Best value lighting for decent flowering?

[oneofthemguys]

Alright so currently vegging with 6500k flourescents.

I'd like to get some to flower and have some 2700k flourescents, but I've read those don't have enough lumens to make any decent buds.

Looking at maybe some LEDs.

So here's the thing I want to AVOID having to go with an HPS. Electrical bill is high enough, don't need a 400w light on for 12 hours at a time, if I can avoid it.

So I'm looking for flowering lighting that doesn't make my power meter spin like a top, but also doesn't cost over $200 just for like one lamp that could flower MAYBE 2 or 3 plants.

Suggestions please!

 

[Hightide805]

hey check out heavyherb's grow, he did not use HPS and got some fat buds

Heavyherbs First Grow

 

[Screwnuts33]

Look at the multi-bulb HO T5's. Plenty of light for nice buds however they do use watts. My 8-bulb lights are 432watts/ea. Keep in mind that just about every electrical gizmo in your home uses more energy than that. Average microwave is 1000watts, plasma TV 1500watts, etc.

 

[Hightide805]

My 8-bulb lights are 432watts/ea.

each?? 4x432= a lot of watts
how many lumens total?

 

[Screwnuts33]

each?? 4x432= a lot of watts
how many lumens total?

HT,
I am running 2ea of the 432 watt T5's and 2ea 600 watt HPS. I don't recall the lumen output of the T5's but my total Lumen count is over 250,000.

 

[RandyL]

400 watts on the power bill is 400 watts on the power bill, doesn't matter if it is CFL, T5, MH, HPS, or incandescent. Only variable is the amount and quality of the light you get for your 400 watts.

LEDs are very expensive, you'll spend more to buy them then you will save on the power bill. And I feel they are not proven enough yet.

 

[oneofthemguys]

So I bought 5 panels of LEDs with blue and reds, mostly reds. They have 225 LEDs each. 3 were $25 and 2 were $37. Amazon.com ftw

I'll supplement the white with the fluorescents.

Each panel is about 18 watts and puts out at least as much light as a 60w HPS. Figure several of them should do the job. At only 18 watts a piece, that's not too bad.

I ain't doing any of that 400w HPS crap. That's A LOT of electricity to be on for 12 hours straight.

Yes a microwave uses 1000 watts, but it's not on for more than a few minutes at a time ya goofballs.

A computer that's on 24/7 costs approx $30 - $40 a month, and that ain't using a full 400w, just to give you an idea how much that kind of power costs. My power bill is already like $200 a month.

 

[RandyL]

LOL. I've got 1400 watts of HPS going 12/12, and 400 watts of Metal Halide vegging 24/0, and 3 computers running 24 hours a day. And other stuff also.

Got any photos of these LED panels you got? Model name and numbers?

 

[oneofthemguys]

Here's a pic, I don't see a model number or anything. They're all the same kind and make, apparently. The $37 ones are the same as the $25 ones, exactly the same. Both arrived at the same time, so that's cool. There were only 3 of the $25 ones left, that's why it's split like that.

Freaking bright as hell...

 

[Retired One]

\
I ain't doing any of that 400w HPS crap. That's A LOT of electricity to be on for 12 hours straight.

The cost of electricity varies widely across the country. Your power bill should tell you what your local company charges for kilowatt hours, making figuring the cost of operating the light quite simple. In my neck of the woods a 400w hps light would cost less than 10 usd a month for 12/12...18/6 runs around 14 usd a month. You're making it out to be such an expense, but in reality, it's not. Cutting your power intake in the rest of your home will help offset or eliminate the rise in your power bill. Replace all your lights in your home with cfls, lower your thermostat 3 degrees in winter...raise it 3 in summer, and watch for any other areas of savings. Frankly, most people have so many power drains in their homes, that a 400w light could be easily offset...you're not running 4-1kw lights you know...by just using a little common sense. Remember, if it's got a little red light on, it's sucking power...find these power drains and eliminate them.

 

[oneofthemguys]

Or I can just use LEDs and not worry about it? 60" HDTV eats a lot of power with the 1200w receiver, too...

 

[Retired One]

Good luck with those 35 buck led boards.

