Lumens, Lux, and Adding It all Up
- Thread starter ceestyle
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ngtybear
Well-Known Member
Sourdiesel, Why in the world are you growing inside in Costa Rica. You have great sun and few cops. Yes, I have been there.
I would be surprised if you can find any reasonable quality CFL's in CR. As detection is less of an issue, I would go with an HPS in either case, if you just insist on not usign that great tropical sun.
Lol, I loved this... Yes we're calling you fucking stupid because you can't convert to lumens without knowing the distance and no meter measures lumens because it is impossible. It's like measuring how much water is in a 4x4 box without knowing how deep it goes. It can't be done, so yes... you sir are fucking stupid.
Wait. Confused, yet not so confused.
Lumens=the amount of light 1 candle gives in a square foot area.
Candela=the amount of light a candle produces.
So if this is correct, which it is, then some people are just not understanding.
The amount of lumens is important for volume of light produced in a designed area.
That is why 400w works great for a 3x3 or 3x4 or so maybe even 4x4 depending on height.
That is why 600w = more plants
That is why 1000w = even more plants.
The idiot saying lumens is not important is like saying size doesn't matter to a girl.
Lumens=the amount of light 1 candle gives in a square foot area.
Candela=the amount of light a candle produces.
So if this is correct, which it is, then some people are just not understanding.
The amount of lumens is important for volume of light produced in a designed area.
That is why 400w works great for a 3x3 or 3x4 or so maybe even 4x4 depending on height.
That is why 600w = more plants
That is why 1000w = even more plants.
The idiot saying lumens is not important is like saying size doesn't matter to a girl.
NuggyNugz
Member
I have read up on lighting for the last few days but I remain confused...what would be the general rule of thumb when it comes to either watts or lumes per sq ft with the cfl's? I have heard that watts are what to go by and also that I should concentrate on the lumes per sq ft....I need a drink
miketool21
Member
how many plants do you have...how big are they...then we can do the math
plantsinpants
Well-Known Member
SO,,,,,,,, are you a girl , or are you saying that because that girl you fucked lied to be nice and said you where big>??
I hope this diagram helps with understanding how lux and lumens add.
Lumens are a measure of photons, weighted to the sensitivity range of the human eye. Photons are the basic unit of light. The more powerfull the light, the more photons are emitted.
As a photon is a unit of measurement, a single photon from a CFL is exactly the same as a single photon(of the same wavelength/colour) from a HID or any other light source. It has the same amount of energy and will travel just as far.
The reason CFLs have poor 'penetration' is due to the fanning out of the photons. The further the target is from the source, the greater the distance between photons, which causes less photons to land on the target, which results in less lumens/lux/brightness at the target.
As you can see from the diagram, the HPS makes up for distance by saturating the area with far more photons than the CFL.
As the diagram also shows, lining lamps up side by side results in more photons striking the target area, which means more lumens/lux/brightness at the target.
Lumens are a measure of photons, weighted to the sensitivity range of the human eye. Photons are the basic unit of light. The more powerfull the light, the more photons are emitted.
As a photon is a unit of measurement, a single photon from a CFL is exactly the same as a single photon(of the same wavelength/colour) from a HID or any other light source. It has the same amount of energy and will travel just as far.
The reason CFLs have poor 'penetration' is due to the fanning out of the photons. The further the target is from the source, the greater the distance between photons, which causes less photons to land on the target, which results in less lumens/lux/brightness at the target.
As you can see from the diagram, the HPS makes up for distance by saturating the area with far more photons than the CFL.
As the diagram also shows, lining lamps up side by side results in more photons striking the target area, which means more lumens/lux/brightness at the target.
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hey folks please answer me this...do you recomend 1 cfl that is (105Wat 5000k full spectrum equivalent to 420watt ind) while maybe rotating the plants or maybe like 4 to 6 42Watt cfl's or even like 10 20Watt for vegging about 4 babys in a room the size of small bathroom...4x6x8height......thanx
Ok, first up, ignore the 'equivalent' ratings. As you already know, that is for equating to incandescents. It is for determining which lamps to choose for your home lighting when upgrading to CFLs. No one grows under incandescents, so its a moot rating. What you are better off doing is equating the wattage to a HID. So 105 watt CLF = 105 watt MH or HPS. In reality, your HPS or MH is generally more efficient, so the CFLs will be putting out less light for the wattage, but its a more usefull comparison.
Second, thats nowhere near enough light for your growspace. Plants like about 10000 lumens/square foot(footcandles) in flowering. Lets assume your 105w bulb puts out 6000 lumens, thats only enough light to cover 0.6 sq.ft. You said your floor is 6x4? 24 sq.ft? You would need about 40 of those lamps to cover that area in flower.
Seedling/clone and veg dont have such high requirements, and you can flower on a lot less, but 250 footcandles(your light, if used to cover the entire room) will only be usefull for the plants photoperiod response, and not much(if anything) in the way of growth.
Sgt. Green
Member
Question, I'm using florescent, I know I need a cool and a warm I have a daytime bulb (cool). Do I want the plant/aquarium or the kitchen/bathroom?
sweetgod420
Active Member
sweetgod420
Active Member
fine , dont
sweetgod420
Active Member
sweet , i have 16000 lumens in ma veg cab which is 3ft long by 2ft high and 2ft deep !! the plants are growing way better thus far then my previous batch under a 430whps
MasterShake1
Member
I am confused I am starting a grow box that is 24" High and it is 14"wide and it is 10" deep. How many lights do you think i will need and what sizes I want to do cfl. Please help I am trying to figure this out but it seems the more I learn the more confused I get. And yes I am a Newbie. But trying to learn this so I can have some good Herb.
1STxTimeGrower
Member
just woundering if this is good to start off with i got 4 27watts which =100watt energy saver bulb the lumens are 1400 each day lights and i have 2 42w=150 soft white and produces 2600 lumens each .
