Sweetsue's First Grow - Stealthy Trio of Autos Under CFLs

A good question aki, and one that will make me look more closely at the numbers. The lights degrade over time. They are supposed to be good for approximately 10,000 hrs, but they begin to lose some of the lumen effectiveness before the end of that time. If I run a bulb for 18 hrs a day, that bulb should last about 555 days, give or take. To be on the safe side, let's say we want to replace them early enough to avoid most of that lumen degradation. I figure 3/4 of the expected time should be a safe bet. That puts me at 416 days. This suggests that I should expect to get at least a year out of each bulb, if I used it every day. So it's not really necessary to replace them with each grow, is it? Let's retire that comment and chalk it up to frustration I've already worked through. :laughtwo:

A smarter person would have marked the bulbs and kept finer records on bulb usage. It's something I will definitely do with my future bulb purchases. It was something I had promised myself I would do when I started the grow. This time I got caught up in the excitement and neglected this valuable step, and now I have no idea which bulbs are which, and some were used for the short time I finished off my previous adoptees. I believe I should be able to coax one more grow out of these and I should be able to go back through this journal and note the newer additions. At the very least I can note the 40w bulbs, which are the most expensive of the lot.

Thanks aki. I needed to do that thoughtful evaluation of the situation. Since I start under CFLs, and will continue to do so with the next grow, I have enough time to accumulate the necessary funds for the LED addition without throwing the budget into austerity. I have a hard time putting the family into austerity budgeting. I have such a hard time telling them no. If I hadn't already given you rep I would have done it now. :green_heart:

:Namaste:
 
you should also consider a 150 watt hps which can be purchased for about $75.
 
b.real said:
you should also consider a 150 watt hps which can be purchased for about $75.
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I considered that b.real, but I think in such a small space keeping the temps under control would be a pain. I'll stick with the CFLs until I can get the LED. I'm actually pretty pleased with the CFLs so far.

I know it's silly, but I really want that sunrise/sunset feature on the Intelligent Gros. Also, I 'm pretty certain that within the next few years LEDs are going to surpass HPS and HID lights for efficiency in the grow space. They're almost there now. I'll wait patiently.
 
didn't know that Rad. That changes the formula. More research is needed. My thrifty nature requires it. :laughtwo:I
 
Researching the life expectancy of CFLs I have learned the following:

- CFLs will last longest if they are switched on and off less than 8 times in any 24 hr. period.
- The more often you switch them on and off the faster they degrade.
- Conversely, the longer you leave them on the longer they will last. Turn them on and leave them on 24/7 to get more lifetime.
- Expect them to degrade down to between 80-90% of their original lumen output by the end of their life expectancy.

From the U.S. Dept. of Energy:

"In fluorescent lamps, photochemical degradation of the phosphor coating and accumulation of light-absorbing deposits cause lumen depreciation. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) generally lose no more than 20% of initial lumens over their 10,000 hour life."

Turns out I was close with my arbitrary choice of 75%. Working with the 80% low end projection I should expect the lights to last about 15 months following my auto grow 18/6 lighting schedule. Not bad. The 23W bulbs run about $4 each locally, the 40W ones $10 each. So if I figure ten 23W bulbs in each spectrum, or 20 total, that's an investment of $80 in 23W bulbs, each of which should have an efficiency life expectancy of 8,000 hours, or somewhere around 444 days (approx. 14.8 months) with an 18/6 schedule.

The 40W bulbs I use only in the 2700K range, so that's $40 for an efficiency life expectancy of approx. 7,884 hours or 438 days of an 18/6 schedule (approx. 14.5 months).

I should keep good notes on usage, because they get rotated in and out as the plant moves from veg to flower. This means I can reasonably expect to need to replace the bulbs every 18 months on average. That's just a guess on my part.

Basically I'm looking at around $120 a year (rounding down for simplicity and allowing for underestimation of bulb life) for the light cost. If I get three grows in a year that's only $40 a grow for the lights, if I stayed with only CFLs. CFLs get looked down upon by many seasoned growers, but I suspect with the right application they can be as effective, if not more so than lights that create much more heat and blast out light spectrums the plants don't use for photosynthesis.

Until I can afford a little LED of my desire I feel very comfortable with my choice to run with CFLs. Let's see what the harvest looks like in the end.

I may often be math challenged, but I sure do love playing with the numbers. That was great fun. :laughtwo:

:Namaste:
 
Congrats on the Trichs Sue!! Each stage is always more exciting than that last isnt it!

The girls look awesome - So healthy and vibrant :circle-of-love:

As for what Aki was saying: All your research and materials for your "new book" is tax deductible - Id look into it further ;)
 
nhteatime said:
Congrats on the Trichs Sue!! Each stage is always more exciting than that last isnt it!

