S
spud
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Ok, as a noob, my head was also spun.... "You need 50 watts per sq. ft... you need 10,000 lumens per sq ft. - NONE of the grows seem to fit the figures.
I started with 100w CFL and was impressed.
I upgraded to 75w HPS and was impressed.
So I'm at a yard sale and see this incredibly ugly light from PI lighting in Canada, it's got this ugly "clam shell" hood attached to the ballast housing - like a giant lolipop.
I blew passed it, but had another look at the bulb... 430w Son Agro... Hey, I've read about those!.
So I snatch it for $20 and take it home.
Fire it up on a coffee table in the living room, and it looks like a 25w florescent.
Half a minute later it starts getting brighter and a little orange.
Another half minute later, and it's brighter and back to cool blue.
Then.... the ballast starts to growl, it goes WAY orange, and JESUS!!!
It got so bright that I could look directly at the other lamp shades in the room and could not tell if the lights were on or not!
So I came away with two things.
1: some feeling about what a lumen is.
2: I can't imagine what 1000w looks like.
Moral of the story... when these guys recommend bigger lights - it's because they've seen them in action.
I started with 100w CFL and was impressed.
I upgraded to 75w HPS and was impressed.
So I'm at a yard sale and see this incredibly ugly light from PI lighting in Canada, it's got this ugly "clam shell" hood attached to the ballast housing - like a giant lolipop.
I blew passed it, but had another look at the bulb... 430w Son Agro... Hey, I've read about those!.
So I snatch it for $20 and take it home.
Fire it up on a coffee table in the living room, and it looks like a 25w florescent.
Half a minute later it starts getting brighter and a little orange.
Another half minute later, and it's brighter and back to cool blue.
Then.... the ballast starts to growl, it goes WAY orange, and JESUS!!!
It got so bright that I could look directly at the other lamp shades in the room and could not tell if the lights were on or not!
So I came away with two things.
1: some feeling about what a lumen is.
2: I can't imagine what 1000w looks like.
Moral of the story... when these guys recommend bigger lights - it's because they've seen them in action.