Can you grow with cold cathode computer lighting?
- Thread starter ScrubNinja
- Start date
Haha, man. Wow. Been giggling to myself for 10 minutes now! 
You're out there, bro...mad props!
Edit: Oh yeah, so the biggest gap behind a bulb is 40 to 45mm...about 1 and 3/4 inch. Think that's enough? I could angle them more and get more space.
I worked out I'll have ~5 litres of coco in the bottom.
The cab size, not including the coco, is a jiffy under 1 cubic foot. I thought the square footage was .6 sq ft, but that must have been for the old bucket. I rechecked and I have .7 sq ft.
I worked out the rough numbers as done for large cabs, and I think I needed 1.5cfm actual flow through the filter. Shouldn't be hard.
You're out there, bro...mad props!Edit: Oh yeah, so the biggest gap behind a bulb is 40 to 45mm...about 1 and 3/4 inch. Think that's enough? I could angle them more and get more space.
I worked out I'll have ~5 litres of coco in the bottom.
The cab size, not including the coco, is a jiffy under 1 cubic foot. I thought the square footage was .6 sq ft, but that must have been for the old bucket. I rechecked and I have .7 sq ft.
I worked out the rough numbers as done for large cabs, and I think I needed 1.5cfm actual flow through the filter. Shouldn't be hard.
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If anyone has any thoughts on the gap, much appreciated. Here is the exhaust fan, I'm hoping it will give me my 1.5cfm, lol. I think it does 20 at max, and not too loud. I'm hoping I can have it on minimum speed (pretty much silent) but I doubt it. It also has a thermostat feature which would be great to utilize here, but the bulbs simply don't get hot enough.
It's a very "chunky" fan as you can see
I think this may just work! The intake foam is more restrictive (and better blocking light) than aquarium foam, but I went overboard on intake holes. Exhaust size of that fan is 37.5 sq cm. My intakes equal approx 115 sq cm. That's 3x. I should have it all sealed up tomorrow and can judge if it'll work.
Edit: actually I have to give the fan a few coats of paint and it's slow drying!
It's a very "chunky" fan as you can see
I think this may just work! The intake foam is more restrictive (and better blocking light) than aquarium foam, but I went overboard on intake holes. Exhaust size of that fan is 37.5 sq cm. My intakes equal approx 115 sq cm. That's 3x. I should have it all sealed up tomorrow and can judge if it'll work. Edit: actually I have to give the fan a few coats of paint and it's slow drying!
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apples
Active member
man I'm so interested in this I have an old PC power supply sitting around and a bunch of molex cables.
Now these may be stupid questions but please bear with me...
The PC power supply will work without a power button? I know it sounds stupid but I just feel like it doesnt output unless you push that button on the pc. Am I wrong or is there some kind of bypass.
Also wont the power supply still be sucking power even though its only powering 30ish watts?
Please excuse my lack of knowledge.
Now these may be stupid questions but please bear with me...
The PC power supply will work without a power button? I know it sounds stupid but I just feel like it doesnt output unless you push that button on the pc. Am I wrong or is there some kind of bypass.
Also wont the power supply still be sucking power even though its only powering 30ish watts?
Please excuse my lack of knowledge.
grow1620
Member
I know there's some trick you do with running a powersupply without a mobo...You have to jumper some wires in one of the plugs to get it to kick on. ah ha! here is it --> link
I'm also very curious to know if the PS would suck up alot more power then it's actually using, I would guess not because if it's sucking up 200watts of power then that extra power has to go somewhere and can't just sit there and disappear right? like it would be expelled through excess heat correct?
scrub, on the gap...it's really hard to guess what would work good before knowing how hot these bulbs are gonna get...might need to fire it up and do a few tests.
apples
Active member
While looking for some CCFLs (which I found on newegg.com and ebay. for decent prices)
I came across something called EEFL lighting. Doesnt seem to be readily available anywhere though.
This link explains it a little and also tells specs.
Prob nothing useful but just tossing it out there, might turn into something.
http://www.logisyscomputer.com/StaticPage.asp?page=11
I came across something called EEFL lighting. Doesnt seem to be readily available anywhere though.
This link explains it a little and also tells specs.
