2000w Custom CFL Flowering Light

[KingDankBerry]

As a point of reference, I have used HPS in my grow for years, and I am very pleased to make the switch. I now use CFL and HPS side by side, and my big CFL setup always produces fatter buds. The best part is that it only uses UNDER 500w of actual electricity when compared to it's rated 2000w equiv output. I have done much research on the actual output of CFL vs HPS vs MH etc, and what I consistently see is that the extra lumens that an HID lamp can put out are not usable light, but mostly WASTED heat energy. That means wasted electricity. The specific spectrum that the plant will use is within the frequency range of 400 to 700 nanometers. From what I have learned, Cannabis plants thrive during vegetative stage based on a high level of the low (cool) frequency or wavelength (400 nm) light; while flowering pot plants enjoy the higher (warm) wavelengths (700nm).

Assuming you have already done some homework and are familiar with calculation, let's get started!

Here are some specifications on the unit I built:

I designed my own Dual Spectrum CFL grow light; using 4 65w 'warm white,' 4 23w 'warm white,' and 4 23w 'cool white' bulbs. I also built a custom hood to accommodate for all of the wiring and to focus and contain all light energy. The interior of the reflector is painted with a thick coat of flat white primer. The unit measures roughly 32" x 28" and around 20" tall. I installed individual power switches to four sectors of the hood, so I can vary my output based on individual crops' growing needs. I would share pics right now, but I CANT FIGURE OUT HOW TO UPLOAD ONE... maybe I need a joint...

The point of this thread is for anyone who would like to know how to design and construct their own high powered multi-spectrum CFL grow lights. Additionally, anyone who has made their own CFL fixture is encouraged to show it off here!

If you don't know much about CFL and the differences in light output and usable Plant Growth Lumens (PGL) VS human-eye-lumens (as measured on all lighting, it refers to how well PEOPLE can SEE things, making the lumen an inaccurate unit of measurement for plant growth, as plants do not judge light based on how many 'lumens' it produces, rather they 'see' PGL. All plants will deflect light from the spectrums that they are not using (mostly green and yellow from the center of the spectrum, which also happen to be the most visible frequency to humans), and all that wasted energy will be converted into excess heat in the grow area. This is not favorable, especially in a flowering environment. Here is an attached page that will really help you start your calculations and find out what your current light puts out for true PGL. http://web.ncf.ca/bf250/plantlumen.html

It's already known to us that CFL uses about 70% of its energy toward straight up PGL production, with little wasted energy on the minute and 'unimportant-for-growth' spectrum. This makes calculating your build just a matter of a little time and a lot of patience. Hopefully this post can help some people who are also interested in alternative/conserving energy and those who just want to know what the best deal is period.

It should be noted that a grower will able to put even the STRONGEST CFL lights just a few inches from flowering plants. This further maximizes the light to leaf delivery rate for a quicker grow with a low heat CFL system. Just think about how far away from the tops of your plants a MH or HPS needs to be in order to prevent leaf and bud burns. In my opinion, moving HID lamps that far away from top of the canopy is like watching a brand new flat screen tv through a window from outside. You can still see it, but with the distance factored in, the original quality of the light produced is minimal, with the lingering high power bill. Don't just believe me, I encourage you to look up this info and more! Knowledge is power when it comes to indoor cultivation!

I'm excited to see where this goes... Please be considerate of others. This tread is made to progress our endeavors, not to 'troll' other users.
Thank you for taking the time to contribute! I know only a small amount and all input is welcome!

So, let's save money on electricity together, while also maximizing our yields of that dense tight sweet bud that CAN come CFL.

