Growbrite Plant Lights

[Luke Skywalker]

I would say make sure it has the "tick" which means it's quality tested, which only the "SPECTRUM" brand lamps have. They are similar, compact fluoro and come in three Kelvin ratings, of 2700, 6400 and 14000K. The 14000K unit is looking after a couple of orchids I have and they're growing like mad, very happy plants.

 

But yeah, the "growbrite" ones may not be certified, and you should be careful IMO to only get the "SPECTRUM" brand.

 

The reason they may be cheaper is because they're made cheaper and not checked correctly. Mind you, if you grow alright with them, hey, it's your choice. I've seen a piece written about this subject, I'll try and track it down next week and copy it for yas if you like.

 

The SPECTRUM 130w units are about 100 bucks or so, give or take, including adaptor, but not including an E39/E40 Mogul base to hold the lamp.

[Mushaman]

Just turned out the lights for the night so I'll check if they have the tick tomorrow. I got the hanging base and adapter plug included in my price - maybe i got an ok deal after all

thanks for the info luke.

[Gazza2001au]

the shop selling these bulbs for $55 each is simple grow in sydney ive been going there for the last 8 years one of the guys told me a dude bought 4 bulbs 3 months ago went back a few days ago with good results :thumbsup since simple grow is the biggest direct/whole seller in australia i reckon that is why there price are so cheap they also give 6 months warranty on these bulbs for 55 bucks i reckon its a bargain? if anyone is thinking of buying some of these ask for (ron) he will give u the run down and answer any question you have... being the owner he wanna

its a shame they dont import the 200 watters i was told they heep on burning out anyone know why?

[Luke Skywalker]

Perhaps because they're cheap shit? ::

 

The companies which sell direct through the internet or without a shopfront can afford to sell at such ridiculous prices, they have very little overheads and don't need to worry about rent of a shop, insurance, hiring people who know how to deal with people, having any kind of decent customer service, etc... but there are some which do well, and all power to em.

 

Still, watch yourself with cheap lamps, there's a reason they're cheap, more often than not it's because, as I said before, they're crap.

[Mushaman]

Heya Luke

 

the growbrites do have the "tick" and I think they're working ok - real colour difference between the red and blue while they're on - anyway, I suspect I have just made someone a really fat profit on those lamps .... you live and you learn .... I only have a problem when profit margins are clearly huge .... but then, like Gazza said, it could simply be the old rule of, "Volume" rules, and they can sell at a cheaper price becoz of it.

 

I bought them for a small flowering area I set up, to experiment with growing in a medium (rather than Aero) and its going to be impossible to compare growth rates between the growbrites and the 400w HPS lamps I use in my growchamber becoz the Aeros so much faster anyway. So I'm going to hang them low down under the canopy of my next grow to boost the underbelly of the plants.

[Gazza2001au]

6 months warranty they cant be that shit of quality? what spec's would u guys use to veg and flower using 1 x 130 watter and 2 x 48 watter? (bunning lights) i was thinking red spec for the 130 and blue for the two bunnings lights? or vise versa

[Luke Skywalker]

The 14000k's are better IMO, they still have a decent spectral ouput in the red range... My advice would be a single 14000k and a couple of warm 48w's, or even better one 14000 and one 2700k of the 130's, you'll get better yeild IMO.

 

I'll try and track down that piece that spectrum put out now....

[Gazza2001au]

Perhaps because they're cheap shit? 

 

The companies which sell direct through the internet or without a shopfront can afford to sell at such ridiculous prices, they have very little overheads and don't need to worry about rent of a shop, insurance, hiring people who know how to deal with people, having any kind of decent customer service, etc... but there are some which do well, and all power to em.

 

Still, watch yourself with cheap lamps, there's a reason they're cheap, more often than not it's because, as I said before, they're crap.

i just went to check these lamps out at simple grow remember those cheap lamps for $55? they are "SPECTRUM" brand the weird part is they have two different types of CFL's when i first walked into the shop i seen one on display i thought to my self that is one big fucking CFL :reallyexcited: than i thought shit it might just be a 200w they imported walked over had a good look WOW its only 100watts? guy said they are printed 100w but are actually 130watters after listing to him dribble shit i asked to see the flowering lamp so he got the lamp i looked at the box than looked at the grow lamp and thought wtf? they are two different lamps and size's the flowering lamp (SPECTRUM) was long,skinny and had about 8 tubes all up where as the other grow light has 12 tubes is about the same lenght but is alot fatter so i asked him to take the flowering lamp back and give me a blue lamp :reallyexcited: the blue lamp actually looks exactly like the envirolites in the UK pitty i wont be using it for a while need to get things together but here are some readings i picked up using a light meter

 

readings takin from lowest point of bulb

lumens

10cm = 3000

20cm = 2850-2900

30cm = 2200

40cm = 2100

50cm = 2000

60cm = 1900

80cm = 1750

test were using lamp horozontal

Edited October 17, 2005 by Gazza2001au

[Gazza2001au]

size of this bulb is 29cm long,9cm wide at the glass,10.5cm at the balast,glass tubes are 16cm long its abig bulb... it does also produce some heat most people will say it produces no heat this is plain bs two of these bulbs in a standard wardrobe hung vertical would work wonders the amount of heat would be about half from a 175mh