CFL Light Tutorial

Roseman said:
Truth is, you are not going to have 16 sq feet of plants. Just because the room is 16 sq ft, that doesn't mean every square foot will be covered with plants. If you had two plants in a 5 gallon bucket, or 4 plants in a ten gallon reservoir, then you'd need less than half of what we previously calculated.

Those 8 42 watt 2700 K are excellent for Flowering 4 plants, maybe even 6 crowded together. . Now get about 160 to 200 watts of 6500 Kelvin bulbs and you will do just fine.
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Two plants one in each 5 gallon bucket. I was thinking of buying a twelve pack of the plants i linked to home depot. Should i use more red cfl's when flowering? I was thinking like 12 42w 2700k blubs (red) and 4-5 of the day light bulbs (blue) for flowering and the opposite for vegging. But I will start off with one plant before graduating to two. I might be moving so thats the most i am going to grow in that area :)
 
Myzz617 said:
Two plants one in each 5 gallon bucket. I was thinking of buying a twelve pack of the plants i linked to home depot. Should i use more red cfl's when flowering? I was thinking like 12 42w 2700k blubs (red) and 4-5 of the day light bulbs (blue) for flowering and the opposite for vegging. But I will start off with one plant before graduating to two. I might be moving so thats the most i am going to grow in that area :)
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You really ought to read the first page of this tutorial, about Dual Spectrum with CFLs.
 
Edit-At least 5-6 times :)

Roseman said:
You really ought to read the first page of this tutorial, about Dual Spectrum with CFLs.
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I did. Perhaps I misunderstood but let me explain how I took it in.

Roseman said:
What are my options?
DUAL SPECTRUM[/B]With CFLs, you need the DUAL SPECTRUM, red and blue spectrums. That does not refer to the color of the bulb that you see. It refers to the kind of rays, like UVA or UVB, or the color temp of the bulb, called kelvins.CFLS come in 2700 kevins, 3000, 4100, 5100, and 6500. Low Kelvin bulbs, like the 2700k is for BLOOM OR FLOWERING, 6500k is for the VEG Spectrum. The others are "MID" spectrums or in between. iF you use the MID-range bulbs (4100) then also use the 6500 and 2700s for a balanced spectrum.In outdoors, the sun produces different rays in the spring (VEG Rays called Blue) and late summer rays for the Bloom spectrum, the RED spectrum. The sun also produces green, and orange rays, but plants do not use them. CFLs are fairly new on the grow-scene, in 2006 the biggest made was 65 watts. When we talk about CFL watts, we are talking about the actually electricity used, NOT the equivalent . For example, a 15 watt CFL bulb puts out 60 watts equvalent .
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Dual spectrum is having both the 2700k bulbs and 6500k blubs because cfls only emit one or the other, uva or uvb right? Perhaps thats where i misunderstood. Also isn't it good to use both light spectrums in both the veg and flowering stages? I figured i would need more blue for veg ( The 42w bulbs i linked from HD( Feit Electric 42 Watt Twist Compact Fluorescent Bulbs 12 Pack White (E)* - ESL40TN/D/12 at The Home Depot ) or maybe even Lights of America 65 Watt Fluorex Compact Fluorescent Replacement Bulb - 9166B at The Home Depot

Roseman said:
THose are great for Vegging. $9 each is a great price too. As previously posted in this thread, COOL WHITE and DAY LIGHT are HIGH Kelvin bulbs for VEGGING, and WARM WHITE are LOW Kelvin bulbs for Flowering.Those are the Blue Spectrum for Vegging.
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12 of the 42w daylight bulbs would bring me to 504w or 78000 lumens right? Recommended by you i would need 96000 lumens so the difference between is 18000 lumens which i would use a few red(42w 2700k i bought yesterday). Since i ASSUMED the plant needs both spectrums in both phases of its life. 12 of the 65w brings me to 780w or 7800 lumens. So no matter what i go with my lumens will be the same but i will need less lights if i go with the 65w bulbs4 veggign because the watts almost add to my min I would need. And i could use fewer of the 2700kelvin bulbs or red spec bulbs during veg.
Roseman said:
I think 8000 lumens per sq ft would be way more than enough. 3000 is rock bottom bare minimum, and 10,000 is ultimate max equal to the sun on a clear sun shiney day.

At bare minimum of 3000 lumens per sq ft, (less than half what the sun gives) you need at least 48,000 lumens total. AT LEAST, BARE MINIMUM.
48,000 lumens divided by 60 = 800 watts = twelve 65 watt bulbs.

I normall split the difference, or use the average or medium of 6,000 lumens per sq ft, and at 6,000 you need 96,000 lumens for that 16 sq ft. All Floursecents will give between 60 to 70 lumens per watt. 96,000 divided by 70 = 1340 watts. If you used 65 watt CFLs, you'd need 20 bulbs.

