This is the kind of stuff I was hoping to hear, thanks to everyone! Seems like a combo or at least side lighting of some sort is best, at least if you're staying away from HID. Hey Proverbs, do you have pics or a journal? your set up sounds interesting.
As soon as Justine gets back her in Montana with my camera- I will up-load what I have and take new pics as well. I should have uploaded the pics long ago. The set up is like this...
You have 5 ballasts (T-8 35 watt @$20 each) 4 - 4 foot lamps can be ran off of one ballast.
Attach 4 bulbs to 'ballast #1'. Place the 4 bulbs about 2 inches above the baby plants. As they grow- lift the two center lights up. When they grow taller- add 2 or 3 more lamps (from ballast #2) in an arching fashion leaving the side lights at/near ground level. Use more ballasts and bulbs as they grow taller.
There are many ways you can 'hang' the lights. I hang 'bird netting' from the ceiling and just slide the bulbs through from one side of the netting to the opposite side of the garden though that netting. It's a no brainer really. Never seen it done before but it sure works!
Design:
From the ballast run
that bulbs lead wire down to the end of the bulb.
It becomes nothing more than a bulb with a wire running down to the connection at the other end. (I use rubber bands to hold
that single lead wire on to the Bulb. Now just run the bulb through the Bird netting near you toward the bird netting on the opposite side of the garden. Increase as grow height demands! (in that arching fashion.)
There will come a time when you will want to just 'drop' your lights straight down from the ceiling. Vertically. All of them. A single light shining from the bottom of the plant to the top of the plant. Side lighting is now from bottom to top/top to bottom.
USE QUICK CONNECTIONS ON ALL LIGHTS. Bullet/butt connectors. (Butts/females are the 'hot' side ends coming from the ballasts. The Bullet looking leads are for the cold bulb side. )
This makes rearranging the lights a snap! When your plants get big you will love the ease on moving or replacing lights.
And you can stick them into/or through the center of the plant mass if you desire.
A 30 bulb, 6 ballast system costs about $200 bucks.
The 6 ballast system represents a 24 lamp garden. (4 feet x 6 feet and more than 4 feet in hieght)
3000 lumans x 24 lamps/bulbs = 72000 lumens.
Not bad for only having 6 plug ends to deal with. (ballasts)
35 watts per bulb= 840 watts with little heat to deal with.
And the whole garden is lite from every conceivable direction you desire - even from the bottom up if you want!
It's all about imagination. You will learn even more as you conduct your first 24 bulb grow. (I saw the need for quick connects and for female ends to be on the 'hot' side/ballast before I set up my first grow. I've had enough shocking experiences in my life.)
You too will also come up with ideas as well !
As for T-5s... look at the cost difference between the two. Ballast and bulbs. Also look at the lenghth. We use 4 foot bulbs. Not 2 or 3 foot ones.
Enjoy
Justin