144 Watt CFL Grow
- Thread starter HazednConfused
- Start date
HazednConfused
Well-Known Member
Agreed, for a new grower, cfls are an awesome way to start. They are really cost effective if you're just trying to give growing a shot with not much investment. Then you find yourself loving the craft and end up upgrading your situation! Thanks friendso I bought 24 CFLs... at um 6 bucks a pack of six? 4x$6=$24... clamps lamps: $4x12, $48... splitters (so I could put two bulbs in one lamp: I forget, less than $10 for 12.. total cost ~$82 for ~480 Watts. I haven't seen much in HPS 400w for under $150... (maybe $130 at the lowest?).
Of course there's the quality of light situation... but for the cost CFLs have done great for me... Vegged 12 plants under that 480 (actually I sprouted them under 2x24w CFLs and slowly grew to the 24 for the 480 by the end of veg) and they're pretty nice looking (all other factors considered). But I also have a small cab 3x4x4, any HID would be too hot and intense for those conditions, I think... I got down to 8 plants by flower and switched to LED, with a couple of CFLs for additional... the temp is just right like that. Again, doing great.
Being able to stretch the cost over time was helpful. The fact tat all I bought is reusable and will in fact see a lot of use from me for other thins is also a big bonus.
I've consistently had CFLs outlive HID bulbs and ballasts (due to their higher intensity)... and then you have the actual added running cost (since you need to cool... it's bulb wattage plus watts for the vent fan to cool the bulb...
CFL are definitely , at the very least, a good way to get into growing.and as you said, the saving they provide can help someone save for their next step.
thewanderingjack
Well-Known Member
You know what I haven't seen much? High watt CFL grows... it's (almost) always the small ones.
HazednConfused
Well-Known Member
Yeah, my first setup was a nightmare with the way I had my cfls situated, that's why I complain of this hassle. That's why I have simplified my setup with the y splitters and makeshift hood this time. And I added two leds and 3 more cfls for side lighting. But, they are great for the pin pointing of light, as you said. I'm sure someone who has experimented with cfls long enough would be able to pull about the same weight as someone using the equivalent wattage of hps. When someone tells me I need more lighting I'm just like yeah, that's a great suggestion, but right now I'm cool!
Thanks bro
HazednConfused
Well-Known Member
Yeah, me too. I think it's because once you start getting up there in the cfl watts, it starts to no longer be cost effective once you factor in all the heat they make as a collective, and the means you need to cool down your grow area. That's why most keep it small, I'm guessing. That's why I'm forcing myself to stay in a 2'x2' closet, so I know I won't go wild with the cfls.
thewanderingjack
Well-Known Member
For sure... I had a little foresight in that department... I planned on the y splitters and got some right off the bat. I also made some simple (flat) DIY cardboard reflectors to use when the Dome hoods the clamp lamps came with were too... narrow focus? Using a few binder clips I could make different configurations... like one big flat ceiling... or split level one (when a couple plants were bigger than the others... or others... I also hooked then in groups of a few (like 6) together on a cross bar... so i could raise or lower them all at once... was more work... but not a lot, and made the moving thing easier. Anyway, time and work is less cost to me than cash... even counting it as job like... I mean, it probably took less than an hour of actual work (plus some wait time) which I wouldn't have charged anyone else more than $15 to do... it was just so easy.
thewanderingjack
Well-Known Member
I'm lucky in that sense that I am in a cool environment... the bit of heat my current set up is putting out (after that whole CFL veg I went to a smaller cab, so I got an LED for the space/watt ratio it provided, still using 3 of the lamps, with splitters for 6 CFL additional lighting) is also just what it needs to keep my air temp at the right levels
Tim Fox
Well-Known Member
i have a buddy who grew his first crop under cfls,, simular wattage to yours, and he harvested over 5 ounces,, and it was very good bud, they do work,
thewanderingjack
Well-Known Member
Even under less than ideal conditions in every other way this run... I expect to get around 3 oz from my six plants... for the win! That was my goal for this one anyway (enough to make it to the next and providing me at least 50% savings over buying) so perfect... We'll see though... maybe a little more (I think so) but maybe a little less...