So I would say, to get between at least 12 and no more than 20 65 watt bulbs.
I grew 9 females in a 2 X 8 closet, had 1100 watts of CFLs and got 18 ounces of dried manicured buds. About $6000 worth of pot. But it was my
8th grow and I only bought aobut 2 or 3 new bulbs.


42 watt bulbs are actully the best to use, if you read what Ed Rosenthal said on the first page of this thread.

You can buy 65 watt bulbs at Lowes and Home depot for about $16 each,a dn 42 watt bulbs are about $9 each.
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800w in my min, i want to go with what you suggested as 1340w or close enough to it. Question is do i use 800-1340w as my goal during both stages of my plants life? Is all this light too much for just one plant grown in a 5 gal bucket of my planned grow area? I will graduate to Deep Water Culture eventually but i want to train myself and all that! My outline is to use of either the 42w feit bulbs or 65w bulbs (I prefer the 65w because i need more watts as you suggested rather than just 800w, but 42w is cheaper and more convenient for me to aquire but disregard this). I am obviously going to need more 42W 6500k or blue daylight bulbs if I decide to go with them, the 65w are more beneficial because i achieve more output close to my watt "goal". So finally 15 or so of the 65w CFL 6500k bulbs i linked 975 watts, or 20 42w 6500k blubs that you said were good 4 veg, 840w; would be a baseline for vegging with a few lower 2700k red specs added to either of those mixes prob 5-6 and i should be good to go 4 veg right? Reverse though principles when it comes to flowering, as long that 1300 goal or baseline rule applies to the flowering stage inifinitely. In which i am going to use that 3 or 4 to one pinciple of red to blue. In conclsion my methodology is=Veg:15 of the 65W, 5 42w (yes the red spectrum) 3:1 ratio of blue-red. Flowering= 20 42w (again the red spec) and 5 65w 6500k bulbs 4:1 ratio red-blue. I am ready for your constructive criticism been typing and thinking to much :)
 
sorry... your math is wrong my friend... 2600 lumens (day glow) x 12 bulbs = 31200 lumens . to get to 98000 lumens you would need 36 bulbs in that lumen value.
12 of the 6500k ??? no lumen value identified. You need to spec check that bulb for lumen value during life of the bulb. Bulbs always kick more lumens when new and less as the get old.

Insert all growing old jokes here ______________.

(That's all the space allowed for all 'getting old jokes' at this time.)

Also, you can use both 2100 to 6500 k bulbs during veg. But use mostly 2-3000 k during bloom. Cut your life cycle in half. (from 24/7 to 12/7) And use the warmer/red/2-3000 k bulbs.

The thing I think you're looking for is color first and then lumens.
Step one : 6500 k (color) for veg 7,000 lumens +, per square foot.
4x4x 7,000 lumens= 112,000
4x4x 6,000 lumens= 96,000

Step two: divide the number of lumens you want by the number of lumens the buld emits. This will tell you how many bulbs of that type you need.

Mix and match is okay in veg only . It's recommended that you stay warm on red during bloom. 2100k to 3000 k. And max lumens during this time. MAX the lumens!!! IN THAT COLOR RANGE!
 
800w in my min, i want to go with what you suggested as 1340w or close enough to it. Question is do i use 800-1340w as my goal during both stages of my plants life? Is all this light too much for just one plant grown in a 5 gal bucket of my planned grow area? I will graduate to Deep Water Culture eventually but i want to train myself and all that! My outline is to use of either the 42w feit bulbs or 65w bulbs (I prefer the 65w because i need more watts as you suggested rather than just 800w, but 42w is cheaper and more convenient for me to aquire but disregard this). I am obviously going to need more 42W 6500k or blue daylight bulbs if I decide to go with them, the 65w are more beneficial because i achieve more output close to my watt "goal". So finally 15 or so of the 65w CFL 6500k bulbs i linked 975 watts, or 20 42w 6500k blubs that you said were good 4 veg, 840w; would be a baseline for vegging with a few lower 2700k red specs added to either of those mixes prob 5-6 and i should be good to go 4 veg right? Reverse though principles when it comes to flowering, as long that 1300 goal or baseline rule applies to the flowering stage inifinitely. In which i am going to use that 3 or 4 to one pinciple of red to blue. In conclsion my methodology is=Veg:15 of the 65W, 5 42w (yes the red spectrum) 3:1 ratio of blue-red. Flowering= 20 42w (again the red spec) and 5 65w 6500k bulbs 4:1 ratio red-blue. I am ready for your constructive criticism been typing and thinking to much :)[/QUOTE]

Yes, you need the full amount of watts during VEG and Flowering, but I don't think you will have 16 sq ft of plants. If your room is 4 X 4, your grow space might be only 2 x 2 = 4 sq ft and a 1/4 of what we first planned on needing.
Many growers use more of the needed spectrum for the prospective cycle and use more 6500s in VEG and more 2700s in Flowering.
 