 

[moggggys]

see the box to post ? , see the symbol thats a square box third from the right at the top of this box , click this ,,,,,

a box opens , click if its not already done from computer , then click download file , hunt out in your hard drive the picture you want and click on this , then click upload , viola you now have pictures



if the pictures taking forever to download shrink them in paint first


as for the lighting , interesting , i cant see how you could possibly get fatter buds unless your hps was friggin miles from the plant but given your clearly not stupid i doubt this , so im all ears and lets see um


edit
also some of the info will be wrong , info isnt easy to find accurately and so much info is yrs out of date or now simply wrong , as an example a plant cant see green ........ and yet if you work in a professional horticultural set up you find that the plants do react to the green spectrum produced by the `safe` lights , there now listed to use only for 10 minute periods , so anyway dont take all info you find as gospel and do rely on what you see with your own eyes firstly

 

[moggggys]

pic 1 , my shed , i run vrs solar panels on it with a 250 cfl going to a 600w hps in there in a room , its grid tied so i make energy at times and loose at others

pic 2 , this is a ghetto set up when i was out of space and lights , 3x38w T8 , there not adjustable ( they are but its not easy to do so i dont ) and i use these in veg doing a great job

pic 3 , this is a T5 8 tueb lightwave also used for veg in this case , ive another and do flower autos under it from time to time

i can also show a set up if your interested , it was a box grow filled with soil and approx 80 autos dropped in , the lid had 7 x T8 in it , never did great but did a reasonable job

 

[trevronious]

Awesome stuff, glad to see an understanding on lumens also...
I can definitely believe cfls beating out an equal wattage HID bulb. More individual light sources vs one single point and being able to keep the bulbs so close will definitely produce.
What you've made is essentially what some DIY LED growers like myself make but on a larger scale. All of my flowering panels consist mostly of warm whites/reds and a small amount of cool white. Definitely interested in seeing some pictures of this beast.

 

[moggggys]

Awesome stuff, glad to see an understanding on lumens also...
I can definitely believe cfls beating out an equal wattage HID bulb. More individual light sources vs one single point and being able to keep the bulbs so close will definitely produce.
What you've made is essentially what some DIY LED growers like myself make but on a larger scale. All of my flowering panels consist mostly of warm whites/reds and a small amount of cool white. Definitely interested in seeing some pictures of this beast.

ive never been convinced by the idea closer is better with cfl , the reason being is if your really close to the point of touch then you smoother the light not allowing the plant further down to flourish , ive found that keeping a degree of distance doesnt seem to make alot of difference , of course were not talking hps distances but 6 inch is good to go , you tend not to get this effect with hps as the heats an issue so your never that close plus the power of hps cant be ignored for battering its way through a canopy

 

[KingDankBerry]

see the box to post ? , see the symbol thats a square box third from the right at the top of this box , click this ,,,,,

a box opens , click if its not already done from computer , then click download file , hunt out in your hard drive the picture you want and click on this , then click upload , viola you now have pictures

View attachment 2591966

if the pictures taking forever to download shrink them in paint first


as for the lighting , interesting , i cant see how you could possibly get fatter buds unless your hps was friggin miles from the plant but given your clearly not stupid i doubt this , so im all ears and lets see um


edit
also some of the info will be wrong , info isnt easy to find accurately and so much info is yrs out of date or now simply wrong , as an example a plant cant see green ........ and yet if you work in a professional horticultural set up you find that the plants do react to the green spectrum produced by the `safe` lights , there now listed to use only for 10 minute periods , so anyway dont take all info you find as gospel and do rely on what you see with your own eyes firstly

First off, thanks a lot to moggggys for the tip on uploading photos. I was having a little issue earlier or something. I have a few pics that I will be uploading, mostly of the unit and some flowers that I have growing scroggy under it. Interesting tidbit about plants being slightly affected by green light. I guess I was using too general of terms when I said that the yellow and green light played a minute part... Maybe that minute portion is really beneficial to the plant. Either way, I include, as do many growers, the multi spectrum or 'mixed' light which also includes those wavelengths, but to clarify, the light I am recommending and using MAINLY consists of the high and low frequencies that are the cornerstones of the photosynthetic process.

 

[KingDankBerry]

View attachment 2591988View attachment 2591990View attachment 2591991

pic 1 , my shed , i run vrs solar panels on it with a 250 cfl going to a 600w hps in there in a room , its grid tied so i make energy at times and loose at others

pic 2 , this is a ghetto set up when i was out of space and lights , 3x38w T8 , there not adjustable ( they are but its not easy to do so i dont ) and i use these in veg doing a great job

pic 3 , this is a T5 8 tueb lightwave also used for veg in this case , ive another and do flower autos under it from time to time

i can also show a set up if your interested , it was a box grow filled with soil and approx 80 autos dropped in , the lid had 7 x T8 in it , never did great but did a reasonable job

Your plants look nice and healthy. I am real interested in solar panels but I haven't purchased any yet. Maybe you have some suggestions on what brands you prefer? Also, sweet deal selling power back to the companies!