Prob nothing useful but just tossing it out there, might turn into something.
http://www.logisyscomputer.com/StaticPage.asp?page=11
apples
Active member
Alright I'm sorry to rage your thread but I think I'm gonna order the dual lights just so I can cover more locations for less money. Think I'll order 5 of each color giving me 20 lights total and a cost of 71.41 including shipping.
I would just like some confirmation that these are what I'm lookin for.
blue
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811994001
red
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811994003
what say ye?
I would just like some confirmation that these are what I'm lookin for.
blue
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811994001
red
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811994003
what say ye?
Very interesting find, Apples!
Power supplies use what my devices use, plus a little overhead. Here's what a guy posted on yahoo answers
Of course I bought the cheapest power supply - probably low efficiency. Is it printed on the sticker does anyone know?
You can also buy atx plugs that are pre hot-wired from pc modding shops so your PSU works. Maybe it was just the dodgy wording of the ad, but I think mine works off the bat without jumping it. We'll see.
If you buy some CCFLs, strive to get them without a coating! If you get Bitspowers, my red ones seem to be the best quality overall, and they came in the almost unmarked big brown boxes.(single bulb kit)
Basically I got 3 types of inverters. They're all black and "the same" but they're not. The Red kits have a red sticker and not one of the 8 inverters rattled or any other issues.
I have 2 different types of inverters with a slightly differing yellow sticker - both types have some that rattle!
So I would consider contacting the seller and ask for details, if they're coated, what kind of box, etc.
Just saw your last reply apples, that is what I was trying to say, StealthDragon got the logisys and they're coated, so I wouldn't recommend. I think the red was coated and that's kind of the important one, I think.
Power supplies use what my devices use, plus a little overhead. Here's what a guy posted on yahoo answers
Of course I bought the cheapest power supply - probably low efficiency. Is it printed on the sticker does anyone know?
You can also buy atx plugs that are pre hot-wired from pc modding shops so your PSU works. Maybe it was just the dodgy wording of the ad, but I think mine works off the bat without jumping it. We'll see.
If you buy some CCFLs, strive to get them without a coating! If you get Bitspowers, my red ones seem to be the best quality overall, and they came in the almost unmarked big brown boxes.(single bulb kit)
Basically I got 3 types of inverters. They're all black and "the same" but they're not. The Red kits have a red sticker and not one of the 8 inverters rattled or any other issues.
I have 2 different types of inverters with a slightly differing yellow sticker - both types have some that rattle!
So I would consider contacting the seller and ask for details, if they're coated, what kind of box, etc.
Just saw your last reply apples, that is what I was trying to say, StealthDragon got the logisys and they're coated, so I wouldn't recommend. I think the red was coated and that's kind of the important one, I think.
I think the Logisys may be slightly higher wattage/brightness. I can't quite remember but if you check Dragon's posts earlier, you'll see which was coated. If his blue/white wasn't coated (I believe they weren't), I'd consider logisys ones of those.
Edit: Also, I'd highly recommend getting the single tube kits as you get twice the inverters, and they run brighter when only one bulb is hooked to an inverter, instead of the 2 bulbs they're capable of running. Poor man's overdrive
Edit: Also, I'd highly recommend getting the single tube kits as you get twice the inverters, and they run brighter when only one bulb is hooked to an inverter, instead of the 2 bulbs they're capable of running. Poor man's overdrive
apples
Active member
Doesnt seem like dragon was too happy with any of them.
I'll shop around for some kits. Am I looking for ones without an acrylic case or....how do I tell if they are the bad ones?
http://www.vibelights.com/coccliki.html looks pretty nice, metal inverter case...kinda pricy.
Size 4"-24"
Price $9.50-$16.00+ship
Colors R,G,B,P,W,UV
http://www.xoxide.com/coldcathodes.html All have acrylic case....if thats what we're trying to avoid....I duno
Size 4"-15"
Price $3.99-$7.99 excluding liquid neon??? and sound activated kits.
Colors R,G,B,P,W,UV
More to come...Just would like to know how I tell if they are the shitty ones
I'll shop around for some kits. Am I looking for ones without an acrylic case or....how do I tell if they are the bad ones?
http://www.vibelights.com/coccliki.html looks pretty nice, metal inverter case...kinda pricy.
Size 4"-24"
Price $9.50-$16.00+ship
Colors R,G,B,P,W,UV
http://www.xoxide.com/coldcathodes.html All have acrylic case....if thats what we're trying to avoid....I duno
Size 4"-15"
Price $3.99-$7.99 excluding liquid neon??? and sound activated kits.
Colors R,G,B,P,W,UV
More to come...Just would like to know how I tell if they are the shitty ones
Well, all mine come in plastic inverters. I'd say your first one probably is plastic too? I don't see them mention it's metal. The rattle comment was just a side thing. I mean, what DO we look for since all the kits are almost identical? So all I could really suggest was that a non rattling inverter may be better quality, dunno. Basically, all these kits are the same, with minor differences. The number one issue in my book would be if the bulb is coated or not. So far we've established the (edit) BLUE Logysis are coated. Anything else on this thread that has been purchased and inspected seems like it would work well. So you want:
Single bulb for each ballast
Non coated
Preferably high watts and brightness rating
Edit: also, about the general quality thing. These are just computer parts made in china like anything else. If you're expecting german engineering (which I suspect a man of Stealth's tastes was) you may be disappointed. They are a tube of glass plonked into an acrylic tube with some wires flopping out. The inverter is a small plastic box which in some cases rattles lightly. If you want a great rundown, check out the link I posted earlier comparing a few types of CCFL kits.
Edit edit: also, I think the colour choice is very important. As we discussed earlier. If we follow LED principles (which don't apply, but then again, they sort of do, more than traditional fluoro principles IMO) you want the right ratio of colours. I think it was something like 60:40 blue:red for veg, and more like 20:80 blue:red for flower but that's only rough. Plus some other things come into it, from what I can tell the whites are basically like blues, a mixed spectrum. It goes on and on, we are basically the first, so it's all a bit of an adventure.
Single bulb for each ballast
Non coated
Preferably high watts and brightness rating
Edit: also, about the general quality thing. These are just computer parts made in china like anything else. If you're expecting german engineering (which I suspect a man of Stealth's tastes was) you may be disappointed. They are a tube of glass plonked into an acrylic tube with some wires flopping out. The inverter is a small plastic box which in some cases rattles lightly. If you want a great rundown, check out the link I posted earlier comparing a few types of CCFL kits.
Edit edit: also, I think the colour choice is very important. As we discussed earlier. If we follow LED principles (which don't apply, but then again, they sort of do, more than traditional fluoro principles IMO) you want the right ratio of colours. I think it was something like 60:40 blue:red for veg, and more like 20:80 blue:red for flower but that's only rough. Plus some other things come into it, from what I can tell the whites are basically like blues, a mixed spectrum. It goes on and on, we are basically the first, so it's all a bit of an adventure.
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lol yup, all I can suggest is contact the store in particular because even in the Bitspowers, there is a lot of minor variations between different packs. But as that link states, they're all basically the same thing.... Except for the coating. So Bitspower seem like a reasonable choice.
apples
Active member
Alright, I'll get the red ones from newegg since they are clear.
Can't seem to find any blue ones without the stripes.
Any info where I can find the bitspower, can't find them anywhere either.
The search continues....
Edit. It appears that only the Dual reds are clear. The singles look to have the stripes.
I found bitspower blue but 19.99 for a dual....f that.
I found these, I'll contact them tomorrow to see if they are clear. 3.99 plus free shipping..not bad...
http://www.amamax.com/fsh12cocafll.html
I'm obsessing...time for sleep.
Can't seem to find any blue ones without the stripes.
Any info where I can find the bitspower, can't find them anywhere either.
The search continues....
Edit. It appears that only the Dual reds are clear. The singles look to have the stripes.
I found bitspower blue but 19.99 for a dual....f that.
I found these, I'll contact them tomorrow to see if they are clear. 3.99 plus free shipping..not bad...
http://www.amamax.com/fsh12cocafll.html
I'm obsessing...time for sleep.
The logisys reds are not coated, the blues and whites were coated.
I don't think you'll be able to spot the coating from online product type pics. I had to get real close and the stripes/coating would never have shown up if the bulb was on. Here's the blue again.
-and no apples I was not too happy with the logisys. The quality seemed pretty cheap overall.
The coating for instance just doesn't make much sense to me , why put white stripes on a white bulb ya know?
Some of the bulbs also are a little loose inside it looks like, and not properly centered, not like super loose rattling around inside but I wouldn't shake them around to find out kinda thing.
