PL-L coverage ?

[bilgeweed]

I am about to re lamp my clone/mother/veg cab with PL-L lamps. The cab also will be re-built to fit the new lighting scheme. I must tell you that this setup is on a boat and therefore I must limit my power consumption as much as possible. I only have a 30 amp circuit for the entire boat - reffer, hot water, TV, computer, heater, 150 HPS ect. I can use more power for the lights during the summer because I have no space heater running at that time.

My cab presently is quite small - 10"w x 18"H x 24"D with two 24" T12 floros and could surely use some more lumens. Questions below

1) What effective width will one 55W PL-L lamp light up ? (not sure if one lamp will be sufficient)

2) If I use a ballast that can handle two 55W lamps- will only lighting one lamp hurt the ballast ?

3) With one lamp lit-- is the ballast consuming less power than if both lamps were lit ?

4) For vegging and holding mothers is the highest K (temp) value the better lamp ?


Regards
bilgeweed

 

[ArcticBlast]

i have a 110w PL-L system from HTGSupply, and the footprint is 24"wide by 12" deep, and the unit itself is about 6" tall. And so far, every time one lamp went out, the other one did too... i don't know if you can just run one lamp with it..not with mine anyway

sorry i cant help with the other stuff, good luck! i really like my pl-l's
ArcticBlast

 

[qbert]

1. I also wonder.

2. What ballast do you have? The Fulham Workhorses are quite flexible. I need to email ahsupply.com and ask them about mine

3. If it works, almost certainly.

4. Generally, but my understanding is that the spectrum is better balanced with these fluouros so its not a huge issue. The 4100k gets mentioned often as a good all a rounder.

 

[bilgeweed]

Artic- is yours the 24" PL55 "Tek lamp that sells for $69.00 ? They say it is 24 x 11 3/4 x 3 1/2" If so- how is the inside reflector on that unit ? hard to tell in the photos. The price is right on this unit but not sure about the quality.

bilgeweed

 

[ArcticBlast]

yeah that's the one! the reflector is nice, surprisingly! the fixture is nice and sturdy, not light and flimsy. the reflective material is nice, the unit is very bright!

i have replaced the bulbs twice since i've purchased it about this time last year, but i keep it on 24/7 for what it's worth... you just cant beat the price. I'm going to try the 24"x24" next time i get one!

ArcticBlast

 

[Hydro-Soil]

I have 2 55w 5600K PL-L lamps lighting up a space just about that size as well. Mum/Veg box.

As stated, check the mfg listings for the ballast. Some, Like the Fulham workhorse series, can light up multiple lamps or one... others are designed to run with both lights or one light.

If you hard mount the lights, be aware that the bases should be butted up against a wall, right before the exhaust outlet. The base doesn't give off much light for the first inch and a half or so and the tips don't give off much light either so they too should be as close to a reflective surface as possible. If you check my gallery you'll find pics of my 220w setup. Look closely and note the growth differences on the edges of the grow. The lamps are too small for the cabinet area I have and it's definitely noticeable.


Flat white paint and a strip of aluminum tape above each lamp really maximizes the reflectiveness. I get 14" of good penetration without a 'real' reflector and the lamps being 3/4ths of an inch from the ceiling.


Stay Safe! ;D

P.S. BE SURE TO AVOID EXPOSING YOUR EYEBALLS TO THESE LAMPS! In that small of a space it's impossible to 'work' without them in your face.... please be smart and turn them off while you work. They DO cause permanent damage, up that close, that you won't notice for a few years.

 

[bilgeweed]

Hydro-Soil- I have followed your posts on PL-L's and want to thank you for all the information and help you provide the site. You do nice work-----

SO- I see that PL-L's seem to be placed on about 4" centers. Must reflectors made are about 3-4" wide. Should I assume that , at an average distance to light, each 21" bulb would light a foot print of about 17" x 6" at best ? I found some pretty cheap workhorse 3 and 5 ballasts. But still not sure if I want a one or two lamp set up. OR a two ballast/two lamp system where one could easily be turned off. If my 6" width is correct and should not extended, then I guess I have to use two lamps ?????

Then again - the $69 light from HTG is hard to compete with. I don't think I can piece meal them together for that.

bilgeweed

 

[bilgeweed]

ArcticBlast - Do you have your light in a sealer environment or in the open ? Want is the foot print of usable light given off ? I'm thinking of making the fixture the TOP of the cab rather than inside it. Does light show from the vents that cool the ballast ? I may try one of these ?

bilgeweed

 

[ArcticBlast]

yeah you'll probably get a glow from those vents. the usable footprint is about 18" x 28", give or take an inch or two. Right under the lamps is obviously tons better than under the ballast area...i use that area for clones and seedlings, because it is noticeably "dimmer" over there. But under the hood its bright as can be.

about the space it's in... its in a small cabinet turned upside down. It used to have a door on it, back when it was in an open room, but now that its in a closet, i've removed the door...so the space it is in is sort of both lol. but if i did have this in a closed/sealed environment, cooltubes or glass would be preferable/awesome


ArcticBlast

 

[bilgeweed]

Arcticblast- from your description it does not sound like we are on the same page-- ??

