I'm struggling deciding on lighting for my space. I have been using CFL's in a fixture that I assembled. After 3 successful grows I want to upgrade a bit in hopes of some better yields. In each of my grows under mixed 2700k and 6000k 23watters I've managed right at an ounce each grow. Only 1 flowering plant at a time. I was thinking of just going with one of those blurples but there seems to be a lot of hate towards those and I'm not certain as to why. I'd be ok with a COB kit but for my space I think it's overkill and it doesn't seem economical based on the pricing I've found. I don't care about my electric costs. BUT with a space this small I'd rather not deal with HPS and the heats they put out.
Lighting for a 32"x32"x48"
- Thread starter txponto
- Start date
chemphlegm
Well-Known Member
by the time I had enough cfl's to do the job I wasnt saving any money,
making more buds, or producing more heat compared to my first 400 watt hid.
I got a six, and some 1000's and never look back
making more buds, or producing more heat compared to my first 400 watt hid.
I got a six, and some 1000's and never look back
I totally understand that. I'm at 7 bulbs for my current grow and I want to move away from that...
giantsfan24
Well-Known Member
I started with a 250w HID in the same space you're in and produced 6oz... Next grow I upped that too 400w and got more then learned how to train and grew 12.5oz of flower. I'm backing off to 200w of cob's and hope to get back to 4 to 6oz.
Added a fan filter combo and that took care of the heat but I could only grow in the winter as my box was in the garage. Cob's will change that.
My strains were gdp and other Indica dominant strains. Good yielders but not crazy. You can do better!
Added a fan filter combo and that took care of the heat but I could only grow in the winter as my box was in the garage. Cob's will change that.
My strains were gdp and other Indica dominant strains. Good yielders but not crazy. You can do better!
Oh I know I can do better, but with just a handful of CFLs not really. Which was what I was trying to get some help with. With such a small space would a blurple be sufficient for both veg and flower or should I just ignore their existence. I only grow for personal so I don't really care for crazy yields or best looking buds but I would like 2 zips a harvest min.
giantsfan24
Well-Known Member
Cob setups are so cheap I'd go with that. Timber grow lights are really high quality and priced well. That's the route I'm taking. @Olive Drab Green is killing it with just 241w of cobs. I'm going 200w in a 2x2x4 scrog. Should easily pull 4 or so oz out of 2 plants.
I'm like you... Low needs personal grower. Nuttin fancy.
Olive Drab Green
Well-Known Member
Specifically, I use 3 T1 fixtures from TastyLED/@Rahz. I use 2 old T1-2100 fixtures (Cree CXB3590 3500k/80CRI, CD/Top Bin at 2150mA) and one T1-V196 (Seventh Generation Vero29C 3500k/90CRI @1670mA.) Timber and Northern are also good options.Cob setups are so cheap I'd go with that. Timber grow lights are really high quality and priced well. That's the route I'm taking. @Olive Drab Green is killing it with just 241w of cobs. I'm going 200w in a 2x2x4 scrog. Should easily pull 4 or so oz out of 2 plants.
I'm like you... Low needs personal grower. Nuttin fancy.
I'm sorry but I'm not seeing where cob is cheap. Just pulled up timber and for 200+ watts it's several hundred dollars.Cob setups are so cheap I'd go with that. Timber grow lights are really high quality and priced well. That's the route I'm taking. @Olive Drab Green is killing it with just 241w of cobs. I'm going 200w in a 2x2x4 scrog. Should easily pull 4 or so oz out of 2 plants.
I'm like you... Low needs personal grower. Nuttin fancy.
Olive Drab Green
Well-Known Member
They are expensive upfront-wise, but overall, you'll be paying $18-$20 a month in veg and around $8 a month in flower for the results of a 600w HPS using only 200-250w. Totally worth it and less expensive by comparison, considering electricity cost for light plus cooling.
giantsfan24
Well-Known Member
Comparatively speaking, it's much less than it used to be. Of course you can always spend less and upgrade later but why buy twice? Unless you have to of course.
When I started growing, lots of people told me to buy right the first time and I didn't listen. My box ended up costing twice what it should have after finding out most, not all, were right. My new box will be right the first time.
Olive Drab Green
Well-Known Member
DIY, you should be able to achieve that with maybe $200, potentially less, if you use current gen Vero29Cs.Comparatively speaking, it's much less than it used to be. Of course you can always spend less and upgrade later but why buy twice? Unless you have to of course.
