Here are some pics of the light i just built. I plan on adding some angle reflectors on the sides to keep a cleaner cut on the light/shadow line, but from there, does anyone think its worth it to work parabolic reflectors into/between the lights? I feel this is mostly a gimic, but i could probably pull it off it it makes a difference. Does it? 6 lamps packed in the 12 inches retail lights use 4 lamps to cover and all for like 70 bucks! Comments? Ideas or advice for improvements? (aside from using an actual camera for pics)
I admire your ambition but for double the price you get a 5 year warranty and you dont have to put forth any labor to build it Nice work though!
Here is the lamp. Hydrofarms 6 lamp 4ft T5. Envirogro FLT46 Commercial T5 4FT/6 Tube Fixture - Bulbs Included
Check these links, Overdriving Fluorescent Lights http://forum.grasscity.com/lighting/967355-test-overdriving-48-t8-tubes-2x-more-light-output.html tb
A bit more than double and does that include shipping??... Also the reason for the build, more than cost consideration, was to get the 6 bulbs into a one foot width. that light is 19.5 inches. I can't find any retail lights with 6 packed into the space for 4. intensity makes a big difference for early veg when your plants are small to pack that light on their surface area. I had considered over driving a 4 lamp ballast too, but it ends up being about the same output with 4 two lamp ballasts running 4 lights as 3 two lamp ballasts running 6 lights over the same area with 100 less watts and cooler temps this way... If I had known I could do the same using 3 four bulb ballasts likethe first link there said, I probably would have gone that route and just overdriven all 6 of these... Save that for the next one! Overdriving would also be super useful for turning cheap and very available t8 setups into something viable for full term growth machines. Imagine the possibilities with 2 dollar bulbs and 5 dollar ballasts lol..
I would never build a light like this, but I do use a T5. OP, great fucking job man! Really cool you built that.
Thanks! yea I mean it took like 5 hours so its not the most cost effective thing ever if you count Labor... But I enjoyed it kinda and like I said, as far as I can find, they don't make them to this spec. You sayin you wouldn't build one cus they are cheap enough already like?
Zip, I gave it a shot, just to see how it worked. I ended up with 2, two bulb 48' t8 fixtures with double the output (really close) for $38. These fixtures handle my clones and rooted transplnts with no problems. You are right in taking pride in something you did for yourself. hth tb
Yea thats awesome... thats def the right place to apply the overdriving cus t8 gear is so cheap, so who cares about bulb life... basically makes it f54t5 strength with 60 watts. pretty damn cool.
Way back in the '70's, it was the common way to build a vegging light, strapping T12's to a sheet of ply, Hell! I still got my somewheres...lol I painted mine flat white to improve reflectivity, however my protégées nagged and nagged to put in some reflectors, I never did, as then reflectors were the cardboard tube sleeves that the tubes are shipped in, I thought a fire risk ..just roll them out to a gutter shape and staple behind the tube....YEAH! right, screw that I thought. What I did do to improve reflectivity was paint the top curve of the flouro tube flat white, they use to do this in the factory back in the '40's (WW2) due to lack of mercury. On your system I can recommend a 4" pc fan inserted to the center of the unit to pull all that stale hot air that builds up underneath, plants will love you for it. peace "V"
Yes... got this guy from best buy and ordered correct volt/amp dc adapter from ebay. pretty much ready to install. I dont want to have to plug it in though so i think im just going to crack the case on the adapter and splice it into the main power. I see no harm in it running constant. BTW man you ever mess around with overdriving tubes? Seems pretty straight forward, so i wondered why you dont see more of it with cheap t8 junk. OH and painting the tops of the tube white is fucking genius!! Never occured to me to just reflect it internally.
Dude! you've made my day....I've been carrying that data and sh!tloads more in my head for 30+ years....lol as for supersizing ballasts true I nagged the guy for a clip on how to do it, and very thankful I am, just don't know why the guys in the '70's never thought of that?...grin! I continue to use T8's for clones, but need to move to T5's as per you post on making a T5 rack....cool peace "V"
Yea i guess with T5 in existence, I might as well just stick with those, but there is like no doubt in my mind im gonna build a monster with 4 ballasts per tube when i scrounge enough T8 garbage. <--- shit is everywhere if you work in construction.