Thinking about trying T5 HO out!

Hello everyone Just wanted to stop by and ask the experts for some advice!

I'm currently an LED user, and I'm happy with the results my light has given me. I'm new to gardening in general though, and want some first hand experience with the different lights that are available. That being said, I have found a few T5 lights that look good and I think I'm going to order a panel to see how well they preform!

My area is relatively small, and I still plan on using my LED in addition to the T5. The LED will hang above, and the T5 panel will be propped up against the wall to provide light from the side. I'm currently looking at the light found here (http://hydrobuilder.com/commercial-t5-4ft-4-tube-fixture.html), and if it works well ill probably move up to a panel that can hold more bulbs.

My main concern is heat. I started out using LED's for this very reason, and I don't want a lot of trouble. I have no exhaust in my area, it simply shares circulation with the room it is in. I keep a fan on in the grow area to circulate air around, and my home AC is kept around 78 degrees. During the day it can kick up to the low 80s.

Do these bulbs put out a lot of heat compared to a regular HPS/HID lamp? Would my current setup work if I had a oscillating fan that would blow across the panel while it was on? Also, if anyone here has heard anything about it, can FLIR pick up these panels? I would assume not since these lights are similar to office/shop lighting, but I thought id ask.

Thanks, and if anyone has any tips or tricks for anything I didn't ask about please feel free to share! I'm still very green, and am doing my best to learn as I go.

I can't answer all your questions, but I just ordered a t5 as well. I have seen t5 grows, and yes they do put out more heat. May be a problem for me as well. I'm planning on keeping a fan blowing across the light. They say hold your hand under the light to where it's not hot, and that's high high they should be from the plant. I currently use t8 and had some really nice buds. Hope this works even better. I guess I'm like you, we'll see.

CFL does run hot. 60-70 lumens per watt is inefficient compared to other lamps. People associate heat problems with sodium bulbs but that's because it's unusual to see a 1000 watt CFL grow. By the watt CFL is the hottest. Your mileage will depend on how well your setup extracts the heat.

T-5 puts off for little heat. Out of the three you mentioned, it does put off the least.

Incorrect. A 400 watt T5 panel will put off less heat than a 1000W HPS but it's running at less than half the watts. CFL bulbs run 60-70 LPW. a 600 or 1000W HPS runs 130-140 LPW. A decent LED lamp will run at 115-140 LPW. More lumens per watt means less heat per watt.

I'm running two 4bulb 4ft T5 fixtures on my grow and haven't had any heat troubles. Just keep a fan blowing across the units as well to disperse the heat. And for FLIR, it wouldn't be near hot enough to make a valid signature. They are looking for HOT houses, and honestly, people with reef aquariums often run quite a few T5s so it can penetrate the water. Those aquarium guys know quite a bit about lighting, read some of their forums as well.