The girls look awesome - So healthy and vibrant :circle-of-love:

As for what Aki was saying: All your research and materials for your "new book" is tax deductible - Id look into it further ;)
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You guys are so delightfully silly. I've always known there was a book somewhere inside me waiting to find a way into print. I just always thought it was about Callanetics, the exercise program I'm passionate about and strongly support on a couple forums. Maybe I have two books in there. :laughtwo:
 
Radogast said:
I saw similar information on < 20% degradation at 10,000 hrs nominal end of life for (quality) screw-base cfl.
Per an hvac fact sheet, the T5 HO 54w cfl tubes that I use are <5% at 20,000 hrs. They are bulkier and more expensive :)
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While researching yesterday I came across this:

"T5 fluorescent lamps have a higher luminous efficacy than T8 or T12 lamps. Luminous efficacy indicates how much light a lamp generates from the energy it consumes. The higher the value, the more energy efficient the lamp is. The luminous efficacy of T5 lamps is about 100 lm/W, while those of T8 and T12 lamps are only about 80 lm/W and 70 lm/W respectively."

That gave me pause. My CFLs have an efficiency rating of around 69%, all usable spectrum for the plants. I had initially shied away from T5s for two reasons; the size constraints of my grow space meant I would have to purchase 2' units, which are more expensive, and the neighbor uses T5s and he grows plants that look like this:

image17958.jpg


Sorry about the sideways shot. I wasn't taking that one to share. You see the difference? I need to admit that we are different gardeners, using very different approaches, which explains the difference in plant development. He battles bipolar depression, so his plants don't get the doting care my young ladies are enjoying either, and I believe that makes a big difference. He uses FFOF and is very happy with his results. So maybe I need to look closer at the T5 lights.

I hadn't considered hps lights because I honestly thought the heat would be a greater concern than you guys are letting on. I need to look closer at them as well. I'm still so new to this hobby and I want to stay open to possibilities. I don't necessarily need to indulge in the latest shiny toy, but would rather carefully consider the options and make the choice that best suits my needs and the family's budget. Since I'll be installing a ventilation and scrubber system within the next few weeks heat will be more easily controlled.

I appreciate all the input. Keep it coming please.

Now for that update that got lost in the ether when I hit "Post". You'd think I'd learn to hit "copy" before I attempt to post.

Daily Update: Day 47 (THC Bomb) & Day 46 (Buddha Magnum)

The Bomb continues her vertical path another consistent 1/2" inch to top off at 20", but Buddha is still sitting pretty at her 17 1/2". Here's their daily profile shot.

image17957.jpg


Yeah, they impress the hell out of me too.

I carefully measured the water to compare and Buddha is consistently taking on almost 2 cups of water more each day than the Bomb. She's just more thirsty I guess. It appears she is also going to be the shorter one of the pair. The Bomb is also packing on many more blossoms. I mean, look at all that flowering! Their perfumes are becoming more distinct and more potent by the day. I love the smell when I open the front door to come in. I'll miss that when we get the scrubber in. I don't know about you all, but it smells like home to me. :laughtwo:

The Bomb is shooting roots right through the fabric all along the lower edge of the pot.

image17956.jpg


Buddha has no exiting roots that I can see. When I ordered the pots it was for two black ones. Because they only had one on hand in the warehouse Jeremy sent me two tan and the last remaining black. The black pots are slightly thicker than the tan, and I believe that explains the root containment. With the SWICK setup you want to have roots exiting the pot, searching for the water. It's a sign that the system is functioning well. However, it's fairly obvious that Buddha is getting adequate water supply. Interesting.

Well, off to a day at cardiac rehab. I'll spend my waiting time researching. We have an appointment with vascular surgery beforehand. He has a cut on the pad of his left foot that isn't healing, but tunneling deeper and deeper. We don't need exposed bone. He's already lost the index toe on that foot to gangrene and I want him to keep the foot. Positive vibes.

:Namaste:
 
Very impressive what you are doing with that CFL I just don't like that much is wasted as there is no reflector.

And as you are on the look I put in a Platinum P 300 ~ 180W and 350$ many journals here too and I love my P 450 enough to get a second one.
 
Darkgrow said:
Very impressive what you are doing with that CFL I just don't like that much is wasted as there is no reflector.

And as you are on the look I put in a Platinum P 300 ~ 180W and 350$ many journals here too and I love my P 450 enough to get a second one.
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I agree with you here on the lack of reflector. I'm working with an inadequate space and a lack of filtration and ventilation at the moment, so I keep it open, leaving the front with no reflective potential. Since the CFLs only emit usable light from the sides I console myself with the knowledge that they are close enough to do more good than the loss presents. In future, the expectation is that we will construct a better space and improve on lighting. They are doing well though, no? The harvest will be the ultimate test.

I have never looked at the P 300s. Thanks for the input Darkgrow.
 

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