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New Wave™ T5 - 48 4 Ft - 8 Lamp

I am thinking about ordering this light to use for vegging for a couple months before the last frost of the year so that next year I may grow some monsters. Anyone ever used this light? Any other reccomendations?
 

Sleepy

Active member
Veteran
i have a T5 4 foot fixture...4 bulb mixed-spectrum...

i use it for veg...i love it.

no heat, no noise. :yummy:
 

rastamonunika

Active member
go for it! dont have the 8lamp but do ahve the 4, loved it for clones and mommas!

great investment, a friend of mine used 2 8 lamps and said they did very well because of how close they could get the lamps . . .

they are definately worth it tho

good luck and be asfe

lota of Love and Light

unika
 

ethereal

Warrior
Veteran
not to undermind the other posters but t5 isnt that special imhfo.
i prefer cheap t8 or t12s on a homemade rig of some sort. think $
 

FunkBomb

Power Armor rules
Veteran
I agree with the above statement. You can get 4' shoplights for around $10 and bulbs for another $2 then mount all the shoplights on 2x4's and have a powerful flouro rig for cheap :joint:


Peace :)
 

rastamonunika

Active member
true, but for what the T5's have to offer for ease of use and usability i think they rock. Ive used the t8's (Gah! t12>?) but i still think that the t5's work bestest. . . Definately do a mixed spectrum if you dont mind getting both bulbs, youll get explosive growth =)

but seeing that money isnt really a problem for you since your buying the 8bulb, id go for the t5 =)

lots of Love and Light

unika
 
do you think i could fit 20 plants off to start in beer cups, sex when they are fairly small, and take out about 1/2 (males) and than grow out 10 other plants and when flowering time comes have the flowering bulbs in to replace the veg bulbs in there now? and also upgrade from those small beer cups to 4 gallon buckets.
 
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mrwags

********* Female Seeds
ICMag Donor
Veteran
growinontario said:
do you think i could fit 20 plants off to start in beer cups, sex when they are fairly small, and take out about 1/2 (males) and than grow out 10 other plants and when flowering time comes have the flowering bulbs in to replace the veg bulbs in there now? and also upgrade from those small beer cups to 4 gallon buckets.


Hell yes you can:







These work very well for early veg my friend.


Mr.Wags
 
G

Guest

I just saw one yesterday in my grow shop,they had mixed spectrums and I found myself wishing I had not bought a 1000W hydrofarm MH and 800W sunsystem combo just for veg,a few of these 8 light T-5s will do the same I bet,but only for vegging
 

fjällhöga

HazeAddictedFanatic
ICMag Donor
Veteran
lol i dont know what fluros i use , :D its just a 2 x 120cm ( i think 4ft ) phillips cool white , just for my clones and seedlings to get a better f/m ratio as under Hps ...

Fj
 

Babbabud

Bodhisattva of the Earth
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Well i used to run a 400 watt metal halide for a couple years as my veg light. Then i got a t5 and ran it side by side with my 400. I was so impressed with the t-5 I took down the 400 and veg exclusively with my t-5. I dont know what the numbers or the science says about the diff between all these lights but i do know what works in my room. When i pull these plants out from under the t-5 they are bushy and healthy with less heat in the veg room.
just my .02
 
G

Guest

well a side by side comparison is enough for me, now I gotta save 500 dollars for some fluoros, oh well, they look cool :)
 

ethereal

Warrior
Veteran
my .02 is the same, babba :D

well, sorta :D

MH in veg has always seemed like a waste to me. then again, till now ive never ran an A/c fixture! so i should restrict judgement :D

***combination of HPS from a distance, and 'daylight' 'full-spectrum' (blue) flour. as the main light source has by far been most impressive in all of my trials over the years.***

*the next best thing, IME, is using the warm white, red spectrum flourescents in combination with the aformentioned blue tubes. 'CFL' lamps are widely avail. in a range of spectrums according to degrees Kelvin. give a call yo your local electrical supply house, or lighting store (not home depot:rolleyes:) they should stock or be able to order any color florescents you desire.

