PLL Club. (if you don't know, now you know)

[rives]

Happy to help, SOG. I'm glad that you looked at it and found the international stuff - it completely blew past me when Slim said he needed 220v transformers. I thought that he was trying to figure out a way to get to 277 volts with a transformer, not realizing that he meant ballasts!

The nice part about the AH kit is the Miro reflector - it's easy to incorporate into lots of different designs. You can damn near shave with the edges and the corners are potentially lethal, so I've started knocking the edges off with a sharpening stone and rounding the corners with tin snips. The socket/cord assembly is nearly water tight (after all, aquariums are their target market) and very high quality. So far I've used about 14 of the kits, in everything from a 6x55 PL-L fixture to 4x55 in my hybrid LED fixture. They work well in mom cabinet's, too.

The owner of AH is great to work with. For my hybrid fixture, I needed stationary mount sockets and when I called him to see if he knew of a good source for them, he express mailed some to me for free. He is also a good source of information on ballast factors and damn near anything else that you could want to know about PL-Ls.

 

[gtgio]

Happy to help, SOG. I'm glad that you looked at it and found the international stuff - it completely blew past me when Slim said he needed 220v transformers. I thought that he was trying to figure out a way to get to 277 volts with a transformer, not realizing that he meant ballasts!

The nice part about the AH kit is the Miro reflector - it's easy to incorporate into lots of different designs. You can damn near shave with the edges and the corners are potentially lethal, so I've started knocking the edges off with a sharpening stone and rounding the corners with tin snips. The socket/cord assembly is nearly water tight (after all, aquariums are their target market) and very high quality. So far I've used about 14 of the kits, in everything from a 6x55 PL-L fixture to 4x55 in my hybrid LED fixture. They work well in mom cabinet's, too.

The owner of AH is great to work with. For my hybrid fixture, I needed stationary mount sockets and when I called him to see if he knew of a good source for them, he express mailed some to me for free. He is also a good source of information on ballast factors and damn near anything else that you could want to know about PL-Ls.

Those lights are extremely cool, I've been interested in PL-Ls for a while now but having to wire 'em up myself always turned me off. I'm not very good at DIY and I'd hate to burn my house down...Those are great, thanks. Is there an easy way to hang them?

 

[rives]

Those lights are extremely cool, I've been interested in PL-Ls for a while now but having to wire 'em up myself always turned me off. I'm not very good at DIY and I'd hate to burn my house down...Those are great, thanks. Is there an easy way to hang them?

Check this post (3rd picture down) by 2000pm for a very simple, effective way to hang multiple units. I've done individual ones with just some jack chain, and built some pretty elaborate fixtures around several of them.

 

[Slim Pickens]

Check this post (3rd picture down) by 2000pm for a very simple, effective way to hang multiple units. I've done individual ones with just some jack chain, and built some pretty elaborate fixtures around several of them.

I want to thank you guys for the help.I had actually entertained the notion of just buying the kits to avoid some of the frustration.You have pretty much helped me make up my mind.

Interesting and timely post by gtgio about hanging the fixtures as well.That linked photo is just like what I had planned on doing...(ala Quantum BadBoy)There is a local glass window manufacturer here locally,and I figured I would have him build me something like the one in the link.

Thanks for the warning on the reflector edges Rives.

How about bulbs.Has anyone had experience with the Plusrite bulbs sold thru 1000bulbs.com?The price is attractive,and we might as well face it,most of our bulbs are coming from China anyway.

http://www.1000bulbs.com/product/4930/FC55-2G1141F.html

 

[gtgio]

Check this post (3rd picture down) by 2000pm for a very simple, effective way to hang multiple units. I've done individual ones with just some jack chain, and built some pretty elaborate fixtures around several of them.

That looks like exactly what I needed, thanks.
Seeing the results from this thread is making me re-think my setup a bit, seems like I'd definitely be able to save space and have an easier time with heat management with PL-Ls.

 

[Guest 88950]

rives, nice price on pl-l's from the link. i think their 4 bulb 55w system was close to my set up i bought from 1000bulbs. got a friend looking at pl-l's and ill point him to that link.

Tilt helped me out on the wiring diagram for my Workhorse8 & (4) 55w pl-l.......THX BRO

i had my pl-l's hung vert using twine but changed to horizontal. i used wire to support the ends on my bulbs so they dont put too much stress on the 2g11 base.

i use the pulserite bulbs and im happy. not sure about the other bulbs but i use my pl-l for veg and they do fine.

