a step beyond T5's .....I found T4's

[Merlyn]

I agree they may be convenient but totally cost inefficient for the space covered ! I get 324 watts of 6500k T5 light covering a 4' x 2' space for $165. Do the math, more than twice the space for nearly the same cost !

[johnblagg]

Originally Posted by Merlyn

I agree they may be convenient but totally cost inefficient for the space covered ! I get 324 watts of 6500k T5 light covering a 4' x 2' space for $165. Do the math, more than twice the space for nearly the same cost !

lol lets just do the math indeed ..... $65 for 130 watts and hmmm 18 inches x 2 is 3 feet long x 2 feet wide at least ..... now if I want to add 2 more lights and make it 260 watts in the same area I have $130 invested if I add yet again 2 more I have 390 watts and $195 invested .....? but I also have lights I can fit anywhere I want and I can buy them at home depo off the shelf ....plus I can put that light where I want it not where they will fit.
I would almost bet 65 watts in 18 x 18 inches is a bit more than 81 watts in a 12 x 24 area

[calbunn]

Originally Posted by johnblagg

lol lets just do the math indeed ..... $65 for 130 watts and hmmm 18 inches x 2 is 3 feet long x 2 feet wide at least ..... now if I want to add 2 more lights and make it 260 watts in the same area I have $130 invested if I add yet again 2 more I have 390 watts and $195 invested .....? but I also have lights I can fit anywhere I want and I can buy them at home depo off the shelf ....plus I can put that light where I want it not where they will fit.
I would almost bet 65 watts in 18 x 18 inches is a bit more than 81 watts in a 12 x 24 area

Have you seen the lamps spectral distribution graph? I'd be interested in the wavelengths these lamps emit as well any lumen depreciation data so we know how often they'll need to be replaced?

Any chance they are dimmable?

Thanks

[johnblagg]

Originally Posted by calbunn

Have you seen the lamps spectral distribution graph? I'd be interested in the wavelengths these lamps emit as well any lumen depreciation data so we know how often they'll need to be replaced?

Any chance they are dimmable?

Thanks

to be dimmable you have to have a ballast that supports that I think and I dont have any need to dim grow lights ...lol if I need less light I turn some off or use smaller wattage lights

[calbunn]

Originally Posted by johnblagg

to be dimmable you have to have a ballast that supports that I think and I dont have any need to dim grow lights ...lol if I need less light I turn some off or use smaller wattage lights

Me too but I have a greenhouse application I'm trying to maintain a 18mole count per day on with a combination of sunlight and supplemental HID or fluorescent possibly.

[trdyl]

Thanks for posting John. I have not seen these yet. I am pretty sure as with anything the cost will eventually go down.

[johnblagg]

Originally Posted by trdyl

Thanks for posting John. I have not seen these yet. I am pretty sure as with anything the cost will eventually go down.

actually these are the lights they use for outdoor flood lights I just purchased the bulbs having noticed they are t4 lights---- and the ballast was a electronic high output one off the shelf as well I just bought the parts and assembled them to see how they work .

And Camille is correct that they are also called pl lights ....lol problem is I find the replacement bulbs on the lighting isle and half the time no way to use them due to the ballast being built into the wall fixture ect ....I decided to try them with a electronic ballast on a spur of the moment whim and was very happy with the results so I bought more

[stefpix]

I saw them at Home Depot. How do they compare with T5s? Also I wonder what is the spectrum like. I read that many new bulbs have very little blue and red and a lot of green, so even if they look bright to the eye they are not very useful for growing plants. I am also considering a UFO led lamp. I wonder how it would compare to this as well.

[stefpix]

How do you assemble the bulb with the ballast? was the ballast the cheapest option? any ideas on the spectrum? Have you noticed the leaves getting mor purple or light green since you have been using it?
seems good. Although for 130 / 150 you can get some hydrofarm T5 fixture. 4 ft / 4 bulbs. Now I use 6 T12 full spectrum on a shelf. generic Home Depot. SO i want to check the options... And I am still wondering if soemone is using a 90 W UFO LED lamp - which goes around $130 on Amazon...

[johnblagg]

Originally Posted by stefpix

How do you assemble the bulb with the ballast? was the ballast the cheapest option? any ideas on the spectrum? Have you noticed the leaves getting mor purple or light green since you have been using it?
seems good. Although for 130 / 150 you can get some hydrofarm T5 fixture. 4 ft / 4 bulbs. Now I use 6 T12 full spectrum on a shelf. generic Home Depot. SO i want to check the options... And I am still wondering if soemone is using a 90 W UFO LED lamp - which goes around $130 on Amazon...

the bulbs have 4 pins on the base 2 go to the yellow wires and 2 go to either the red wires or the blue wires

THe yellow wires are ran to both bulbs ....and the red to one ---blue to the other

The ballast has a diagram on it