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

[PhatPhreddy420]

Remember to protect your eyes folks...

Will a good pair of sunglasses, i.e polarized, protect your eyes while tending to your plants?

 

[Chloemobile]

Micro Vert Pll

 

[quinoa64]

A series of tubes...

A series of tubes...

Good lord, I just spent the whole day learning about 4-pin CFLs in case my LED experiments fail miserably. I can see why personal growers get excited about them -- the low profile and high lumen output per watt is a great combo in a tight space.

I noticed a few micro growers using polycarbonate tubes (fluorescent tube protectors) to allow their plants to get right up next to the lights -- "High-Pod" for one. According to Wikipedia, polycarbonate has better light transmission than some kinds of glass (whatever that means, lol -- I've seen plenty of opaque glass)

I know that people get antsy about putting anything between the light and the bud because it will inevitably act as a filter, no matter how transparent. But given the rapid fall-off in intensity from CFLs, I wonder if what you lose in intensity might be more than made up by getting an inch or two closer? Or maybe running lights below the canopy to encourage lower buds?

SO, anyone besides the high-podders using those protector tubes for getting lights closer, or keeping the cab cool, or doing weird shit?

 

[majortom9]

View Image
55w 7 dollars incl postage and socket. Ebay Sweet deal.

Can you post a link ? Thats pretty slick.4 individual ballast = some nice redundancy! Cheap

 

[quinoa64]

Micro Vert Pll

I'm thinking of something along those lines, too. Micro-donuts!

So that's 2x36W, right? I don't have as much height in my cab, so I'm going to try 3x24W for the same lumens, and spread them out so that some plants get direct exposure on two or even three sides. Can't wait to see what kind of weird pruning scenario that creates...

 

[Oregonism]

Anybody ever play around with these? 18w germicidial's UV-C bulbs @254nm. Nice supplement?
Don't get me wrong they are terrible for our anatomy, but not a plants.

http://www.amazon.com/watt-2G11-Base-UV-C-Germicidal/dp/B007NVH1DI/ref=sr_1_4?s=lamps-light&ie=UTF8&qid=1359280620&sr=1-4&keywords=pll"

 

[Oregonism]

Good lord, I just spent the whole day learning about 4-pin CFLs in case my LED experiments fail miserably. I can see why personal growers get excited about them -- the low profile and high lumen output per watt is a great combo in a tight space.

I noticed a few micro growers using polycarbonate tubes (fluorescent tube protectors) to allow their plants to get right up next to the lights -- "High-Pod" for one. According to Wikipedia, polycarbonate has better light transmission than some kinds of glass (whatever that means, lol -- I've seen plenty of opaque glass)

I know that people get antsy about putting anything between the light and the bud because it will inevitably act as a filter, no matter how transparent. But given the rapid fall-off in intensity from CFLs, I wonder if what you lose in intensity might be more than made up by getting an inch or two closer? Or maybe running lights below the canopy to encourage lower buds?

SO, anyone besides the high-podders using those protector tubes for getting lights closer, or keeping the cab cool, or doing weird shit?

Stuff em [plants] right up in there, do not be afraid as long as airflow is active. Those clear fluorescent holders are pretty hawt, they would let you get real close and you could active vent them too.
I have some clear home depot bought acryliyc sheeting [plexigass] and it seems to transmit well in the past too.

 

[xeno83]

Great read, I am likeing these PLL's

 

[quinoa64]

Different wattage on same ballast?

Different wattage on same ballast?

I'm ordering a Workhorse 5, rated at 128W for 2, 3, or 4 tubes.

I was originally just going to run 2x36W PLLs on it.

But I've fallen in love with the idea of adding some verticals as well, to punch down through the canopy. I can add 2x24W PLL and stay within the rating of the ballast.

Am I asking for trouble mixing wattages like that? Would it be better to get a second ballast for the verticals?

 

[dudin]

Can you post a link ? Thats pretty slick.4 individual ballast = some nice redundancy! Cheap

Links on eBay always change so to find em. Search words: 55w ballast
Sort the results after price. Go to 6$. Yes 6-7$ including socket and shipping. Dirt cheap. Use em myself.

 

[Femora]

Errrr... I cant fint those cheap ones.. And like noone with sockets. :/
Mind to gimme another searchword?

 

[yesum]

Will a good pair of sunglasses, i.e polarized, protect your eyes while tending to your plants? View Image

Yes.

 

[quinoa64]

Got my first set of PL-Ls in the mail yesterday... Holy crap, these things are so cool looking!

I never thought I'd say that about a fluorescent light. They remind me somehow of model railroad gear - small, lightweight, well-engineered. They're *almost* sexy, but no, I can't go that far. Maybe if they produce some tight buds, tho...

Can't wait for the ballast to arrive (Monday, I hope) so I can wire them up and get them on my plants.

 

[toxic_P]

Hello there

Hello there

I started a PL-L grow a while ago with 6x55W Dulux L (3 x QUICKTRONIC QTP-DL 2X55W GII).



Had some heat-problems before installing a proper ventilation.

I like those bulbs and I hope they will get me a good yield. (Even if people say they won´t.)

Sry for my bad english

 

[dudin]

@Femora ok. here is another site with cheap elektronics and everything you need to grow. Straight from china. Have used it a couple of times.
55w ballast+socket+shipping 5.69$ now thats cheeeaaaap
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/free...ube-lamp-Eye-Lamp-18-w-24-w-36/686048936.html

a wider search
http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?shipCountry=se&shipCompanies=&SearchText=55w+ballast&exception=&isFreeShip=y&isRtl=yes&CatId=0&SortType=price_asc&manual=y&filterCat=150413%2C200003683%2C200000293&groupsort=1&needQuery=y

edit look closely at the spec so you get the right one.

 

[toxic_P]

I`d not buy these cheap china crap. These dudin posted look really scary. You are going to work with high voltage and if you want to grow, you should invest more than 7$ on your ballasts. You don´t want to burn down your house...

Here are some good and safe quality-devices:

Osram QTP-DL 2x55/230-240 GII
Phillips HF-P 255 PL-L EII
TRIDONIC ATCO 2 x 55W

They cost all 15$ and can run 2 55W bulbs.

 

[HappySloth]

Don't buy those cheap ballast, save up and buy something trusted. Better safe then sorry, dont risk peoples lives over a couple bucks. To me it seems like your asking to burn your house down with those cheap $7 ballast.

 

[dudin]

The China vs not China feels old. You probably wrote that on a Chinese computer. Sure not A++ quality but a PLL ballast is not a very complicated thing to do. Guess factories that can deliver 100 000 units/m have some sort of QC.
But hey it's a free world.

 

[HappySloth]

I get what your saying dudin but just beause one thing comes from china (my computer apparently) and is good doesn't mean everything is, and vice versa. But $7 for a ballast and socket just seems too cheap to be good. Use what you want tho, its your life and house not mine, just seems silly to risk everything you own over a couple bucks to me.

 

[algreen]

Hey guys! I was just wondering how a pair of 36w(2) PLL would work in a computer case dimensioned 530x205x650mm (DxWxH)? It is going to fit at the top of the case.