CFL question. - GreenPassion.org - Dedicated to Medicinal Cannabis Cultivation and Education

TylerX · #1 (**permalink**) 07-20-2009, 01:17 AM

I have a question about a CFL system, I'm wonder if this light system will be good for a closet grow with the closet being around 4 x 4 and 8 feet high..

SH Hydroponics, Inc. > Multi Spectrum Pro 420

Any recommendations?

justanotherbozo · #2 (**permalink**) 07-20-2009, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TylerX

I have a question about a CFL system, I'm wonder if this light system will be good for a closet grow with the closet being around 4 x 4 and 8 feet high..

SH Hydroponics, Inc. > Multi Spectrum Pro 420

Any recommendations?

don't waste your money bro, try something like this, which will cost you about
$30.00 total, bulbs and fixtures included.

btw, just so you know, reflectors are a waste of time and money with CFL's
as they just don't have the intensity for reflected light.

another thing for you to consider is that with 4 high wattage bulbs, you only
have 4 points of light, plus all the heat is concentrated under that relfector.

nah, you'd be much better off with a couple of vanity bars and a mix of
red and blue bulbs, all 23 or 26watts, that way, you have many points
of light in a true mix of spectra, plus, because there are many lights spread
out over the canopy, it's easier to deal with the heat.

TylerX · #3 (**permalink**) 07-20-2009, 01:51 PM

What would be the Difference in yield with the setup you showed me and a low watt HPS for a closet? or will heat be an issue with the HPS?

justanotherbozo · #4 (**permalink**) 07-20-2009, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TylerX

What would be the Difference in yield with the setup you showed me and a low watt HPS for a closet? or will heat be an issue with the HPS?

lol, check back with me in about 8 weeks and i'll be able to give you an
answer that will be backed by experience! ...right now, all i've ever grown
with is CFL's, ...although i'm about 2 days from powering up my new bud
box, linked in my sig, which has 2x 150watt HPS lights in a DIY cooltube.

frankly, if you're new to growing, i'd strongly recommend the CFL's, and
for several reasons. ...first 'cause they're cheap, the 23's and the 26's
can often be found in 3 and 4 packs for $6.99 USD and with a $2.99
coupon from the local electric company to go with them, lol.

and then, in the spirit of fiscal responsibility, you don't have to buy them
until you actually need them, unlike, say a 600watter where you have to
buy all 600 watts at the same time and in the same spectra.

which brings me to the second reason why i think CFL's are such a good
option for anyone starting out, ...with lower wattage CFL's you have the
ability to really tweak your spectral mix, although finding lower wattage
bulbs in the 1900's is hard, lol.

to clarify, when i speak about spectra, i'm referring to the Kelvin scale
which measures the color of the light, the 1900's would be the far red
end of the scale and 6500 would be about as far to the blue as you'd
need to go.

also, lol, regarding money again, if you ever decide you don't want to
grow, these lower wattage bulbs can be used around the house.

and if, after you get through a couple of successful harvests, you decide
you want to upgrade, you can use the money you didn't spend buying
weed to buy yourself an HPS set-up.

i'd also recommend bagseed rather than spending money yet on quality
genetics, better to learn your chops on free seeds.

stinkypickle · #5 (**permalink**) 07-23-2009, 03:51 PM

bozo brings up good points to consider when starting a new garden.

beware of gimmicks. hydro companies are really only repackaging products that are widely available already to consumers thru retail outlets.

with a little research and effort, you can find all the components needed to make a wonderful system. you may have to buy them separately, but you will avoid the premium that is added to the price when group together in a pretty package.

i believe reflectors are still useful even with cfls. even tho bozo believes the light intensity of cfls don't justify the need for it, i feel reflecting (re-using) any ray of light back to the plant is a good thing. i do not believe you have to stick with run of the mill reflector stuff (hoods, mylar, etc.).

i found some stuff that works well for me and was cheap. i use a white laminated peg board as the board that my vanity light fixtures mount to. the white plastic laminate is sort of reflective and the holes in the board allow a way for heat to escape up and be separated from around the plants. i also found some scrap on the side of the road that i used to line my walls. it is like reflective white fiberglass sheeting with a texture to it that reminds me of the spectral texture on reflector hoods. i simply cut it to size and screwed it to my walls.

this combination of white peg board reflector on top and white reflectors on the sides has allowed me to grow this forest of herb with only 16- 23w cfls, about 25000 lumens. this set-up has shown that light form the cfls can penetrate way deeper than expected. my plants have grown to over a foot and every leaf from the bottom up is healthy green. the plants are all packed in tight too and still the cfls penetrate to the bottom. before this, i was led to believe that all fluros don't penetrate.

i believe cfls are the best for small scale grows...hands down

check my first scrog or my current grow.

first yielded 5 oz (acheived .5gpw) inspite of being my first try...and the second i might be able to double that yield using the same amount of light and electricity.

stinky's new aerogarden

TylerX · #6 (**permalink**) 07-23-2009, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stinkypickle

bozo brings up good points to consider when starting a new garden.

beware of gimmicks. hydro companies are really only repackaging products that are widely available already to consumers thru retail outlets.

