"Bobo Bonobo®" wrote in message
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On Mar 18, 10:00 pm, "gunner" wrote:
"Bobo Bonobo®" wrote in message

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Comments?

Thanks,
--Bryan


Where do you get 40w 6500k tubes for $10 a pair?

Bryan, I picked 2 packs up at Home Depot about 3 weeks ago. Don't have the
receipt handy, but pretty sure they were under 10$/2, nine and change,
the bulbs are Phillips F40T12/DX ---Alto (low Mercury) Collection. Googled
the nomenclature and came up with this:
http://dyna-brite.com/Merchant2/merc...&Category_Code
$1.43 in quantity. but 30 is more than I will use in 5 years,. even changing
them out at their half life. .
http://www.bulbman.com/index.php?mai...cts_id= 14392
has them in single for $6.50.
http://www.servicelighting.com/Westi...ent-Light-Bulb
these are 2200lm at a CRI of 94 but 15$ a piece
so the HD Phillips lights look pretty good at $10/2.


http://www.nationalgardenwholesale.c...downloads.aspx This link has
some download info that you may be interested in.

I'm using the 14w, 12" x 12" one to raise tomato and chile seedlings.

I've got 4 similar ones that I use for supplemental. Here is some info
for consideration that you may already have:
http://www.superled.net/led-growing-faq.html#1


I am interested in the LEDs because of the low watts, trying to design a 12V
DC photovac system with lights and pumps for a greenhouse. There is new
technology coming out of Konarka Technologies
http://www.konarka.com/index.php/site/tech_solar/ where PV
cells will drop to $.10 a watt and be efficient enough for use here in
Seattle lowlight winters. I have 80-120 ft Doug firs trees everywhere around
here so
sunlight is at a premium


The first thing I noticed is that under that light, while the
surrounding area is illuminated, the cotyledons appear almost black,
as if they are reflecting almost none of the light.

It is spooky to see plants grow under LED, very foreign to our senses .
Have you checked out YouTube videos? Most LEDs are the Cannabis growers but
there are some earnest Veg growers with very promising results to view,. but
as I said, these low watt units we have are just JR. High Science
experiments.

Above, you mentioned the inverse square law. That is an advantage because
you can put the plant 1/2" from the panel, as they put out very little
heat. A coworker gave me a 4', 2 lamp growlight, and another that
just has regular tubes in it. They are standard fixtures. Replacing
those with the above mentioned 6500k would be nice if I really could
get them for ~$10. If I could just grow tomatoes for my own household
in Winter and Spring, I'd be pretty happy.

I am glad you know the Law, 1 foot away is 1/4 the light. Consider hanging
them vertically when your peppers and toms get bigger so as to get
penetration on the lower part of the plant.

I would rig up 4 shop lights vertically and have a 100-150w CFL ( again,
Home Depot- outside lights, approx. 50-60$) at the top of the plants in
say a 4x4 or 6x6 foot space, and a small fan to blow the limbs around a bit
using determinate plants.


Is this what I need?
http://www.1000bulbs.com/F40T12-Full...inition/33923/

Yes. These price out @ 2$ ea. in quantity of 30. Your link lists a mean
lumen of ~1700 a tube and a CRI of 88. I don't know if that is with a 32 w
ballast or 40w. I'm betting that the 40w tubes are probably being run on a
32 w ballast so you are losing some power there. Even the expensive
AgroBrites and AgroSun "grow
lights" are only ~2200-2400 lumens. That is 2200/32 =68 lm/w per tube.
As you know with these type "gro lights" you are really paying the
"gardener's gimmick tax" of 2-3x the actual worth. I assume you know about
the light timing cycle and changing your Nutes when you go to fruit the
Toms/Peppers.

I realize Lumens are not exactly apples to apples when it comes to plants
but are good indicators for our purposes. I would still like to see the 54 w
T5s in play @ ~5000 lumens a tube. That is 4 tubes for $169, or 6 tubes
for $249 (with bulbs) plus 15 $ shipping to have a ~ 20,000 or 30, 000
Lumen set up. The 6 tube about the same cost as a 400W HID but using 1/2
the power. A 400w HID is ~ 27,750lm; 27750/400 that is 68.75lm/w, so
about
the amount of the Agro-tubes.

For comparison a 4 tube T5 is good for a growing area of 2x5 or as
supplemental lighting for a 4x7' area, the 6 tube is 3x6 and 5x8'
respectively @ 4-6 inches about the plant height. so the 40w shoplights will
be a bit less area coverage than the 54w. As for lm/w, the 5000lm/54w=
92.59. very good.

Regardless, in your case for 20$ for 4-6500k tubes and the two shop
fixtures you should be able to grow Toms and Peppers in the winter and
spring even here in the PNW where we get little to no winter sun. Just get
the heat right. I have
a large hot water closet w/ 3x4.5 ft of nursery space which is 78f year
round w/ the fluorescent.
I don't want an HID light in there because then I would have to rig up an
exhaust system.

Thank you.

your quite welcome Bryan, let me know what you come up with and how you do.
This is an area of great interest
gunner

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