CFL setup?

[Guest]

I want to switch from my 4 ft. fluoros to cfls for my clones and early veg. I want to know how do you setup your cfls? What kind of sockets do you need to get? Whats the best way to keep the cfls level in the room, i.e. reflector? Thanks guys.

 

[Guest]

anybody?

 

[keeko]

hey what i did to set up 4 cfls was get a light/fan fixture at home depot, about $7-10. then i got a 5 foot extention cord with no ground wire, cut the wire and just hooked up the wire that came with the light fixture and the cord. i dont use and reflection because i put the light up close to my plants.....anyway good luck

 

[DeadlyFoez]

I bought a bunch of black light sockets from home depot and a peice of 8' strapping, some wire and i think it was a 1 1/4" paddle drill bit. I made a frame out of the strapping and drill a dunch of holes in it and put the sockets in from the outside of the frame so my cf's would be in the middle. Each socket has a metal tab that I bent over and used a screw to anchor it to the frame. then I wired it up. I then went and took a piece of would and covered one side with mylar and used that as my reflector. I used some spacers between the reflector and wood frame because the cf's need more room and also for air circulation to help keep the cf's cool.

I use four eyehooks, one at each corner, and 2 pieces of chain, each piece is connected to 2 eye hooks. then 2 more pieces of chain connectected at the center of the other 2 pieces and hang the whole thing frmo your ceiling. So it pretty much makes it that you adjust both chains to raise it, but it balances the whole thing so it does tip easily. I also put a digi thermoometer on top of mine so I can check temps.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the responses fellas. I like the idea of not having to wire anything myself so I may go with the black light sockets. Appreciate the ideas and Ill go to HD in the next couple days and get my supplies.

 

[DeadlyFoez]

trust me, the way I suggested, you spend maybe 45 minutes building, and you can fist way more light output per sqr foot, which is really what u need if ur only using cf's. u want to fit as many as possible, not have them spread out. But I guess its all what suites ur needs

 

[GoaT Is Nice]

another cool thing to do is take a peice of plywood that fits perfectly over your growspace and cover it in mylar, then use a holesaw to cut holes for bulbs to fit thru, and have about 10-15 of the big "150watt" ones on there