Bud Frosty
Well-Known Member
Just wondering, are there any good resources or threads anyone knows of for a T5 DIY setup?
T5 Fluoro DIY
- Thread starter Bud Frosty
- Start date
Bud Frosty
Well-Known Member
Anybody...?
DownOnWax
Well-Known Member
Not really.
Unless you can find a way of making your own ballast and socket setup then there is really nothing out there. You are basically going to have to buy one.
Make sure that it is rated either HO (High Output) or VHO (Very High Output) because if it is not then it's just like using regular T12 Fluorescents. T5 just refers to the circumfrence of the bulb itself.
T5= 5/8 of an inch.
T8= 8/8 of an inch or 1 whole inch.
T12= 1 1/4 inch.
You can still grow using the non HO/ VHO but you need a lot more of them.
Unless you can find a way of making your own ballast and socket setup then there is really nothing out there. You are basically going to have to buy one.
Make sure that it is rated either HO (High Output) or VHO (Very High Output) because if it is not then it's just like using regular T12 Fluorescents. T5 just refers to the circumfrence of the bulb itself.
T5= 5/8 of an inch.
T8= 8/8 of an inch or 1 whole inch.
T12= 1 1/4 inch.
You can still grow using the non HO/ VHO but you need a lot more of them.
Bud Frosty
Well-Known Member
Thanks.
The HO is what I've been looking for but, haven't found any diy's. I've found a couple 8 tube setups for around $250. That's about as good as it gets. Even the diy aquarium retrofits are expensive.
Bud Frosty
Well-Known Member
Cfl's are what I use now for flowering, 39000 lumens for a 2'x4' area. It works very well. Am getting ready to build a new veg room and thought the T5 HO would be kickass.
DownOnWax
Well-Known Member
Yeah like I said, unless you are a Whiz electrician and can build your own ballast then buying it is the only option.
Those HO fluorescents are too expensive in my opinion. And the problem is that they still get HOT! The bulbs themselves don't get all that hot but the ballast get's hot enough to warm up a grow room. One of my friends has a Sunblaze T44 and he installed it inside his grow cabinet and temps would get over 100 degrees. He eventually cut the roof off his cab and made it so the T44 was the roof. Then the heat from the ballast was completely outside of the cab. Only problem is that he has to raise and lower the plants instaed of the light itself. Which is not that big of a deal but it's not as easy as moving the light.
So if you are going to do that then you might as well get an HID light. They have better light penetration and since you are going to need ventilation anyway, maybe it's the way to go?
Those HO fluorescents are too expensive in my opinion. And the problem is that they still get HOT! The bulbs themselves don't get all that hot but the ballast get's hot enough to warm up a grow room. One of my friends has a Sunblaze T44 and he installed it inside his grow cabinet and temps would get over 100 degrees. He eventually cut the roof off his cab and made it so the T44 was the roof. Then the heat from the ballast was completely outside of the cab. Only problem is that he has to raise and lower the plants instaed of the light itself. Which is not that big of a deal but it's not as easy as moving the light.
So if you are going to do that then you might as well get an HID light. They have better light penetration and since you are going to need ventilation anyway, maybe it's the way to go?
Zypher
Well-Known Member
I second this.
Bud Frosty
Well-Known Member
I've also thought of breaking the room down to 3-2'x2' stations, a mother station, cloning station, and veg station. This setup could use cfl's in reflectors or plain 2' tubes.
Bud Frosty
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I like that setup too. Very versatile.