Tim Fox
Well-Known Member
agree,, since I started growing, i have stopped buying weed altogether, its been over a year since I purchased any,, and I live in a legal state, ,, its very gratifying to have your own stash, and to not have to arrange a purchase, ,, for me I am happy I dont have to show my id at a legal store for now,, while people are still figuring it out here in OregonEven under less than ideal conditions in every other way this run... I expect to get around 3 oz from my six plants... for the win! That was my goal for this one anyway (enough to make it to the next and providing me at least 50% savings over buying) so perfect... We'll see though... maybe a little more (I think so) but maybe a little less...
I believe my buddy was running close to 400 watts of cfl as well
thewanderingjack
Well-Known Member
I believe my plants stunted/slowed due to cold temps in veg (50's-60's) but I also only vegged for 6 weeks...
I love growing... I like to garden, even if in my own laid back lazy way... it is way cheaper and less hassle than trying to buy it... and then yes, there's all the little things about the legal bits... I rather not have to deal with any of that... unfortunately around here the "commercial growers" (mainly black market) are the bigger group/more organized about their rights etc... and push for whatever keeps them making more money... I feel like personal grow rights will suffer over time...
As it is we can only grow indoors and it has to be "unperceivable by normal senses" or if neighbors complain gets shut down... we have no qty limit, only area (50sqft), but a 12000 watt for lights TOTAL... regardless if your 50 sq ft is actually 2 x 25 sq ft ones in two separate areas of the house (then each would be allowed max 600 watts, or whichever way you wanted to split the 12000), and all equipment needs to go directly to outlet (no extension cords. Probably no devices like timers or temp controllers... not sure about that though)... I don't have that many outlets close to each other... and I kinda need the devices (my cool environment means I need to warm my soil.... which I do with a heat cable under the pots and keep around 70, and of course the light timer)... I get the building code and fair use stuff, but yeah... it's not exactly the best situation.
HazednConfused
Well-Known Member
That's what I like to hear(read
) man! I was only looking to harvest 1 to 2 ounces off this plant, and if I do that's great, but I would love to hit something close to that 5 with my current setup! Currently I have (
23w cfls, (2) 26w cfls, (1) 20w cfl, and (2) 10w leds, for a total of 276 watts. I'm just wanting these colas to fill out already!
HazednConfused
Well-Known Member
That's the feeling I want. the feeling of security that I know I'll have a steady flow of quality bud that I don't have to go out and buy every two weeks and I'll know that it's clean and not full of a bunch of bullshit people spray on or feed their plants.
HazednConfused
Well-Known Member
Progress
Day 29 of flowering (since preflowers showed)
Day 65 overall
Day 29 of flowering (since preflowers showed)
Day 65 overall
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SPLFreak808
Well-Known Member
Lol that would be expensive as hell. The heat, price of bulbs and electric vs return would kill you
thewanderingjack
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure about that... I am sure there is a graph we could ind somewhere to show us at what point that's true... I have seen you know, bigger (than standard household ~20something) CFL bulb grows... obviously not actual 1000watt cfls
But like this
https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/1573/FC200-FEIIB200W.html?utm_source=SmartFeedGoogleBase&utm_medium=Shopping&utm_term=FC200-FEIIB200W&utm_content=5000K+CFL+Grow+Lights&utm_campaign=SmartFeedGoogleBaseShopping&gclid=CjwKEAjwrIa9BRD5_dvqqazMrFESJACdv27GToZ5XXV5rtwU1aPvUpg-oo26ASDv2F35d7HjwicebhoCsTTw_wcB
Maybe I made it sound like I was thinking bigger... still, don't know how even those 200 w ("600w equivalent") run in terms of heat and what can be produced under them...
Lucky Luke
Well-Known Member
I havent done the maths..but u can buy new CFLs at 250w for well under $100.
Im running a single 130w and having no heat issues in a very small space (a fridge). Globe cost me $50.
HazednConfused
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I wouldn't use those high wattage cfls. They're pointless to me; they have 200 watts focused 360°, in one spot. I guess they might be decent in one of those gull wing reflectors, but that would just be for the canopy. You would still need more cfls to hit all the spots that the big, hot cfls don't hit, which would be a lot. I've come to learn that a 250w actual draw cfl is not as good as a 250w hps.
thewanderingjack
Well-Known Member
OR some type of vert grow ? ah... ah maybe ah
HazednConfused
Well-Known Member
Lol yea but even with that you'll need a lot of cfls not just 1 in the middle because the light intensity sucks after about 5 inches from the plant!OR some type of vert grow ? ah... ah maybe ah