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I have searched everywhere and for the life of me I can't find any Y-socket adapters! I seriously just don't think they make them in Aus :( :(
Thanx for the info though roughrider and I'll look into getting the 10 1/2" clamp light with reflector! :jointsmile:
Those adaptors aren't available here, damn shame they'd make things easier for us electrically challenged.
Bunnings do have large desk lamps for about $20 that will take up to 100 W incandescent and is fluoro compatible. Also have a look for nelson superior bulbs, 48W in bunnings for $26. Runs great in the oversized desk lamp, perfect for getting growth happening with the current short day length.
If you can't find them online, just give me $5 for gas (13mpg) and money for supplies, and I'll send you some. I'm not sure though but I think you might need an adapter for the adapter. Aren't you guys a different socket?Quote:
Originally Posted by tomm01
Do you know how many lumens those put out? I've looked at them but couldn't find it anywhere on the box. Din't know whether it was worth it....Quote:
Originally Posted by sarah louise
Yeah we use BC (?) and I think Americans use ES. Although we do have ES here as well, most sockets are BC so I just bought the BC globes too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Opie Yutts
I was wondering also, how much lumens do those circular fluorescents give out? Coz they would be perfect for growing. Could get perfectly even light to the whole canopy with a few of em.
Yeah it's not on the box, I emailed the company and was quoted 69 Lm/W. They take a few hours to burn in, so if you do buy some, don't worry if they don't look that bright when you first turn them on. The brightness will improve in the first couple of days use.Quote:
Originally Posted by tomm01
no idea at all.Quote:
I was wondering also, how much lumens do those circular fluorescents give out? Coz they would be perfect for growing. Could get perfectly even light to the whole canopy with a few of em.
sara lou :hippy:
thanx sarah :jointsmile:
Oh and opie thanx for the offer but i'll pass, just found out i could use fan lights coz they have four in a circle type thing.:thumbsup:
as i have bagweed growing, but did it very sketch.
so i'm going to begin a new harvest i suppose.
i'm am going to use rubbermaids. i have been reading a grip of info
but still do not understand lighting.... when to use what colored CFLs and can you stick CFLs in regular house hold lamps? and wtf is a ballast... i'm guessing you need it for the CFLs, and if there are built in ballast already on the CFLs
I believe CFL's are self ballasted, anyhow they just plug straight into a regular socket, you don't need anything else. You need a ballast for a HID (both MH and HPS), ballasts are matched to the bulb that will be used with it, so you can't use a 400w bulb with a 250w ballast etc.
When looking for CFL's you can find them in 2 basic colours, white, spectrum around 6500k (normailly marked daylight on the box) which give out a bright white light, these are best for veg. The others are more yellow in colour, spectrum around 3000k and will be will be called something like warm white, this is similar to the evening sun and are more suited to flowering.
It seems that just about every store I checked carries GE CFL bulbs but most of their packaging does not list the color temperature. I thought this link to GE's site might help others. It helped me.
The only packages I found that showed the color temp. was the Daylight bulbs.
http://genet.gelighting.com/LightProducts/Dispatcher?REQUEST=RESULTPAGE&CHANNEL=Consumer&FIL TER=FT0001:Energy%20Smart%E2%84%A2^FT0025:General% 20Purpose&CATEGORY=Lamps
If i can spend 2 word on this things.
Lumens stats are inerently flawed.
For example, Deep Red Light has little to no lumens output (deep red lamp do no use lumens measurements, but watts, look on ledengin for example), however, plants use this light a lot. A better misurement of plants requirements for light should be LIGHT POWER, in W. On this site, you can see how lumens are not directly proportional to light power, and how they are inverselly proportionally to the distance to the peak wavelenght... (i know it's not this simple, i'm a physician, this will do).
What i'm trying to say is, measuring plants requirements in Lumens is pretty shitty, cause plants see light in a very differently way from us humans.
Lights Watts would be a much better approximation. This is the reason why LED, using light focused on certain wavelenght, can reproduce pretty well sunlight with a LOT less lumens output. I'm extimating a plant would need only one half or less of equivalent lumens in red and blue light.
I can do more exact calculation on the quantity of Watts given by a 50000 lumens per square foot using absorption graphics and the specter of the HPS lamps used. How i said, looking at the graphs, i suspect, using the right specter (Procyon 100W use a wrong specter on the red light, that has a very low absorption rate), that led Watts requirements are a lot lower, even if the initial $$$ investment are higher :D
like this:
I've already got that chart... solar light power conversion i pretty simple (almost linear), it is about 60000 lux ~ 100W/m^2 of light power (so 600 lux ~1 W/m^2 with this curve), HPS lamps have a pretty different light curve... using clorophyll absorption i'll do some brainstorming on the matter.
By the way, high efficiency led have a rate of 80% light conversion, some even striking the 93% rate, that means, to have a light equivalent to the sun, with a full red-to-blue spectra, will use 120-130 W of white LED. Equivalent to 60000 Lux (60000 Lumens /square metres, about 7000 lumens /sq foot). Too bad they are mostly super advanced leds, commercial ones will have much lower efficiency.
