Mh,hps,cfl - why and how?

relaxing

Member
So its my first grow, atm im using sunlight for growing my plant but im putting them in the shade as the sun here is so hot that my first grows were a fail as they died after 2 weeks from heat im pretty sure, now that my plant has grown abit i put it in the sun to get some more growth.
its been a month since i started looking for what to use as a light and i still cant make up my mind.
i have aproxm 50cmx50cm of grow space indoor and i want to start buying the light since sunlight will finish soon and from what i understand there are certain seasons when cannabis flowers.
so what are the best ways of growing, i was thinking that hps or mh would be good since it generates heat and here in the winter its freezing.
fluor on the other hand are really cheap and require less height, the thing is i think i have enough height for full growth, and for summer i wont need as much cooling ( i can only use a fan )
another thing is the ballast which is needed for the light, i have no idea how to install it and i dont know how my electric bill will be after using the light 18 on 6 off, its a long time for a 250w light to be on and i dont want there to be any fuckups that i cant handle.
so what are the pros and cons of mh/hps/fluor's.
what will get me a decent yield? im not looking for the best of the best, its my first grow and im not looking to go pro and start selling, i want to do this as a hobby, i like to treat these plant and see them grow and i love to smoke them even more.
personal use only
thanks for the help!
how about this dual spectrum cfl
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125w-Dual-Spectrum-CFL-hanger-hydroponics-grow-light-/300747135741?pt=UK_HomeGarden_Garden_PlantsSeedsBulbs_JN&hash=item4605ed1afd#ht_818wt_1398
i was thinking its good also because it comes a hanger and i can hang it anywhere and change height easy to.
i also thought of something like this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CFL-Wing-Reflector-125w-6400k-Lamp-Hydroponics-Light-grow-tent-E27-not-E40-HPS-/200696979625?pt=UK_HomeGarden_Garden_PlantsSeedsBulbs_JN&hash=item2eba78e0a9#ht_4733wt_1166
 

ookami

Member
I think hps would give you the largest yield. That's my conclusion from reading a lot about it. I have only growed with hps. I use a 250W hps in a two-room apartment, and it increases the electric bill with about 25-30%. The economics is no big deal to me when it is in that level. I doubt that the electric company bothers to investigate an increase at that level.

When it comes to install the ballast, the one i'm using, have instructions on itself on how to connect all cords. I have my ballast outside the growing tent. It do get quite warm. Make sure you ground the ballast and the reflector. You would not want anything to get you electricuted, which could happen when you have electrical installations in a wet area. You should also draw the electrical cord from above in the tent, so it does not get in the way while you are watering your plants.
 

relaxing

Member
ok so i think i wont go for the hps or mh, ill stick with cfl's but i still need to plan how i will do it.
i was thinking in the beggining i wont get a reflector but now i think i will get one and a hanger, still not sure of some things though
willa 125wat 6400 blue spectrum cfl be enough for 2-3 plants with a reflector.
im thinking of mylar as well, just not sure where to get it where i live.
 
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