Osho's "Lighting" Compilation

This thread is a compilation of information from outside sources that I have interpreted and re-written to help you better understands what lights to use, how to use them, and how they work. Since each light must offer a specific spectrum and lumen count to begin and maintain photosynthesis within your plant, you will need to understand what that spectrum is, and what lights offer that spectrum. The best light type to use is a hotly debated topic and each individualist is entitled to their own opinion. Consider this a quick reference in addition to a scientific guide. Clearly there are many processes at work when it comes to indoor horticulture; this article will better help you understand the fundamentals of light required in order to sprout, vegetate, and flower your plants.

Remember that using reflective material such as Mylar will help to preserve your lights effectiveness for photosynthesis, as light loses its intensity rapidly when traveling over a fairly small distance.

Introduction:

The average household incandescent bulb can only output about 15 lumens per watt, by using electricity to heat up a metal filament to the point that it glows, thus producing light. The higher the lumens, the stronger the light spectrum will be, but will not necessarily deliver the specific colors a plant requires to begin photosynthesis. For lamps to help plants photosynthesize, they must deliver high amounts of blue and red spectrum.

Example

The most common used lights are HID (High Intensity Discharge), which when used in horticulture are primarily Metal Halide, or High Pressure Sodium. HID lamps provide light from an electric discharge that only a ballast can produce. Without a ballast but rather a direct feed from your household power source, the lamp would explode due to excessive current.

The Ballast:

In Simple:

A ballast takes the current from your AC (household current or alternating current) and powers a mechanism inside called an inductor. An inductor creates a magnetic field which is beneficial to equipment that require a stabilized current when it is likely to rise. HID lamps run on gasses that are locked inside the lamps arc tube, then surrounded by a layer of sealed glass. When power goes into the lamp, it creates an electron charge that continues to amplify, and draws more current by sending it back. To reverse the currents change, or at least slow it down, the ballast’s electromagnetic field (produced by the inductor) increases, which slows down the current being sent to the bulb. This process is called electromagnetic resistance. So think of your ballast as a resistor, a machine to slow down and balance current to your bulb. Without a ballast and a direct power connection from your home, the bulb would explode due to overdraw of current. Each lamp type requires a specific ballast because each run at a different temperature, and require different currents to create the gas discharge of “light.”

In-Depth:

A ballast provides proper voltage levels that can start and maintain an arc within your lamp. Different ballast types contain different circuitries which deliver a specific wattage pre regulated for specific bulbs. Since there are no universal Ballasts, a ballast that meets the specifications for starting and maintaining an arc for your lamp must be found, otherwise you will damage the ballast, lamp, or both. Electronic ballasts are the newest development in HID Ballasts, while magnetic ballasts were the standard prior to their release and still are used today. Electronic ballasts monitor the lamps characteristics and control its operation through wattage output. If your bulb burns out, the ballast will detect this and automatically stop sending wattage to the bulb to prevent Ballast Burn-Out (excess current to an unused source causing the current to come back).( http://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/Education/wfluor.html)

Gasses cannot conduct electricity the same way as solids do, as the current and resistance is maintained under any temperatures. In a gas discharge (which in this case would be Light), the current causes the resistance to decrease, thus allowing more electricity to the lamp, and if it is not controlled - BOOM.

This process defies Ohm’s law which states that the current flowing to a device is inversely proportional to its electrical resistance (G. S. Ohm - 1827). If the gas has enough electrons to get the current started, it causes ions and electrons to move rapidly, and collide. The collision of these elements causes more electrons to be stripped from the gas, which begin to move rapidly and continue to increase the current. If this is not controlled, the current would continuously increase until one variable gave way, the glass bulb.

The lamps ballast controls this current by creating resistance. A ballast is much like an inductor; coiled wire in a concentric circuit wound around metal creating a magnetic field. This creates a voltage flowing opposite the direction of the current. With more current going back to the ballast, growth of the magnetic field increases, thus decreasing the amount of current going to the bulb.

The current going to the bulb alternates 120 times per second (in the USA, 100 in EU) (Tom Harris). That’s 60 times one way, 60 times the other, in one second! In between each “120 times per second” pulse, the voltage falls to zero, thus extinguishing the gas. A ballast keeps the gas lit. When the zero volt fall comes, stored magnetic energy surges relighting the filament. You cannot see this happen because it’s so fast. Ballasts run at a lower cycle rate, which cause a low frequency vibration, or the known “humming” sound.

If the ballast is electronic, it works differently to achieve the same resistance by using transistors instead of an inductor.

