CFL Questions

experienced CFL growers please help.

ive used them for growing before. when i did bought pigtail sockets from ACE and that standard lamp wiring... a big peice of it.

the pigtail socket has the two screws on the back. you strip the wire... one side is grooved and one is smooth.. you strip the plastic and run the wire under the screws. and i hooked up 8 CFL's to one lampwire.. like christmas lights.

question is... is there a limit that you should stay under when doing this? how many cfls or watts from cfl's can you string on one lamp wire? if any one has experiece with this please help.

also i was looking at CFL's at home depot and i saw a 3500k and a 5500k. do they come in 6500k and 3000k or should i just use the 5500 and 3500?

what kelvin temps are available in CFL's what have u used? and what works best? thx in advance to the helping helpers.

any one who wants to tell me anything that theyve learned about growing with CFL's please do.

i know they dont give the penetration that hid's do but im on a budget.

peace:hippy:

http://boards.cannabis.com/indoor-li...ussion-17.html

well i have basicly the same set up as you i am using 6 cfl's that are all 150 watt replacements witch make them 42 watt lights basicly sence there soo low on amps all you have to do is add all the lights to gether and see how many amps your braker is most likely a 15 amp add all the amps together and three you go

personaly i think you could put atleast 20 lights on one circuit

wire size i would go with size 10/2 its thicker than 12 or even 14 your probley using 12 awg wire drop it down a size so your wire dosent over heat witch also i dont think but safe then sorry!!

i also use cfl's for flowering it works fine

goto home depot and they got the big cfl's 2600 lumens each thats really good light i tell you this everyday my plants grow atleast a half inch!!!

low on heat and low on power and very bright i have six and when i look in my grow box and then walk around the house im freakin blind for 5 min after walking outa there

how many lights do you wanna hook up how many plants are you growing?

take a picture of your grow room and put it on here. i kinda wanna do this but i dont exactly know how it'd look, but pictures would be nice.

my grow room isnt in my house its at a friends so its really are grow room its really not a room its a rummermais container in his closet 32 gallon to be exact we also try to start with 7 or 8 plants and hope for as many females as possoble!!!!

i will notify my friend to take pics might b a little while!!!!

Plants only use the high and low ends of the spectrum. What I would do if I was U is alternate the "daylight" (6500k) and the 3000/3500k and be sure to leave room for an extra couple bulbs when you move to flower.
Good Luck!:D

I would agree with the post above...

Your trying to mimic the plants natural enviroment. With lights your creating THE SUN. which is made up of all spectrums.

I use all CFls for all stages of the grow and I find the mix really works well. I just add a few more Lower kalvin (warm bulbs) in the flowering area.

kd

Quote:

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Originally Posted by smokinbuds21

well i have basicly the same set up as you i am using 6 cfl's that are all 150 watt replacements witch make them 42 watt lights basicly sence there soo low on amps all you have to do is add all the lights to gether and see how many amps your braker is most likely a 15 amp add all the amps together and three you go

personaly i think you could put atleast 20 lights on one circuit

wire size i would go with size 10/2 its thicker than 12 or even 14 your probley using 12 awg wire drop it down a size so your wire dosent over heat witch also i dont think but safe then sorry!!

i also use cfl's for flowering it works fine

goto home depot and they got the big cfl's 2600 lumens each thats really good light i tell you this everyday my plants grow atleast a half inch!!!

low on heat and low on power and very bright i have six and when i look in my grow box and then walk around the house im freakin blind for 5 min after walking outa there

how many lights do you wanna hook up how many plants are you growing?

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i dont have it set up yet im about to start a cabinet grow in a wardrobe. i figured three shelves, one for mums and clones, and two flowering chambers, mini mini SOG one plant every 4in sq to take the most advantage of the space of the wordrobe and light from cfl's.

i frequent visits to home depot and i saw they have a 8 dollar two pack of cfls they give off 1500 lumens each. ill probably string up about 16 of those, secure them in rows spaced evenly with the dimensions of the shelf, make one big reflector to go above them and cut a peice of acrylic or plexy glass or something to go on the bottom to creat one big CFL fixture with a heat shield so i can put em real real close :stoned:

is 12 the standard lamp wire that most small home appliances/accessories use? thats the one i used before and thats the one i planned on using but if 10/2 could be more safe then ill use that... what does that one look like?

thx for the help people i feel alot better about the setup ill be making.

much love

peace:pimp:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kdspecial

I would agree with the post above...

Your trying to mimic the plants natural enviroment. With lights your creating THE SUN. which is made up of all spectrums.

I use all CFls for all stages of the grow and I find the mix really works well. I just add a few more Lower kalvin (warm bulbs) in the flowering area.

kd

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where did you get those lower kalvin "warm bulbs"

did you just replace a couple bulbs or add a couple bulbs and these kalvins are they cfl's

thats all i use is cfl's not in to the heavy duty lights fluro's can produce chronic if everything goes right

im growing 8 plants 3 clones and 5 seedlings of various good mid's and one kind bud no name just was very good weed that came from dealer!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BigMackBuds

i dont have it set up yet im about to start a cabinet grow in a wardrobe. i figured three shelves, one for mums and clones, and two flowering chambers, mini mini SOG one plant every 4in sq to take the most advantage of the space of the wordrobe and light from cfl's.

i frequent visits to home depot and i saw they have a 8 dollar two pack of cfls they give off 1500 lumens each. ill probably string up about 16 of those, secure them in rows spaced evenly with the dimensions of the shelf, make one big reflector to go above them and cut a peice of acrylic or plexy glass or something to go on the bottom to creat one big CFL fixture with a heat shield so i can put em real real close :stoned:

is 12 the standard lamp wire that most small home appliances/accessories use? thats the one i used before and thats the one i planned on using but if 10/2 could be more safe then ill use that... what does that one look like?

thx for the help people i feel alot better about the setup ill be making.

much love

peace:pimp:

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you should go get 43 watt cfl's 2600 lumens each $10 each also there good if i were you for your cabinet grow i think thats what you said if you do go that way get 10 23 watt cfl's 1600 lumens each and get 6 43 watt cfl's 2600 lumens each that would be good!! if you was going with a big area id suggest the t5 tubes and hang the fixtures on jack chains but i perfere the cfl's for personal cabinet growing for flowering as well

i finally got pics of that growing setup and if anybody see's anything that should be corrected id take the advice!!

its not that good but it works im not worried about light leaks because theres no windows and the light is only on when me or my friend go's into that room!!! and i also am using a timer and have it on 18/6 for now!! and you should get something that tells acurate temps cause thats also a facter but not really with cfl's

and if you look behind the fan there is a filter to collect anything bad in the air and smoke just in case we blaze in there witch is sometimes

I use 8 cfl, Just added a 70w hps for shitz and giggles. but the were grown to this using only cfl. I use a mix of four 26w 6500k and four 26w 3500k bulbs. I was intending to add 4 more 3500k bulbs for flowering but then i got this hps security light. I personally love the cfl's. Not to bad on heat, and in a small area they seem to work great. Looking forward to a harvest. That is about 6 weeks away. btw you can pic up the warm(3500k) cfl's at lowes 26w 4 pack for like 12 bucks