CFL vs 70w HPS vs 150w HPs vs 400w HPs

[FatSean]

Only 24" of height? Will the bulb and reflecter be within this space? If so, I'd go with two 150 watt lamps. Maybe one MH, one HPS and swap plants arround to get a fuller spectrum.


My 400 watt MH hood is easily 10" tall, and then the plants can't get closer than 12" to the bulb or they scorch.

[sobekobe]

My 400 watt MH hood is easily 10" tall, and then the plants can't get closer than 12" to the bulb or they scorch.

Is that with or without a cooltube?

[Dutch Pimp]

12-15 inches is about the minimun distance from the canopy; with a 400 watt light...IMO.

With a cool tube; you can get closer without heat damage, but you still have to watch for light bleaching, when real close. Closer; is not necessary, or better....IMO.

[headshake]

thanks dutch et al. i decided to use the box in the "tall" position. so i'll now be working with a height of 45.5". and with the other dimensions i should be working with 3.5 sq feet (if my math is right).

i just decided to add more CFLs for the time being. until i can build a proper box (or get a closet or something). i picked up two, 4 light vanity bars at home depot for $8.00/each. so i'll have 16 26W CFLs, pushing 1600 lumens apiece. that's using parts from the original frank. with the two new light bars i'll just be running one bulb in each spot for the time being. once money allows, i'll add Y splitters and more bulbs.

1600 * 16 = 25,600/3.5 = 7314.29 lumens per square foot.

once the Y splitters are installed i should be pushing just under 11,000 lumens per. i might get froggy and get some of those huge CFLs that plug into a normal socket. who knows.

thanks again everyone!


-shake

[BeFree]

Those huge ones that fit into a normal lampsocket aren't really worth it. I 'had' a 65watter. Only put out 3900 lumens, at 3100k, not the typical 2700k. Multiples of the 26 watters seem more efficient. I'd figure the more surface area and the more coils of bulb would help deal with heat.

Buy Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs: 1000Bulbs.com

Take it easy shakezoola.:hippy:

beSafe:jointsmile:


((edit)) Was Frank introduced from Donnie Darko? I'm curious to why the Mrs. chose 'frank'. =P

[headshake]

be, you are probably right. although, i did find some at home depot that were 2700K, that put out like 4000 something lumens for $15/each. something like that. they aren't listed on the website for some reason.

i'll just stick with these until i get my 600W HPS!


-shake

[frostedwonder]

Hey, I went with a switchable digital 400 galaxy lamp and sun system2 hood and am loving it so far but with my box I had to add some cfl to help with some corners of the box having a bit of darkness. I would switch to two lamps with low head space next time for myself. I dig the vanity bar thing your talking about. Seeing it used more and more on here and other places. Look forward to seeing frank..:thumbsup:

[headshake]

thanks frosted! i've been meaning to check out your log, i just caught it so late and it had so many responses already! i did glance at it a bit. and as soon as i get done i'm gonna read through it (because i want to!). the title sparked my interest (and i've also read some of your posts, and you seem knowledgable so that peaks my interest even more). and no this is not some kind of e-stroke job. lol.

-shake

[Balkey]

Honestly head, I wish you would have gone with any type of hps. With 16 27watters you using more than 400 watts of power and getting HALF the lumens of a 400 watt hps. That's a major difference.

The other aspect of an hps vs. cfl is light penetration. An hps will penetrate MUCH more than cfls thus giving you more bud on the lower and side branches. After about an inch from the cfls, the light intensity/lumens drops dramatically for cfls. The difference when switching from cfls to an hps, is very noticeable and VERY attractive.

BUT, cfls do work, I used them for over a year. 10 cfls to be exact 27 watters. Results were satisfactory but not even close to the plants potential. I tried those bigger cfls from home depot, 65 watter, 4000+ lumens last time and had 3 of them to replace 6 27watters and it worked out not too bad, but still not even close to what an hps would have accomplished.

My 2 cents. :stoned:

[headshake]

thanks for the info balkey! agree with everything that you said!

my problem is that i dove head first (halfway kidding/not knowing what to expect) head first into this little hobby of ours. so like many others (and against all logic and reason in the long run) i started with a few CFLs (actually a cheap walmart tube fluorescent) and continued to add more as opposed to intially investing in an HPS to begin with. and yes, i've probably spent more than a 400W HPS would have ran. ah, to be young and foolish....

actually in my defense, i didn't know better (aka didn't do my research before hand, cause how difficult or how much could be involved in growing a plant). also, my wife would have never went for that. she hated me doing this at first, although she has grown to accept and even support me. it just goes to show what passion can pull off, eh!?

so i have learned my lesson and do wish i had about a 600W HPS. but i don't and am working with what i have. it's amazing what can be done in a cardboard box with a little ingenuity.


-shake