This is the light fixture you have ? http://tinyurl.com/yf6pve6

 

[ArcticBlast]

yeah that looks about right, what do you mean?

ArcticBlast

 

[bilgeweed]

I was just a little surprised by your description of the light pattern. Interesting there is that much difference in light intensity of a 4" wide area between the bulbs. Does that say something about the reflector ?

bilgeweed

 

[whatissixbynine]

yeah that's the one! the reflector is nice, surprisingly! the fixture is nice and sturdy, not light and flimsy. the reflective material is nice, the unit is very bright!

i have replaced the bulbs twice since i've purchased it about this time last year, but i keep it on 24/7 for what it's worth... you just cant beat the price. I'm going to try the 24"x24" next time i get one!

ArcticBlast

365 days in a year
24 hours in a day
8760 hours in a year

and your averaging a replacement every 3000 hours?

Something seems very wrong with that picture.

 

[ArcticBlast]

the most recent one was because their were 50-100 lady bugs stuck in the fixture

and as to the reflector question: the intensity is GREAT right under it... everything outside of the footprint, not so much!

i want to remind everyone that i didn't design or manufacture these lights, i just happen to own one, thanks.

ArcticBlast

 

[Hydro-Soil]

365 days in a year
24 hours in a day
8760 hours in a year

and your averaging a replacement every 3000 hours?

Something seems very wrong with that picture.

Yep... something is definitely wrong with your setup there. I have a fulham workhorse 8 and 4 55w lamps that have been "On" for months as a 'heater' and veg area. Before that it was used for 6 months veg/flowering.
I also have a workhorse 8 hooked to 2 55w 5600K lamps for my mum/veg chamber and that's been on 24/7 for 8 months at least....

You shouldn't have to replace a 55w PL-L for TWO YEARS if you buy quality. It'll still be bright enough to 'see' with, but will not be effective for growing anymore. That's 2 years of 12/12 lighting, approx 1 year for 24/7 use.

Has anyone else had the same problem with the HTG lamp? Are you buying your replacement lamps from HTG? Do you have other problems in your house with electrical equipment failing? Questions you should ask yourself.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

SO- I see that PL-L's seem to be placed on about 4" centers. Must reflectors made are about 3-4" wide. Should I assume that , at an average distance to light, each 21" bulb would light a foot print of about 17" x 6" at best ? I found some pretty cheap workhorse 3 and 5 ballasts. But still not sure if I want a one or two lamp set up. OR a two ballast/two lamp system where one could easily be turned off. If my 6" width is correct and should not extended, then I guess I have to use two lamps ?????

Then again - the $69 light from HTG is hard to compete with. I don't think I can piece meal them together for that.

bilgeweed

I think you have the figures pretty close. Without a light meter and some precise measuring, I would say the 17"x6" is a good number to start with. Maybe even 18"x6" or 18x8.

I'm not sure you'll run into a situation where you'll want to turn a lamp off. 2 ballasts would definitely make that easier though.

I'm concerned about the quality of the HTG system now. (see previous post) It's definitely cheaper than what I've put together and the reflector is much better than none.

Stay Safe!

 

[bilgeweed]

I wonder if Arcticbalst replaced the lamps because they burnt out ? showed signs of light degradation or what ? ladybug ??? WTF ? I would like to hear from other HTG PL-L users prior to buying this lamp.

bilgeweed

 

[ArcticBlast]

yeah i took the entire unit to HTGS the first time the bulbs went out, because i wasn't convinced it was my fault. the dude that owns the place said that they get a lot of people complaining about the "sockets". He said that they're very sensitive to moisture, and they can corrode very easily. Since my setup has a lot of moisture flying around, i agreed that this was probably my fault. he gave me my replacement bulbs and i moved on. The bulbs DO come with a one-year guaranteed replacement, but i lost the receipt.

the second time the lights went out, i was pissed, because as everyone has said, something didn't seem right. Then when i took the bulbs out, there were like a million ladybugs burnt onto the bulbs.

but fuck it, buy what you want. I'm not going to defend the product, because as i said, i didnt design it or manufacture it. i'm also not going to sit here an defend myself, either. i've typed the same sentences like 3 times already, and all i'm getting is negativity. So, buy what you want!

ArcticBlast

 

[bilgeweed]

Arcticbalst- please ez up. No one has blamed you for anything. We were just wondering why the frequent bulb replacement and to get an idea of the product. I appreciate all the information you have provided.

bilgeweed

 

[ArcticBlast]

word, word, i'm eased, i'm eased lol...just havin a bad day
please continue

ArcticBlast