I've been going through the forums and have not found anyone growing with CFLs. Is there anyone besides myself that use them? Here's my messy setup...No tent, just a closet.
Does anyone use CFLs from start to finish?
- Thread starter MochaBud
- Start date
i do,, old school,, from start to finish,, cfl in veg, and cfl thru flower,, 100%
veg,,
flower,, sad,, ya, kinda,, but they outperform my mars hydro 300 led,, keep em close,, real close,, light burn is a sign of being close enuf,, the lights in the pic are raised up,, out of the way
cheers
veg,,
flower,, sad,, ya, kinda,, but they outperform my mars hydro 300 led,, keep em close,, real close,, light burn is a sign of being close enuf,, the lights in the pic are raised up,, out of the way
cheers
There are lots of grow journals in the Completed Journals section. Try navigating there, using the search function (the "magnifying glass" icon at the top of the screen), using "CFL" (sans quotation marks) as the keyword, and selecting the "this forum only" option. You'll still have to wade through some "false" results, because people use CFLs as supplemental light along with stronger main lighting (or just happen to mention the term in passing), but it should help you find some legitimate threads, too.
There aren't as many ongoing CFL grows as there used to be, probably because folks realized that "a lighting watt is a lighting watt" in terms of heat produced, which means that there's as much heat produced by 400 watts of CFL lighting as a 400-watt HPS (for example) PLUS the heat produced by all the CFL ballasts that are stuck on the ends of the bulbs, as opposed to all being in one HID ballast at the end of a relatively lengthy cord that can easily be placed outside of the grow room. Or maybe it's just a result of all the cheapie LED panels that have flooded the market, IDK. But I do see them from time to time, so try searching in Journals in Progress , too.
As nivek mentioned, keep them as close to your plants as you can (be prepared to adjust on a daily basis when in the vegetative phase and during the first 40% of the flowering period (aka "the stretch")). And, as his pictures demonstrate, try to keep them oriented parallel to your plants' leaves, for maximum efficiency.
There aren't as many ongoing CFL grows as there used to be, probably because folks realized that "a lighting watt is a lighting watt" in terms of heat produced, which means that there's as much heat produced by 400 watts of CFL lighting as a 400-watt HPS (for example) PLUS the heat produced by all the CFL ballasts that are stuck on the ends of the bulbs, as opposed to all being in one HID ballast at the end of a relatively lengthy cord that can easily be placed outside of the grow room. Or maybe it's just a result of all the cheapie LED panels that have flooded the market, IDK. But I do see them from time to time, so try searching in Journals in Progress , too.
As nivek mentioned, keep them as close to your plants as you can (be prepared to adjust on a daily basis when in the vegetative phase and during the first 40% of the flowering period (aka "the stretch")). And, as his pictures demonstrate, try to keep them oriented parallel to your plants' leaves, for maximum efficiency.
TheFertilizer
Well-Known Member
I used some fairly large 100 W CFL bulbs for my first grow, but I found that they weren't really that much less expensive than HIDs. I think my CFLs cost me like $40-$50 and they were even half off when I bought them, so I knew when it came time to replace them they'd be more around $100. Since MH/HPS kits were about $150 at that time, I figured it would be better just to invest in the HID lighting.
Me, too:
Seemed like half the bulb was illuminating... the other half of the bulb, lol.
Seemed like half the bulb was illuminating... the other half of the bulb, lol.
TheFertilizer
Well-Known Member
Me, too:
Seemed like half the bulb was illuminating... the other half of the bulb, lol.
Mine were just larger versions of the normal spiral ones. That's 2 ft T5 they're next to.
They're not bad lights at all. I prefer the T5 these days since it has the reflector. But just those 2 bulbs are equal to the T5's wattage.
the best positive about cfl's is the ability to get em oh so very close,, which, for me is helpful because i have my flower room divided into two levels,, so, less than 4 ft of height in each level. tho my upper level has an led cheapo so i have enuf room even for led's
i have the very same cfl system that i built when i first started growing,, near four years and over a hundred plants ago,, and right now it is producing some dandy buds, ready for harvest next week
cfl's are not cheap, do not last forever, produce some heat but completely managable
my lower panel, in a less than 3' x 3' space, has 25 23w cfls,, all pumpin it out
i do not think i would build a cfl system if i started today,, but even only four years ago cfl's were kinda new and available
cheers agin
i have the very same cfl system that i built when i first started growing,, near four years and over a hundred plants ago,, and right now it is producing some dandy buds, ready for harvest next week
cfl's are not cheap, do not last forever, produce some heat but completely managable
my lower panel, in a less than 3' x 3' space, has 25 23w cfls,, all pumpin it out
i do not think i would build a cfl system if i started today,, but even only four years ago cfl's were kinda new and available
cheers agin
- Thread starter
- #8
Nice setup nivek, I made my hood out of a 4ft length of 8inch metal duct...there's 16-100w (actual 26w) bulbs in the hood and another 16 scattered around for the lower parts...I might add that the girl I showed was only 6 weeks and had another 3.5 weeks to go, I got a lil less than a QP from her...(96 grams dried and cured) that's about my avg per lady...cheers and thanks for the response!i do,, old school,, from start to finish,, cfl in veg, and cfl thru flower,, 100%
veg,,
flower,, sad,, ya, kinda,, but they outperform my mars hydro 300 led,, keep em close,, real close,, light burn is a sign of being close enuf,, the lights in the pic are raised up,, out of the way
cheers
Dankman_420
Well-Known Member
I use them when I'm running my cloner. You guys are rocking out with them! I'm impressed 
- Thread starter
- #10
Thanks TS, lol, I need to learn to navigate this site. Yeah I've been using CFLs for about 10 yrs now so it was a learning curve but, I also have a separate veg closet. I've got a perpetual grow going...and the heat factor is next to nothing. I can put my hand 6inches below my hood comfortably...cheers and thanks for the info, good stuff.