The molex plugs were also pretty cheap, the pins on a few popped "through" the plug went I connected them.
The polarity on one of the pc slot switches had reversed polarity, which I think says alot about quality control.
Keep in mind these are the only ccfls I've really seen close up, and I like to think I have pretty good attention to detail.
I keep thinking about this "helix" design I have in my head now. A 2 foot tall tube with a 1 foot diameter. The bulbs would be arranged horizontally spiraling, creating 2 growing areas inside. I think I could just throw a big sub woofer in the top and it would look like a basstube for a car(I'm all about the stealth). The more I think about the better of an idea it seems, I really can't think of a better way to utilize the light 360 degrees. I made a crappy googlesketch, maybe I'll throw it up later.
scrub totally inspired that idea btw.
I don't think you'll be able to spot the coating from online product type pics. I had to get real close and the stripes/coating would never have shown up if the bulb was on. Here's the blue again.
-and no apples I was not too happy with the logisys. The quality seemed pretty cheap overall.
The coating for instance just doesn't make much sense to me , why put white stripes on a white bulb ya know?
Some of the bulbs also are a little loose inside it looks like, and not properly centered, not like super loose rattling around inside but I wouldn't shake them around to find out kinda thing.
The molex plugs were also pretty cheap, the pins on a few popped "through" the plug went I connected them.
The polarity on one of the pc slot switches had reversed polarity, which I think says alot about quality control.
Keep in mind these are the only ccfls I've really seen close up, and I like to think I have pretty good attention to detail.
I keep thinking about this "helix" design I have in my head now. A 2 foot tall tube with a 1 foot diameter. The bulbs would be arranged horizontally spiraling, creating 2 growing areas inside. I think I could just throw a big sub woofer in the top and it would look like a basstube for a car(I'm all about the stealth). The more I think about the better of an idea it seems, I really can't think of a better way to utilize the light 360 degrees. I made a crappy googlesketch, maybe I'll throw it up later.
scrub totally inspired that idea btw.
lol blue...red....same thing! Haha ok, sorry for that misinformation. It pays to read, lol.
Just in comparison, none of my switches were reversed and I have a metric fuckload of switches. The only real problem apart from a few rattly ones with yellow stickers, is one inverter has a slightly dodgy clip where the power lead goes in - no biggy, just gotta press harder. I did notice that one of the bulbs is loose inside, but I don't think it's an issue unless you're planning a light mover or something, lol. It wasn't enough of an issue to even inspect the other bulbs but maybe I'm just slack. The acrylic cover is only there to stop you smashing the thin real bulb.
I've stuck a few bulb ends in my mouth and sucked (no snickering please) and they seem to be airtight on the non corded end, for the record.
Lol, those spiral pics really got you enthused, hey SD? I knew it was only a matter of time, muwahahaha. Would love to see the sketchup!
Oh by the way - all my molexes are exactly same quality as any other molex in my computers. I find molex are just hopeless, end of story. I hate molexes!
Just in comparison, none of my switches were reversed and I have a metric fuckload of switches. The only real problem apart from a few rattly ones with yellow stickers, is one inverter has a slightly dodgy clip where the power lead goes in - no biggy, just gotta press harder. I did notice that one of the bulbs is loose inside, but I don't think it's an issue unless you're planning a light mover or something, lol. It wasn't enough of an issue to even inspect the other bulbs but maybe I'm just slack. The acrylic cover is only there to stop you smashing the thin real bulb.
I've stuck a few bulb ends in my mouth and sucked (no snickering please) and they seem to be airtight on the non corded end, for the record.
Lol, those spiral pics really got you enthused, hey SD?
I knew it was only a matter of time, muwahahaha. Would love to see the sketchup!Oh by the way - all my molexes are exactly same quality as any other molex in my computers. I find molex are just hopeless, end of story. I hate molexes!
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C
cork144
alright,alright,alright,, wheres the plant man!!! i wana see these things in action! goodluck buddy
That bit is gonna get interesting, cork! I have some Leda Uno F2 seeds my buddy made - I love indicas and these are strongly indica, despite what their "blurb" says. So they'll be perfect. Hopefully my tradesmen will come soon (!) and I can get a head start on a few seedlings, in case the one I put in turns out male. I'll be using all the tricks to influence it to be a female, for what that's worth.
