For All The CFL Non-Believers ! AK48 With 85W ONLY !

Widow Maker

Well-Known Member
Yeah its kinda neat. That was a few years ago. I have really improved since then. I work at the local hydro shop for fun now days.

But just to back you up some... The guy with 1000w of cfls prolly didnt read the book. What you did can easily be expected.
 

bigdaddy86

Active Member
By hard to take in, do you mean hard to believe ? It's ok you are free to think that my grow is false.
But what would be my interest ? It's not like I have a CFL bulbs company that I am trying to promote lol. I am still a beginner.

I did not use many CFLs, it's just a single 85W bulb that I can plug on a regular socket. The guy at the headshop told me it was better (especially with a reflector).
no i believe you.it hard to take in cause mine did so shitty but i made some agistments so it should be better this time
 

maturesmoker

Active Member
Sometimes, more can be less :-)

There's MUCH more to growing a healthy plant than just banging tons of lights over it, that for sure. And whats so wrong with 'air buds'? They still get you smashed, and I speak from over 32 years experience of smoking MJ and 14 years of growing it, including much of that looser/leafier bud (as I prefer to describe it) grown outdoors. Just natures way.

I like experimentation, its the only way we learn anything!
 
The reflector doesn't make much difference in the light output, esp.. the way they are usually put way up inside. I the bulb is 2 in below a reflector that wraps around it there is no way for the light to escape to your foliage. Take a good look at your system and imagine light bouncing around in there. These large CFLs are actually much more effective if hung vertically as though the cord were hung from the ceiling.
 

rocksteady6

Well-Known Member
The reflector doesn't make much difference in the light output, esp.. the way they are usually put way up inside. I the bulb is 2 in below a reflector that wraps around it there is no way for the light to escape to your foliage. Take a good look at your system and imagine light bouncing around in there. These large CFLs are actually much more effective if hung vertically as though the cord were hung from the ceiling.
I think this is a rubbish comment for your first post dippy. This bloke/woman obviously has treated his plant well and used minimum light and my hat goes off to you. They look like delicious buds. I am trying a plant under a 125w and maybe a couple of small ones on the side and i have read a lot about CFL growing. I would say that 99% of people think hanging it horizontal is more effective.
 
I happen to disagree with you, firstly every time light bounces off the reflector you lose at least 5%, then if the angle of the reflected light is such that it hits the glass of the bulb again it is also lost, this effect is call restrike (they give a good description here http://www.ahsupply.com/36-55w.htm ). So if the reflector were parabolic it wouldn't waste as much light. However, since the bulb is circular (half of each glass tube is facing the center) a great deal of the light is lost to restrike within the bulb itself. Think about it, if each of those glass 'u's on the bulb were separated with their own reflector (even a crappy one) you would get a lot more usable light for the wattage! Enter PL aka. PC (in the US) fluorescent lamps, which are basically just that. Another added benefit of having them separate is just that you get light from more angles.
 

BongFiend420

Active Member
What's up RIU Community ?

It's been a while since my last thread.
I just opened this new one to make a point, since I registered on this website I read a lot of posts from many many members who doubt and do not believe that a CFL could give a decent result of weed :evil: (yield and potency).

My last grow started mid-October and finished end of January, I got some AK48 seeds from Nirvana that I planted. Here are the main conditions :

- Planted in a soil/coco mix.
- I only used a 85W CFL and a reflector.
- NO NUTES from the beginning to the end.
- Small closet during the veg time (the temp was a pain in the ass).
- Cut early when the trichomes were getting cloudy (so it wouldn't be too much of a indica smoke).

I did not have the opportunity to take pictures during the whole process because it was hidden in a small closet the 2 first months and I gave it to a friend for the last weeks because I had to travel (his first grow but as you can see he took care of it like a regular).

Anyway, that was just the demonstration that I wanted to do, I got a 250W HPS too but it is waaaaaaaay too hot to use in a small room.

