Anybody got CFL and HID working together? Advice needed.

Right, Im ordering things for my grow-room now, so far I have bought a 600 watt ballast and a Magnum XXXL reflector.
My grow-room size has changed since my last post, now it is H:9 feet, W:5 feet and L:3 feet. Im going to use MH for veg and HPS for blooming, I decided to leave the dual spectrum bulbs, Im not hearing enough good things about them.
Anyway, I was just flicking through my Hydroponics retailers website and seen some 250 watt self-ballasting CFL's,, they have them in the blue spectrum for vegging and red for flowering.
Now I'm thinking put one each of these either side (with reflector) of the HID or lower down attached to the grow-room walls so they are vertical, so to give the sides and corners some much needed extra light. Im gonna stack my room full of ladies anyway, and the CFL's give of hardly any heat, so it doesn't really matter how close the girls are to them.
The total extra cost for 2x CFL reflectors, 2x Self-ballasting CFL bulbs (blue spectrum) and 2x Self-ballasting CFL bulbs (red spectrum) is only £250 ($350).
So with my 600 watt HID and 500 watts of CFL's, that 1100 watts of light spread fairly evenly and it might have the added advantage of using two different types of light source, but I dont know because this is my first ever grow, and I want it to be as good as it can be.
Has anybody tried this or is doing it? In theory I reckon it sounds pretty good! But what does a newb like me know!!!

Opinions, facts and advice are all most welcome....

Thank you my friends.

You can use the CFL's alongside your 600w if you choose to but IMO why run 500w of CFL when you could just get another 600w ? i think those CFLS put out around 10,000 lumens each so 20,000 lumens for 500w of CFLS.


OR


another 600w with 90,000 lumens for an extra 100watts of electricity.


Its a no brainer really. I know which i would choose.



J

Thanks for the reply jondamon, much appreciated.

Yeah I see what your saying, I think I'm just seduced by the fact that I can place the CFL's anywhere, on the sides or lower so they can get to the middle or bottom leaves without the heat issue. And my grow-room is very small, so 2x 600 watt HID seems a touch mental.
And I've already got 1 Magnum XXXL, imagine 2 in that small space, they would be touching each-other !!
But yeah, 20,000 versus 90,000, ouch!! I see............

Had a great time looking at your new grow-room pics BTW mate, Me Jealous............Never!

LeonJer said:

Thanks for the reply jondamon, much appreciated.

Yeah I see what your saying, I think I'm just seduced by the fact that I can place the CFL's anywhere, on the sides or lower so they can get to the middle or bottom leaves without the heat issue. And my grow-room is very small, so 2x 600 watt HID seems a touch mental.
And I've already got 1 Magnum XXXL, imagine 2 in that small space, they would be touching each-other !!
But yeah, 20,000 versus 90,000, ouch!! I see............

Had a great time looking at your new grow-room pics BTW mate, Me Jealous............Never!

Click to expand...

My journal using that closet is the link in my signature.



I wouldnt worry about side lighting for now, and those CFLS can put out some heat i use a blue 200w in my mother box they can also burn leaves if too close. Just try and keep your plants within the 4x4 footprint and you're golden.




J

Also your 600w will have light penetration of around 3ft.


J

Ok cool, thanks J,

Im looking for high yield as well as potency, but if I had to choose though, yield is more important. What about 2 x 250 watt cooltubes either side of the XXXL? Just to get light into the sides and corners?
Or do you think the 600 watt HID is enough?

Cheers mate.

The cooltubes/coolshades, come with dual spectrum bulbs BTW.

I use dual spec's .

But more to the point you only have 5x3 floor area so 600w is ample, IMO i would use a 4x3 floor space right under your magnum that way you have enough room to play tetris with the pots come time to water etc otherwise it means taking them all out to get to the 1 at the back for example .


My closet is 3.5ftX7ftX8ft i only use around 2.5X2.5 of floor space ,




J

Ok cool thanks. Anything to add on the dual spectrum bulbs mate? Im still torn on whether to go MH/HPS or Dual, have you ever done any tests?

Cheers.

LeonJer said:

Ok cool thanks. Anything to add on the dual spectrum bulbs mate? Im still torn on whether to go MH/HPS or Dual, have you ever done any tests?

Cheers.

Click to expand...

i initially used the dual spec's when i started then changed to another brand hps lamp without the dual spec now ive switched back , i personally love them, however next run i do plan on using a 400w MH in my digital ballast for the 2week stretch period to keep stretch minimised.




J