Lighting advice from the pros...HELP ASAP!

[big twinn]

so i need help ASAP picking out the lighting to use for my cabinet.
the cabinet i will be using looks like this:

the dimensions are 32x20x33

for the timing being...i think i will be using CFLs as apposed to and HPS...for stealth reasons...CFLs are quiet and easier to vent.

so which bulbs should i order from here??? (ie: how many watts and how many bulbs to optimize my grow for the highest yield possible in my box)

i will be ordering the lighting from herehttps://www.1000bulbs.com/2-to-200-Watt-Compact-Fluorescent-Screw-In-Light-Bulbs/

so which should i choose?

 

[Screwnuts33]

Personally I would look into a couple of the 24" multi-bulb T5 lights. Far better coverage than CFL's, no heat issues, and silent.

 

[Roseman]

Light seen and perceived with the human eye is measured in Lumens. There is an ideal amount of lumens for growing and a minimum amount of required lumens. The very minimum amount of light required for smaller sized plants grown is around 3000 lumens per square foot. Let me put emphasis on "minimum amount" of light. However, that's not 100% exactly accurate, since although you may have a 10,000 lumen light, the amount of light that reaches the plant varies with the distance between the light and plants, and the reflectivity of the grow area. The ideal amount is somewhere around 7000-10,000 lumens per square foot for average sized plants. As long as the plants do not show burn, as much light can be used as you want to use. (Note, the sun produces about 10,000 lumens per square foot, on a sunny mid summer day). Contracy to "talk" you CAN have too much light.

Sounds like you have about 5 to 5 and half sq ft of grow space.

Determining lumens for your grow area:
First determine the square footage of your area (example in a 4 foot by 4 foot area, there is 16 square feet, 2 by 2 feet is 4 Sq ft. ) If you have a 1000 Watt High Pressure Sodium Light Bulb, that produces approximately 107,000 lumens. Divide this by 16 (your square footage) 107,000 divided by 16 = 6687 lumens per square foot. So just divide the total amount of Lumens, by the total amount of square feet, and that's your lumens per square foot.

You need a bare minimum of about 15000 lumens.

A Fluorescent, CFL or Tube Type gives about 60 to 70 lumens per watt. So divide 15000 by 60 to 70 to see how many watts you need. Also remember to seek both Spectrums, a mix of 2700K and 6500K will be your best bet.


I'd consider and suggest maybe two 65 watt CFLS 2700K and two 65 watt CFLs, 6500 k bulbs.

I have seen a grow doen with only one 42 watt 2700k bulbs, but it was not very efficient.

If you need more info, let me know.

 

[Roseman]

Let me share this from a magazine article:



From Ed Rosenthal:

There was a question in the "Ask Ed" section in a magazine that just made my night last night when reading it...



The question was:

I intend to grow a single cannabis plant in a space 1' x 2'. What light would you recommend? I was think of using four 30-watt compact fluorescent lamps. Will this be enough? Cost isn't an issue but I am deterred from getting a high pressure sodium [light] because of the amount of heat the bulb produces.

Answer:

As you mentioned, you have several lighting systems to choose from, including compact fluorescents and high pressure sodium (HPS) lamps. Among HPS lamps you have a choice between a single 100-watt lamp which uses a total of about 120-watts and emits about 8,800 lumens(73 lumens per watt) or a 150-watt lamp, which uses about 180 watts and emits almost double that-15,800 lumens (87 lumens per watt).

A 42-watt compact fluorescent (CFL) emits about 2700 lumens(64 lumens per watt). Four 42 watt CFLs use 168 watts and emit 10,800 lumens. Other size CFLs have a similar efficiency.

However, that is only part of the story. Plants use mostly red and blue light. Yellow and green light is of little use to them, so light that is emitted in these spectrums is wasted energy. Most of the light emitted by HPS lamps is in the yellow spectrum. Only a small amount of the emitted light is is in the orange or red spectrums, which plants use efficiently. Warm white fluorescents (2700 Kelvin) emit a greater portion in the red and orange sectors.
Although fluorescents produce only about 75% of the light per watt that the HPS does, the amount of light usable by the plant is equal or probably higher with the fluorescents. You may wish to experiment to see if adding a single cool white CFL to replace one warm white results in shorter, stouter stems and more vigorous growth. The reasoning is that warm whites don't emit much blue light, which the plants use for photosynthesis and to regulate their growth. The cool white bulb supplies the blue light.

