T5s vs MH in late veg
For vegging 4-9 weeks (clone or seed) in veg station up to 12 sq ft lit area (17” x 51”) for 6 plant sites (17” square) I currently have 16-54 watt T5s and want to compare them to 1-600 watt HID MH.
I had an 8 bulb T5 fixture 1st and added 2-4 4 bulb fixtures for early veg over 2 rows of 3 8.5” net bottom pots (that start off with just 216-432 watts total) and that's how I ended with current veg lights. I also have 2-600 watt HIDs for flower room (expanding that to 4X600 or 2,400 watts). So I want to possibly "upgrade" my current 16-54 watt T5s (832 watts, 80,000 lumens) and compare to: 1-600 watt HID MH (645 watts, 75,000 lumens & w/10% boost 670 watts, 82,500 lumens).
I'm comparing these ballasts & fixtures, which are near the top of the line for utilizing respective technologies:
Fluorogrow Evergreen 4 & 8 bulb T5 fixtures w/Racehorse ballasts & Plantmax 6,500K T5 bulbs
Gavita Digistar 600 watt ballast with Digilux 600 watt or similar good brand digital capable MH bulb (also using 10% boost) w/Blockbuster 6” light hood or similar efficient model like the Radiant.
So a quick comparison of T5 bulbs with the MH bulb:
16 T5 fluorescent bulbs: 80,000 lumens, 864 watts: 92.6 lumens/watt efficiency
1-600 watt MH bulb: 75,000-82,500 lumens (w/ 10% power boost), 645-670 watts: 116.3-123.1 lumens/watt efficiency
For one it looks like the 600 watt should easily win with efficiency (116.3/123.1 vs 92.6 lumens/watt or up to 32.9% more efficient). What the T5s have going for them is even coverage for young vegging plants that are less than 1-2 feet high. Even at 8 weeks from seed and plants are still 2 feet or less (depending on grow method), the T5s still are competing as far as light coverage is concerned, but somewhat less efficiently.
What would you do - go for the even coverage provided by the T5s to the young plants in veg (@ 1-2 feet max height) or go with the 600 watt MH bulb & Blockbuster light hood? This also would be to cover a 17” by 51” area or 12 sq ft. That also does come out to 50 watts/sq ft fot the 600 way MH bulb. 6 young but decent sized vegging plants (up to 1-2 feet tall) fit perfectly for this too (17 inches square).
I like to call one area my veg station as it's only 3' by 5.5' total area (sectioned off in my bedroom by 4' x 8' foamboard panels) and my other area the flower room, not “station” as it's about 9' by 15' including a nice 2' by 5' closet with 3 strong storage shelves.
Again to sum it up: I'm saving going with the 600 watt MH (240 volts) about 200 watts power and that's running 18 hours in veg (at least). But good even light coverage is also a big priority for young plants. I know T5s have the great light coverage needed but feel if I measure light output @ canopy perimeter w/a lumen or PAR meter the MH will still be close there in output. So if I measure the light coverage at least on par or better than the T5s MH wins all the way. Just T5s for that early veg when I need just 20-40,000 total lumens.
Heck with 200 watts saved I could run a 1/4 hp chiller instead or insulate and still run less total power w/a 1/10th hp chiller (veg setup using less water & cooling demand too).
But if anyone has found the T5s to beat out a 600 watt MH in late veg please let me know. Not early veg, for me I know the answer running 4-8 T5s (also a 400 watt MH is about same efficiency as the T5 bulbs, it's the 600 & 1,000 watt HIDs that run more efficient).
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For vegging 4-9 weeks (clone or seed) in veg station up to 12 sq ft lit area (17” x 51”) for 6 plant sites (17” square) I currently have 16-54 watt T5s and want to compare them to 1-600 watt HID MH.
I had an 8 bulb T5 fixture 1st and added 2-4 4 bulb fixtures for early veg over 2 rows of 3 8.5” net bottom pots (that start off with just 216-432 watts total) and that's how I ended with current veg lights. I also have 2-600 watt HIDs for flower room (expanding that to 4X600 or 2,400 watts). So I want to possibly "upgrade" my current 16-54 watt T5s (832 watts, 80,000 lumens) and compare to: 1-600 watt HID MH (645 watts, 75,000 lumens & w/10% boost 670 watts, 82,500 lumens).
I'm comparing these ballasts & fixtures, which are near the top of the line for utilizing respective technologies:
Fluorogrow Evergreen 4 & 8 bulb T5 fixtures w/Racehorse ballasts & Plantmax 6,500K T5 bulbs
Gavita Digistar 600 watt ballast with Digilux 600 watt or similar good brand digital capable MH bulb (also using 10% boost) w/Blockbuster 6” light hood or similar efficient model like the Radiant.
So a quick comparison of T5 bulbs with the MH bulb:
16 T5 fluorescent bulbs: 80,000 lumens, 864 watts: 92.6 lumens/watt efficiency
1-600 watt MH bulb: 75,000-82,500 lumens (w/ 10% power boost), 645-670 watts: 116.3-123.1 lumens/watt efficiency
For one it looks like the 600 watt should easily win with efficiency (116.3/123.1 vs 92.6 lumens/watt or up to 32.9% more efficient). What the T5s have going for them is even coverage for young vegging plants that are less than 1-2 feet high. Even at 8 weeks from seed and plants are still 2 feet or less (depending on grow method), the T5s still are competing as far as light coverage is concerned, but somewhat less efficiently.
What would you do - go for the even coverage provided by the T5s to the young plants in veg (@ 1-2 feet max height) or go with the 600 watt MH bulb & Blockbuster light hood? This also would be to cover a 17” by 51” area or 12 sq ft. That also does come out to 50 watts/sq ft fot the 600 way MH bulb. 6 young but decent sized vegging plants (up to 1-2 feet tall) fit perfectly for this too (17 inches square).
I like to call one area my veg station as it's only 3' by 5.5' total area (sectioned off in my bedroom by 4' x 8' foamboard panels) and my other area the flower room, not “station” as it's about 9' by 15' including a nice 2' by 5' closet with 3 strong storage shelves.
Again to sum it up: I'm saving going with the 600 watt MH (240 volts) about 200 watts power and that's running 18 hours in veg (at least). But good even light coverage is also a big priority for young plants. I know T5s have the great light coverage needed but feel if I measure light output @ canopy perimeter w/a lumen or PAR meter the MH will still be close there in output. So if I measure the light coverage at least on par or better than the T5s MH wins all the way. Just T5s for that early veg when I need just 20-40,000 total lumens.
Heck with 200 watts saved I could run a 1/4 hp chiller instead or insulate and still run less total power w/a 1/10th hp chiller (veg setup using less water & cooling demand too).
But if anyone has found the T5s to beat out a 600 watt MH in late veg please let me know. Not early veg, for me I know the answer running 4-8 T5s (also a 400 watt MH is about same efficiency as the T5 bulbs, it's the 600 & 1,000 watt HIDs that run more efficient).
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