Couplle of questions: Fluorescents

[Der Nette Mann]

I think I'll use fluorescents (long tube type, not CFLs) for my new micro grow box. I have two questions:

1) "warm" "daylight", "bright white", etc: Which one should I use?

2) Is it possible and advisable to run multiple tubes off one ballast?

-Alex

 

[Mibri]

Hi.
equal number of each leaning towards warm. If u have 5 take 3 warm and to cold.
I think u can easily run many from the same.

 

[Guest]

During veg, more cool tubes than warm tubes. During flowering, more warm than cool. About 3 weeks into flowering, I put all warm bulbs in.

 

[Guest]

I personally would look for "daylight" flouros for veg...They are somewhere in the 6000-6500k spectrum and will give you thick, compact growth for veg...I've previously used 30w 6500k CFL's and the growth rates are excellent and the internodes are nice and tight

For flower you have to go with the "warm" white...Somewhere close to 2700k...This is the spectrum HPS is close to, which helps to mimic late summer/fall sunlight...Never flowered with flouros myself, so I cant offer more advice than that

 

[FGandalf]

hey there

hey there

i am going to be growing with 4' flouros also but i'm overdriving them for more output. Check out my thread and in the pics you can see the different color combos. i have day light, soft white, and cool white.

here is the link

click me

fernando

 

[The Dopest]

Der Nette Mann, i have run cool white and daylight. whether or not you can run more than one bulb depends on the number of ballast outputs, some only have one.


QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU FLUORO GUYS

will the sockets on a standard t12 shoplight fixture support t5 bulbs IF the ballast is changed? or do the t5 bulbs require different sockets and are they the same physical length as a standard t12 tube.

thanks guys sorry to jack DNM

 

[The Dopest]

bump^ anyone?

 

[Guest]

Depends on ballast outputs?If you mean number of lamps thats correct,but you can use any CRI lamp as long as the wattage matches.Ballasts are noty made for "daylight or warm white only" another words,you can use any spectrum.Daylight is normally 6500K cool white 4100K and warm white or soft white 3000K.Da Napster gave you a perfect description of each lamp and their intended use but personally I would go half and half with daylight and warm white.

 

[Nate]

someone on here was talking about the new T6 flouros that fit into standard flouros sockets and come on standard lengths.

 

[The Dopest]

ok so the t6 will fit standard sockets and are standard lengths and all i would have to do is swap to a t5 ballast? ok anyone else before i venture out? will a t5 fit a standard t12 socket and are the 4' bulbs the same physical length? i understand the ballast will not work.

thanks

 

[MTF-Sandman]

From what I read, a T5 will not fit in a T12 bulb holder. The T5 uses a miniature bipin holder and the T12 uses a medium bipin - sorry to be the bearer of bad news...

 

[The Dopest]

cool Sandman, back to the drawing board!

 

[FGandalf]

you can change the ends

you can change the ends

You can put new ends so any bulb can be run with any ballast. The performance of the setup my suffer or be out of the working limits of a particular light or ballast, but no reason to not get t5 ballast and put ends that support t8/t12 or a t6 which all have the same pins from what I have seen.
In my setup I just wanted to keep things simple so i went with overdriving my t8's but i will be looking into overdriving the t6's and comparing it with running a t5 ballast and the cost effectiveness of each. Anyone else have any experience with t8's running off a t5 ballast? how about t5's running off overdriven t8/12 ballast?