 

[KingDankBerry]

ive never been convinced by the idea closer is better with cfl , the reason being is if your really close to the point of touch then you smoother the light not allowing the plant further down to flourish , ive found that keeping a degree of distance doesnt seem to make alot of difference , of course were not talking hps distances but 6 inch is good to go , you tend not to get this effect with hps as the heats an issue so your never that close plus the power of hps cant be ignored for battering its way through a canopy

I have had great results from CFL about 3 inches from tips with a scrog / flat canopy. My 2000w unit never gets overheated and I use a fan anyway to stimulate the growth of strong stems, and keep bugs and dirt off of the bud and leaves. Also, it helps even veg to grow slightly faster than if in stagnant air, and it keeps humidity down. I love fans, anyway, moving on, Um, I use lollypopping to accommodate for any proposed light loss under the top 3/4 of the plant where the small buds usually grow. I don't see a reason that you would want to bring a CFL up half a foot from tops. But I am sure it still produces bud that way... But you were asking before how I could possibly get denser buds from CFL......... That's the secret. Try it and you will know bra. Close CFL but not too close scrog it up trim the bottom shyt and you get a big and sticky harvest. Well, if you use the right nutes and have good genetics, that is. Keep in mind this is what I get with under 500w of power consumption by the advantage of CFL's superior efficiency. I am not trying to say that HPS is not a good light for growing. HPS works well in some applications; but in my opinion, CFL outperforms others in the critical zones(energy consumption vs usable light output). Which would make it a superior investment from an unbiased perspective, would it not? Again, thanks for the replies and good conversation. Happy smoking.

 

[moggggys]

Your plants look nice and healthy. I am real interested in solar panels but I haven't purchased any yet. Maybe you have some suggestions on what brands you prefer? Also, sweet deal selling power back to the companies!

im running mainly BP panels but tend to grab the odd panel as and when i feel like it , its the investment thing of buying an inverter 1 month and a couple of panels the next
but anyway the tpye of panels dont really come into it being honest , some panels the construction is slightly better than others or you may have a plug ready for a cascade installation , the crystals themselves all come from just a couple of factorys and most come from germany or spain , BP being one of the most expensive around are the exact same crystals that come from spain and produce some of the cheapest !!!! , because of this its best to choose a panel based on its shape and size , there are a few different types but being frank they all produce elec and thats what really matters , i would recommend to find an inverter your happy with before buying panels as some panels create 17v where others 24 or more , you need to have the right inverter to be able to use these panels and if you choose badly when the sun drops the power gets shut off as it goes into emergency mode , like i say its a little home work and easily got round once you know , myself i stick with cheap inverters from china which are 12volt ( 17 in reality ) and around 300w


the reason i buy these are they are cheap enough not to worry if they die off , sunnyboy as an example will cost thousands and i dont like this risk , ive only had 1 go down on me ever and that was a simple diode which they come with a replacement anyway ( the postal service shakes them to an early grave )

but yeah cfl , im a bit of a fan , a T5 array is worth every penny imo and yeah with a bit of training theres crops to be had

 

[JSJ]

I just finished up with a 574W CFL hood. 10 light sockets with "y" splitters, running 14x23W 6500K and 6x42W 2700K bulbs. So I believe in equivilant watts that would be like 2300W!! Would love to post a pic, but my camera is f-ed up and taking pink blurry pix.

 

[KingDankBerry]

Sounds good about the inverter first. I am planning on moving into a self sufficient small cottage later this year! Trying to gather as much knowledge as possible first. I agree t5 is also very useful for growing but I was never a huge fan . If they were a good price I would still buy one though. That kind of thing. I am also excited to see further development in LED grows... Mainly when they don't cost an arm and a leg I would love to try a big one... oh well, soon enough people will all be robots and aliens. Then we can use our eyes as lasers to grow our pot.

