Hi, im new(er) to these forums, and have a few lighting questions. I have read the hps are the best, but how much more will it cost to run than compact floros? I am also wondering how many hps will be needed per plant? At the local store they sell hps seceurity lights, are those the same as the ones people talk about on here or is there a diffrence? Also is there an easy way to hook up lighting that doesnt just plug in like a lamp? Sorry for all the questions, im kinda a noob lol Thanks in advance
Alrighty, in order asked: -Cost of running is all a matter of wattage, if you need a lot of light, HPS's offer the best lumen-per-watt ratio however they're high upfront cost makes compact fluoro's the way to go if you plan on having a small grow or dont need a lot of light. If you want to know how much it will cost you to run a light for comparasion purposes just take the Watts x 24 = watt/hours a day the higher the number the more it will cost you per week/month/year. -Generally if you do decide to go HPS you don't want to have to buy more then one considering the price jump up to a higher wattage is much lower than trying to buy another unit. It all depends on how high you want to grow your plants and how dense they will be packed but I can see a 100w HPS growing about 4 plants full, but don't quote me on that . -Yep, HPS security lights can be used, basically HPS or High Pressure Sodium just describes how the bulb works, but they are sold in all manner of different housings, they will all work though. -By your "that doesnt just plug in like a lamp" I'm thinking you mean in-wall/ceiling lighting? Trust me, I have wired lights before, they are a pain in the ass to wire through a wall. Plugging into a wall socket gives you greater flexibility; ie. timers and/or dimmers if you want. Hope I helped