vinniedelpino
Active Member
wouldn't it be nice to have a huuuge space and unlimited supply of cheap power? unfortunately for me, this isnt the case. i'm in a one bedroom apartment where utilities are included in my $1000 per month rent. this means the landlord recieves the power bill, pays the power bill, and with power coming in somewhere just shy of .30/kw after "fees", he knocks on my door screaming obscenities shortly thereafter. growing in these types of situations is a pain in the ass, but college bills are ridiculous enough, especially without mom and dad's help. at the end of the day i need to unwind with a few bong rips or spliff, and im not about to plunk $20 for .8g of bud. (what's the deal long islanders?)
if you're in a similar situation, i think the the best way to get the most quality bud possible is by going the SOG route 12/12 from seed with a high density of plants per square foot. this way you eliminate the 18hr veg period (an extra 6 hours of light per day) and decrease time between harvests. as for the grow room...
1. cfl's aren't really an option. most of us know that HID's produce more usable light per watt than the visibly brighter fluorescents. many of us also know that the HID HPS/MH lamps use more light than we're led to believe. (600w really uses around 650w, right?) i think the best route to go is a digital ballast HPS. it uses a little less power and produces a little more light than cheaper magnetic ballasts. the lumatek digital ballast really isnt that expensive anyway.
2. how about light movers? i've never used one, but i hear some good things. i might go ahead and try out one in the future. does anyone have any input on these?
3. go hydro/aero. though these methods use a little more power, they're worth the bigger, faster yields. the only thing i dont really like about aeroponic setups is that most water pumps use a good amount of electricity. decent sized air pumps for a hydro system use less than 20w.
4. use reflective materials on the walls. make them as flat as possible. either mylar or white paint.
5. use a cooltube. you're going to have to ventilate anyway, so might as well go with the cooltube. you'll be able to bring your lamps closer to your plants without burning them, making better use of your light.
6. save power throughout the apartment. unplug appliances even if turned off, switch to cfl's, turn off the computer unless it has automatic standby mode, don't use the AC if possible. turn off lights etc.
i know there are some other tricks and gimmicks out there. i'm pretty new to the game, and everything i say should be taken with a grain of salt. with that said, would anyone care to modify or add to this list???? i know i'm not the only guy in this situation.
if you're in a similar situation, i think the the best way to get the most quality bud possible is by going the SOG route 12/12 from seed with a high density of plants per square foot. this way you eliminate the 18hr veg period (an extra 6 hours of light per day) and decrease time between harvests. as for the grow room...
1. cfl's aren't really an option. most of us know that HID's produce more usable light per watt than the visibly brighter fluorescents. many of us also know that the HID HPS/MH lamps use more light than we're led to believe. (600w really uses around 650w, right?) i think the best route to go is a digital ballast HPS. it uses a little less power and produces a little more light than cheaper magnetic ballasts. the lumatek digital ballast really isnt that expensive anyway.
2. how about light movers? i've never used one, but i hear some good things. i might go ahead and try out one in the future. does anyone have any input on these?
3. go hydro/aero. though these methods use a little more power, they're worth the bigger, faster yields. the only thing i dont really like about aeroponic setups is that most water pumps use a good amount of electricity. decent sized air pumps for a hydro system use less than 20w.
4. use reflective materials on the walls. make them as flat as possible. either mylar or white paint.
5. use a cooltube. you're going to have to ventilate anyway, so might as well go with the cooltube. you'll be able to bring your lamps closer to your plants without burning them, making better use of your light.
6. save power throughout the apartment. unplug appliances even if turned off, switch to cfl's, turn off the computer unless it has automatic standby mode, don't use the AC if possible. turn off lights etc.
i know there are some other tricks and gimmicks out there. i'm pretty new to the game, and everything i say should be taken with a grain of salt. with that said, would anyone care to modify or add to this list???? i know i'm not the only guy in this situation.