My call for your unit would be to use several (three to five) CFLs with a total input of between 120-160 watts. Although the 150 watt HPS is a bit more efficient that the CFLs in total output, watt for watt the fluorescents provide as much useful light as the HPS lamp. Heat is another consideration. The HPS runs much hotter and emits more heat than the fluoescents.

Make sure to use reflective material around the garden so that any light escaping the garden is reflected back to the plants. Any light that doesn't get to the plant leaves is wasted.


Look at a lumen/watt ration of various CFL's. The higher the wattage of CFLs, the lower the lumen/watt ratio. This chart was submitted by Jerry Garcia, of RIU and edited for typos.

For example...

the 200w listed at 9250 lumens for a lumens/watt ratio of 9250/200=46.25

the 150w is listed at 7500 lumens for a l/w ratio of 7500/150=50

the 125w is listed at 6500 lumens for a l/w ratio of 6500/125=52

the 42w are listed for 2700 lumens, l/w ratio of 2700/42=64.28

I have some 26w that give off 1700 lumens for a l/w ratio of 1700/26=65.38

GE lists some 13w that give off 825 lumens for a l/w ratio of 825/13=63.46

So, according to these numbers the most efficient bulbs for growing are the 26w that emit 1700 lumens. If you used 8 26w bulbs (208 watts total) you'd be getting 13,600 lumens...4,350 more lumens than a single 200 watt cfl.

I suppose you need to purchase more sockets and cords and things to support 8 bulbs, but in the long run more lower watt CFLs seem like the way to go.

 

[ol hippy]

That should take care of that question !

 

[jollygreen]

I saw the title and was prepared to help, then noticed that Roseman had responded. Yes, there is your answer.

Personally, I would not shy away from using hps lighting. By the time you add the lumen equivalent (or even close) in cfl's you are dealing with heat, etc. anyway. HPS lighting is not "that" expensive to run. A 1000 watt system will run you "about" $20 a month. You can calculate the exact cost by multiplying (watts) x (electricity cost) x (hours used) x (days per month), and then divide by 1000 (kilowatt hours). For example:

1000 (watts) x .06 (elec. cost) = 60
60 x 12 (hrs./day) = 720
720 x 30.5 (days/month) = 21,960
21,960 / 1000 (kilowatt hrs.) = $21.96

Not a significant spike in electricity.

 

[Setting Sun]

Personally I would look into a couple of the 24" multi-bulb T5 lights. Far better coverage than CFL's, no heat issues, and silent.

I agree.

I think a 4 or 6 bulb 24" T5 light would work great in that cab. Or, for the DIY'er, build a light board with multiple sockets for flood and/or spiral CFL's.

 

[jollygreen]

agreed. if this is to complete the grow cycle, the DIY'er could also build a cool tube for less than $50, add a 150 or 250 hps and exhaust it with an inexpensive inline duct booster from the hardware store. this would allow you to do a sog and produce some huge buds. air circulation and exhaust would be key, but you could produce some weight in this little cabinet. best wishes.

 

[C5Rftw]

i would use a 250w hps in a cooltube or this Pioneer IV T5 High Output 4' x 4 Fluorescent Fixture Grow [4' - 4 Lamps - Grow] - $169.95 : neHydro.com, Hydroponics and Gardening Supplies

they have various sizes there

a 250w hps (25,000 lumens) would cost more and only put out 5,000 lumens more, but you would have to hook up a fan,ducting, and tape to the cooltube(~300$) you could run a 400 hps with a cooltube, but that would be unnecessary in such a small place... HPS runs a lot cooler than metal halide lights and puts out 30% more light per watt

 

[jollygreen]

good stuff, C5. one thing i have learned to do is cut costs. i'm a major DIY'er. but experience has shown me that to settle for a smaller crop to save on costs, comes up as a loss. coming from this perpsective and that i want all my crops to max out, i would use the 400 hps and cooltube, do a sog with little, if any, veg time.

 

[C5Rftw]

good stuff, C5. one thing i have learned to do is cut costs. i'm a major DIY'er. but experience has shown me that to settle for a smaller crop to save on costs, comes up as a loss. coming from this perpsective and that i want all my crops to max out, i would use the 400 hps and cooltube, do a sog with little, if any, veg time.

yah that would be a fantastic setup... with a mighty fan to keep that bulb cool