with a little research and effort, you can find all the components needed to make a wonderful system. you may have to buy them separately, but you will avoid the premium that is added to the price when group together in a pretty package.

i believe reflectors are still useful even with cfls. even tho bozo believes the light intensity of cfls don't justify the need for it, i feel reflecting (re-using) any ray of light back to the plant is a good thing. i do not believe you have to stick with run of the mill reflector stuff (hoods, mylar, etc.).

i found some stuff that works well for me and was cheap. i use a white laminated peg board as the board that my vanity light fixtures mount to. the white plastic laminate is sort of reflective and the holes in the board allow a way for heat to escape up and be separated from around the plants. i also found some scrap on the side of the road that i used to line my walls. it is like reflective white fiberglass sheeting with a texture to it that reminds me of the spectral texture on reflector hoods. i simply cut it to size and screwed it to my walls.

this combination of white peg board reflector on top and white reflectors on the sides has allowed me to grow this forest of herb with only 16- 23w cfls, about 25000 lumens. this set-up has shown that light form the cfls can penetrate way deeper than expected. my plants have grown to over a foot and every leaf from the bottom up is healthy green. the plants are all packed in tight too and still the cfls penetrate to the bottom. before this, i was led to believe that all fluros don't penetrate.

i believe cfls are the best for small scale grows...hands down

check my first scrog or my current grow.

first yielded 5 oz (acheived .5gpw) inspite of being my first try...and the second i might be able to double that yield using the same amount of light and electricity.

stinky's new aerogarden

I heard CFL's aren't good for flowering? is that true

ando · #7 (**permalink**) 07-23-2009, 06:18 PM

HI TylerX
ive been useing CFLs all the way !My bank of 400watts T12s ,but i do run 2 70watt HPS,when flowering just for a little bit of red lite spectrem.
CFLs will get ya buy.

TylerX · #8 (**permalink**) 07-23-2009, 10:49 PM

How much are the 70W HPS?

justanotherbozo · #9 (**permalink**) 07-23-2009, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TylerX

I heard CFL's aren't good for flowering? is that true

here's a few buds grown under nothing but CFL's, ...you tell me, they look ok?

lol, really maing, ...CFL's been berry berry good to me!

TylerX · #10 (**permalink**) 07-24-2009, 03:22 AM

Thx Bozo

So we got the light thing down.. How much would it cost me to make my own hydroponic system? ANy guides? for bout 4 decent size plants?

TylerX · #11 (**permalink**) 07-24-2009, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justanotherbozo

here's a few buds grown under nothing but CFL's, ...you tell me, they look ok?

lol, really maing, ...CFL's been berry berry good to me!

Them girls look good :D

ando · #12 (**permalink**) 07-24-2009, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TylerX

How much are the 70W HPS?

My HPS lights are a outside century lights the ones that come on afterdark.I totally stripped them down did away with the houseing and mounted the buld in the center of my T-12s ( 4 t12s ).I mounted all my light ballest away from the grow area because of a heat that can be produced just to be on the safe side.
the lights i got for about 60 bucks each (i think)

TylerX · #13 (**permalink**) 07-25-2009, 12:30 AM

do they need a ballast?

justanotherbozo · #14 (**permalink**) 07-25-2009, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TylerX

do they need a ballast?

yes

TylerX · #15 (**permalink**) 07-25-2009, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justanotherbozo

here's a few buds grown under nothing but CFL's, ...you tell me, they look ok?

lol, really maing, ...CFL's been berry berry good to me!

How much did u yield per plant with ur hydroponic setup

TylerX · #16 (**permalink**) 07-29-2009, 05:12 AM

Walmart.com: GE CFL Light Bulb: 26 Watt (100W Equivalent), 6-Pk: Home Improvement
and
Walmart.com: GE CFL Light Bulb: 20 Watt (75W Equivalent), 6-Pk: Home Improvement

Would them be good lights for true spectra of lights? I found my 4 light bulb board

justanotherbozo · #17 (**permalink**) 07-29-2009, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TylerX

How much did u yield per plant with ur hydroponic setup

sorry i didn't get back to ya sooner with an answer, just been really busy.

anyway, i can't really answer that as i didn't weigh my harvest's at that
time, i was just starting to get the cycle going and someone pointed me
at DrBudGreenGenes and his work changed everything for me.

i will say that the one harvest i did weigh was 3.5 ounces from one of
my DWC bins and i was harvesting one bin every 2 weeks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TylerX

Walmart.com: GE CFL Light Bulb: 26 Watt (100W Equivalent), 6-Pk: Home Improvement
and
Walmart.com: GE CFL Light Bulb: 20 Watt (75W Equivalent), 6-Pk: Home Improvement

Would them be good lights for true spectra of lights? I found my 4 light bulb board

and yeah, these would be ok, the 26's would be best, but you can find
them for a better price than that, they had the 26's here last week for
$6.99 for a 4 pack and it came with a $2.99 coupon so your actual
cost is a buck a bulb.

if you read through my old thread, here, you'll find a more
detailed discussion of the lights.