Metal Halide Lamps:

In Simple:

Metal Halide, the growers vegetative choice in lighting, contain the gasses argon (most of the time), mercury, and metal halide. These gasses are contained in the lamps arc tube, which are made of quartz, or ceramic. There are electrodes on the top and bottom of the arc tube, that when powered, send a current through the arc tube. The current to start the lamp must be higher than what it will run at because it must be ionized, or the freeing of electrons from atoms. The ballast for a MH supplies a starting and running voltage, or power, to the lamp that begins and maintains a charge. The arc tube is surrounded by glass that helps to contain a specific temperature, prevent oxidation (or the removal of electrons with oxygen), and stop harmful Ultra-Violate rays from passing through.

In-Depth:

Metal Halide (MH) lamps are primarily used in vegetation because it delivers such a high output of white light and blue spectrum which is essential for photosynthesis in a plants vegetative state. Per watt, a MH can deliver 60 to 110 lumens which are reached within a warm-up time of about 5 minutes. MH’s have a lifespan of about 6,000 to 20,000 hours (if rated under 1000W). The lamps arc tube was primarily quartz until it was replaced with the latest ceramic arc tube technology for lamps rated up to 400W. Ceramic holds its shape, last longer, and can maintain high temperatures for prolonged periods of time much better than quartz. For higher wattages, fused quartz is still used. The arc tube contains argon, mercury, and a mixture of different metal halides or metal halide salts. Argon is the starting gas that requires a higher current to start ionization than the lamp will later run on. Both electrodes on either side of the arc tube supply the starting charge and running current to the gasses inside to free up electrons within the argon, which causes a chain reaction with the other gasses atoms (by separating the electrons and charging them) and keeps them in their excited state. The bulb around the arc tube is usually made out of borosilicate glass to provide optimal thermal levels for the arc tube, and prevent oxidation which removes electrons from the gas reaction. It also filters ultraviolet light (UV) and sometimes is coated in phosphor to help diffuse or change the color of the lamp. Remember that light loses its intensity quickly over a small distance, after about 4’ with a MH, the intensity has already decreased by almost half.

Placement: 12”+ from your plants top for 400w, increasing according to wattage.





High Pressure Sodium Lamps:

In Simple:

High pressure sodium (HPS) lamps are the best HID’s to use for flowering. They produce a wide spectrum of light, and produce a high amount of red, which is the best for flowering. Sodium, Xenon, Mercury, and small amounts of other gasses are contained in the lamps aluminum oxide arc tube, which is best for handling a high amount of chemical activity. Xenon is the starter gas that when charged by the electrode (power source to the gasses in the arc tube) on each side of the arc tube, creates ionization (separation of electrons from atoms) for the mercury and high amounts of pressurized sodium.

In-Depth:

High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lamps are primarily used for flowering, but can be used for vegetation, because it contains a high red and yellow spectrum, in addition to blue, to your plant which mimics the sun during late summer and fall. HPS lamps differ from low pressure sodium lamps because they contain more gasses, and are rated at higher wattages. Low pressure sodium contains less gas particles, which decreases intensity, but are extremely efficient at a 200 lumens per watt. They also do not produce a desirable light spectrum as HPS do. HPS lamps contain high amounts of sodium, which results in greater levels of electron activity producing more light. In addition to sodium, the mercury within creates a wider color spectrum for the lamp The Arc is a translucent aluminum oxide (handles high chemical activity) that contains solid sodium, xenon (starting gas), neon, argon, and a small amount of mercury. Xenon is the ideal gas to start HPS lamps due to it having the lowest heat conductivity and lowest current requirement to begin ionization (ionization potential), and cools fast to allow the lamp to start quickly. Per watt, a HPS delivers about 80 to 140 lumens and warms up in about 4 minutes. HPS lamps have the best lumen stability out of any HID lamp, and provides from 20,000 to 24,000 hours per bulb. This makes it a good investment for the low budget grower because its wide range of effectiveness for both stages of growth. HPS come in 35 to 1000W, 400w for smaller grows increasing with coverage requirements.

Ideally, using more red for the flowering helps the plant produce necessary elements for flowering, and Sodium releases the most yellow and red spectrum of any gas discharge.

Placement: 14”+ from the plants top w/ a 400w HPS. Increase distance according to higher wattage.





Compact Fluorescent Lamps:

In Simple:

Compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) is and effective and cheap method to grow indoors. The bulb itself has a ballast that is built in that can charge the mercury vapor contained within the glass tube. The glass has a phosphor coating on the inside because the mercury discharge is ultraviolet light, which cannot be seen without the coating. The lamp however does not emit a lot of light over distance, to multiple lights will have to be used, at a closer range.

Refer to Kamel’s CFL Guide for more help on methods using CFL lighting.

