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 karma_agent
Registered: 10/07/08
Posts: 153
Last seen: 16 years, 2 months
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 Lighting Choices 70W HPS or 2 - 40W fluorescent tubes? 
#139055 - 10/31/08 04:55 PM (16 years, 5 months ago) |
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so I'm wondering what sort of lighting I should use
money is sort of an issue, so I don't wan't to buy an expensive HPS, plus the grow won't be very big
I found a 70W HPS lamp for 35 bucks, and it includes a bulb, doesn't say the light output on the box, but im guessing its somewhere over 6000k lumens, however it says that the light is amber colored, not sure if that would be the best thing to get
the other option that i'm leaning a bit more towards is to get two 40w fluorescent tubes with 6500k color temp for veg growth and then add another 2 tubes with 2700k or 3000k color temp for flowering, which would run me about 40 bucks total - would this be a good setup for under 10 plants?
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Johnny420
Registered: 04/21/08
Posts: 289
Last seen: 5 years, 6 months
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Re: Lighting Choices 70W HPS or 2 - 40W fluorescent tubes? [Re: karma_agent]
#139060 - 10/31/08 05:41 PM (16 years, 5 months ago) |
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Well plants grown under CFL's tend to give airy buds. From what I've read HPS gives denser buds due to its deeper penetration so I'd recommend the HPS, but don't take my word for it I'm sure one of the more knowledgeable members will be able to advise you better.
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  WE HIT THE TREES TILL WE LOOK VIETNAMESE
Edited by Johnny420 (10/31/08 06:48 PM)
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Johnny420
Registered: 04/21/08
Posts: 289
Last seen: 5 years, 6 months
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Re: Lighting Choices 70W HPS or 2 - 40W fluorescent tubes? [Re: Johnny420]
#139061 - 10/31/08 05:44 PM (16 years, 5 months ago) |
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If you're from the UK and you can wait till you double your cash you could get your hands on a 250w HPS for £35 more or a 400w for £45 more from here
http://www.growell.co.uk/p/1084/Budget-Hobby-Light-Systems.html
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WE HIT THE TREES TILL WE LOOK VIETNAMESE
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t0ad
ribbit ribbit
Registered: 09/28/08
Posts: 599
Loc: FL, USA
Last seen: 15 years, 5 months
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Re: Lighting Choices 70W HPS or 2 - 40W fluorescent tubes? [Re: karma_agent]
#139072 - 10/31/08 07:54 PM (16 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
karma_agent said:
so I'm wondering what sort of lighting I should use
money is sort of an issue, so I don't wan't to buy an expensive HPS, plus the grow won't be very big
I found a 70W HPS lamp for 35 bucks, and it includes a bulb, doesn't say the light output on the box, but im guessing its somewhere over 6000k lumens, however it says that the light is amber colored, not sure if that would be the best thing to get
the other option that i'm leaning a bit more towards is to get two 40w fluorescent tubes with 6500k color temp for veg growth and then add another 2 tubes with 2700k or 3000k color temp for flowering, which would run me about 40 bucks total - would this be a good setup for under 10 plants?
unless the hPS light gives a blue spectrum, it kind of quickly leaves the veggy stage... won't bush out really from my experience
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 Dr. Penguin
Registered: 05/19/08
Posts: 1,036
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Re: Lighting Choices 70W HPS or 2 - 40W fluorescent tubes? [Re: t0ad]
#139204 - 11/01/08 12:53 PM (16 years, 5 months ago) |
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At approximately the same wattage, choose HPS over florescent every time. HPS is much more efficient in terms of lumen's per watt.
Most HPS lamps produce an orange/amber glow, there shouldn't be any problem with the spectrum.
Ten plants will most certainly be way too many under that small of a light. I wouldn't put more than one or two small plants under 70w. You will most likely only be able to cover a 1'x1.5' space with that light, I try to give my plants at least 1sqft of space.
I have never had any problems whatsoever from using an HPS in veg, my plants are plenty bushy and have very tight internodes.
If cost is an issue, the cheapest way to get a good HPS light is to go to home depot and buy the highest wattage HPS (High Pressure Sodium) or MH (Metal halide) security light that they have. Make sure it is MH or HPS though because they have lots of MV and other lights with poor spectrum's. I converted a 150w HPS security light for a total of 40$.
If you want to go this route, let me know and I will post up a tutorial on it.
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Johnny420
Registered: 04/21/08
Posts: 289
Last seen: 5 years, 6 months
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Re: Lighting Choices 70W HPS or 2 - 40W fluorescent tubes? [Re: Dr. Penguin]
#139215 - 11/01/08 02:47 PM (16 years, 5 months ago) |
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Penguin that's a sick little conversion you got there. And quite a big saving.
Are the HPS from security lights a slightly poorer spectrum than say a Grolux or Son-T?
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WE HIT THE TREES TILL WE LOOK VIETNAMESE
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Dr. Penguin
Registered: 05/19/08
Posts: 1,036
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Re: Lighting Choices 70W HPS or 2 - 40W fluorescent tubes? [Re: Johnny420]
#139227 - 11/01/08 03:19 PM (16 years, 5 months ago) |
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Spectrum is determined by the bulb, not the ballast. So if you put in a top quality grow bulb, the spectrum will be just as diverse as if you put the bulb in another ballast.
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Johnny420
Registered: 04/21/08
Posts: 289
Last seen: 5 years, 6 months
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Re: Lighting Choices 70W HPS or 2 - 40W fluorescent tubes? [Re: Dr. Penguin]
#139292 - 11/01/08 08:16 PM (16 years, 5 months ago) |
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I'm quite drunk, and look like a zombie.
Irrelevant i know!
I iddnt mean ballast, i meant the actual bulb. Is a HPS security bulb the same as a Son-T buld or a grolux bulb?
From your response i guess not as the Son-t and Grolux are horticulture bulbs, but the alcohol intoxication is posing as a problem in my understanding. 
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WE HIT THE TREES TILL WE LOOK VIETNAMESE
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Dr. Penguin
Registered: 05/19/08
Posts: 1,036
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Re: Lighting Choices 70W HPS or 2 - 40W fluorescent tubes? [Re: Johnny420]
#139314 - 11/01/08 09:44 PM (16 years, 5 months ago) |
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I've never been able to notice a difference in growth between the home depot bulbs and the sun bulbs (though I've never used them side by side), so I don't waste the money on them.
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