Lighting T5/CFL only thread (the manual)

[Mr Piggy]

I am going to disagree with you. Certain sized floro ballast are designed to run certain lights. While you may have some kind of universal model most are not. It's very unwise to pull something apart for a "look see" if you don't know what you are doing. I'm not saying you don't know what you're doing alley, but most don't. Many a grow is discovered by the fire department in smolders.:hot:

 

[alley_walker]

I am going to disagree with you. Certain sized floro ballast are designed to run certain lights. While you may have some kind of universal model most are not. It's very unwise to pull something apart for a "look see" if you don't know what you are doing. Many a grow is discovered by the fire department in smolders.

No prob, the ballast will have the info. Even my old ballast had multiple configs available.

 

[Mr Piggy]

Okay, found a link to the lamp/ballast matching chart from the fullham workhorse line. This chart only applies to those ballast listed, but it gives you an idea of what goes with who.
http://site.prolighting.com/pdf/fulham-ballast-chart.pdf

 

[botlowsky]

Hello AFN!
I have a question about the light theme.
Everyone says T5 is so good. My box is really smal, and some other reason I cant use T5.
But I find some T3 in bulb format. The bulb name is "GE ot FLE20TBX T3 865 E27".
Its a 20W 6500K bulb and I want to use it for the veg period.
And my question. Is this bulb workable for me? How much worse than T5? (I cant find T5 is bulb format) And the "FLE" means Fluorescent? If I know itt well this type is good for the plants.
Thanks in advice!

 

[wileywilly53]

I have a real simple question can you put a T5 bulb in a T8 ballast ? I found a 18in. ballast that my son used for his lizard aquarium and I was wondering if I could just buy a T5 bulb and put in it ? or is there a T8 lamp that I could buy that would put out what we need ?

 

[botlowsky]

Hello AFN!
I have a question about the light theme.
Everyone says T5 is so good. My box is really smal, and some other reason I cant use T5.
But I find some T3 in bulb format. The bulb name is "GE ot FLE20TBX T3 865 E27".
Its a 20W 6500K bulb and I want to use it for the veg period.
And my question. Is this bulb workable for me? How much worse than T5? (I cant find T5 is bulb format) And the "FLE" means Fluorescent? If I know itt well this type is good for the plants.
Thanks in advice!

WOW!!
After several months of searching , finaly found T5 in bulb format!!! I'm really happy right now, hope this bulb is so useable like tube format.
Am I right?
Here is is:
http://villanykorte.com/termek/sunshine-bulb-t5-25w1.html

If its good, nothing else to do, just by it, and order the seeds! :thumbs::thumbs:

 

[aussieoak]

might as well show what I use....

View attachment 22313 the corner I get...
View attachment 22314cheap strips from waiy world
View attachment 22316View attachment 22315 the nice 125-200 actual watters in their reflectors
View attachment 22317 the results as a white dwarf...

So you use cfl's 125 and 200 watts. How big is your grow area. What lumens are the bulbs? Did u aim for 7000 lumens per sq foot ?

 

[aussieoak]

From what I have read on many forums and indoor grow books the optimal lumens/ sq foot of a grow area is 7000. So a 4x4 foot grow area has 16 sq feet to light. This means it needs 112,000 lumens total for best results. That makes for a hell of a lot of cfl's or t5's. Comments ?

 

[botlowsky]

Comments ?

I'm a beginner, but I think 112,000L will bu too mutch. I find a grown calculator on the internet and it say 50-60000 L will be enought.

 

[Hermdog]

I'm looking to run 4 autos in 2 gal equivalent airpots.
Even with dutch passion genetics I guessing they won't exactly be monsters.
I'm looking at a 4 bulb VHO T5, and a 6 Bulb HO T5.
Looking at slightly less lumens with the VHO 4 bulb, both units roughly the same price.

What should I expect from either of these in terms of performance with the 4 autos, and cost of running it at 20/4 per month?

http://1000bulbs.com/product/88800/SUN-960365.html

http://1000bulbs.com/product/88882/SUN-960302.html