 

[Struckanerve]

Hey whats going on fellow PLL growers. I figured i would post a couple of pics of my grow. I am using 4x55w. 2 2700k and 2 6500k. The cab is about 1.8sqft. The cab is coold by a 6in centrifugal fan hooked up to a speeder put on low/medium, which is attached to a carbon scrubber. If you want to see more just click on the link in my sig.

 

[yesum]

Good looking plants^^ I was happy with ahsupply and payed the extra for easy to wire lights and top quality reflectors. Guy that runs it is cool and helpful.

I have my lights vertical in corners of tent and just tie them to the posts and they hang off the electric cord they run on. I loop the cords over the top of the tent frame and the friction between it and the tent holds them in place. The lights and reflectors weigh almost nothing.

I got 55 watt 2700k bulbs from htgsupply and they work fine. I got 1 other bulb from another place and it measures the same on my lux meter.

 

[brotherjericho]

^^ Where did you find the 2700k lamps on HTG's site? Do not see it.

I buy alot of my lights from these folks, decent prices: http://www.atlantalightbulbs.com

BUT

2700k 55w PLLs are around $13/per while 3000k are around $8. Not sure if there is that much of a difference, but perhaps there is. In any case, I only use PLLs for vegging, could not fit the 20-21" tubes in my flower cab because of the shape, so I use an LED panel, 1 40w 3000k PLL, and a 2700k circline.

 

[yesum]

Yea, I guess they were 3000k. No real difference to me. I have 2700k cfl so I guess I got mixed up with that.

 

[gtgio]

Hey guys, I've found lots of ads locally for Coralife fixtures that will hold 2x 65w PL-L bulbs..Meant for aquariums. Any experience with these?

 

[2000pm]

gtgio, I used coralife powercompacts (plls) for aquariums for many years.

They are fine hoods, but have the ballast built-in and are enclosed so they can build up a decent amount of heat. There are fans to contend with as well.

I actually still use an old 18wx2 coralife for early veg/seedlings myself. I think the AH supply reflectors still blow most of the pre-builts out of the water as far as light utilization. If its cheap enough you could strip the coralife and buy the reflectors separately for another idea.

 

[gtgio]

gtgio, I used coralife powercompacts (plls) for aquariums for many years.

They are fine hoods, but have the ballast built-in and are enclosed so they can build up a decent amount of heat. There are fans to contend with as well.

I actually still use an old 18wx2 coralife for early veg/seedlings myself. I think the AH supply reflectors still blow most of the pre-builts out of the water as far as light utilization. If its cheap enough you could strip the coralife and buy the reflectors separately for another idea.

Word, I'm definitely sold on the AHSupply rigs then. I was considering the coralife's due to their local availability but the AHSupply 55ws are cheaper anyways. . I don't really like ordering things online but I guess i'll have to make an exception

 

[gtgio]

3 2x55w kits ordered! woohoo! the party is getting started! lol

 

[vinnythebat]

hey rives what would you suggest?
6x55
4x55 + 80-100watts of leds

 

[rives]

Double post - 500 error.

 

[rives]

hey rives what would you suggest?
6x55
4x55 + 80-100watts of leds

Vinnie, I'm the wrong person to ask! If you check out the link in my sig, you will see that I am an advocate of the hybrid approach. Seriously, the PLLs have an excellent spectrum, but are weak in 600-660 nm range. My hybrid fixture is currently tuned to 220w of 2700k PLLs and 180w of 660nm Osram LEDs, and I have been very happy with the results. I built this fixture to take the place of my 6x55 fixture, which also worked well. The effective range of the Osram LEDs seems to balance out very well with the PLLs.

 

[vinnythebat]

i only ask because you have owned both, have you gotten a total for youre hybrid grow yet?

 

[rives]

i only ask because you have owned both, have you gotten a total for youre hybrid grow yet?

Yes, I just did. I pulled just shy of 10 ozs (277 grams), and I trim pretty heavily because I want everything I can get for making topical oil. One plant was pretty badly stunted from all of the problems, but all in all it came out far better than I would have expected back at the first few weeks of the run. There seems to be lots more potential, I can't wait to put together a decent run! The current tune on the fixture is right at 400 watts.

 

[vinnythebat]

congrats and thx for all youre help.