CFL Light Tutorial

Hey Labrat, I can tell you after doing extensive research on HID's, that contrary to the belief that bigger is better, most now agree that multiple lower watt HID's are better than a single 1000W. This is for several different reasons.

  1. With more fixtures you can move lights and evenly distribute light better
  2. With the lower watt(400, 600W), you can place closer to the canopy so there is alot less lumen loss
  3. With the multiple lights you can add them as needed therefore not wasting energy
These conclusions are what brought me to my purchase of a 600W HPS. They are supposed to be the most effecient. Having the MH through flower is fine and alot of people reccomend the mixed spectrum. The increased blue light during flower aids in trich development from what I have read. I am assuming that option E was for your warehouse grow?:cheesygrinsmiley:

Here's a post I put up a while ago that supports Answer's reply. I doubt I'll ever buy a 1000, I'm planning to buy a new 600 soon.

Cervantes did a real nice write up about this in his bible. Chapter nine, Light, Lamps, and Electricity. He outlined the parameters for consideration of lights, placement and wattage.

A 1000w HPS will put out ~140,000 lumens at 1' away
A 1000w HPS will put out ~35,000 lumens at 2' away
A 600w HPS will put out ~90,000 lumens at 1' away
A 600w HPS will put out ~22,500 lumens at 2' away
A 400w HPS will put out ~50,000 lumens at 1' away
A 400w HPS will put out ~12,500 lumens at 1' away

But you can't put them all the same distance away, the 1000w is much hotter than the 400w. And what we are dealing with when considering distance is the inverse square law. This law affirms that the intensity of light changes in inverse proportion to the square of the distance.

Here's the punch line.

We have to keep:

1000w HPS; ~3' above the tops, at 3' the 1000w put out 15,555 lumens.

600w HPS; ~2' above the tops, at 2' the 600w put out 22,500 lumens.

400w HPS; ~1' above the tops, at 1' the 400w put out 50,000 lumens.

Light intensity virtually doubles for every 6" closer an HID is to the canopy of a garden. I've singed a top twice by keeping my lamp real close, more like 6"-8" with the MH which is hotter than the HPS, I think this is a good strategy seeing as the plants have never seemed to mind getting a little hot, never hurt growth any. I always raise the light, but I never raise it more than 10" above the canopy.

Now the 400w can't cover the area the 1000w can, but for my money I'll buy the 400w and put more of them around for more, closer lighting and getting more lumens on those solar receptors we're feeding so diligently.

Plus when you consider the costs involved, I'm paying about $30/mo. for electric, that would be $75 for the 1000w. I just move them closer, sounds like a pretty easy way to save a few bucks, and be more energy efficient at the same time. Sure your 1000w is bigger than mine, but my sweetie is going to like mine better when I can buy her that fancy dinner!

I've got to give Cervantes credit for most the prior information. He's been incredibly thorough.
 
I really love that light!!!! Way to go FPF and Matagrowa! I decided that after I get my 600 HPS fired up, I am going to make me one of those with all my left over bulbs. I probably don't even need it, but I just love to build stuff! I guess I can use it vertically too and blast some buds from the side.Hmmmm............
 
I really love that light!!!! Way to go FPF and Matagrowa! I decided that after I get my 600 HPS fired up, I am going to make me one of those with all my left over bulbs. I probably don't even need it, but I just love to build stuff! I guess I can use it vertically too and blast some buds from the side.Hmmmm............

Side lights can really make a difference in bud yield!
 
I really love that light!!!! Way to go FPF and Matagrowa! I decided that after I get my 600 HPS fired up, I am going to make me one of those with all my left over bulbs. I probably don't even need it, but I just love to build stuff! I guess I can use it vertically too and blast some buds from the side.Hmmmm............

I'm thinking it works great for a veg closet, little heat so no vent, sounds like win-win to me.
 
FlyingFryingPan, thank you very much for the well done addition to this CFL Tutorial. Matagrower, you too, man. Great Design!

TheAnswerto......you too, man!


Anyone else got any Light DESIGNS, or more info, or additions to CFL and Lights to add here, that might really help a first time grower someday.???
 
FlyingFryingPan, thank you very much for the well done addition to this CFL Tutorial. Matagrower, you too, man. Great Design!

TheAnswerto......you too, man!


Anyone else got any Light DESIGNS, or more info, or additions to CFL and Lights to add here, that might really help a first time grower someday.???

Flying frying Pan, that's a good one. I was going to say how honored I am to be able to contribute to one of your threads, now I think I'll just laugh. Close enough for a friend man, you're way too cool. Love ya!

Like my dad used to say, I don't care what you call me, just don't call me late for dinner!
 