the effect of reddish CFL/t5 is basically the same as with HPS, but since i use screw-in compacts (and now free t5 fixtures i recieved recently) bulbs can often get in the way, so i use a low wattage HPS blasting the plants from the side, as the screw-in CFL make things tricky lighting from above, plus, lush growth in the undercanopy is never a bad thing.

do what works for your setup, but whenever possible, incorporate those reds! likewise for the flower cycle :) you want to add some blue spectrum to the mix, but lean heavily on the red side.
This is optional, and a halide is preferred as its said to boost potency via its UV-B radiation. im sure anyone who has grown outdoor pot alongside indoor will agree the sun adds something special to the herb. another level to the high to be precise. and we can attempt to duplicate this (to some extent) by using Halide in flower, whether it be your main source, or supplemental.

IME, the red spectrum will provide for lush and hardy vegetation, while the blue end makes tight internodal spacing, etc.

unless your setup is set where you veg and flower under the same light, in which case it'd save you a few bucks buyin the flourescent gear. most folks use them for starts anyway so if you have them layin around, definitely give it a try.

to elaborate on my last post a bit....

Compact flourescent (the spiral,or tubular type, that screws in) offer a bit better penetration into the canopy than the linear tubes (be it t5,t8,or t12,t=code for lamp diameter. nothing more:wave:)
[ High-Output (HO) ] T5 lamps, i find, match the CFL in efficieny hands down.
it may be because the tubes can be staggered so closely together.

and more power traveling through smaller tubes will for sure appear brighter to the human eye than a tube twice as thick and just as long of the same wattage!

as someone said, you can (and must) get flourescents (any) within 1" of the plants' tops, with an oscillating fan rustling the foliage to prevent singing should the leaves come in contact with the bulb thats been running 24/0 for weeks/months. yes, flourescents stay cool, but left on without a break they sure do heat up, the ballast part of the bulb more than the tube, but still something to watch out for!

ok hope this clears up some of the 'technical' or 'science' via my experiences killing plants over the years :D be well you guys

cj
 

mrwags

********* Female Seeds
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Babbabud said:
Well i used to run a 400 watt metal halide for a couple years as my veg light. Then i got a t5 and ran it side by side with my 400. I was so impressed with the t-5 I took down the 400 and veg exclusively with my t-5. I dont know what the numbers or the science says about the diff between all these lights but i do know what works in my room. When i pull these plants out from under the t-5 they are bushy and healthy with less heat in the veg room.
just my .02



This is why I'll keep the Satellite in BOB and the 400 watter as a back up if needed.






But I as you know Babba these little babys have very little wilting heat.


Mr.Wags
 

Hydro-Soil

Active member
Veteran
Take the T5HO lamps you love so much and bend it in half.

That's a PL-L lamp. 55w gives you 4,800 lumens. The only issue is that there really aren't any 'efficient' 220w reflectors that I've found for them yet. Just inefficient 2 and 4 lamp setups that cover too much space.

DIY is great :)
 

ocitown

Member
I use the T5s in the aquarium Tek-light which has two "E" ballasts and is all aluminum(4 foot 8 bulb).

IMHO a fixtures reflectors make or break the it's ability to grow well vs very well.

Yea the T5s are expensive but they also can grow VERY tight nodes up to 20",run cool and you can get the plants as close as you want as long as they don't touch.
 

Phillthy

Seven-Thirty
ICMag Donor
Veteran
I have an 8 bulb t-5 setup that I absolutely love however, it does not fit within the shelfing that I use (4 ft wide, 18 in deep chrome wire shelving). The shelving dimensions include the posts of the shelves so there really isnt 48 or 18 inches of room at the corners. A 6 bulb setup would fit perfectly so I will purchase 2 of them the next go around. Yes I love the t-5's and the 8 bulb but want everything to fit nice and snug :)
 

Hydro-Soil

Active member
Veteran
I have an 8 bulb t-5 setup that I absolutely love however, it does not fit within the shelfing that I use (4 ft wide, 18 in deep chrome wire shelving).
The 55w lamps fit easily within a 24" area and are less than 3" across. You can fill your ceiling in that area with about 440w. Two ballasts and 8 lamps.

You can use any T5HO ballast of the appropriate wattage.
 
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