 

[KingDankBerry]

JSJ, Sounds like a good design. I find it's good to keep it simple inside the hood for best light quality. What does the hood look like? (shape of reflector) When you get pics definitely show us!

 

[KingDankBerry]

I put up a few photos. The plants that I have under it are 3 weeks flowering or less in pics so buds are just starting to shape up. Very resinous already and long hairs though the plant is young. I will update weekly if anyone would like to see how they progress.

 

[~Dankster~420]

Sounds good about the inverter first. I am planning on moving into a self sufficient small cottage later this year! Trying to gather as much knowledge as possible first. I agree t5 is also very useful for growing but I was never a huge fan . If they were a good price I would still buy one though. That kind of thing. I am also excited to see further development in LED grows... Mainly when they don't cost an arm and a leg I would love to try a big one... oh well, soon enough people will all be robots and aliens. Then we can use our eyes as lasers to grow our pot.

Hey bro! I really like that CFL design you got going on there. Boy I bet that thing is heavey?.. If not it sure looks it. I am running 26 strains myself, I have going a 8oowatt LED system, also a 6oo watt HPS system, and also a few CFL'S. Your plants are looking good to bro. I like using the CFL'S myself. I really like what the LED system I have is doing for my girls I have that's flowering!! I wrote the LED company that this system came from, and the CS I spoke to agreed to send me this system FREE just to try out, keep but I have to write a grow report is all!! you could always do that bro..

 

[JSJ]

JSJ, Sounds like a good design. I find it's good to keep it simple inside the hood for best light quality. What does the hood look like? (shape of reflector) When you get pics definitely show us!

I started with a 30"x33" HVAC panel and trimmed it down to 30"x27.5". Then knocked my 10 holes down the centerline of the 27.5". Came off that same centerline 4" each way and put a bend on both sides. Didn't measure an angle, but I knew I wanted 15" across the bottom opening. So the shape looks like this /-\ some what. 8" across the top, 15" across the bottom, 30" long. I have 4x 2"x4" junction boxes on top that I wired everything out of. 2x of them just have covers on them, the other 2 have outlets in them. Then I knocked out 2 holes, 1 on one side near the top, in the middle of the left side of 5 sockets, and mounted a pc fan. Did the same thing on the opposite side. At the bottom I have 3x pieces of 1/4" all-thread to stiffen it up and keep my 15" bottom opening. Same as you the inside is painted with flat white paint. The pc fans plug into the outlets and it still leaves me 2 outlets to plug some T5s into if I want.

 

[Cronnoisseur]

Hmmm...you have some interesting points.

Heres my questions:

I like your rig but why didnt you set the CFL's to be horizontal? Especially the 4 big ones at the top, I feel like you are getting a very small fraction of usable light as opposed if you did them horizontal.

How big do your plants get? CFLs are pretty much useless after 6-8" from what I understand which means you would have to keep them super short or eventually supplement with additional lights and clamps, at which point your going to spend more than a good HPS system and will eventually be using more watts anyway.

I have a similar set up right now, 4 23w cfls per plant with 4 plants. I was planning on adding another 2-4 CFLs to get around my desired 10,000-12,000 lumens per plant. But then I got all my receipts together and realized I had spent the same amount as a decent 600w HPS complete kit, all before adding the additional lights I was planning on.

Needless to say I just bought a HPS setup and will be returning all my CFL gear once everything arrives. For me it was a no brainer.

600w HPS = 90,000 lumens. Cost for whole set up including top of the line air cooled hood = $287

32 23w CFLS = 736 watts and only 51,200 lumens. Total cost with clamps, extenders and y adapters = more than $300

Even if I am losing lets say 25% of my light from the HPS being farther away its still more than the CFLs, and theres no way your getting ALL the light from CFLs anyway.

I guess it all depends on how many plants your doing, I have 4 at the moment and will probably always have around 3 and even with that the HPS made more sense for me.

Plus dont you have to replace CFLs after each grow?