 

[mule]

each?? 4x432= a lot of watts
how many lumens total?

It's 432 watts for a single 8 bulb T-5 HO fixture... Grow bulbs have 36,800 lumens per 8 bulb fixture, Bloom bulbs have 38,400 per 8 bulb fixture...

Hope that helps... HPS has a higher count on lumens for the 400 watt unit...
I however like the T-5 due to the heat factor with HPS.

 

[oneofthemguys]

What I'm currently doing in my flowering area is I've got 3 of those panels, 2 on top, one on the side. I've also got a fluorescent on the other side with a 6500k and a 2700k (I think) T12s. The fluorescent provides the extra lumens for photosynthesis while the LEDs provide the colors and additional light. There's also a couple of like 5000k fluorescents on the ceiling above the flowering area, probably doesn't add much light, but it might!

3 panels at 18 watts, 4 total fluorescents at 40 watts each. 214 watts total?


Currently have 2 panels, 2 bulbs, and fluorescents in the vegging area. The 2 bulbs are growler 6w LEDs, the seedlings seem to like them and they seem to help with vegging. 2 6500k fluorescents.

So 80 watts for fluorescents, 36 watts for the panels, 12 watts for the bulbs... 128 watts total.

I'm not growing monster plants yet. When I can afford the bigger quadband LED panels I'll get those.

 

[sully508]

i got a 5200k metal conversion bulb tha fitts into a hps 400 watt light. using
i have just a reg. hps 400watt 2100k. i also have 6-27 watt 5500k fluorescent bulbs with the clamp on reflector fixtures. the MH bulb=36000
the hps=55000
fluor.= approx 4000
approx.96 lumens.
great for starting seed. and clones.
i woulnt mind using a LED panel .for veging only not for budding due to the density of the buds.
they have newer ones (the quadband) that cost for like $1000. they will save you money on electricty.
i wish the price would come down a little.
i need the hid's to the warm the room. its very cold here. and a heater at night 1300 watts. thats more than i use on lighting them.lol
i cant wait till the warmer weather comes.

 

[oneofthemguys]

So now I'm at 6 of those panels in my grow tent with T12 fluorescents hanging in the middle. My sour diesel is flowering nicely in there.

 

[blk92mustang]

I have a 400w hps I use and it only cost me about 10-15 dollars a month extra on my electric bill. I hear electroic ballasts are also more efficient.

I pay 6.61 center per kwh. I have sunlight supply grow products catalog and it lists out all the different wattage lights and what it will cost you to run them. They give you the cost for running them 6hrs a day up 18hrs a day. They also provide the estimated cost if your paying anywhere 4 cents up to 26 cents per kwh.

I would go with a 400w hps if its feasible.

 

[Lil Neutrino]

I'd like to get some to flower and have some 2700k flourescents, but I've read those don't have enough lumens to make any decent buds.

I have evidence that is BS Look at the end of my first grow journal...all grown with CFL's, 2 weeks of veg and then in to 12/12 with eventually 11 or 12 26W CFL's (I had one burn out towards the end a few weeks prior to harveset) for about 20,000 rated lumens. No reflector hood, high temps, and managed to get a little over an ounce dry from a plant that barely reached 13" and was not pruned or LST'd, FIM'd, or anything...just let it grow natural. The buds I harvested were almost as hard as a rock, sticky as could be (naturally low humidity here), and of quite good potency. As you may read at the end I got to smoke some of it six months later that a friend had held on to and I was d-e-s-t-r-o-y-e-d after three hits. Not too shabby for some unknown bagseed and CFL's lol

 

[ChicagoJoe]

Running the lights during off peak time (6 pm - 6 am) will save a little on the energy bill. Every little bit helps, right?

 

[oneofthemguys]

Running the lights during off peak time (6 pm - 6 am) will save a little on the energy bill. Every little bit helps, right?

That's something I've been meaning to look in to.

Well so far my Sour Diesel is making some NICE crystally looking buds! The water leaves even getting all dusty from the trics. My Soma A++ has started budding, as well as my Orange Krush and those seem to be growing nicely.

So far looking like a win for LEDs + fluorescents.