Foot Candles - T8s Or CFLs - What's Better?

[cannalearna]

I was taking some light measurements of different floros and found that 2 32 watt T8 tubes give off 1/2 as many foot candles as 1 13 watt CFL, same spectrum. The lumen rating on the T8s was higher than the CFL. Does this make any sense to anyone?

 

[Damagoman]

Not sure how foot candles relates to lumens.

You tested both at the same distance?
I know higher lumens give you deeper depth/foliage penetration.

 

[cannalearna]

My meter actually reads in einstiens I think... I don't fully understand it, but anyway, yes at various distances and the readings are always higher for the CFL also does not degrade as much giving more intensity at a greater distance.

 

[Damagoman]

cool, that's one of the things I wondered about with cfls & floros

 

[Cherma]

My meter actually reads in einstiens I think

Thus measuring the N Photons

Light can be described as a wave of particles known as photons; these are units of energy, or light quanta. The quantity N photons is called an einstein. The energy of light varies inversely with the length of the photon waves; that is, the shorter the wavelength, the greater the energy content. The energy (e) of a photon is given by the equation e =...

Britannica encyclopedia