lighting question

[wade ounce]

g'day peoples,

 

yes you read correctly. wade is goin indoors....well sorta.

 

ok....i've got a cupboard that i'm gonna use for cloning,mums and growing out (before putting in ground.)when daylight hours become too short.

The cupboard is 2metres high,2.5 metres wide with a depth of 60 cm.

 

my question is: which would be less expensive to run. a 400 watt hps or 5or 6 cf''s.?

 

many of you know i grow outdoors, so i'm a bit of a newb when it comes to indoors and lighting

so any suggestions and adsvice would be appreciated

 

p.s i should mention that do already have 5 cfs to use 20 watt each are all i can get up here unfortnately

 

thanks heaps

 

wade

Edited January 26, 2004 by wade ounce

[pipeman]

mate, just add up wattages of lights to determine which lights are cheaper to run. 6 CF at 20W each is only 120 watts, cheaper than HPS, but much less effective.

 

I gota say, either way that doesn't seem like enough light for that sized growspace. Rule of thumb is you need 20W per square foot to veg. (40W or more for flower). Maybe get away with less if just keeping some small mums until next outdoor season.

 

Your grow space is about 16 square foot. So 16 x 20watts = 320watts. but, you also got to take into account light coverage. One 400watt light would not provide good coverage to that whole area IMO. Maybe towards one end of the room you have a 400 watter where you are vegging out clones, and at other end have a few compact fluoros where you keep mothers? I'm sure other members will come up with some more suggestions for you.

 

And don't forget to paint out the inside of your cupboard with flat white paint.

[Ozzy420]

Hey there wade ounce, IMHO for what u want a 400w is a little over kill, and are better off sticking with cfs, but as u say u have a few only 20w cfs, maby u could get a few more but from what i can rember u are a bit out away from things, but if u would like to PM me maby i could help u out on getting some 48w cfs who knows, but like i said i think a 400w just to keep mothers and clones it a little over kill IMHO. Edited January 26, 2004 by ozmade

[Guest weekprik]

watts are not the only consideration, you also have to compare the spectrum of light and the Lux compared.

 

IMO a 400 is a better choice.

[Brainstorm]

Hi Wade,

 

I'd agree with ozmade, the 400w may be a bit much in a cupboard just to keep mums and veging clones before planting outdoors. You'll need a good fan system just to get rid of the heat from the light even if you were keeping the doors open 24/7. You may also have to keep the light a fair bit away from the plants which will promote stretching. For the veging clones that may not be a problem but for your mums you probably won't want them to stretch too much.

 

I'm using two 18w fluro tubes (similar to aquarium lights) to keep my mums going and to get clones started. You would need a better light source to veg the clones than that sort of lighting though.

 

Are you able to order lights over the net and have some spare cash lying around? If so and you want to go for HID's then a 125w may be more suitable. Or check out Kimba's thread regarding the envirolites - the full spectrum type may be a good solution.

Edited January 26, 2004 by Brainstorm

[Guest weekprik]

I was thinking more of the vegging, If he wants to get them hardy and big then hes really going to need HID,

Now you can veg under fluros and they work fine, but then compare the vegged plant at the end of a fluro and HID grow and the HID would be bushier, bigger, healthier and the nodes will be closer together,

 

This all combined could suggest that it would mean a better harvest at the end of it all.

 

the plants being put out would be bigger to begin with.

[Ozzy420]

That being true wp but if u are manley doing out doors running a 400w all the time for clones and mothers can add up real quick on the power bill IMOH, so going on the cfs can save u heaps in the end.

[pipeman]

I think wade wants more than mother and clones. I think he wants to veg out clones so 1st day of spring he has already big plants that will hopefully grow into monsters when planted out under the sun.

[Guest Wilderbud]

I suck at indoors too but Id go for a 250W MH for what you want to do [400W is very bright for that space] as flouros are low-intensity lighting so the more it grows the less vigor itll have IMHO [any flouro grow Ive seen looks like pathetic growth-rate]. CFs should be implemented as cloning or bonsai lighting only.

 

BTW you can get "energy efficient" [aka electronic] ballasts if you think itll be a long-term project.

[gunjaponic]

my question is: which would be less expensive to run. a 400 watt hps or 5or 6 cf''s.?

 

In my area power costs approx $0.11 /kW Hour (average)

 

Therefor a 400 W light cost the following to run per hour.

 

1kW / (divided by) 400 (w) = 2.5

 

$0.11 / (divided by) 2.5 = $0.044

 

There for a 400W HPS light cost approc 4.5c per hour to run

= $1.06 per 24 hour day.

 

If you have 5 x 20W CF

 

5 x 20W = 100W

 

therefor the cost to run the CF will be 1/4 the cost of the HPS light

 

eg $1.06 / (divided by) 4 = $0.27 per day.

 

All that you have to do is weigh up if the cost effeciency of the CF lights out weigh the production of the HPS lights. I'm not experienced enough in growing to answer that question.