Who's working with T5s

[harris7]

true, i use a MH during Veg. But one can buy a conversion bulb and get blue spectrum out of their HPS ballast

[Shovelhandle]

Harris, I agree that HPS is more efficient than T5 for budding and produces better results, if the set ups are both right. But the degree of efficiency is more like 93 lumens per watt for 4' 54watt (the most efficient size, as far as I know). 400 watt HPS (the most efficient size AFAIK) will produce as much as 150 Lumens per watt. These two examples are very efficient for lighting and growing. Now, you really have to watch all types of lighting efficiency in regards to Lumens per wat ($$$= efficiency). Some sizes and specific lamp and ballast or transformer types will make big differences.

Ok, then we have the heat factor. Right now I've just begun to use a little HID lights during veg for the "benefit" of the heat. I think if I was commercial I would deffinetly try HPS for flour and flourescent for growing. As I'm just tryin to produce a little bit of weed for cheap, I'm using what's available mostly and getting some good advice on indoor growin here on this website, Thank you all!

Shovelhandle

[harris7]

i would suggest that anyone doing a SOG to get a nice big T5
they create really nice compact plants but only work well while plants are small. up to say 8 inch then the benifits start dropping.

its nice how you can mix the spectrum too by switching one bulb

[deftdrummer]

true, i use a MH during Veg. But one can buy a conversion bulb and get blue spectrum out of their HPS ballast

This is exactly what I do. I have HPS and a MH bulb that I just swap out. Additionally I also have a 4'x2' four bulb T5 lamp that is vegging just one mother. We have only had the T5 for about a month now and the mother plant just got rooted so we have yet to see the full potential of the T5. One thing I can tell you is that after running it 24 hours a day our electricity bill went up about $25 and thats WITH running the HPS 400W lamp on 12/12 as well. My point is that T5s are efficient and cheaper but also more expensive depending on how you look at it. In our case, a meager $25 a month is a small price to pay for having your own chronic.

Oh and by the way, whoever said that HPS lights are more expensive than T5 lights is wrong. I paid $160 for my 4 bulb T5 light and about $125 for our 400W HPS and this is just one example. You can get 600W HPS lights on ebay for $160 quite a bit of a difference between the T5 and HPS

[harris7]

T5's are a lot more the 400W t5 is like 300-400$

[deftdrummer]

uhh, or like $35 difference. Depending on the T5 fixture you get.