Home Made Grow Lights

[BertieFox]

Must admit after my experiments with daylight tubes I wouldn't bother again. The plants have to be so close up to the tubes to make any difference and even then I really couldn't notice much difference. I see you can now buy very cheap LED growlights, though a quick search about these got lots of negative references. Let's just hope that the sunshine and longer daylight hours will be soon with us again. Most later sowings catch up with all those things you have spent weeks and weeks coddling into life, and sometimes they do far better as they are healthier seedlings.

[veggiechicken]

Mission accomplished...................glad I started this thread now.

Me too - as I do like to experiment - especially when it has cost me nothing It will come to an end though soon, when I go away for a few days, unless I leave them on a timer.

[redser]

Take it with you? How about a neighbour? Timers are great, Lidl and Aldi have them from time to time.

[veggiechicken]

Too much hassle to take it with me and not worth asking the neighbours to care for it. I have plenty of timers though

[Thelma Sanders]

What are you lot like you've convinced me to buy another SAD daylight bulb - but this one is for the plants

[GreenTricky]

A timer is ideal so you can have them come on at night for the cheap electricity and off in the morning when the free light comes out

[veggiechicken]

I don't have cheap overnight electricity - but my little tube is only 8w.

[woody21]

Must admit after my experiments with daylight tubes I wouldn't bother again. The plants have to be so close up to the tubes to make any difference and even then I really couldn't notice much difference. I see you can now buy very cheap LED growlights, though a quick search about these got lots of negative references. Let's just hope that the sunshine and longer daylight hours will be soon with us again. Most later sowings catch up with all those things you have spent weeks and weeks coddling into life, and sometimes they do far better as they are healthier seedlings.

What type of tubes were you using, theres a big difference in the amount of light between T8 and T5 high output tubes.
Im using 96 watts of T5 high output lights with the tubes 3.5 inches from the top of these chilli seedlings, the larger ones have been under lights for just 10 days after hatching in the unlit heated propagator
The tubes are old too and still working very well, they are osram 865 (6500k) daylight tubes and they used to work well growing aquatic plants even at 15 inches depth of water.



also my old tubes are much brighter than the cheap unknown brand tubes that came with a new lightwave unit i bought myself for xmas.. so cheap tubes are just a waste of electric go for sylvania,GE,osram or phillips.

[GreenTricky]

They look fantastic for ten days

I had decided against T5 until I have seen your post, think I am going to with these:
5 x 30w = 150w Daylight Energy Saving CFL SAD bulb E27 | eBay

As a trial as they can always be put to other use

[woody21]

They look fantastic for ten days

I had decided against T5 until I have seen your post, think I am going to with these:
5 x 30w = 150w Daylight Energy Saving CFL SAD bulb E27 | eBay

As a trial as they can always be put to other use

Cfl Bulbs do work well but i do prefer linear tubes as there is less wasted light as more light from the back of the bulb can be more efficiently reflected. you also lose light in the centre of the bulb as whatever light hits another part of the tube is lost and you cant get a reflector in there to get it all out through the gaps.
Those 30w bulbs produce 2000 lumens of light, which is the same as a 24w linear t5 so less lumens per watt. 6 more watts of energy to get the same amount of light out.

more smaller cfls like you have are good for covering larger areas and keeping small plants happy which is a better choice than a single high power cfl bulb.

cfl bulbs are harder to recycle too as you are throwing out a bulb and electronic driver, also if the electronics give up which they usually do well before the tube is dead its a waste of a perfectly good tube and hardly anyone recycles them either!.
with linear tubes you just replace a tube if it goes but they are very reliable and last years, or repair or replace the light unit if it goes (cheap and easy to repair them) and more reliable than the very poor electronics in a cfl.

The sunblazer 2ft 4 tube t5 light thats someone posted a link too in this thread is great value for i think it was £40.

[BertieFox]

I must admit reading all the positive comments in this thread, it seems that the technology has improved a lot since my efforts some years ago. It sounds like I really must give it a go again. It would be particularly helpful in getting those things going which 'flower in the first year from seed' if you only start them early enough. Thanks for the advice.

[unclefudgly]

Cfl Bulbs do work well but i do prefer linear tubes as there is less wasted light as more light from the back of the bulb can be more efficiently reflected. you also lose light in the centre of the bulb as whatever light hits another part of the tube is lost and you cant get a reflector in there to get it all out through the gaps.
Those 30w bulbs produce 2000 lumens of light, which is the same as a 24w linear t5 so less lumens per watt. 6 more watts of energy to get the same amount of light out.

more smaller cfls like you have are good for covering larger areas and keeping small plants happy which is a better choice than a single high power cfl bulb.

cfl bulbs are harder to recycle too as you are throwing out a bulb and electronic driver, also if the electronics give up which they usually do well before the tube is dead its a waste of a perfectly good tube and hardly anyone recycles them either!.
with linear tubes you just replace a tube if it goes but they are very reliable and last years, or repair or replace the light unit if it goes (cheap and easy to repair them) and more reliable than the very poor electronics in a cfl.

The sunblazer 2ft 4 tube t5 light thats someone posted a link too in this thread is great value for i think it was £40.

Most 24w T5's are about 1700 lumens so difference is negligible 66 vs 70 lumens per watt. The problem with T5's is shaping the light is not as easy as with those SAD bulbs. I used them to grow marine algae successfully for over 2 years in a heavily salty environment, and they worked flawlessly. Both are good choices I guess it depends on what you are trying to do.

cheers

[amandaandherveg]

Excellent thread. I'm going to have a go at making the light stand in BM's original post. I've got a heap of plastic pipe and T's, 45's, etc in the garage so will have a rake in the morning. Meanwhile, I've ordered one of these:

Kanlux ALDO 236R Batten lamp T8 linear fluorescent tube IP 20 indoors G13 8994 | eBay

Just need to pick up a couple of tubes and some chain.

[Bigmallly]

Just need to pick up a couple of tubes and some chain.

And 4 of These.........................Do you not get the tubes with the fittings?

[amandaandherveg]

And 4 of These.........................Do you not get the tubes with the fittings?

Oh yes, better not forget about my 'S' hooks, I also need to get 2 threaded hooks to screw into the back of the unit to attach the chains. I've got a wee credit note stuffed at the back of my purse from our local hardware store that will take care of that.

It doesn't look like you get the tubes with it - which ones should I go for and who has the keenest prices?

Love, love, love this thread