Automan142
Member
Would i get the same benefits from 2x 60 watt as i would 4x 30 watt cfls?
Sorry for the simple question but i cnt find an answer anywer
Sorry for the simple question but i cnt find an answer anywer
Light swap
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Automan: That sounds like a reasonable question, given the fact that they're the same intensity; say all 5,000K. I would think that it would be the same. I had a similar problem today with a fixture four feet long, four tube T-5's wide I bought about a year ago for my 2' by 4' by 6 1/2' tall tent. It does a great job of lighting anything directly under the fixture but you get away from the long edges and it leaves a lot to be desired. I was going to replace it with an eight tube fixture 4' long and the guys at Discount Hydroponics at Riverside, California suggested that if I just got another four tube four footer and plugged it into my existing fixture I'd have the same thing on a single cord as the eight tube model. It's 400 watts anyway you look at it and it's burning eight tubes lighting up my tent. It makes sense that I'll get the same quality and quantity of light as the single eight tube fixture and at half the price I was going to pay for an eight tube fixture. The next time I go there I'll ask them, or you can, they have an 800 number. I hope that helps. HSA
Automan142
Member
Ano it mega cheeky but is ther anychance you could do it wen ur free fo us as im in UK an i dunno how to convert the phone numbers. Iv asked 1 place over here an they said it will b the same but then again they told me CFL will giv me the same results as HPS during flowering which i know is not true so im not too sure as to weather i should use ther info
Automan142
Member
Thanks bud, i was looking into it an it was a little cheaper to buy 2 x 60 watt than 4 x 30 watt but if its better for my babies then 4 x 30 it is 
. Thats just the side lighting, iv a dual spectrum 125 watt cfl in a reflector above and those smaller 30w on the sides
Thanks again
. Thats just the side lighting, iv a dual spectrum 125 watt cfl in a reflector above and those smaller 30w on the sidesThanks again
Automan: I don't know how you would make a call from your side of the pond so I'll try to remember to call them today and get back to you with their answer. But now, if you're talking about HPS that's a different story all together. The reason I've stayed with florescent lighting over the years is that I like to keep it simple. Let's look at your options.
HID is hands down the best you're likely to see most of the commercial growers using, but there's a lot of heat involved so you have to have sufficient ventilation or you'll cook your plants. HID is a pretty sophisticated set up with external ballasts and it's pretty expensive to get into and operate.
I have a friend who has a HPS set up and it's still not simple enough for me, but he claims it's better than florescent lighting, especially for flowering. You're still talking about a set up I would refer to as, 'having to have deep pockets,' to afford. And it's more complicated than I want to get into for a personal grow.
Next you have florescent lighting and the curly-cue compact lamps with the internal ballasts are very popular. I use one in an aluminum reflector to keep my mother plant and her babies happy in a little cloning tent. The only complaint I have with how some of my friends are using them is that in most cases their grow room looks like a snake pit and it has become a wire man's nightmare with cords running all over the place. But they're pretty inexpensive to set up and operate. And when the bulbs wear out and need to be changed you're not talking about $100 to $200 to replace them as you do with HID and HPS lighting.
You might want to read SeeMoreBud's book, "MARIJUANA BUDS FOR LESS GROW 8 OZ. OF BUD FOR LESS THAN $100." It's a great how to source and if you follow his instructions you'll have a neat clean operation without likely risking burning down your house.
My present fetish, and what I started using last year, is T-5 florescent lighting. It's simple, compact, inexpensive and on a little personal grow it works great. It will do all you want but only under the immediate area of the fixture, beyond it the light dissipates too fast without reflectors or some kind of side lighting. They operate very cool so you can keep them close to your plants without worrying about burning them. Fortunately my state is very reasonable and it allows me to veg twelve plants and flower six. I don't even notice the energy cost on my electric bill but my buds aren't as tight and pretty as my friend's buds that are grown under HID or HPS. But mine smoke just as well. And this is all at a fraction of their operating costs. You might want to look into it. I hope this helps. HSA
HID is hands down the best you're likely to see most of the commercial growers using, but there's a lot of heat involved so you have to have sufficient ventilation or you'll cook your plants. HID is a pretty sophisticated set up with external ballasts and it's pretty expensive to get into and operate.
I have a friend who has a HPS set up and it's still not simple enough for me, but he claims it's better than florescent lighting, especially for flowering. You're still talking about a set up I would refer to as, 'having to have deep pockets,' to afford. And it's more complicated than I want to get into for a personal grow.
Next you have florescent lighting and the curly-cue compact lamps with the internal ballasts are very popular. I use one in an aluminum reflector to keep my mother plant and her babies happy in a little cloning tent. The only complaint I have with how some of my friends are using them is that in most cases their grow room looks like a snake pit and it has become a wire man's nightmare with cords running all over the place. But they're pretty inexpensive to set up and operate. And when the bulbs wear out and need to be changed you're not talking about $100 to $200 to replace them as you do with HID and HPS lighting.
You might want to read SeeMoreBud's book, "MARIJUANA BUDS FOR LESS GROW 8 OZ. OF BUD FOR LESS THAN $100." It's a great how to source and if you follow his instructions you'll have a neat clean operation without likely risking burning down your house.
My present fetish, and what I started using last year, is T-5 florescent lighting. It's simple, compact, inexpensive and on a little personal grow it works great. It will do all you want but only under the immediate area of the fixture, beyond it the light dissipates too fast without reflectors or some kind of side lighting. They operate very cool so you can keep them close to your plants without worrying about burning them. Fortunately my state is very reasonable and it allows me to veg twelve plants and flower six. I don't even notice the energy cost on my electric bill but my buds aren't as tight and pretty as my friend's buds that are grown under HID or HPS. But mine smoke just as well. And this is all at a fraction of their operating costs. You might want to look into it. I hope this helps. HSA
i use a 400w hps, which couldn't burn down a house less said house was made of cardboard. you'd be blown away how much better it flowers a plant for you over the same or slightly more wattage of cfl. the bulb for it cost like $12, not 100-200
as for operational cost, 400w on 12/12 will run around $19 a month, well worth it for what it'll grow you in a month
as for operational cost, 400w on 12/12 will run around $19 a month, well worth it for what it'll grow you in a month
Automan: I talked to the lady at the hydro store yesterday afternoon and this is what she said, "Given they're both of the same intensity, the two sixties would put our the same benefit as the four thirties." It makes sense to me that the four thirties would be able to position better around your grow than two lamps. I hope that helps. HSA