What are good lights for growing?

[crystaliscious]

Thanks for the conversion Shovel- your plants show me you know what your talking about!

I still prefer the T5's - only because of energy pull and heat issues though- if those were out of the equation I may switch…..electric bills are a big way that people are busted here….

[OMB]

Thanks for the conversion Shovel- your plants show me you know what your talking about!

I still prefer the T5's - only because of energy pull and heat issues though- if those were out of the equation I may switch…..electric bills are a big way that people are busted here….

I completely agree crystal. You CAN pull some great bud's with T5's....and they do run cooler with more useful spectrum. Combined with sidelights and proper placement, they will do a fine job from start to finish. Having said that, HID's do have their place. Currently it's in a box to make room for another bank of T5's!
I just gotta be different....Lol

[tlranger]

I wonder sometimes, you guys flowering under t-5's, then you are adding side lighting, and on the floor lighting, and now another bank, but your worried about electricity and heat.

[crystaliscious]

I wonder sometimes, you guys flowering under t-5's, then you are adding side lighting, and on the floor lighting, and now another bank, but your worried about electricity and heat.

I have 2 banks of them- one on the wall and one above- running 14 tubes mixed colors and temps stay around 80 degrees- it adds up to a little over 65,000 lumens with no noticable change on the electric billâ?¦.

I like HID but the heat gets me and have used it before with a 300.00 increase ( increase) on the utility billâ?¦..that said that is why I stay away from them now. I do agree they have thier place and if I ever get to ( when I get to) be somewhere legal I will absolutely use them in conjunction with the tubes..

Now for LED'sâ?¦.that is my next stepâ?¦.hehehe

[tlranger]

have used it before with a 300.00 increase ( increase) on the utility bill…..

This actually comes from experience, 300 is more than my all electric home, plus headquarters and my grow tent(4000w), plus 2banks of 4x6 t-5's, plus fans and pumps, and shop. Last person to tell me a story like that, I told him better check his wiring, his house burned the next week.

[crystaliscious]

Really??? It is really what happened and everything else seems to work….maybe I will check that wiring…on the lamp or in the house?

[OMB]

I wonder sometimes, you guys flowering under t-5's, then you are adding side lighting, and on the floor lighting, and now another bank, but your worried about electricity and heat.

I only run a 6 bulb 4 foot in bloom. 324 Watts makes 1/2 the heat of that 150HPS light...and I really don't need the sidelight due to the way I open and prune my plants so there isn't a bunch of low growth. That way penetration is less of an issue. as well as the need for a sidelight. My sidelight is only a 2 foot 2 buld T5HO...you get more heat from a 26 watt CFL than that put's out.
For small cabinet/closet grows with heat issues I don't think there's a better option other than LED. I'm thinking about doing a straight watt for watt comparison with the T5's and an HPS....we will see.

[Weezard]

I only run a 6 bulb 4 foot in bloom. 324 Watts makes 1/2 the heat of that 150HPS light...and I really don't need the sidelight due to the way I open and prune my plants so there isn't a bunch of low growth. That way penetration is less of an issue. as well as the need for a sidelight. My sidelight is only a 2 foot 2 buld T5HO...you get more heat from a 26 watt CFL than that put's out.
For small cabinet/closet grows with heat issues I don't think there's a better option other than LED. I'm thinking about doing a straight watt for watt comparison with the T5's and an HPS....we will see.

Been here, done this.
Leds win, hands down!

(In most cases.
There are strains that don't do well under any artificial light.)

HPS vs LED, watt for watt?
Because LEDs can target the most efficacious wavelengths and waste no Watts on poorly used wavelengths, it is almost, but not quite, 2:1.

It's less dramatic with T5's but there they win with tighter buds and superior penetration.
Been usin' mine since 2006.
Very happy with them.

Aloha,
Weeze

[Shovelhandle]

up in the northern tier of the US the costs of heating in the winter can be staggering. It's often the best time for some northerners to grow indoors. two birds/one stone when your lighting is providing a useful by-product (heat). A ya

[Mrgreenthumb530]

well i was looking into 8 4ft high output T5s a total of 40,000 lumes think thats enough or would i need more? was going to go with a 400watt hps, with two high output T5s in the bottom corners for the growth on the bottom or two CFLs for the bottom. what do u think of that?

One Love....:rasta: