what watt light is best?
- Thread starter highonbud
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welshsmoker
Well-Known Member
as much as the sun produces mate, the more the merrier as the saying goes...
welshsmoker
Well-Known Member
hps my favourite flavour to,,,,
Mother's Finest
Well-Known Member
It depends on the area. Contrary to popular belief, many HID bulbs do indeed match and often exceed the amount of light that reaches Earth from the Sun; at certain distances and per square foot. 100w/sq ft. is commonly the top end of what the plants can make use of. With quality lighting, more than that is usually a waste.
More exact figures can be provided if you supply either the grow area size or the type and wattage of light you are using.
More exact figures can be provided if you supply either the grow area size or the type and wattage of light you are using.
Mother's Finest
Well-Known Member
A horizontal 1000w provides enough light for 16 5gal buckets in a 4x4 pattern, or about a 5'x5' area. Small plants, light movers, etc. can increase this area a bit. It can support a maximum of 5' of vertical plant growth while still allowing the bare minimum 17" needed between the bulb and plant tops. As the bulb approaches maximum height, the effective floor area decreases. The plants should normally be at least 21" away from a 1000w to allow a few inches for growth.
klassifyme
Active Member
if you got the$ and space go 1000watt hps, i got my first 1 and never looked back . i plan on getting 2 or 3 k more this month
Ronjohn7779
Well-Known Member
600w are a bit more efficient but I like 1000wers. It's just more light in the same area.
Mother's Finest
Well-Known Member
It should be mentioned that HID bulbs emit their light more from a single point than fluorescents. Even at the same total light output, HID's will force the plant to grow more crystal than CFL's. Since trichome production isn't a factor in veg, fluorescents can be used with similar results to HID's if set up properly.
bassman999
Well-Known Member
cfl light looses half space (or whatever you call it) sooner that hid as well. This means cfl loose lumens faster than hid as they move away from the plant. So a cfl 4" from the top of the plant might be 3" or so from the lower part, that part might get almost no light penetration. If you use cfl, you will find yourself saying I will get 2 more they are cheap. Next thing you know you have enough watts that you might as wll be using a hid and have real lumens. Hope this tail of my past helps.
DoobieBrother
Well-Known Member
I performed a good-googly-moogly and found this tidbit of info about how much equivalent wattage our sun outputs and how much equivalent wattage reaches the earth's surface (about 1,365-watts per square meter).
http://www.norcalblogs.com/watts/2007/04/post_3.html
The article (blog) centers around global warming, but has the wattage info included to give the readers some perspective on the sun's power.
(*keeping in mind that not only is it supposedly 1,365-watts/square meter, but also the Sun is truly full spectrum in ways artificial lighting can only hope to be)
http://www.norcalblogs.com/watts/2007/04/post_3.html
The article (blog) centers around global warming, but has the wattage info included to give the readers some perspective on the sun's power.
(*keeping in mind that not only is it supposedly 1,365-watts/square meter, but also the Sun is truly full spectrum in ways artificial lighting can only hope to be)
creaster
Well-Known Member
hi all i got this info from an old pdf format book hope it helps
electricity bills and decreases heat in the grow space
600-watt
HP sodium lamp can
deliver as much lightto a garden as a 1000-watt lamp when
deliver as much lightto a garden as a 1000-watt lamp when
LPW
:
Lumens per watt is the
measure of the conversion
from electricity to light energy.
measure of the conversion
from electricity to light energy.
Divide
watts by lumens to get
LPW. The
brightest bulbs have
a
high LPW rating.
using the same reflectors! Using a 600-watt lamp lowers
using the same reflectors! Using a 600-watt lamp lowers
electricity bills and decreases heat in the grow space
Snow Crash
Well-Known Member
Because a 1000w ballast is ~$130 while two 600w ballasts are ~$300... Add in the cost of an extra reflector, and an extra bulb... Oh, and did I mention that 1000w bulbs (despite being less efficient) grow larger and denser buds? Two 600w bulbs cover a what, two 16 sqft areas almost as well as one 1000w covers a 25 sqft area (5x5)... So you get 7 sq ft for an extra 1.4Kwh per day plus the cost of the equipment, unfortunately the grower is using 38% less energy and as a result the buds suffer.
@~24" a 90,000 lumen bulb (brand new) would provide at most 7,3000 lumens to the edge of the canopy (1/12.457th).
@30" a 145,000 lumen bulb (brand new) would provide at most 7,500 lumens to the edge of the canopy (1/19.464ish).
So both systems offer enough energy for photosynthesis but the 1000w system provides heavier buds. Everyone I've ever come in contact with who has used both 1000w and 600w systems will suggest the 1000w. I don't know many that go backwards and think they get better product.
hellraizer30
Rebel From The North
this is the way to go
DST
Well-Known Member
Ok, my mistake, I should not have been so gun ho and said, 600 all the way, it really depends on your set up to be honest.
However, Snow Crash I still think your argument is flawed, cost comparisons should be done over longer periods, not on initial outlay. Don't use vague words in an argument like Almost...nothing like a politician to fudge some figures by leaving some area's grey yet covering them up by quoting %'s and kw to bamboozle (shampoo commericals have never fooled me either)....you then come out and say they "grow larger and denser buds"...based on what evidence?
My 600's grow amazingly dense buds and I have the pleasure of being able to compare them (like you guys in the US), to thousands of different types of bud.
I can also say everyone I come into contact with recommends 600's as well...where does that get us?
To the OP, look at what type of set up you have, assess what money you have, think about the long term (are you doing 1 grow, 2 grows, growing forever..) Do you have a small space with a lot of height, do you have a big space with no so much height, what is it you need to achieve (apart from growing some plants.)
Peace out DST
However, Snow Crash I still think your argument is flawed, cost comparisons should be done over longer periods, not on initial outlay. Don't use vague words in an argument like Almost...nothing like a politician to fudge some figures by leaving some area's grey yet covering them up by quoting %'s and kw to bamboozle (shampoo commericals have never fooled me either)....you then come out and say they "grow larger and denser buds"...based on what evidence?
My 600's grow amazingly dense buds and I have the pleasure of being able to compare them (like you guys in the US), to thousands of different types of bud.
I can also say everyone I come into contact with recommends 600's as well...where does that get us?
To the OP, look at what type of set up you have, assess what money you have, think about the long term (are you doing 1 grow, 2 grows, growing forever..) Do you have a small space with a lot of height, do you have a big space with no so much height, what is it you need to achieve (apart from growing some plants.)
Peace out DST