BTW im not ragging your set up by any means I think its awesome, just trying to get an idea of what you made you go with the CFLs. Do you notice a big heat difference going from a 600w HID to 500w CFLs? (I dont remember if you what wattage your HID was)

 

[~Dankster~420]

I've myself have seen "huge" plants grown with CFL'S!!
Hell just google it & you'll see just "how big" & the big buds/yeilds growers using the CFL'S just are getting/growing.. I was shocked, that's why I switched! Well, doing the test now, running a side by side. The HPS vs the CFL'S. I have seen better growth, and by far healthier looking plants that have been growing under CFL'S during vegging, and flowering to say the least. Now I can't say that vs the LED'S. They are just in another ball field of there own..

Hmmm...you have some interesting points.

Heres my questions:

I like your rig but why didnt you set the CFL's to be horizontal? Especially the 4 big ones at the top, I feel like you are getting a very small fraction of usable light as opposed if you did them horizontal.

How big do your plants get? CFLs are pretty much useless after 6-8" from what I understand which means you would have to keep them super short or eventually supplement with additional lights and clamps, at which point your going to spend more than a good HPS system and will eventually be using more watts anyway.

I have a similar set up right now, 4 23w cfls per plant with 4 plants. I was planning on adding another 2-4 CFLs to get around my desired 10,000-12,000 lumens per plant. But then I got all my receipts together and realized I had spent the same amount as a decent 600w HPS complete kit, all before adding the additional lights I was planning on.

Needless to say I just bought a HPS setup and will be returning all my CFL gear once everything arrives. For me it was a no brainer.

600w HPS = 90,000 lumens. Cost for whole set up including top of the line air cooled hood = $287

32 23w CFLS = 736 watts and only 51,200 lumens. Total cost with clamps, extenders and y adapters = more than $300

Even if I am losing lets say 25% of my light from the HPS being farther away its still more than the CFLs, and theres no way your getting ALL the light from CFLs anyway.

I guess it all depends on how many plants your doing, I have 4 at the moment and will probably always have around 3 and even with that the HPS made more sense for me.

Plus dont you have to replace CFLs after each grow?

BTW im not ragging your set up by any means I think its awesome, just trying to get an idea of what you made you go with the CFLs. Do you notice a big heat difference going from a 600w HID to 500w CFLs? (I dont remember if you what wattage your HID was)

 

[FilthyFletch]

Do you have any pics of the plants under the cfls just before take down by chance? just curious as I have seen hundreds of cfl grows but none have shown anything close to hps results as far as yeild resin and density so I'm just curious if your idea has broken that trend.

 

[KingDankBerry]

Hey bro! I really like that CFL design you got going on there. Boy I bet that thing is heavey?.. If not it sure looks it. I am running 26 strains myself, I have going a 8oowatt LED system, also a 6oo watt HPS system, and also a few CFL'S. Your plants are looking good to bro. I like using the CFL'S myself. I really like what the LED system I have is doing for my girls I have that's flowering!! I wrote the LED company that this system came from, and the CS I spoke to agreed to send me this system FREE just to try out, keep but I have to write a grow report is all!! you could always do that bro..

Thanks man. Yeah it is heavy for sure but not more so than a standard single pulley can hold lol.
I am so interested in LED but I can't imagine getting a system for a little while still. I would love to see your LED grow if you have pics. What company let you 'borrow' a light?

 

[KingDankBerry]

I started with a 30"x33" HVAC panel and trimmed it down to 30"x27.5". Then knocked my 10 holes down the centerline of the 27.5". Came off that same centerline 4" each way and put a bend on both sides. Didn't measure an angle, but I knew I wanted 15" across the bottom opening. So the shape looks like this /-\ some what. 8" across the top, 15" across the bottom, 30" long. I have 4x 2"x4" junction boxes on top that I wired everything out of. 2x of them just have covers on them, the other 2 have outlets in them. Then I knocked out 2 holes, 1 on one side near the top, in the middle of the left side of 5 sockets, and mounted a pc fan. Did the same thing on the opposite side. At the bottom I have 3x pieces of 1/4" all-thread to stiffen it up and keep my 15" bottom opening. Same as you the inside is painted with flat white paint. The pc fans plug into the outlets and it still leaves me 2 outlets to plug some T5s into if I want.

That sounds like a sweet rig. I was wondering if pc fans would be worth installing or if they would better be replaced with a larger fan? I don't know. I use a box fan on that light right now lol