Comments ? Questions ? Don't hesitate ! :mrgreen:

PEACE OUT ! :joint:
I wanna see a pic of the bulb flowering the plant. That looks like its more than a 85w CFL. I have a 125w CFL and it aint that bright that looks like a MH
 

rocksteady6

Well-Known Member
I happen to disagree with you, firstly every time light bounces off the reflector you lose at least 5%, then if the angle of the reflected light is such that it hits the glass of the bulb again it is also lost, this effect is call restrike (they give a good description here http://www.ahsupply.com/36-55w.htm ). So if the reflector were parabolic it wouldn't waste as much light. However, since the bulb is circular (half of each glass tube is facing the center) a great deal of the light is lost to restrike within the bulb itself. Think about it, if each of those glass 'u's on the bulb were separated with their own reflector (even a crappy one) you would get a lot more usable light for the wattage! Enter PL aka. PC (in the US) fluorescent lamps, which are basically just that. Another added benefit of having them separate is just that you get light from more angles.
I dont want to turn this guys very impressive grow into an arguement. But....Firstly why would anyone make a thread about growing with CFL's if he was actually using a HID light. Its a healthy plant regardless and would get appreciation. To the poster above i never mentioned reflectors. I have one and agree it may not be that beneficial. If you read what most people suggest and even what light meters have proven is that CFL's give out most of their light through the sides. The tips dont give out as much light and therefore to hang it effectively and to give a plant the light needed for photosynthesis through the leaves would mean spreading the light and this will occur horizontally. Sure vertically will still work but a lot of wasted light is not getting to the fan leaves that need it. The only way i can see hanging vertically as useful is if you are growing one single cola and you have 4 vertical lights at 90degree angles around. Correct me if i am wrong.
 

BlackBuddha

Well-Known Member
Thank you all for your comments, this thread was kinda important for me because of all the bullsh*t I heard about CFLs on RIU.
Glad to see some kind of debate around it LOL.


There's MUCH more to growing a healthy plant than just banging tons of lights over it, that for sure. And whats so wrong with 'air buds'? They still get you smashed, and I speak from over 32 years experience of smoking MJ and 14 years of growing it, including much of that looser/leafier bud (as I prefer to describe it) grown outdoors. Just natures way.

I like experimentation, its the only way we learn anything!
Thanks for your comment, I totally agree with you. My plant didn’t evolve so well just because of the light but also its environment.

The reflector doesn't make much difference in the light output, esp.. the way they are usually put way up inside. I the bulb is 2 in below a reflector that wraps around it there is no way for the light to escape to your foliage. Take a good look at your system and imagine light bouncing around in there. These large CFLs are actually much more effective if hung vertically as though the cord were hung from the ceiling.
I am not really going to argue too much about this since it was just an experiment which happened to turn very well.
For my previous grow (Purple Widow), I actually put the bulb vertically… Check my profile, it wasn’t that great.
I was just happy to make my first MJ plant, it gave me only 14grams and it had better conditions than this AK48…
(Of course the strain was different but still, I plan to make another Purple Widow in a few months with an horizontal bulb. We'll get the result by then.)

I wanna see a pic of the bulb flowering the plant. That looks like its more than a 85w CFL. I have a 125w CFL and it aint that bright that looks like a MH
I do not have a live picture from my bulb because it is still at my friend’s house with the rest of the equipment but here is a picture from the store where I bought it.

I definitely remember what I buy man, you have to notice that the picture was taken when the light in the bedroom was off…
And no, this is not a MH, I used the same one from the beginning to the end.
My Bulb = CFL 85W SUPERPLANT 6900K BLUE (veg) E27.
(CHECK OUT THE PICTURE)


:leaf: ++ :leaf:
 

Attachments

BlackBuddha

Well-Known Member
I have regular 23 watt CFL's.

Should I hang those horizontal as well for vegging my plants for an outdoor grow?
You should just keep them above the plant with a reflector to get as many lumens as possible on the plant.
If it's already tall, try to add some more CFL for the lower part of the plant.
 

Shrubs First

Well-Known Member
I think this is a rubbish comment for your first post dippy. This bloke/woman obviously has treated his plant well and used minimum light and my hat goes off to you. They look like delicious buds. I am trying a plant under a 125w and maybe a couple of small ones on the side and i have read a lot about CFL growing. I would say that 99% of people think hanging it horizontal is more effective.
not for this kind of light man. HID maybe, but not for these CFL's.
 

Shrubs First

Well-Known Member
The color rendering in those pics is not of the 6900K bulb.

It is much too yellow, 6900 Kelvin is so blue... there is NO red
or orange. Your pics are WAY too yellow/orange for that
bulb.