When I started growing, lots of people told me to buy right the first time and I didn't listen. My box ended up costing twice what it should have after finding out most, not all, were right. My new box will be right the first time.
Olive Drab Green
Well-Known Member
For example, OP, this is what 241w of COB does. It easily compares with the product of a 600w HPS.
giantsfan24
Well-Known Member
Very easily compares. Astounding actually..
Olive Drab Green
Well-Known Member
Awesome results, what's your setup? And what space are you covering?
Im so eager to switch from HPS man! Nothing but heat issues.
MichiganMedGrower
Well-Known Member
I would consider an 8 bulb t-5 for that space. Maybe with an additional double for 250 watts approx. You could customize your bulb choice for veg or flower.
With the low ceiling you will need to train them low anyway so it could be real effective.
With the low ceiling you will need to train them low anyway so it could be real effective.
MichiganMedGrower
Well-Known Member
Hey ODG your plants are looking wonderful and I am not challenging anything about your grow but I am challenging your results with the cobs.
Here is the last plant I harvested. A pic with its leaves and one after we removed the fans. It is in a # 3 nursery pot and it was grown under a 600 Hortilux Super HPS. Well you know I use a pair of them so we will give the plant a slight advantage for overlap. But I rotate the plants regularly. And there are 4 under each lamp.
I am not saying anything about what spectrum can do either. I just added a 315 LEC and to my cheap light meter it is showing the same as the 600. But I bet it's intensity is around 450 to 500 watts of HPS.
200 watts of cobs? I bet you need twice that to get the above results.
I look foward to seeing your results regardless. I have watched from the get go.
The plant shown is a Blue Lemon Thai. The 4th one I have grown from seed. Heavy ECSD in this pheno. pretty much rotten fruit aroma in the drying closet.
Olive Drab Green
Well-Known Member
That is at the end of Flowering. I'm two weeks in and guarantee I can match it. Probably even outdo it. Your shit is also stretchier than mine. Mine is more compact, meaning my light is more effective, as my branches aren't reaching for adequate light.
Not even talking shit. I do think it's funny, though. "That's not comparative to 600w! More like 500w!" Like, not making fun of you, bro, but do you know how ridiculous that sounds? Even if it were true, I'm still only using 241w of light for that power. But for you to even think you can differentiate between 500w and 600w that easy and this early kind of shows you don't really know what this is going to do. It's ok, though. I'll demonstrate for you.
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MichiganMedGrower
Well-Known Member
Stretchy? That plant is 2' x 2' in a 10" tall pot.
And obviously you have a ways to go. They just started flowering. I just showed this weeks harvested plant as an example. I have one similarly grown from seed every week. You are also in twice the bucket size and have been vegging for months. I think this one reached maturity at about 6 weeks and went into flower.
You are being really specific to pick apart the watt comparison. It was not meant to be science. I don't know the exact measurements but I do know that I use one of the best reflectors I could afford and the best bulbs I have tried. And good ballasts.
I also have plenty of tools to keep my environment well. Which is more important than what kind of light. Way more gains to be had with improvements other than light. As long as it's adequate of course.
And I was talking about the 315 LEC. It seems as intense as about 450 or 500 watts I said. As a point about light spectrum having some bearing on all this. I think as long as I kept the footprint about 2.7' square the 315 might out do the 600. That is impressive. I understand the cobs are like that.
Don't forget the LEC has some uv and has tested with a 4% increase in thc over cobs and HPS in a commercial grow. But even they said the terpenes were higher with the LED. So every tool has benefits and drawbacks.
I have never used cobs. But I can read and I said you might need 400 watt equivalent to beat my 600. I don't know the exact usable plant light of yours. But I don't think it's 3x as much as a Hortilux super HPS.
Light is just one of the ingredients of the environment the plants need. And the skill and consistency of the grower and some luck and reaction time to problems all play in to this.
And the genetics are responsible for what you call stretch. Blue lemon Thai plants are really tall if grown unhindered. I only bend the plants. No branches or leaves have been cut. Some of the Thai phenos never stop growing just like land race Thai.
And I have buds from top to bottom consistently. here are the bottom branches during harvest. They are dense fully developed buds.
I actually tend to smoke them myself.
So we will see......
But I really am impressed with the results of your main lining and training. It came out awesome!
The continued health of the plants and their environment determines way more than a few umols difference.
IMO