FlyingFryingPan, thank you very much for the well done addition to this CFL Tutorial. Matagrower, you too, man. Great Design!

TheAnswerto......you too, man!


Anyone else got any Light DESIGNS, or more info, or additions to CFL and Lights to add here, that might really help a first time grower someday.???

Let me read it again tomorrow and I'll let ya know, I think I might but I'm tired/sick right now and it's almost 3AM...hardly the best frame of mind lol.
 
CORRECTION:


FryingPanFlyer, thank you very much for the well done addition to this CFL Tutorial.

Thanks man, I just figure you were fully relaxed last night, I'm still smiling about it!

It is an honor to be invited to include my work in one of your tutorials.

I was just thinking how 3 months ago I knew absolutely nothing about Deep Water Culture, then I ran into your tutorial and the rest is history! Here I am on the brink of my first harvest and the only reason it has turned out this good is with your assistance.

No, it is I who should be thanking you!
 
Thanks man, I just figure you were fully relaxed last night, I'm still smiling about it!

It is an honor to be invited to include my work in one of your tutorials.

I was just thinking how 3 months ago I knew absolutely nothing about Deep Water Culture, then I ran into your tutorial and the rest is history! Here I am on the brink of my first harvest and the only reason it has turned out this good is with your assistance.

No, it is I who should be thanking you!


I wasn't drunk, I had just been drinking.

And I wasn't stoned, I'd just been smoking.
 
Our CFL Light Box...

05_Light_Box_outside.JPG


04_Light_Box_inside.JPG


Very simple construction. We added glass and a vent to keep our small grow box cool.

Check out the links in my signature to get the details of our grow box and the results of our grows (and follow our current grow) using this light box.

While we know that mixing spectrum etc would produce more/better buds we are extremely pleased with our results!

Thanks for the very informative post Roseman. Your post, and the information in the replies (thank you to those contributors) are all going to be considered when building out 2 grow tents in the near future.
 
Our CFL Light Box...

05_Light_Box_outside.JPG


04_Light_Box_inside.JPG


Very simple construction. We added glass and a vent to keep our small grow box cool.

Check out the links in my signature to get the details of our grow box and the results of our grows (and follow our current grow) using this light box.

While we know that mixing spectrum etc would produce more/better buds we are extremely pleased with our results!

Thanks for the very informative post Roseman. Your post, and the information in the replies (thank you to those contributors) are all going to be considered when building out 2 grow tents in the near future.

Thats a great addition to the thread, thank you very much.

If you could find time, please come back and post more details, like number of bulbs and watts and construction details.
 

Ya know...I was just sitting here staring at that kick ass chandelier, again, for the umpteenth time (yes, that's how much I like it lol, brilliant!) and it suddenly occured to me that due to the construction out of non-conductive material (the PVC for the extra high readers lol) this would be idea for supplemental side lighting. Just flip it on it's side and presto bango! If you had two plants just forego the reflector and you can side-light two plants at once. I had a helluva time rigging something up with my first grow to accomplish this but this would be perfect! Especially if one were to go with the 42W bulbs and size the construction up accordingly. Hmmmm...*As Electric Wizard churns in the background a mad cackling is heard from the back room*
 
Ya know...I was just sitting here staring at that kick ass chandelier, again, for the umpteenth time (yes, that's how much I like it lol, brilliant!) and it suddenly occured to me that due to the construction out of non-conductive material (the PVC for the extra high readers lol) this would be idea for supplemental side lighting. Just flip it on it's side and presto bango! If you had two plants just forego the reflector and you can side-light two plants at once. I had a helluva time rigging something up with my first grow to accomplish this but this would be perfect! Especially if one were to go with the 42W bulbs and size the construction up accordingly. Hmmmm...*As Electric Wizard churns in the background a mad cackling is heard from the back room*

And you could do it in any shape you'd like. Like SkooterClowns' you could alternate the lamps thus thinning the fixture substantially. This just fits over my plants very nicely, almost exact size of my res. below. But make it to whatever needs you have, make it work for you.

And if you'd like to see the effectiveness just check out my journal, I just got 3" growth in the last three days on 3 northern lights and 2 sour diesels! These (8) 55w are putting out 3600 lumens each (65.45 lumens/watt) for a total of 28,800 lumens of relatively cool heat. I'm betting a small computer fan for fresh air into my closet will be all the cooling need. I have no ventilation in my current closet, but that just has bi-pass doors and they are plenty airy.
 
Roseman,

After just getting my electrical bill and noticing that 1000wt is costing me $80 per month, I am suddenly very interested in using CFL's for my next bubble crop! I live near a homedepot and a hydro shop, im guessing HD will have better prices? what should the total cost be for all the CFL's i would need be?
 
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