Low Funds: Should I bother trying to grow with just Fluorescent? or steal a HPS...?

[Javahulk]

All I am able to buy with my limited funds is fluorescent lights, should I even bother trying to grow with these? I can get 2, maybe 4 if I wipe out my bank account. The best I can find around here is 7$ for a 4' each, and 15$ for the ballast with chains and the reflector.

K the space I'll be using is about 8long 4 wide and 7 feet tall.

I havent baught anything yet, but iv been reading everything I can find on growing, and iv come to 2 conclusions about fluorescent lights.

1. Theyr good for veg stage, every guide agree's they work fine here
2. Theyr crap for flowering, but its all they had back in the old days...

So the question is, can I grow anything worthwhile with 2 of these 40watt 4' bulbs? If not, would 4 work?

If not either of those, Iv one last option, well, 2. First one is grow for a while with these bulbs and then sell off to raise funds, Id hate to do that though, I want to grow just for myself and friends, and sell a bit if I wind up with lots of extra hehe.

Second is to steal one thats mounted outside someplace. Iv been scouting around latly and iv found a few spots that have them, every school iv found has them, usually up about 20' high, but just mounted with bolts. I dont mind this idea, except Im unsure about how to get up there, and how to cut the wire without killing myself while on a pole lol. I know a few places with zero cameras and I can easaly get there any time I wish, and with small luck vanish without the slightest trace.

If anyone knows what sort of lights I could expect from this sort of thing itd be appreciated. Iv even got access to a street lamp that is not used much and is very remote, but Id wager that would be near impossible to carry down the pole LOL.

I also dont know how I would re-wire the thing after clipping its powercord, not knowing what sort of setup these stadium type lights use to get power, but I wager I can figure that out fairly easaly.

Any input would be very appreciated. Iv read almost everything I can find on the net, going to finish that up later this week, I can only read so many hours a day =).

Also, what method of growing would you sudgest for a first timer? Im very dedicated to learning and perfecting this art, so my only problem is the lighting situation and experience. I considerd SOG first using the florescents, then found SCOG and thought that might work best with only fluorescent because they would be at max effeciancy that close to the plant, and they could stay almost at the same height all the time once they hit the screen and I started to train them.

Also, Im not sure if anyone has had this idea but here goes. I play lots of paintball, and have a 10lbs tank of CO2. Anyone ever used a paintball regulator to slowly spew CO2 into their grow room? I know I can get it to trickle out at an extreamly slow rate, I was just wondering if this would be worth the trouble to perfect getting it to 1800PPM with a 20oz tank in the flowering stage atleast.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and a huge thank you if you post =).

Javahulk Reviewed by Javahulk on 11-17-2004. Low Funds: Should I bother trying to grow with just Fluorescent? or steal a HPS...? All I am able to buy with my limited funds is fluorescent lights, should I even bother trying to grow with these? I can get 2, maybe 4 if I wipe out my bank account. The best I can find around here is 7$ for a 4' each, and 15$ for the ballast with chains and the reflector. K the space I'll be using is about 8long 4 wide and 7 feet tall. I havent baught anything yet, but iv been reading everything I can find on growing, and iv come to 2 conclusions about fluorescent lights. 1. Theyr Rating: 5

[llamaman666]

I wouldn't recomend stealing a light, floros can be used all the way through the grow and you dont need a ballast, just a regular socket.

[Javahulk]

How do I raise a regular socket one though? and wouldent it be far less effective without the reflector? I could make one of those I guess though

[Javahulk]

also, are all 400 wat HPS systems created about equal? On the same site I see a huge price range and I cant figure out the difference between them for growing.

[Crowman]

first off dont go stealing lights.Not worth the trouble and you arent going to get them working without a ballast.Even then your asking for trouble and possibly a fire risk.
You can use floros all the way through.Im thinking about it myself (125W envirolites) and money is no object but space is. I want to try with floros so I dont have to worry about all that heat from a HPS lamp and dont have to worry about a huge ballast either.

As for raising the lamps why not mount the lamp fittings on a piece of wood then fit whatever other mountings on the reverse side (hooks or drill 4 holes 2 either side and run some sturdy string through them) then just tie up or chain to the top of your growroom. The other advantage of floros is the weight.You dont have to worry about a heavy HPS or a heavy ballast

[Javahulk]

good idea to raise those, I guess I was thinking inside the box on that one LOL

the prob is the 125W envirolites are tons better for growing, all I can get access too cash wise is the 40watt ones, and even 6 of those is going to run me 90$ around here, Iv yet to see any store charging less than 15 for a ballast and 7 for each bulb =( highway robbery, if I could get those cheaper I wouldent think twice and just save for a better one later


QUESTION: I need to know about the smell. I read that the smell isent much of a problem untill flowering, but the people I live with are all against it because they claim it will reak to high heaven and get us evicted. Any tips on totaly distroying the smell? as much as I hate to, Id love to have it reak in there because I love that smell, but I can sacrafice it lol. Think one of those carbon filter systems would work? They arent to costly these days...

[Yumans]

Yo, i've seen VERY nice plants grown with floros, if done correctly. The plant MUST receive light from different angles, or else itll grow straight up, tall, and thin. Check this out:
http://www.overgrow.com/edge/showthread.php?t=21575

[llamaman666]

go to freds and pci up a pack of 10 cfl, 45 watt, its 15 bucks. then purchase cheap desk lamps and screw them in.