Do your best to start with. Use what you have now and learn. Then add more of each as you grow!!
Your plants will forgive you! They understand love. And we (all of us here at 420) know you love your plants as well! So all will be well!

Use what you have in your possesion now and add more 'love' as you and your plants grow!

Peace
Justin
 
Roseman said:
800w in my min, i want to go with what you suggested as 1340w or close enough to it. Question is do i use 800-1340w as my goal during both stages of my plants life? Is all this light too much for just one plant grown in a 5 gal bucket of my planned grow area? I will graduate to Deep Water Culture eventually but i want to train myself and all that! My outline is to use of either the 42w feit bulbs or 65w bulbs (I prefer the 65w because i need more watts as you suggested rather than just 800w, but 42w is cheaper and more convenient for me to aquire but disregard this). I am obviously going to need more 42W 6500k or blue daylight bulbs if I decide to go with them, the 65w are more beneficial because i achieve more output close to my watt "goal". So finally 15 or so of the 65w CFL 6500k bulbs i linked 975 watts, or 20 42w 6500k blubs that you said were good 4 veg, 840w; would be a baseline for vegging with a few lower 2700k red specs added to either of those mixes prob 5-6 and i should be good to go 4 veg right? Reverse though principles when it comes to flowering, as long that 1300 goal or baseline rule applies to the flowering stage inifinitely. In which i am going to use that 3 or 4 to one pinciple of red to blue. In conclsion my methodology is=Veg:15 of the 65W, 5 42w (yes the red spectrum) 3:1 ratio of blue-red. Flowering= 20 42w (again the red spec) and 5 65w 6500k bulbs 4:1 ratio red-blue. I am ready for your constructive criticism been typing and thinking to much :)
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Yes, you need the full amount of watts during VEG and Flowering, but I don't think you will have 16 sq ft of plants. If your room is 4 X 4, your grow space might be only 2 x 2 = 4 sq ft and a 1/4 of what we first planned on needing.
Many growers use more of the needed spectrum for the prospective cycle and use more 6500s in VEG and more 2700s in Flowering.[/QUOTE]

They will have at least 4 x 4 with 9 feet as the MAX height space. total area of my closet=8 feet long 4 feet wide 32 sq feet but i want the 4 x 4 area because it is more ideal and im not trying to over due it for my first grow.

Proverbs said:
sorry... your math is wrong my friend... 2600 lumens (day glow) x 12 bulbs = 31200 lumens . to get to 98000 lumens you would need 36 bulbs in that lumen value.
12 of the 6500k ??? no lumen value identified. You need to spec check that bulb for lumen value during life of the bulb. Bulbs always kick more lumens when new and less as the get old.

Insert all growing old jokes here ______________.

(That's all the space allowed for all 'getting old jokes' at this time.)

Also, you can use both 2100 to 6500 k bulbs during veg. But use mostly 2-3000 k during bloom. Cut your life cycle in half. (from 24/7 to 12/7) And use the warmer/red/2-3000 k bulbs.

The thing I think you're looking for is color first and then lumens.
Step one : 6500 k (color) for veg 7,000 lumens +, per square foot.
4x4x 7,000 lumens= 112,000
4x4x 6,000 lumens= 96,000

Step two: divide the number of lumens you want by the number of lumens the buld emits. This will tell you how many bulbs of that type you need.

Mix and match is okay in veg only . It's recommended that you stay warm on red during bloom. 2100k to 3000 k. And max lumens during this time. MAX the lumens!!! IN THAT COLOR RANGE!
Click to expand...

Lights of America 65 Watt Fluorex Compact Fluorescent Replacement Bulb - 9166B at The Home Depot do not list their lumens just the kelvins so i was going off kelvins since i need them high kelvin bulbs for veg phase. So i will use way more low kelvin bulbs when flowering something like 20-25 for flower and 3 blue spec. But is this too much light for one plant? Would rather ask before i buy all them, and it would obviously be enough for 4-6 plants i believe as roseman mentioned :)

Proverbs said:
The "Lights of America 65 Watt Fluorex Compact Fluorescent" kicks out 6825 lumens.
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C00L, i didnt see that before i posted-l think im good i have all the info i should need for lighting as long as this is not over kill on one my plant? 12 of them 65w with a few 42 softwhite bulbs for vegging; 20-25 42w for flower with 2-3 "blues" is plenty enough I believe for one healthy woman? If i buy a feminized strain it means it is a female correct?
 