Please cancel my old post, it's full of error.
Stupid site that contradict one another ><, i'll search some affidable source.
Now i've read on wiki that 93 lumens of sunlight ~ 1 W, but that's shit, because
light irradiate 100W/m^2, and 100*93 = 9300 lumens /square meters (actual sunlight irradiance is between 40k and 100k lumens/square meters) ><
It's madness.
I'm sorry for flooding, but editing can be done only while 10 minutes... wtf?
Anyway, i wanted to say that the Cree XR-E lamp have an efficiency of light conversion from 25% to 40%... (400 W of lamps to obtain sunlight on a 1m^2, pretty shitty)
If i have one 26 wat CFL and the number is like 2700k or sumthin, that means its better for flowering right? because ive been noticing some slow growth in my seedling and was wondering if this was the problem.
where can i get hps lights? wal-mart?
to the aussies here im led to belive that cfl is the lights that everyone has to have now cause they are banning incandesant globes.
I may be wrong but its what i was told.
So let me get this straight - using CFLs only, while vegging with my CFLs I should use a 6500K spectrum? And for flowering, I should switch to 2700K CFLs?
How powerful can I get CFLs at these spectrums without breaking the bank?
Please excuse me for asking a question that might have been already asked and answered but how do the new CFL's that screw into a standard socket differ light spectrum-wise from the older FL's with the built in ballasts that we all came to cherish and love in cabinet operations in days gone by? We used to do amazing things with small grows in small spaces with the old FL's and I'm wondering if the new CFL's are an improvement.
That's a riot. I feel your pain. I think one time or another we've all been there. Just wait until you go to the hardware store to pick up gear to do root bark extractions!!! If you're not careful they'll start treating ya like a meth cook and call the cops!Quote:
Originally Posted by tomm01
Lead
Without going into gross detail, the primary wave spectrum for blue light growth is around 435 to 465 nm, and around 660-680 for red light growth. The luminous efficiency and lumen/watt conversion rates are similar for both. So lumens are NOT are perfect indicator of light efficiency overall. They are, however, pretty good for the wavelengths used in plant growth. All sorts of other formulas can be used to compute different sorts of things related to light. They're complicated formulas. They aren't necessarily better. For most people doing small to medium grows--and I am talking about people using 400W or lower HID lights and/or LCD lights--it can be a tremendous pain to work out information that may or may not be helpful.
I have great respect for people who can work out formulas for luminous flux and PAR watt variations and things like that. If the information is available on the box for normal growers and there's a simple formula to figure out the efficiency...hey, I'm all for it. But it's my experience that this sort of information is not readily available, is not necessarily provably (or measurably) better, and is often difficult to compute for grow areas. Lumens, although imperfect, have the following things going for them
1) Usually listed for bulbs
2) Proven effectiveness
3) Easy to use formula
On these boards, I think people look for those three factors.
From what I understand, that is correct. That is what I am using right now (6500K) for vegging. I just got my 2700K CFLs for the start of flowering. As for prices, I am from the US and I got 105W 6500K for $19.95 each. It claims they put out 6720 lumens each which is great for small grows (that puts my grow at about 4900 lumens/sqft). As for the 2700K CFLs, I couldn't find them in the same high wattage, so I got four (4) 55W 2700K and two splitters to give me a good amount of lumens and coverage. Those cost me $13.95 each.Quote:
Originally Posted by DasPachy
So look around and you might find them. I order all my shit online with my girlfriends card and send it to her place, so I don't worry about that. As for finding those wattages in stores for that price ... goodluck.
why are my cfls giving out so much heat? i thought flouresents were almost heatless like ive read on probally 40 different sights.
is it effcient for the plant to use a 600 watt hps light from start to finish for 4 plants in a pretty spacious area?
Unless you're planning on truly large plants, 600w isn't just enough...it's overkill. A small plant takes up 1 to 1.2 sq. ft. A medium plant takes up 1.2 to 1.4 sq. ft. In other words, 6 sq. ft.--an area of about 30" x 30"--will grow you four good sized plants. We're talking plants about 30-36" in height, the kind you get if you start flowering at around 12" to 15". A 250w will actually handle that pretty well, although most people go for a 400w.
If you flowered longer--say 6 or 7 weeks--you might get plants that are over 4" tall. Say you gave each plant almost two feet to grow in; 22"x22" for each plant. That's around 13 sq. ft. You'd definitely want a 400w for that. But here's the deal. At that height, you start to lose light penetration, even from an HPS...even from a 600w HPS. If you've got the overall space and the ventilation, a 600w will do a great job on four really big plants. But if there's any issues with size or heat or ventilation, you might want to scale back. Like I said, even a 250w will take care of four medium sized plants.
And that's for flower. Big lights are kind of a shock for small plants just starting out. You're better off starting under CFLs for a couple of weeks, then switching over to an HID light. I have one other thing that I consider important. When you switch to the HID light, keep the light a good 6-8 inches higher than you need to have it for the first day or two. Lower over the next couple of days after that so the plant gets used to the increased light.