In-Depth:

Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) are a cheap and effective way to grow for the budget grower. Typically they produce 60-70 Lumens per Watt, which is not that high, which requires the bulb to be placed much closer to the plant than a HID to be effective. A CFL has a gas-filled tube with a ballast built into the bulb. A current flows through mercury vapors emitting UV light, which is transferred into visible light via the tubes phosphor coating. The current operates at a very low temperature which saves on electricity in addition to minimal heat emission. In order to grow properly with CFL’s, you will need to use multiple bulbs to provide enough surrounding light as the intensity is much less than a HID. Most growers use CFL for vegetation and newly cut clones, and some use specific CFL’s that emit enough lumens to flower a plant and produce bud.

Over the years, most growers have found that CFL lighting can be used throughout the growing process, even into flowering. Supplemental light may be added to help with different spectrums, but has proven worthy in the eyes of most growers.

Placement: 3-6 Inches from plant



Fluorescent Lamps:

Fluorescent lamps act similar to CFL’s with the capability to cover a larger amount of area. The tubes are filled with Mercury Vapor and are coated in phosphor the same as a CFL. A filament is heated which excites the mercury vapor, transferred into light by the bulbs phosphor coating. Most fluorescent fixtures contain a ballast to power two lamps which vary in size, which is done by a set of electrodes on either side of the bulb. Proper bulbs are essential when using Fluorescent, which can be cool white with an aquarium grade bulb that provides some pink spectrum. Some people use blue and soft white, which would work quite well. Fluorescent lamps have been advanced through the years, and the newest technology grower’s use is T5 Fluorescent. The Lumen output is greater while using a much smaller diameter bulb. Natural sunlight fluorescent bulbs are the best because the spectrum is made to aid in photosynthesis (white, blue, and red).

Placement: 4-6” from the plants top.




Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamps:

The newest technology when it comes to indoor grows. Many growers are against LED because of its lack of natural light, although yields show different under proper conditions. LED’s work with a diode, that when switched on, allows electrons to combine with holes allowing energy to be emitted in the form of light. This is called electroluminescence. They are very expensive when compared to other light sources, and require a different degree of heat management. Cost of running and lifetime with LED is much greater than the conventional lamp. The color is determined by the semiconductors material and delivered wavelength. They can deliver from 6-62 lumens per Watt which is amazing considering their size. Some LED’s have been reported to deliver over 100 lumens per Watt, which are manufactured for purchase today. Average lifetime is 20,000 to 100,000 hours. They obviously have the highest price tag of any lamp. LED’s used for grows should be specifically made for that purpose, and can be found by most grow suppliers. They have many disadvantages also, such as temperature dependence, initial cost, light pollution, and its area coverage. LED’s do not produce directed or spherical light, but rather a multi-directional output, making them hard to use over a large surface area. Technology has greatly increased with LED’s, and makes Fluorescents in superior in comparison.




Hours of Use:

Vegetation: 18/6 or 24/0 – 18/6 is best for inexperienced growers who do not have a fulfilled understanding of how to run a grow op. 24/0 requires a high amount of attention due the constant rate of photosynthesis (cost of running, things can go wrong easier, faster, and more drastically) while the plants productivity and growth rate is greatly increased.
Flowering: 12/12 is the standard to flower Marijuana. Auto flowering plants need to be researched to determine how to properly grow them, as they are different from ordinarily growing marijuana and vary due to the genetics.

Temperatures:

Each strain requires a specific temperature that will help the plant to grow as intended. Temperatures and air regulation are a key to the success of your grow in addition to nutrients, water, and light. Average temperature during lighting should be maintained at around 76 Degrees F, and at night, around 65 Degrees. Remember that not all plants can handle this temperature rating, as others need hotter or cooler temperatures to properly grow. Too high of temperatures results in the burning off of nutrients and water inside your plant, and your plant cannot replace these elements fast enough to survive. The leaves will burn and crisp, resulting in no source to create photosynthesis. Too low of temperatures will cost the plant to grow slow and shrivel, eventually dying. Too cold of temperatures restrict the amount of nutrient uptake and imbalance your plant internally. Fresh cool air should be made to displace the hot air, while exhausting the hot air that rises through a fan. C02 can be introduced to your plant as an added growth stimulant, but should not be used during the night hours when your light is off and your plant is not feeding. When using C02, make sure you are not exhausting the gas, as it is a slow process to absorb it for your plant. The results in comparison of a C02 used grow and a non-C02 usage is dramatic, as the plant given greater amounts of C02 will yield greater and deliver higher potency.

