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Lumen Ratings

Discussion in 'Growing Marijuana Indoors' started by KamelRedLight, Jun 25, 2006.

  1. #1 KamelRedLight, Jun 25, 2006
    Lumen ratings are measured at 1 foot...correct? And as you get farther from the light, lumens decrease...and obviously if you get closer to the light it increases. So...has anyone else thought about since you get fluoro's 1/3 of the distance to the plants, you'd be getting many times the lumens on the package? So in theory...they'd be more efficent to grow with than HID. Am I on to something here or did I miss something?
     
  2. #2 RedBunz24, Jun 25, 2006
    I believe your right. I think the reason people are put off by using CFL's is that the people that have tried them hold them so far away from their plants like they would with HID and they get crappy results. With CFL's you can drop them right down to the tops as long as they don't touch the plant.
     
  3. #3 toastybiz, Jun 26, 2006
    A CFL will give more light when it is inches from the plant than when it is farther away. And a CFL can deliver very good light when that close. But since that light intensity drops off fast, you don't always get good light coverage as you move away from the spot where the CFL is near. So, if you put CFLs at the top you won't get good light penetration on secondary bud sites. HID lighting, on the other hand, starts off with much more intense light that penetrates better.

    If you surround the plant with CFLs high and low then it should get good strong light in all places it can use it.
     
  4. #4 Mr. Muffin, Jun 26, 2006
    couldnt u put plexiglass between ur hid lamp and ur plants to be able toget them closer, wouldnt the plexi block some of the heat...
     
  5. #5 KamelRedLight, Jun 26, 2006
    I see what you mean about penetration toasty, since one HPS can light up a whole small garden. But for small time closet growers like myself, all that intense light just seems wasted if I only have 1 or 2 plants. Even a 150w system, since instead of the light shining from 1 point, 4 cfls can be used with less combined power, being put much closer to the plant, lighting it all over. Just trying to strike a blow in the name of CFL's, cuz it's what I chose for my first grow, and people still laugh at them, dispite many successful operations.
     

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