I'd have to say you used your 250W HPS you spoke about in the
beginning.. I'm not saying this is not possible. But you attribute
your plants success to your "environment" which on the first page
you said that temps were out of control. Which means your environment
wasn't all that. Let me show you what a pic of plants look like under ONLY
6400 Kelvin flouresscent bulbs look like...(which by the way wouldnt be as
blue as you claim your bulb to be)



That is how blue your pics would be under the claimed bulb spectrum.... And that was
with a SHITTY ass camera so you can't blame your photoquality cuz your pics are
better....

Honestly your making me doubt CFL's even more.
 

BlackBuddha

Well-Known Member
The color rendering in those pics is not of the 6900K bulb.

It is much too yellow, 6900 Kelvin is so blue... there is NO red
or orange. Your pics are WAY too yellow/orange for that
bulb.

I'd have to say you used your 250W HPS you spoke about in the
beginning.. I'm not saying this is not possible. But you attribute
your plants success to your "environment" which on the first page
you said that temps were out of control. Which means your environment
wasn't all that. Let me show you what a pic of plants look like under ONLY
6400 Kelvin flouresscent bulbs look like...(which by the way wouldnt be as
blue as you claim your bulb to be)

That is how blue your pics would be under the claimed bulb spectrum.... And that was
with a SHITTY ass camera so you can't blame your photoquality cuz your pics are
better....

Honestly your making me doubt CFL's even more.
Wow, now I have a member with about 800 posts who calls me a liar.....

Ok, let's reply to you point by point :

- My 85W CFL bulb is showing yellow light, I don't even know the difference with blue, red, orange or whatever for any bulb. This is only my 2nd grow.

- My 250 HPS has been in its box for a while now, I only used it once for my first grow but I couldn't continue with it because it was producing too much heat and it was not possible to use it for a stealth grow.
PLUS, I would have to plug it with the ballast which is a pain the ass to me.
By the way, do you really think that I would put a 250W HPS so close to the plant without it dying ??

- I attribute the success to its environment because if you read the whole thing, I said that I started the plant in a small space in my room (my desk actually) and I had problems with the heat. THEN, I moved it to my friend's house where the plant had a closet to itself (and some clothes as you can see on the picture) for the flowering phase. The plant got bigger everyday and the buds have been swelling rapidly, so I am pretty sure that the plant truely enjoyed that.

- I took the description of the bulb from the store's website where I bought it. If you want me to take a picture with mine, no problem, just ask I'll do it before the weekend. I just gotta go to my friend's apartment to get it.

I knew that I would meet people who wouldn't agree with the thread and the facts that I have given.
Please don't try not to demonstrate something that you got wrong man. If you have more "theories", just let me know and I'll answer it.

Keep doubting CFLs at the end of the day the result is on this thread.

++:leaf:
 

High Time 420

Well-Known Member
Wow, now I have a member with about 800 posts who calls me a liar.....

Ok, let's reply to you point by point :

- My 85W CFL bulb is showing yellow light, I don't even know the difference with blue, red, orange or whatever for any bulb. This is only my 2nd grow.

- My 250 HPS has been in its box for a while now, I only used it once for my first grow but I couldn't continue with it because it was producing too much heat and it was not possible to use it for a stealth grow.
PLUS, I would have to plug it with the ballast which is a pain the ass to me.
By the way, do you really think that I would put a 250W HPS so close to the plant without it dying ??

- I attribute the success to its environment because if you read the whole thing, I said that I started the plant in a small space in my room (my desk actually) and I had problems with the heat. THEN, I moved it to my friend's house where the plant had a closet to itself (and some clothes as you can see on the picture) for the flowering phase. The plant got bigger everyday and the buds have been swelling rapidly, so I am pretty sure that the plant truely enjoyed that.

- I took the description of the bulb from the store's website where I bought it. If you want me to take a picture with mine, no problem, just ask I'll do it before the weekend. I just gotta go to my friend's apartment to get it.

I knew that I would meet people who wouldn't agree with the thread and the facts that I have given.
Please don't try not to demonstrate something that you got wrong man. If you have more "theories", just let me know and I'll answer it.

Keep doubting CFLs at the end of the day the result is on this thread.

++:leaf:

Great grow dude, it looks very good for just an 85w bulb.

peace
 
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