So let's get this started

I dont want to offend anyone about cfl's.. but the majority of people that start with em .. end up with HID's.. By the time you get enough CFL's to produce the quality of what a little 400 watt can.. you will endup spending more then you would on the 400 watt hid.. Not including their will be wires.. power bars.. all kinds of stuff hooking all those bulbs up.. As opposed to one light setup. I also use CFL's but only for clones or quarantine if I have a plant that needs treatment away from the rest of my grow.

Here is a website.. that isnt the best but does have some good budget items..http://www.htgsupply.com/Product-HTGSupply-400-watt-High-Pressure-Sodium-Grow-Light.asp also there delivery and products always on time and in good condition when I have ordered.. but I buy most of my stuff local on the used market. If your in the states and can get on Craigslist ... you can find complete 400 kits with bulb in the 100-150 range.. sometimes less.

Another question.. what are the average temps in the room you plan to grow right now??
 
Just another think I will mention.. it will take actually more wattage in CFL's to match the 400 watt HID's.. and when you get THAT many CFL's in one closet.. your still gonna need ventalation .. because there will still be heat issues. Also if you go CFL.. its gonna be alot of maintence .. because with 4 -5 plants on CFL .. you will be constantly adjusting each bulb.. you must keep the bulbs VERY close to the plants because there is not much intensity from CFL's .. and a few inches can really diminish their output. Also .. Make sure you have a sufficient amount of CFL lighting because you will end up with nothing but airy buds and a wasted 4 months if you dont have the right amount of light. Another thing you will notice.. is when you start looking at actual CFL's with good actual wattage.. (not equivalent) They are not cheap.. normally 8-30 bucks PER a bulb.. not including sockets .. wiring .. powerbars... You get the idea. Here is a pic for reference if you do go to get CFL's .. Make sure you shop actual wattage.. this is a 55 ACTUAL watt CFL.. Next to your standard household CFL that is a 60 Watt equivelent.
IMAG0745.jpg
 
Well it's summer right now here in Jersey, so at worst it can be 90 degrees but right now it's about 75, but it feels like 65 because of the nice breeze. The main reason I don't want HID is because it's 1- expensive to get a good HPS + ballast + reflector hood... though that link you sent me is only $120, I might check that out. But would I have to worry about heat with that? There's a removable panel on the floor of my closet (shown removed in picture) that I plan on somehow utilizing with a fan to remove hot air. I may just put a small computer fan in the opening that's exposed even when the panel is in place just to draw out some of the hot air, but I won't be able to afford ducting with inline fans for a HID system.

Based on my current situation, would you still recommend the link you sent?

@TWS I quickly checked online for the pricing of a big 200W CFL and it was around $60-70, might be cheaper somewhere else though or in a store (though me, quite obviously a stoner, buying one of those in a store might be a bit questionable...)

2011-06-02_13-10-58_710.jpg
 
@alotaball yeah I wouldn't really mind constantly adjusting CFLs if I have to, but I'm starting to reconsider HPS because this is starting to look like a pretty good deal, if shipping doesn't make it too much.
 
Busted.. whats the actual temp in the bedroom the closet is in though? not outdoor temps? Ya like I said CFL price add up quick unless your doing a VERY small area.. it normally cheaper to go HID. If you vent threw that panel.. you will want to put some ducting up to the top of the closet where the hottest air is
 
We haven't really fired it up yet, still rooting seedlings and clones but we got our 600 digital from Gotham for 200.00(open hood) with a MH and HPS bulbs. 400's were alot less so your 120.00 sounds great for a 400. Just seems to me you can out spend that buying CFLs
 
i agree with all the anti cfl folk, but am not telling you to go cfl, am simply saying if u got no money and a small space cfl is a great way to start , and if you ever wanna go bigger and badder, just use the cfls to do your vegging or mother room, but i kno my setup cost me about 80 dollars (8000 shl) and if i had done hid that price tag would be over 400 and i vegg in a small space.
 