OK THANX :thumbsup: i dont kno the exact measurements of the space, but am sure it will accomodate 4 big plants in height but width is pretty restricted but shud accomodate for a bushy plant, ventilation is amazing the room has got its own ventilation, thts why i choose the space! they seem to be doing fine just two plants are growin more rapid than the other two.
also when you are giving me measurements are u tlkin in inches or ft? jus a bit confused on tht part.
wb :smokin:
does anyone here know if a mercury vapor light/ballast will start a MH bulb?
Very good information brotha! I apperciate the effort and time you put into this. Its gonna change how I grow my plant. Thanks!:rastasmoke:
Can I do one 600 watt HPS for 1-2 plants? Is that enough? How fast do they burn out?
you should probably start your own thread to ask questions... but to answer your question, 600w HPS is far far far more than enough for 1 or 2 plants.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheGatorViking
It really depends on the sq. footage of the space your grow is occupying though - meaning if you keep the plants smaller, you can grow alot more than if you want to grow them to be 4' or more.
if you read the first post of this thread, then you should know that ideal is 5000+ lumens per sq. foot
a 150w HPS light puts out ~14000 lumens, which means a grow space of 3 sq. ft (say 1.75'x1.75') that would put you at just a tad under 5000 lumens per sq. foot. (like 4600ish).
a 250w HPS will kick out ~28000 lumens, which basically means you can double sq. footage compared to a 150w HPS
a 400w HPS kicks out ~50000 lumens which again means you can almost double your space compared to a 250w. with a 400w you could do about 3.33x3' space.
but going by the number of plants is just not good, as there are so many grow-style factors that will come into play with regards to how many plants you can fit into any given space.
Ok... Im looking into getting an HPS light, 150 watts possibly, but do I absolutely need a ballast... Ive been looking around to see if i can find out if i do or not and I cannot find a clear answer. Can I just plug it into a regular lighting fixture?
Negative ghost rider.......Quote:
Originally Posted by ultimatefreak48
Negative to being able to plug it into a regular socket or needing a ballast?
Yeah, you need a ballast. HID lights ("HID" stands for "High Intensity Discharge"...both MH and HPS are HID lights) have to have a very regular energy current flowing into them. The current that flows through a typical outlet fluctuates too much, and that fluctuation will cause the lights to fail.Quote:
Originally Posted by ultimatefreak48
I know people that really like to DIY everything built their own ballasts, but I think it's kind of kooky for 150w and 250w lights. You can get a full 150w light system with a bulb for about $80-90 shipped...that's not much more than cost of the parts and bulb. A 250w switchable ballast is $150.
If you're thinking of getting a 150w HPS, keep in mind that a dual clamp light CFL setup with 180-190w will set you back less money, is more flexible (you can get daylight CFLs for vegging), has less problems with heat and therefore ventilation, and will put out nearly the same amount of lumens.
Is a 400 watt HPS enough for a 2.5 ft x 4.5 ft room? Would I be better off with a 600 watt HPS instead? Thanks in advance for your reply
Short answer--yes. You've got a little over 11 square feet of space, and a 400w HPS puts out 50,000 or so lumens. So you're around 4500 lumens/sq. ft. that's enough.
You may have a problem with the shape of the room, though...if your reflector is getting light out evenly (in equidistant areas, like a circle), the outer parts of your grow area won't see as much light. You'll probably want to rotate your plants frequently, or invest in a light mover. Or, if you want, go for the 600w. More energy and more heat, of course...but more light too.
Great thread RR.
Ive been looking at lighting for my 1st grow and was going to go with a 250w cfl, thinking it would be cheaper to run. But after reading your 1st post it seems a 250w HPS would actually be cheaper to run plus the added benifit of more lumens. Only downside is the possible heat with the HPS
He definitely helped me more than bomb diggity.
roughrider, thank you.
I was given a bunch of track lighting that uses CMH (ceramic metal halide) bulbs. the casing for the fixture itself is a spotlight. right now I have a 2 foot x 2 foot area with 4 of these spotlights CMH bulbs on them and they're ready to go into flowering stage at 28" high. I was wondering if this is a decent setup and should I add more light? (I have probably 20 more fixtures and bulbs). Here is some info I found out about the bulb:
GE ConstantColor CMH
CMH20/TC/UVC/U/830/G8.5 (info from box)
3000 kelvin color temp
1650 lumens
LPW efficiency:80-105
color rendering:80-93
color temp:3000-4200
website with info regarding bulbs: http://www.gelightingsolutions.eu/do...H-Dimmable.pdf (go to page 28 for info regarding this bulb. first one in list)
Was also thinking of adding a light or 2 to the sides (these are spotlights after all) to get all-around light, but so far it seems to be going good with just the 4 lights on top. Am hoping to start flowering in a week or two, so my questions are:
1. is this a good bulb for growing? veg? flower?
2. how many lights per sq. ft? (in case grow area increases)
right now only using bagseed, but will have some cuttings soon, so I want my getup as good as can get for the cuttings. Thanks for your help in advance