Hiya, it's been a while hasn't it? But lots has kept me from the world of ICMag, I was forced to separate from my dispensary, there were health issues, etc. But now i'm back to annoy you all with lots of data you can choose to love or hate!

Today's topic will be Double Ended bulbs vs standard bulbs which both operate in 8" Air Cooled hoods, almost literally side by side within my grow, using multiple cycles to account for any variations in strain, timing, etc.

The double ended bulb will be Gavita and the hood will be the 8" AC/DE available from Sunlight Supply.


The standard bulb will be Hortilux and the hood will be the 8" Luminare (aka Radiant) from Hydrofarm.


Both lights will use a Quantum Brand Ballast.


To prevent "contamination" of light between the two hoods, they will be installed across the room from eachother, at opposite ends of a row of 6 hoods.

The strain mostly being used will be that consistent classic, Blue Dream, but Smurphberry Jam and other Elites will see the light of this experiment during multiple cycles (hence the title, "Part 1").

As of now, it looks like the first strain that will take up these lights will be Smurphberry Jam, my own NLxBB(SBX2) cut known to a few connoisseurs here in Denver. The cuttings are vegging as I post this thread, updates will be posted to make sure training and other factors are equal, and when the plants are placed into flower, we'll be up and running!

A little about how the plants will be treated:

They will be grown in Royal Gold Tupur (Coco coir, Humbolt forest hummus, Oyster shell, Perlite, Azomite) during veg and flower, fed using House & Garden Nutrients on a slightly modified program. Most feedings will follow the House & Garden nutrient calculator, but the following modifications will take place: Amino Treatment will not be used, my current silica is Armor Si, plants will be inoculated weekly with Great White, and Shooting Powder will be replaced by MOAB during week 7.

There are plenty of other modifications to my specific nutrient program but if you want me being your grow mentor i'm gonna need a job offer.

Initially the plants will grow in 2 liter containers, and will be transplanted to 7 gallon containers for extended vegging and flower.

My CO2 PPMs stay between 1000-1250, I don't like to try and run the edge.

Originally Posted by SooperSmurph

So, a few conclusions.

Dual Ended Bulbs generate more intense light, and therefore more heat, but in a more energy efficient manner than traditional screw ended bulbs.

This means that they need to be kept further from the plants than normal, but this also means that they can cover more plants. Most people, including myself, have been able to reduce the number of lights we use by 1/3, this means for my grow, which originally needed 6 1000w lamps in my 7'x16' flower space, now needs only 4.

My numbers after this reduction allowed me to prevent any excess heat, but maintain the same yields I did with 6 lights. Over time as I get used to exactly how they should be positioned and how to move plants as they grow, I expect my numbers to exceed the ones I've been able to achieve in the past.

[Payaso]

Actually very interested in this subject so I'll be following along. Looking forward to seeing this progress, and many thanks to the SooperSmurph for doing this!

[Elements001]

[HUGE]

In for the ride

Bulb brands have been selected, shipping is happening

What they look like to me, is an upgraded Son-Agro HPS (30 percent more blue) that's been majorly improved in efficiency and longevity. The most important aspects.

Designed for large installations where costs are a major concern. Large greenhouses, etc. Efficiency is huge priority when your electrical bill is 10 grand a month, or more.

But, I don't see them being any better spectrum wise, than what a Philips ceramic metal halide already offers.

X5 LED also looks good.

Gravita / Hood are arriving today, installation will begin tonight

[hush]

I am very interested in this comparison. Thank you for doing this!

Items are here, installation will take place soon, once my nightly burst of energy kicks in

[Snype]