Roseman said:
I can produce three books that say ALL fluorescents produce 60 to 70 lumens per watt, and that is the first one I've heard of not in that range. That one is close to 100 lumens per watt.
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That LOA 65watt bulb does not have it's own ballast - it needs a e-39 mogul base with integrated ballast.
 
Proverbs, Myzz,
I went to the website of Lights of America 65W Fluorex Floodlight (Brown) (9266)

and found that bulb produces 6825 lumens IF purchased In and with the Reflector and Hood.

If you buy the replacement bulb alone, Lights of America 65W Fluorex Replacement Bulb (9166B) for $44, it says that the bulb alone produces 4500 lumens.

And it is a Mogul Socket which would require the extra expense of the socket AND A BALLAST.

AND their $44 is a very expensive 65 watt bulb. I pay $39 for 105 watt bulbs and HAve found them for $34.
 
Proverbs said:
Lights of America - Outdoor Security Fixtures Category

13th one down on page. Requires an E-39 mogal base.

I just posted what they posted on that page. 6,825 lumens
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Actually, those Lights of America fixtures run "Fluorex" bulbs, which are Mogul base but *not* self-ballasted like regular CFL bulbs.

The ballast is in the fixture, so you have to get the specific LOA bulb for it, and it only comes in bright white, not soft.

The replacement bulbs are cheap cause the ballast is in the fixture.

Costco had the whole shebang for $10 apiece a few months ago and I got two of them.

They also have a sensor that turns them on and off automatically that you have to cover with a piece of tape.
 
Proverbs said:
You're learning! And it's good! You will be able to help others!

(( 65 Watt CFL Light Bulb - 300 W Equal - Full Spectrum Daylight 6500K - Spring Lamp - Sunlite 05577-65 Light Bulb ))
Go to the site and see if you can find this page. That'll help you learn how to search the site.

Peace my friend

Justin
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Thanks i was on this site yesterday, but I am all set with the mogul sockets. I would rather go with the daylight 42w 6500k bulbs from amazon or home depot.

Edit-

I will use these during the veg stage and use the other 42w bulbs i already bought that are 2700L or my softwhite bulbs - GE Lighting 47452 Energy Smart Spiral CFL 42-Watt (150-watt replacement) 2700-Lumen T3 Spiral Light Bulb with Medium Base
 
Myzz617 said:
Great thanks for the reply. I am going to try the bucket method (stratlogic) as i would like to save as much money and become more experienced before becoming a Deep Water Culture. I figured it out from another forum on here seems like I am going to need 48000 lumens min and 96000 lumens max (way to much IMO); average is 72000 lumens; after doing the math I would need 800-1200W of CFL lighting power to get about an average size plant correct? I was actually leaning towards CFL for vegging specifically and the red spectrum for flowering since ppl say it seems to be best. If not for some reason i like the MH lamps, believe it was because of a forum i read on here last night. Honestly Money is not much of an issue I work so i like to spend. As far as electricity how much do you think the lighting would raise it alone? Dont really expect an ans to that one but why not ask lol. I planned on using the 5 gallon buckets which are not that tall prob about a foot and a half, not sure yet as i have not bought anything yet. Just trying to imagine how its all going to be put together before doing anything. After figuring out lighting I wanted to look into how to build a wall, thinking a few sheets of sheet rock and some plywood will be efficient enough to divide the closet. I dont mind the rambling, actually glad to have your insight lil neutrino :bong:
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Getting into DWC with bubbles is cheap if you don't bother with the feed lines. 3 or 4 days of hand watering once a day will get roots into the water and then feed lines are redundant anyhow and the pump will only heat up your nutes. The bubbles from the air stones splash enough nutes onto the bottom of the pots to take care of it anyhow.

Just an observation. :bong:

:peace:
 
Hey Myzz, the feit bulbs have a chart on the box that tells the k rating. the box in your link has it on bottom left. it is a daylight, 6500k. the soft white is 2700k. :peace:
 
yes, i bought some softwhite already at target for about 9$ a piece-eight of them. So i need the ones i linked from amazon-ther esl40tn which seem to be 6500k if you look it up on amazon :)
 
LabRat420 said:
Getting into DWC with bubbles is cheap if you don't bother with the feed lines. 3 or 4 days of hand watering once a day will get roots into the water and then feed lines are redundant anyhow and the pump will only heat up your nutes. The bubbles from the air stones splash enough nutes onto the bottom of the pots to take care of it anyhow.

Just an observation. :bong:

:peace:
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Yea about; what is the most simple way to germinate the seeds? I read the rockwool way, theres about 3 or four different ways with rockwool. Is that the most simple way to germinate with soil-less mediums? That should be my last question on this thread lol:bong:
 
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