- Thread starter
- #11
Yeah I've got a couple of 4' T5s in my veg closet they work great. But, I made a hood out of a 4ft length of 8inch duct and used heat resistant white spray paint for the inside, and it has 16 100w (26w actual) tucked up inside there...cheers and thanks for the post.Mine were just larger versions of the normal spiral ones. That's 2 ft T5 they're next to.
They're not bad lights at all. I prefer the T5 these days since it has the reflector. But just those 2 bulbs are equal to the T5's wattage.
- Thread starter
- #12
Looks awesome brothathe best positive about cfl's is the ability to get em oh so very close,, which, for me is helpful because i have my flower room divided into two levels,, so, less than 4 ft of height in each level. tho my upper level has an led cheapo so i have enuf room even for led's
i have the very same cfl system that i built when i first started growing,, near four years and over a hundred plants ago,, and right now it is producing some dandy buds, ready for harvest next week
cfl's are not cheap, do not last forever, produce some heat but completely managable
my lower panel, in a less than 3' x 3' space, has 25 23w cfls,, all pumpin it out
i do not think i would build a cfl system if i started today,, but even only four years ago cfl's were kinda new and available
cheers agin
...- Thread starter
- #13
Thanks Dank, I've been using them for about 10 years now, but I just ordered a 1000w HPS kit, cuz we just went legal here now...I use them when I'm running my cloner. You guys are rocking out with them! I'm impressed
- Thread starter
- #14
Well I guess I'll have to learn to navigate this site. I guess the mods moved me to Grow lighting in the grow room...ok...So I guess I'm gona go through another learning curve, not only with this site, but I ordered a 1000w HPS kit...so after 10 years of CFLs...well we 'll see...
MENTALP13
Well-Known Member
. Right Now I Do As Well And My Girls Are Looking eautiful... PS I Don't Have A Tent Either Or A Closet Happy Grow... ✌I've been going through the forums and have not found anyone growing with CFLs. Is there anyone besides myself that use them? Here's my messy setup...No tent, just a closet.
TheFertilizer
Well-Known Member
Good looking deal.Well I guess I'll have to learn to navigate this site. I guess the mods moved me to Grow lighting in the grow room...ok...So I guess I'm gona go through another learning curve, not only with this site, but I ordered a 1000w HPS kit...so after 10 years of CFLs...well we 'll see...
just be sure you have enough head-space to keep that light pretty well above your plants, you can't keep a HID too close to them even with the cool-tube. That's a LOT of light for that closet space. Thinking about maybe getting a tent too? Check out the UrbanGrower brand.
- Thread starter
- #17
Thanks Fert, but no tent for me, the room that my closets in is 12' x 14' with a 10' ceiling, I'm wrapping it in mylar now so I can move on to bigger crops
Well, a 1kW HID ought to be really fierce over a 5'x5' section of it. More if you're growing auto-flowering strains. Consider figuring out just exactly what space - not just the gross area of it, but the shape of the footprint created by the reflector/bulb - your chosen light will adequately serve and "walling it in" (even if those walls are just made of mylar or the like). With any light source, you'll reach a point where it is no longer producing enough light for flowering cannabis - but if that light source is in a larger open area, that light is basically lost. If, on the other hand, you have highly reflective walls (mylar, bright white paint, et cetera), then that otherwise wasted output gets reflected back onto your viable garden space. Obviously, this reflected light isn't going to help a huge amount - even with the most reflective wall surfaces, you'll lose some small percentage of it, and then there's the inverse square law of lighting - but it will be additive (so to speak) in regards to the light that is in your viable garden space. And you'll be paying for that light every month, whether you choose to confine it all within the useful perimeter of your garden... or allow it to be wasted.
Also, you'll have a "hot spot" directly under the bulb. There are "diffusers, spreaders, whatever they're called," simple metal devices that clip onto the socket. They have... it's like a spatula with many holes, lol, allowing part of the light produced by the bulb to shine directly downward, but causing the other part to be reflected back upwards into your reflector (where it is then reflected onto your general garden space instead of being concentrated underneath the bulb). These things aren't 100% efficient, but they do help equalize the amount of light hitting your garden.
Also, you'll have a "hot spot" directly under the bulb. There are "diffusers, spreaders, whatever they're called," simple metal devices that clip onto the socket. They have... it's like a spatula with many holes, lol, allowing part of the light produced by the bulb to shine directly downward, but causing the other part to be reflected back upwards into your reflector (where it is then reflected onto your general garden space instead of being concentrated underneath the bulb). These things aren't 100% efficient, but they do help equalize the amount of light hitting your garden.
- Thread starter
- #20
Well I'm not going with the whole room. I'd need several more lights for that, but it fits nicely in my closet. Just ordered the fans and flex duct, but heat seems to be no problem for 2 days now 
