Should I be patient?
- Thread starter empscape
- Start date
rollinbud
Active Member
" Heat issues aside, those who bloom out their plants with enough CFLs wind up using as much or more power consumption/costs over a single higher lumen output HID light that would deliver superior yield, taste and potency results anyway. And it's not just a Kelvin (light spectrum color) issue."
You're assuming that people using CFL's are trying to match the lumen output of a HID which most are not and of course you have to factor the costs for added cooling required for the HID lighting. There is much more that goes into the cost of the grow than just the lighting type.
You're assuming that people using CFL's are trying to match the lumen output of a HID which most are not and of course you have to factor the costs for added cooling required for the HID lighting. There is much more that goes into the cost of the grow than just the lighting type.
No such assumption was made. My point was that is to get the very best results per dollars spent, including cooling reqd., the HID lights win out hands down in the long run. And I have no idea why anyone would want to go far enough into the effort to grow only to cut short in the most important production dept.: Intense full spectrum light that replicates the sun as closely as possible. If a veg or bloom chamber is ventilated decently enough, without the need for much more than a 12v PC fan out the top of say, a 3ft sq. X 4ft tall box with (2) 150w HPS is enough to keep things cool enough. And in the summer months one would have to employ a small 5000 btu air cond, even with the CFLs anyway. So no considerable extra costs including power consumption are involved at all. And when you lay out the price for a cluster of CFLs you're paying a considerable percentage of what a 150w HPS security style light costs ($80-100) at a builders supply anyway.
cary schellie
Active Member
1. chop it down
2. throw in dumpster
3. get some lights
if ur too cheap for real lights there are plenty of options on a tight budget. try four 2 foot t5's. they are super bright, u can get a fixture with bulbs included for well under 100 bucks
2. throw in dumpster
3. get some lights
if ur too cheap for real lights there are plenty of options on a tight budget. try four 2 foot t5's. they are super bright, u can get a fixture with bulbs included for well under 100 bucks
Don't get me wrong. The CFLs work excellent in my clone station and for early vegging stages. Far superior and better focused where needed than the old tube flours. But when it comes to full bangin' 12/12 time, those HIDs just work better with deeper light penetration over the CFLs. Yield, tast and potency that ROCKS satisfies the connoisseur's heart and soul.
djlifeline
Well-Known Member
unfortunately I can't think of the right formula but I don't pay more then £100 a month ish for a 3bed house running a 250w cfl 24/0 and a 400w HPS 12/12. And I'm on a higher rate as I have a metre installed. That cfl prob cost you approx £2 to run at a guess
Eraserhead
Well-Known Member
This is how I figure my electric costs:
919 total watt consumption flowering room Xs 12 hours per day Xs 30 days = 330840
188 watts veg room Xs 20 hours per day Xs 30 days = 112800
fans and filters flower room 160 watts Xs 24 hours, Xs 30 days = 115200
fans veg room 80 watts Xs 24 hours, Xs 30 days = 57600
Add all those final numbers and divide by 1000, I get 616.44, then Xs that by what you pay for electricity, I pay $0.095 per kwh.
I run just over 1000 watts of lighting and I pay less than $60 per month in electricity for my grow.
919 total watt consumption flowering room Xs 12 hours per day Xs 30 days = 330840
188 watts veg room Xs 20 hours per day Xs 30 days = 112800
fans and filters flower room 160 watts Xs 24 hours, Xs 30 days = 115200
fans veg room 80 watts Xs 24 hours, Xs 30 days = 57600
Add all those final numbers and divide by 1000, I get 616.44, then Xs that by what you pay for electricity, I pay $0.095 per kwh.
I run just over 1000 watts of lighting and I pay less than $60 per month in electricity for my grow.
hey guys yes im a newbie, just joined today and on my first grow. I opted for dwc which seems a bit more hands on at mo untill i upgrade after my first grow if things go to plan but im totally enjoying it even tho myladys like u spend more time in there than u do wit me lol. my plants r in there 5th wk of veg, which r at the mo in a grow tent in 1 side of the room whilst im kitting out the other side 4 flowering which is 10 8 by 6 ft height and the room is at floor level at the back.cud do wit a few ideas so far iv made a 6inch hole from the ceiling thru to the roof for extraction n 4 inch for intake and lined it . it does have carpet down but thort if i just cover it wit thick white plastic sheeting save taking it up. so i guess wat im asking is wat size extraction fan do i need intake fan, lights n basic setup which i can upgrade eventually thanx
rollinbud
Active Member
"No such assumption was made. My point was that is to get the very best results per dollars spent, including cooling reqd., the HID lights win out hands down in the long run. "
Okay, I guess thats why you left cooling out of it when you were talking about costs...
I seriously doubt you have run actual side by side cost comparison per gram produced and any statements you are making related to costs per gram are only your opinions. Why would you even bother to give someone advice without having facts?
Okay, I guess thats why you left cooling out of it when you were talking about costs...
I seriously doubt you have run actual side by side cost comparison per gram produced and any statements you are making related to costs per gram are only your opinions. Why would you even bother to give someone advice without having facts?
BenRound
Member
Hey bro, I was afraid you and others would take that harsher than it was really meant. Look, my first grow netted me a cool 7 1/2 grams of some fairly mediocre bud. So people could make fun if they liked-- I didnt take it so hard. That was '86. For the flowering stage I used the sun, in a small attic window, because by then my grandmother had begun to bitch that I was going to set the house on fire with the lights in the closet. I dried it out and smoked most of it with my friends in one night. I dont remember, because it was so long ago, but I probably got real horny and went back to my grandmother's house and played with myself, because I didnt have a girlfriend at the time. Later on things improved: I bought better lights, got better seeds... and my wife is pretty hot: and I have a sense of humor about it when someone ribs me a little.
jugo76
Member
Energy-Usage-Calculator, use this website to calculate your future power consumption.
missnu
Well-Known Member
I started with CFLs and was just not getting enough off of any plant to make it cost effective to keep doing it...my husband said I should quit if that were the case my answer was to buy better lights....I just keep adding stuff as I go...Because everyone needs a hobby, and I can't think of a better one...Well I can, but not that I want to do...lol
Nemmba
Active Member
Holy sht! Dude the reason is your cfl are too low! get like 4x23 watts that would bee better than having 1x15 and 1x23. go to home depot and buy it right now its only like $9 - $11 which is nothing compared to the yeild you would get if you get them. The plants look good just get the 4x23watts 2700k and youll get a good amount of bud.
I think this is what I will do, as it will still keep the costs relatively low, but will make more buds. I think im going to try some topping and LST to keep the height down, and maximise the light use.
Oh and in the end i cut the thing down. Its been drying for a day and a bit now and its already really dry, cause the grow area is so dry. i bent the stem and it snapped so i thought it was good to go.
I weighed it, 2.03g. Not exactly anything to boast about but, I saved myself some money, and learnt a lot of things.
Ive jarred most of it, but rolled one, and damn im a happy man.
cory flagg
Member
aside from light spectrum, the thing you want to look at is lumens per watt. Lumens per watt and harvest weight are directly correlated to each other. HID lamps like High Pressure Sodium bulbs have the highest lumens/ watt ratio out of any bulb on the market and they offer the light spectrum that a cannabis plant needs to thrive.
bootywarrior
Well-Known Member
Pics or it didnt happen. of the wife...