Whys is everyone using CFL's?

[Sunbiz1]

were did you get your shaker screen??

You mean bubble bags?. I recommend the 1 gallon size, they are easier to work with as opposed to a 5 gal bucket. It also allows you to work with smaller quantities, which is a plus when trying this out the first few times. The biggest mistake I made on the first try was overshaking. The dry ice turns even good quality bud to powder in a hurry, so go easy or you'll wind up with green kief. Then I simply do a quick heat press and viola...blonde hash.
http://www.wackywillysweb.com/products.php?cat=57

 

[dirtsurfr]

yea the bubble bags what micro screen size??

 

[UncleBuck]

My MH runs hotter than my HPS too...

When I was first learning and on a low budget I started with cfls too.
Made this fixture for my first plant I ever grew. (6) 23w CFLS for a total of 138w=1 plant.

View attachment 1937194

I now run two HPS though, much better results hands down!

View attachment 1937192

i love that CFL lamp!

and just wanted to give you a nudge in the direction of getting a hood or reflector of some sort for those HPS lights. just think of all the light you're wasting! you can make a simple batwing reflector out of a piece of sheet metal for $9 and a trip to home depot.

those beautiful plants can be even more beautiful.

 

[purklize]

CFL also is a much cheaper equivalent to T5s for veg - equal in most every way but 1/10-1/4 the price.

Not quite. CFLs average around 60 lumens per watt, T5s more like 100.

 

[Matt Rize]

I was away from RIU for a while and now it seems as though most people on here are using cfls to grow. What ever happend to the good ole HPS? Can you cfl growers tell me why the attraction to cfl's? I dont get it. They are less efficient than the hps. They just dont make sense to me so please help make sense of it all.

i dont know anyone in cali using CFL.

I run multiple digital 600s and T5s in the veg room.

 

[dirtsurfr]

Extracts and Concentrates ... come to the Dank Side, Luke ... it is your dessssssstinyyyyy ... cn

I'm going! danm thats funny!!!!!!

 

[aftershock]

I grow with cfls...heres why....cheaper up front cost. 4 bulbs, 3 spliters, light socket....$25. tis works for your first few plants, but as your grow grows you need more lights. Im now 125 dollars into cfls. For 80 bucks you can get 150 watt hps, but still need a light for vegging. also I can hang lights at different levels, getting light to lower branches.New growers like me have limited money to start with. After all, we're trying to save money by growing our own. starting a grow takes alot of money just to start....seeds or clones, fans,soil,nutrients, lights, pots, cloning supplys.......etc. If you can save a buck here or there, you gotta go for it

 

[purklize]

You'll spend a lot more in the long run with it. HPS bulbs put out twice as many lumens per watt as CFLs, meaning your power bill doubles switching to CFLs.

 

[Finshaggy]

I was away from RIU for a while and now it seems as though most people on here are using cfls to grow. What ever happend to the good ole HPS? Can you cfl growers tell me why the attraction to cfl's? I dont get it. They are less efficient than the hps. They just dont make sense to me so please help make sense of it all.

There are more HPS's

CFL is just cheaper, so you are probably just noticing a lot of people asking about them.

People with HPS don't need to ask as many questions, they know what they are doing...

 

[cannabineer]

You'll spend a lot more in the long run with it. HPS bulbs put out twice as many lumens per watt as CFLs, meaning your power bill doubles switching to CFLs.

Lumens are indexed to the eye's sensitivity. Because HPSs put out much light in the yellow and green, their lumen count is high. However plants respond to a different spectrum than eyes. The ideal plant light would have humps in the red and blue ... outstanding PUR but low lumens. PUR id "photosynthetically used radiation".
So far imo the most efficient lights on a watts-used-per-einstein-of-PUR are T5s ... but not the white ones ... blends of aquarists' bulbs chosen to match the plant's demand spectrum. HPSs are close behind, and they have advantages in initial outlay and light density. But T5s are a serious contender. LEDs will show real promise once they find a way to put orange ones into the mix and bring the initial price to heel. cn

 

[purklize]

If my memory serves me well CFLs don't have quite the right spectrum either. I haven't heard of anyone getting anywhere near as much or similar quality to using a HPS lamp, though I admit I haven't looked into it in a long time.

 

[UncleBuck]

Lumens are indexed to the eye's sensitivity. Because HPSs put out much light in the yellow and green, their lumen count is high. However plants respond to a different spectrum than eyes. The ideal plant light would have humps in the red and blue ... outstanding PUR but low lumens. PUR id "photosynthetically used radiation".
So far imo the most efficient lights on a watts-used-per-einstein-of-PUR are T5s ... but not the white ones ... blends of aquarists' bulbs chosen to match the plant's demand spectrum. HPSs are close behind, and they have advantages in initial outlay and light density. But T5s are a serious contender. LEDs will show real promise once they find a way to put orange ones into the mix and bring the initial price to heel. cn

dead on. more people need to understand the difference between what we see and what plants see.

LED will eventually be the light of choice, but prices are not there yet. and to be honest, i do not like that they stay so cool (except during the summer, when i am outside anyway). the heat thrown off by HPS lamps is the only thing that allows me to grow successfully in my garage right now.