100x 20W (1000Watt 4000k CFL x 2 grow?)

Hi guys, I'm not new to growing, but I am fairly new to CFL's...


Currently I've started a growlog, but I'venot finished setting up my grow area.

I've decided that 1 x 2700k and 1 x 6400k isnt enough I've added an additional 23W bayonett 4000K.

I've decided it makes sense to spend $500 or so on a bulk buy of 100 x 20W.

I'll then use half of that to create a 1000Watt fluoro grow, could this be taking things over the top? I'm sure it'll be tons easier to cool than even one 400W HID for a good reason...

I've noticed the higher surface area heat dissipation works to the advantage of an active cooling system. unlike the HPS low surface area.. thus with the same cooling it MUST run at a lower ambient. Someone, please correct me if thats wrong..

So, 1000W of 4000k from 50 x 20W, whatcha think guys?


Peace,
Denial

good idea, but the math doesn't work ... while ten 50-watt CFLs total 500 watts, and perhaps as many lumens, etc., as a high-pressure lamp, they don't 'penetrate' the canopy ... fluorescent lamps' lumens fall off very quickly, as distance grows ... you might have 25,000 lumens 'up close' to the canopy, but, it may be 1/2 of that, just inches away ... you would be MUCH better off to buy a 400w, or 600w HPS (high-pressure sodium) lamp, and fan-cooled hood ... HPS works just fine for vegetation phase, too, if you can't afford a switchable ballast ... IF I was to go back to fluorescents (I used them for many years), I would run the 40w tubes, not CFLs ... they run much cooler, allows even light distribution (line your plants up under it, shortest, to tallest) ... I was up to 16 40-watters :wtf:, when I got my first 400-watt HPS ... it blew the fluoros out of the water, no comparison ... hope that helps :jointsmile:

hey reaper, props to u for replying respect that man!

This is actually my first cfl grow, I've borrowed these 125 watters from a friend because my 400 watt grolux generated too much damn concentrated heat! I have discovered CFL's to be perfect because of the fact they can be spread over a large area and hung at different positions..

I'm actually already aware that HID lights generate greater lumens at a more efficient rate which is why they are recommended for flowering growth for canopy penetration. The way i see it though, given my disagreements with heat, and especially since im still in veg, CFL would make sense!

I'm happy to do that, when $500 comes along soon lets hope heheh:)))

I'm also confident that sensible positioning of the plants and the CFL's at different heights should reduce those problems. I'm actually thinking 50 x 20W here, to get 1000Watt, so thats enough for 20Watts to each bud site, so hmm 1300 lumens or so each? :) Still sound soppy?

Thanks for your feedback and thoughts man much appreciated

Peace,
Denial

I can understand that, yup :thumbsup: ... don't know where you're located, but this place, in Texas, has a hell of a selection, great prices, and their Customer Service is outstanding ... I had a couple bulbs arrive broken, she had their replacements to me in 2 days, very nice lady :thumbsup: Light bulbs, Rope Lights, Halogen and Fluorescent bulb - 1000-Bulbs - The Light Bulb Superstore

also, check out their 'air-purifying' CFLs, the damn things work !, of course, only when the light's on, :D

hey reaper, not in texas but I've seen somewhere I can grab 20w x 100 for ~$500 seems like a bargain to me!

Checking these guys out now looks promising :)

thanks again reaper... now i just got to work out a way to mount that many 20W CFL's safely and securely lol :)

Does anyone know if 4000K will be OK??? Thats a biggie for me i guess. need the write spectra, and yes I know 4000k is in the middle and the cannabis.com faq says should be perfect for both, but how perfect man ? cause i don't want it to cost me $500 to find out i'm both wrong and stupid...

Thanks guys.. and it is good to be back

Peace,
Denial

Will be an interesting grow, that's a ton of CFLs.

PLEASE if nothing else, post a pic of that thing.

i probably would have spent that 5 hundo on a HID with a switchable ballast tho.

that many cfls will be just as hot, it not hotter than a 400 watter.

hey guys! yeah, i'm thinking 1000Watt of anything is gonna get hot, but the co-efficient rate required to remove the wattage to maintain a given ambient is vastly different because of the distribution.

Think about it, the surface area of 1x400Watt or a 1x1000Watt, really if you work out the surface area of hmm 50 x 20's? bitching more.... as you may point out this doesnt meant i've got rid of the heat, it means that their is a lack of heat concentration and thus easier to deal with the air flow and keep a more constant temp... please someone correct me if i'm wrong about that, I don't thinkso though :) basic physics ! yay


Really looking forward to doing that/this when I can afford the $500..heh

Oh, by the way it's more like $1000 when you include light fixtures lol, anybody got a cheap way of me fashioning my own SAFE light fixtures, or a cheap source for 3 by 3's (so i can use y splitters)...

I've been looking at 1000bulbs they got lots of bulbs but i guess my next worry is fixtures... I suppose if I was organised, and I really did have 1 cfl per bud side, I really really really could get away with using bayonett sockets and plugs, but then i'd need 50 plugs, I've got my own fuseboard and shit but I think even that is gonna be screaming at the number of parallel devices, I think i need an electrician hehh....

Peace,
denial

Also have discovered I can source the right 2400k and 6700k, awesome!

I have everything prepared, apart from the cash :D
I'm also thinking to myself a mix of say 30x20wattsx2400K, 10x20wattsx4000k, 10x20wattsx7200k

heh.. dirty!

for flowering it'd be 10x20wattsx2400K, 10x20wattsx4000k, 30x20wattsx7200k

If i just got my daylight blue/light red mixed around the wrong way my apologies that one always gets me !

Am actually thinking to myself, hmm this could actually work say 100 lumens a sq ft. fairly long enclosed space say 1ft by 10ft, and we're in business there with effective cooling, at least I think - we'll see guys.

:rastasmoke:
Peace,
Denial

It is gonna be damn interesting going from this to 50 small CFL's, checkout the big daddy 125W's against the 23W baby awwwwww... :D

Here's some pictures if you'd like to share in the excitement..wooo


Peace,
Denial