# what exactly are cfl bulbs?



## bstan943 (Nov 19, 2007)

new to growing and just curious about lights. what are cfl lights and how do i use them?


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## Ekoostik_Hookah (Nov 19, 2007)

they are compact Floresent light bulbs.
  They just screw into a normal bulb outlet.
  They dont use much power, but put out alot.
 so they are a great energy/money saver. The 150 watt cfl's are the best. they cost $10 each. you need 3 of them to equal 6000 lumens per sq foot of grow space.
 Home depot has everything you need.


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## Growdude (Nov 19, 2007)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_fluorescent_lamp


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## Pot Belly (Nov 19, 2007)

Ekoostik_Hookah said:
			
		

> The 150 watt cfl's are the best.


 
Just to clarify........ Not really 150 cfl watts, but 150 watt incandescant equivelant. 

Real cfl wattage is 42 watts.


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## Celebrity Bob (Nov 19, 2007)

The 150's are soft white which is good for flowering but the "Daylight 6500k" ones are in a 3 pk and are equal to 100 watts each. I get them at Lowes. These are 1600 lumens a bulb and are the perfect color for growing which make them better than the 150's. 150 = more lumens but wrong color so less lumens of the color you actually need. They are a waste of lumens.


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## Pot Belly (Nov 19, 2007)

Celebrity Bob said:
			
		

> The 150's are soft white which is good for flowering but the "Daylight 6500k" ones are in a 3 pk and are equal to 100 watts each. These are 1600 lumens a bulb and are the perfect color for growing which make them better than the 150's. 150 = more lumens but wrong color so less lumens of the color you actually need. They are a waste of lumens.


 
Huh?  They got 150 watt equivalents in more flavors than an ice cream shop.

Here.


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## bstan943 (Nov 19, 2007)

thanks guys, I really needed the help


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## Ekoostik_Hookah (Nov 19, 2007)

Thanks guys for clearing that up.
  So are the 150w CFL's the best cfl for flowering then ???
 and also, will it still work for VEG. growth?? I would assume so.


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## Pot Belly (Nov 19, 2007)

Ekoostik_Hookah said:
			
		

> Thanks guys for clearing that up.


 
No problem. I always like to compare apples to apples. Keeps everyone on the same page. The equivelant wattage is just a reference for marketing puposes and is inaccurate to the real wattage of the bulb. 



			
				Ekoostik_Hookah said:
			
		

> So are the 150w CFL's the best cfl for flowering then ???
> and also, will it still work for VEG. growth?? I would assume so.


 
Many swear by cfl's. I grow with low wattage 70 watt MH and HPS bulbs. Whatever you choose, you've got to start with your grow area and lumens per sq ft rule. 5,000 being what you want to shoot for. I am over 6,200 per on mine. 

Figure how many cfl lights it would take to light your space. 4 to 6 lights max spaced out evenly being a good efficient spread for a micro-canopy. Any more than that and you'll end up with more wires all over the place, and a potential fire hazzard. (Unless you are an electrician).

About the kelvin temp or spectrum of the cfl's, you'll want to choose a higher number like 6500k for vegging, and a lower number like 2700k for flower.

IMHO, plants need all light spectrums, so a mix is a good choice in my book. I encourage you to play around with it. Find out what works for you so you can tell US. LOL!

Sorry for this book...........

PB


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## Mutt (Nov 19, 2007)

150W CFL at 1000bulbs
$42.79 plus Shipping
Longstar #FE-IIIB-150W 
150 Watt - 8000 Lumens 
Incandescent Equal: 500 Watts 
Full Spectrum - 5000k 
8,000 Life Hours 

HID Floodlight with 120-volt ballast. Includes 150-watt HPS ED17 lamp.
at e-conolight
Lamp Output: 16000 lumens
Lamp Color Rendition: 22 CRI
$38.90 plus shipping

HID Spotlight with quad-tap CWA ballast. Includes 175-watt MH ED17 lamp.
at e-conolight
$66.90 plus shipping
Lamp Output: 11700 lumens
Color rendition: 65 CRI

Home Depot has 50W HPS for 30-40 bucks....70W for 70 bucks....150W (didn't catch the price) Pay cash there. They have some Metal Halides to.

I like to veg under flos then switch to HPS for flower. I flowered under flos...I got something, but does not compare with a HID.
but lumen per watt cant be beat either.


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## mastersativa (Nov 20, 2007)

I am using all cfl's and when i started i had a mix of the two spectrums. I used Two of the 6500k bulbs and two of the 2700k bulbs. As she grew i added one more of each till i got up to eight bulbs. Now that she is getting closer to harvest I have only two of the 6500k bulbs in there with six of the 2700k bulbs. This past week i have noticed that the buds are really fattening up, I think its in the way i used the different spectrums through the grow, I feel you need both spectrums for the entire grow.


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