incandescent light bulb questions...why so many haters?

tadamofo

Active Member
ok so i was looking for my last 42w cfls that i bought and stashed away last week and i found an old pack of 75w incandescent bulbs.

i was curious and looked on the box and saw that they give off 1100+ lumens in 2700k which got me wonder why everyone hates incandescent so much. sure they are less efficient but i don't see why they could not be used to grow?

btw i put two of the 75w bulbs in for now for extra lighting for my seedlings until i find my cfls that i hid somewhere.

but anyway why do people hate on incandescent so much?
 

Oneton

Well-Known Member
"but anyway why do people hate on incandescent so much"

you cant grow weeds with them ?
 

Lil Czr

Well-Known Member
Incandescent lighting doesn't put out light in the spectrum that your plants can use.

People don't hate them, they just aren't good for growing.

If you try growing with them, you'll see soon enough.
 

tadamofo

Active Member
why not if you need 3000 lumen minimum for every square foot i could use 3 75w incandescent bulbs to grow one plant.

(im not going to do this, im just talking in theory here, i already have my cfl lighting situation set up)
 

NLXSK1

Well-Known Member
why not if you need 3000 lumen minimum for every square foot i could use 3 75w incandescent bulbs to grow one plant.

(im not going to do this, im just talking in theory here, i already have my cfl lighting situation set up)
Lil Czr already told you it is the wrong light spectrum. Instead of arguing maybe you should learn a little something about light and how it affects plants. There are several good stickied threads on the subject in these forums.
 

Oneton

Well-Known Member
doesnt work m8
the lumens diminish by half every foot away from the bulb
and is it not something like 10,000 lumens per square foot needed?
dont know. but i do know incandesant bulbs aint any good for bud
 

Lil Czr

Well-Known Member
why not if you need 3000 lumen minimum for every square foot i could use 3 75w incandescent bulbs to grow one plant.

(im not going to do this, im just talking in theory here, i already have my cfl lighting situation set up)
It's not the lumens that's your problem.

It's the spectrum of light that comes from light bulbs that is not useable to plants.

A little research will tell you everything that you need to know.
 

cowboylogic

Well-Known Member
Lumens do not add up!!!! 3x1100 lumens=1100 lumens When will everyone get this thru thier heads? Lumens mean dick, its the PAR rating that matters.
 

tadamofo

Active Member
im not trying to argue im trying to learn and i did research but every thread i read was just people saying "incandescents suck" but not explaining why, but now i have more info as lil crz said its not the right spectrum
thank you for giving me more of a reason rather than just bashing on them.

however the bulbs say the are in the 2700k light spectrum so that is good for flower an usable for veg(as i am using 2700k cfls to veg now and they are doing great) so how could they be in the wrong spectrum if it clearly says 2700k on the box.

AGAIN im not trying to argue, just to learn.
 

Oneton

Well-Known Member
if u shined a shiney torch on a wall u see a bright circle
if u shined another shiney torch beside it you have 2 bright circles
if u shine both shiney torches in the same place u would have a brighter circle than either of the other 2
brighter = more lumens
so i think they do add up
 

cowboylogic

Well-Known Member
lumens do add up ?
Only in your world my friend. In the real world lumens do not add up. 2-600 watt hps putting out 90,000 lumens each still only equal 90,000 lumens. You just get more and better coverage with those 90,000 lumens.
 

NLXSK1

Well-Known Member
This can easily be disproven if you own a light meter.

A 1000 W light will put out a certain amount of lumens. 2 1000 W lights will put out double the lumens BUT NOT DOUBLE THE INTENSITY.

Seriously, this conversation has happened thousands of times on these forums. This is not a new idea.
 

tadamofo

Active Member
Only in your world my friend. In the real world lumens do not add up. 2-600 watt hps putting out 90,000 lumens each still only equal 90,000 lumens. You just get more and better coverage with those 90,000 lumens.
thats bullshit because if that were true then every body who grow with 23w and 42w cfls would be shit outta luck because those both give off less than 3000 lumen a piece, yet people use multiple 23w cfls and are successful.

so either the 3000 lumen minimum is bullshits or lumens add up.(at least they add up in some weird way, maybe not like directly add up but in some way)
 

tadamofo

Active Member
This can easily be disproven if you own a light meter.

A 1000 W light will put out a certain amount of lumens. 2 1000 W lights will put out double the lumens BUT NOT DOUBLE THE INTENSITY.

Seriously, this conversation has happened thousands of times on these forums. This is not a new idea.
what do u mean by intesity, just curious.(im a grow noob,at least to MJ, so im trying to learn as much as possible as i go along)
 

NLXSK1

Well-Known Member
what do u mean by intesity, just curious.(im a grow noob,at least to MJ, so im trying to learn as much as possible as i go along)
The power of the energy. A 1000W light is putting out over 100,000 lumens at its source. That is intensity. Now, as you increase distance your intensity drops by 1/2 per 1'. So at 1' your intensity is 50,000 lumens. At 2' you intensity is 25,000 lumens and at 3' your intensity is at 12,500 lumens.

Now, take a bulb that has 1100 lumens. At 1' you have 550 lumens. At 2' you have 275 lumens and at 3' you have 137 lumens.

Now take 2 bulbs at 1100 lumens. If they are on either side of the plant the plant is getting more lumens but not more intensity of light. The light simply does not penetrate as far with smaller bulbs and it does not add up. You could put 10 bulbs at 1100 lumens and 1' away your meter would still read only 550 lumens.
 

cowboylogic

Well-Known Member
thats bullshit because if that were true then every body who grow with 23w and 42w cfls would be shit outta luck because those both give off less than 3000 lumen a piece, yet people use multiple 23w cfls and are successful.

so either the 3000 lumen minimum is bullshits or lumens add up.(at least they add up in some weird way, maybe not like directly add up but in some way)
Do you think they put all 3 bulbs in the same place or spread them around the plant?
 

cowboylogic

Well-Known Member
The power of the energy. A 1000W light is putting out over 100,000 lumens at its source. That is intensity. Now, as you increase distance your intensity drops by 1/2 per 1'. So at 1' your intensity is 50,000 lumens. At 2' you intensity is 25,000 lumens and at 3' your intensity is at 12,500 lumens.

Now, take a bulb that has 1100 lumens. At 1' you have 550 lumens. At 2' you have 275 lumens and at 3' you have 137 lumens.

Now take 2 bulbs at 1100 lumens. If they are on either side of the plant the plant is getting more lumens but not more intensity of light. The light simply does not penetrate as far with smaller bulbs and it does not add up. You could put 10 bulbs at 1100 lumens and 1' away your meter would still read only 550 lumens.
Thank you. Still some sanity around here. lol
 
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