This should cover the basic principles behind how and what each lamp type does to aid in photosynthesis. From this, you should compare how different grows resulted under each lighting type to give you a basis on what you should or would like to use.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post about them.

Citation:
The Fluorescent Lamp: a plasma you can use

[FONT=&quot]G. S. Ohm (1827). [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Die galvanische Kette, mathematisch bearbeite[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]James William Nilsson and Susan A. Riedel (2008). [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Electric circuits[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]de Groot, J J; van Vliet, J A J M (1986). [/FONT][FONT=&quot]The High-Pressure Sodium Lamp[/FONT][FONT=&quot]. Deventer: Kluwer Technische Bocken BV. ISBN 9789020119022. OCLC 16637733[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_discharge_lamp[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Tom Harris, [/FONT]University of North Carolina. Ballast Balance: How Fluorescent Lamps Work

Lighting Answers: Mid-wattage Metal Halide Lamps (2005). Volume 7 Issue 1

National Lighting Product Information Program (NLPIP). 1996. Specifier Reports: HID Accent Lighting Systems 4(2). Troy, NY: Lighting Research Center.

Rea, M. S., ed. 2000. The IESNA Lighting Handbook: Reference and Application, 9th Edition. New York: Illuminating Engineering Society of North America.

[FONT=&quot]Klipstein, Donald L.. "Light and Lighting Facts and Bits of Data!"[/FONT]. Don's light, lamp and strobe site!. Retrieved on 2007-12-29[FONT=&quot].[/FONT]

U.S. Patent 865367 Fluorescent Electric Lamp

HowStuffWorks - Learn How Everything Works!

[FONT=&quot]Zheludev, N. (2007). "The life and times of the LED — a 100-year history" (PDF). [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Nature Photonics[/FONT][FONT=&quot] 1 (4): 189–192.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Braunstein, Rubin (1955.). ""Radiative Transitions in Semiconductors,"". [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Physical Review[/FONT][FONT=&quot] 99: 1892–3.. doi:[/FONT]10.1103/PhysRev.99.1892. Phys. Rev. 99 (1955): R. Braunstein - Radiative Transitions in Semiconductors[FONT=&quot].[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Zheludev, N. (2007). "The life and times of the LED — a 100-year history" (PDF). [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Nature Photonics[/FONT][FONT=&quot] 1 (4): 189–192. doi:[/FONT]10.1038/nphoton.2007.34. http://www.nanophotonics.org.uk/niz/publications/zheludev-2007-ltl.pdf[FONT=&quot].[/FONT]

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IES Lighting Handbook 1984

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Thanks mate

 

Glad people are reading thus far. If there is any information you are unsure about, or wish to have added or elaborated on, feel free to inquire away.

 

Thanks for your interest, although I'm a bit fuzzy on what you mean by muddying the lighting waters. The purpose of this thread is to be used as a reference and/or an easy interpretable in depth look at each of their sciences. Is that the "mud" your referring to

Organizing the article seems tangible seeing as how it can be read as a reference or source of scientific information. It's a good thought, and I will have to think about how I can separate details from basics, which will allow room for more in-depth descriptions on the scientific spectrum of it, and having a easy reference to know what it is. Thus separating the dirt from the water, while having both. Epiphany's are fun.

Pulse Start Metal Halides are a fairly new technology that I am not acquainted with, and will have to look into, although I did make mention on Ceramic Metal Halides.

" [FONT=&quot]The bulbs arc tube was primarily quartz until they were replaced with the latest ceramic arc tube technology for lamps rated up to 400W."

[/FONT]If you would like me to post some more information on CMH I can do so, but since they are only rated up to 400w, it minimalizes the chance that indoor grow ops will use them. For lower wattage applications, they are very common, and are found 90% of the time in street lamps or photography.

I wanted to post the thread here, as it is directly in reference to what an indoor cultivators would use to grow.
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

 

Bump!

 

Thanks, glad you could find so much to dispute, let me know if you find anything beneficial to you in this thread! Out of curiosity do you have any how to or knowledge friendly threads such as this that I can read?

 

Revised

 

Anyone know how the Hortilux HPS compared in running cost to an ordinary HPS Lamp? I know its not the same. Fellow grower told me it produced much more energy, which makes me wonder if the current levels changed.

 

Hey guys! Going to do some revisions to the thread; working on wattage guides, better accuracy for distancing per lamp and type, spectrum analysis for lamp types, advanced lumen ratings and much more. Please, I appreciate your constructivism and desire to work on some more of your PM'ed suggestions.

 

Bump it u{P

 

Dyin here, anyone have any input?

 

Bump.

 

Good bad or indifferent?

 

Making you guys fall asleep over there?

 

Appreciate that