@alotaball Actual temperature in this room will be about the same as outdoor temps, maybe a tiny bit hotter on the hot days, but the closet shouldn't get higher than 80 degrees, 90 MAX (would have to be unusually hot that day), of course that's without considering the heat a HID would put out. What kind of ducting would you recommend? Would I need something with an inline fan, because I don't know if I can currently afford that. I think if I just left the closet door open most of the time and had a few fans in there blowing around it should be fine... and maybe a spare computer fan in that hole sucking air out or something

@TWS yeah I think I'm going to go with that $120 one, I just hope it doesn't make the closet too hot
 
@mugan yeah I know what you mean. I might add on a 200W CFL eventually when money allows, and just throw that in there to help veg and then use it if/when I decide to start cloning, but right now I just need the cheapest setup possible that will allow for decent growing in this small space, and that $120 HPS kit might just do the trick, even if it's kinda cheaply made
 
Mugan and Busted.. Dont get me wrong.. I am not Anti CFL at all.. I really think they can be great in the right circumstances...But alot of people assume CFL's are so much cheaper.. but there is alot of hidden cost.. and hidden restriction when using CFL's. Mugan Can you please describe your CFL setup.. sorry if i missed it? I would like to see a closet like busted's lit as well as a 400 watt hid would in the 80 dollar range.. if thats possible I would switch some out myself.
 
@TWS damnn, that's expensive. I know I personally definitely don't have the money for that. But the $165 one definitely looks better made, probably worth the extra 35
 
Ps you would be lucky to get suffecient lighting for 2 sq ft with a 200 watt cfl.. you would need multiple bulbs for a average closet... a 200 watt CFL puts out 8,000 lumens ... a 150 watt HPS puts out 16,000 .. Whats the sq ft of the closet your growing in?
 
BustedParaphernalia said:
@TWS damnn, that's expensive. I know I personally definitely don't have the money for that. But the $165 one definitely looks better made, probably worth the extra 35
Click to expand...

You can make the filter cheaply and well built but I don't have a fan and the fans cost as much as the whole combo.. Like you I could probably cool down enough by leaving the door open and with fans, maybe a evaporative air cooler but my main concern will be smell eventually. I like the 4" fan because of the wattage and fat boy extra carbon. 2"
 
I'm only using the right side of my closet, so my grow area would be 2' x 2' x 6'(h). If I buy that HPS kit I'd hang it from the bar going across my closet for hanging clothes so that would probably reduce it to 5' tall, but still enough to fit at least 4 plants, no?
 
alotaball said:
Mugan and Busted.. Dont get me wrong.. I am not Anti CFL at all.. I really think they can be great in the right circumstances...But alot of people assume CFL's are so much cheaper.. but there is alot of hidden cost.. and hidden restriction when using CFL's. Mugan Can you please describe your CFL setup.. sorry if i missed it? I would like to see a closet like busted's lit as well as a 400 watt hid would in the 80 dollar range.. if thats possible I would switch some out myself.
Click to expand...
well i can't really show you the brightness i have a bad cam and when i try to shoot inside my box it tries to compansate it gets real dark, you can look at some of the pics in my grow journal if u like LINKY!!
 
2-4 depending on veg size.. but plant numbers really dont matter.. your yeild will be similiar with 2 plants vegged a little longer as it would be with 4 small plants.. mostly its the light available that determines yield.. just make sure all 2x2 ft are filled with canopy when you switch to flower.. and you will get a good yield for whatever lights your running.. Plant count is not that important.. just a filled canopy in the grow space is ..
 
alotaball said:
Mugan and Busted.. Dont get me wrong.. I am not Anti CFL at all.. I really think they can be great in the right circumstances...But alot of people assume CFL's are so much cheaper.. but there is alot of hidden cost.. and hidden restriction when using CFL's. Mugan Can you please describe your CFL setup.. sorry if i missed it? I would like to see a closet like busted's lit as well as a 400 watt hid would in the 80 dollar range.. if thats possible I would switch some out myself.
Click to expand...
well i can't really show you the brightness i have a bad cam and when i try to shoot inside my box it tries to compansate it gets real dark, you can look at some of the pics in my grow journal if u like LINKY!!
 
the cfls are odd never seen these kind before , 85 watt 6500k 4xxxx lm to lazy to go check al try and find a link to them
 
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