Peoples research on their own lighting

F

fault

New Member
been debating on lights led or hps/mh. i'm stuck in a rut. It would be cool to hear how people experiment with both lighting and what worked for them and reviews on led lights. and maybe can help me choose and help others choose too. my room is 2x3x6
 
I've used a gaint CFL 125w, 6400k for raising clones & vegging for a period of up to 8 weeks in a grow area of 60cm by 60cm...

I used the cfl due to the fact its cheaper to run, greater PAR effeciency & longer half life span of light degrading over over time of when compared to MH which adds cost as these need a ballest to run the bulbs & are inferior to T5 tubes or CFL bulbs of correct spectrum made for growing :thumb:

Heres some pic's

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I also used a 400w, 2050k dual spectrum HID/HPS by grolux/sylvania... yup been tweaked to offer some blue spectrum light which can be used in both veg & flowering, not tryed in veg yet as i'm tight on the electric bill... why use a greater wattage bulb for vegging when you can use less ?


Heres some pic's of end results under the 400w dual spec HID.

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Enjoy :Love:
 
oh I typed, I linked, I added images and typed some more...

I just backspaced over it all :cheesygrinsmiley:

they all work, look at 420 sponsors to help, get off the pot make your choice and start a journal :cheesygrinsmiley:
 
i'm tight on money so im doing all my research so i dont waste any money. i haven't really grasp the whole lighting part of growing im slowly starting to get it, thanks fuzzy duck you really helped me. i almost have a concrete discussion on what type of lighting. i heard nothing bad about cfl for veg so im going to get that, do you think 200w is too much for my room? i think i want to have 4 50w bulbs or do you think 1 long one is better?
 
idk too much about flowering lighting so i gotta know more about that. i know buckshot what the hell is taking me so long lol
 
Fault ,

If you have money and you can make a good air ventilation is better for you to buy a MH for veg and HPS for flower , 250 W is enough . CFL<HID<LED in my opinion . HID + cooltube is a good combination for your plants
 
fault said:
idk too much about flowering lighting so i gotta know more about that. i know buckshot what the hell is taking me so long lol
Click to expand...

I based my initial decision on

investment cost
Long term cost
additional hidden costs like hood fan cost/long term cost
burden on poor electrical system

I started with LED ... love em'

tried CFL's for side light.. way too hot for watts, went to LED side light.

I am using MH and HPS in veg (I actually need the heat for now)

I don't like MH and should have had two HPS...
 
fault said:
i'm tight on money so im doing all my research so i dont waste any money. i haven't really grasp the whole lighting part of growing im slowly starting to get it, thanks fuzzy duck you really helped me. i almost have a concrete discussion on what type of lighting. i heard nothing bad about cfl for veg so im going to get that, do you think 200w is too much for my room? i think i want to have 4 50w bulbs or do you think 1 long one is better?
Click to expand...

4 x 50w cfls should be reasonable fine & may be tempted for a couple of extra, might want to think about a reflector to help get light to where its needed if using domestic cfls ?

Depends on hanging arrangement for your tent as its 2' W, 3' L, 6' H & best position to get optimal lighting to your plants...

CFLs are best kept at 1" to 2" above growing tip of ya plants for best lighting out put, as CFL lights do suffer greatly with the inverse square law of light effect over distance...


I would certianly compare prices tho for 4x 50w cfls & fixtures to a gaint cfl with a hood :thumb:


Also they could be bolstered with your LED panels for some extra go go juice.
 
fault said:
I was thinking about getting 4 50w and I'm going for it lol can you use cfl for flowering? Would I get less yeild?
Click to expand...


You can use CFLs for flowering with some people using 2x2700k, 1x6500k & you may require 2 or 3 clusters like these to cover your growing area...

How ever CFLs do produce bud & would suggest taking a good long look through this link - Grow Lighting to which you may well find lots of infomation regarding the matter of lighting & CFL growing :thumb:



On a side note cfls don't nearly produce as much yeild when compared to HPS.

But if you do decide to use cfl for flowering you may want to considor the scrog method of growing !
 
I use 2 1000 watt hps and the only other option I am lookin at is utilizing a colored led to enhance the ladies I was once in a dispensary and some random dude told me to use christmas tree lights when the ladies are to be put to bed for the evening. I tried to string out the christmas lights thru out my room and i did not see changes so i started trying to do some reasearch on l.e.d's i have not had the best luck on asking questions on this site. Leg riding for me is not an option! Some people who answer on this site believe for whatever reason that they reserve the right to look down on people. if I can answer I will try to help, we are all in this boat together! anyway I agree with you reasearch prior to commiting saves you money or at least it has saved me money. Take your time you will be the one whom is happy or not. make your decisions based on your outcome you seek and be ready to make small changes so if it don't work you know what you can change back. Also I would say do not change to many things at one time. good luck, Richie
 
Thanks goathead. Know what you mean about led, there's not alot of good reviews and then you hear about scams from led company. I myself do not want to mess with that right now ha. With 1 400w hps will that produce alot of heat? Is it worth getting a cool hood for a small room like mine?
 
A 400 watt switchable MH/HPS light would be idea depending on a few other factors. Do you have the ability to vent exhaust air directly out of the room the tent is in? I wouldn't recommend HPS/MH if you don't. When funding is an issue, LEDs are almost always out of the question. They can work very well, save on energy, water, and nuit cost but they also have a very high start-up cost. High output T5 lighting is a great option as well. You can get bulbs from local pet stores that expand the spectrum, they run very cool (compared to HID lighting), and if you are electrically/mechanically inclined you can buy a driver from you're local hardware store and make a custom 24" or 36" fixture with 4-6 bulbs. You can make something of this nature for around $80. Were a cheap 4 bulb 2 ft T5 fixture will cost you over $100. I personally DIY everything even if it cost a little more because I like the tinkering aspect of it.
 
Hey "fault", my oinion would be to look long range. If you plan to expand and would take that into account when you begin to formulate u"r plan of action. It is not much more to go with a 6" or 8" to move more c.f.m's. 6" ducting as well as 8" is available at "home Depot", "Lowes", etc. Otherwise I say assmble and run it then make your refinements. i try to have a picture in my head when I start a medical project. I planned for more than a few plants so my constraints were different. I also as I said have a pic in my head and when I am not there yet I keep workin at it....till there. U will know when you reach what you are lookin' 4. i utilize an 8" fan and ridgid ducting reduced with swedge fittings to 6" then flex ducting goes to hoods.:thumb:
 
i just got a 1000w hps cool tube hood. do you think thats going to be alright? is it going to get too hot in my locker where and how far am i going to have to hang it so it doesnt burn the plant
 
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