that bear smokey
Well-Known Member
I have a small grow box. I have a 68watt cfl. I was wanting to know a easy simple way to hang it. I need it to be sideways above my plant. any ideas would be great.
what is a easy cheap way to hang cfls?
- Thread starter that bear smokey
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bullwinkle60
Well-Known Member
Use a clamp light fixture.
that bear smokey
Well-Known Member
ok thank you
muddypools
Member
Lowes has some cheap 10 dollar bathroom lighting fixtures with 4 sockets, if you use Y adapters you get 8 sockets and lots of coverage! I hang mine using hook and chain set with a stabilizer bar on the side to prevent rocking.
that bear smokey
Well-Known Member
ok thanks. can you connect them to a lamp cord. so you can just plug into a wall outlet? is it just a red and black wire?
muddypools
Member
Yes, any extension/lamp cord with red and black will splice right in.
that bear smokey
Well-Known Member
ok thank you. I was curious about those. how many watts will they hold. I knw you can use a y splitter to double the bulbs. can you use 3 splitters so you can use 4 bulbs in each socket?
4X4Brat
Active Member
Cut up a heavier duty extension cord and use it instead. Heavier wire is always better. I built my own setup with the 3 y's and 3 sockets and I can run 12 bulbs in mine with no problems. I used 12 gauge wire for mine. I have it setup on 2 extension cords and split them 8 bulbs on 1 and 4 on the other. If the wiring in the cheap bathroom fixture is thin I'd rewire it with at least 16 gauge wire and 2 plugs and go 8 bulbs per plug and run it through a good power strip. If ya build it you gotta show some pics!
that bear smokey
Well-Known Member
ok thank you. sounds like a great idea.
yesum
Well-Known Member
I use large clamp reflectors with y splitter and 2 26 watt bulbs. With 42 watt and larger, you will need a extender as well to get the bulbs far away enough from the reflector.
With one 65 watt I would do a clamp reflector too, do not think you could fit 2 in a reflector? I measured the lux off cfl's with and without reflector and it almost doubled with one.
You could grow a 1 foot tall plant with that 65 watt light, get any taller and the light will not hit the bottom of the plant. When you put the lights in a y splitter they combine their side light together and this increases the intensity by 2x. Twice the penetration distance. 26 watt is 4 inches, 42 watt 8 inches and the 65 watt should be about 12 inches. More light comes off the sides if you can reflect all of it, as it has more surface area than the bottom.
With one 65 watt I would do a clamp reflector too, do not think you could fit 2 in a reflector? I measured the lux off cfl's with and without reflector and it almost doubled with one.
You could grow a 1 foot tall plant with that 65 watt light, get any taller and the light will not hit the bottom of the plant. When you put the lights in a y splitter they combine their side light together and this increases the intensity by 2x. Twice the penetration distance. 26 watt is 4 inches, 42 watt 8 inches and the 65 watt should be about 12 inches. More light comes off the sides if you can reflect all of it, as it has more surface area than the bottom.