lower-wattage HID grow. And come to find out, my source was a thread here on RIU. I'll see if I can dig it up.
And to SmokesLikeBob, I too was a bit taken aback when I read this the first time and it took me a good while to fully wrap my head around it but once you do it does start to make sense. I'm just glad we all could get to the bottom of it cause I wouldn't want to continue growing under less than accurate information
SmokesLikeBob
Well-Known Member
I feel ya man, It would just be a whole different ball game for me and cfl's...it would feel like I was a noob again! hahaPretty much you'll never get the same results with CFL as you will with HID bulbs but that's mainly because HIDs output anywhere from 20,000 to 120,000 lumens. CFLs just can't touch the higher end of that =/ But, I have seen some CFL grows using the higher wattage bulbs that yielded what could easily be mistaken for a lower-wattage HID grow. And come to find out, my source was a thread here on RIU. I'll see if I can dig it up.
And to SmokesLikeBob, I too was a bit taken aback when I read this the first time and it took me a good while to fully wrap my head around it but once you do it does start to make sense. I'm just glad we all could get to the bottom of it cause I wouldn't want to continue growing under less than accurate information
HookdOnChronics
Well-Known Member
EVERY grower should know this if they're already growing! That's a no brainer! HID is ALWAYS better! ALWAYS! That's not waht this thread was started for, because obviously HID lights are far superior to CFL's, everybody should know that! This is just discussing the difference in HIGH and LOW wattage CFL's.
Thankyou for the link though! Appreciated!
Here's a CFL grow, using ONLY 26w CFL's..... I've got more plants and pictures if you'd like to see.
lol
