Reddit reviews GE 26 Watt T3 Spiral Energy Smart CFL, Medium (E26) Base, 2700K, 100 Watt Replacement, 6 Pack

• Speculation that CFLs are subsidized by the government by up to $40 per bulb. unsupported.
  
  
• To support the assertion that CFLs are "a RIP OFF!" he links to this improved incandescent bulb which uses only 72w to generate as much light as a traditional 100w incandescent. You can buy one of these bulbs for $7.99. An equivalent CFL uses only 26w and cost $12.99 for a six pack at a cost of $12.99 for six. So this other bulb costs 3.6x more and uses 2.7x more energy than a CFL, but the CFL is the "RIP OFF"?
  
  
• Assertion that there are "better" ways to save electricity. He suggests that people take shorter showers and use less water washing dishes. Of course everyone here will agree with that, (1) it's not an either/or choice, and (2) even if it were, try asking a random person whether they'd rather do, take shorter showers, or buy CFLs next time they need to replace their bulbs. CFLs are a very low-pain way of saving power. IMO "better" is used subjectively in the article.
  
  
• "I suspect that the 1000 hour rated incandescent outlasted the 10,000 hour rated fluorescent - but they don't say." -- unsupported.
  
  
• "I would guess that I saved $15 per month by using less hot water."
  
  
  
  

If it starts flowering while still a clone and then goes back to veg before finishing so that you can grow it bigger and then flowered again for you to harvest, it will totally stress it out, can screw up its growth cycle and possibly go hermie. Only once it gets more than 10 or 11 hours of darkness at a time will it think "fall/winter is coming soon" and start budding, so all you need to do to make sure it doesn't start flowering yet is keep a light shining on it 24 hours a day. Technically just about any light bright enough for people to see in would stop it from flowering, but to keep it growing healthy instead of stretching out and losing leaves you can make a super easy cheap CFL light and keep it nice and close.

Go to Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, or wherever and get one cheapo extension cord, two socket to lamp adapters, and two or more "daylight" or "full spectrum" CFL bulbs that are at least 20W actual or 100W "equivalent wattage." They'll likely be cheaper in the actual store than the Amazon price due to shipping. If you get a multi-pack of bulbs, you can always use the extras around your house though. Plug the adapters in opposite plugs of the extension cord so they both fit on, screw a bulb into each socket, and hang it a few inches from your plant.

There's not a place for the moment. Its a very simple design, its a bit like lego but with bucket parts.

Get some buckets, this 4 way socket, some CFL bulbs and 8x8 fans... and work from there.

i dont have one yet but i may be getting these.

http://www.amazon.com/Watt-Energy-Smart-CFL-Replacement/dp/B000UYF80S/ref=sr_1_1?s=lamps-light&ie=UTF8&qid=1372901519&sr=1-1&keywords=100+watt

I shot this
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesjbarnett/5154877335/in/set-72157626544818300

with 4-5 cheapo clipon work lights using daylight-color compact fluorescent bulbs, probably 100w equivalents.

http://www.amazon.com/Designers-Edge-Incandescent-Clamp-6-Foot/dp/B00076Q0FQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1310523061&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Watt-Energy-Smart-CFL-Replacement/dp/B000UYF80S/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1310523104&sr=1-2

They were clipped on the top shelf of a bookcase, with a dollar-store white shower curtain liner hung in front of 'em for diffusion.

Maybe $50 total?

(Background was 3-4 yards of primed canvas from the fabric store, painted on the unprimed side with black house paint. $20-25?)

the sidebar suggests 14 of these:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000UYF80S/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?keywords=42w%20flourescent%20bulb&qid=1349241552&ref_=sr_1_4&s=hi&sr=1-4
approx. $36.54 with four lights left over

or 9 of these:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001AZOV9K/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?keywords=42w%20flourescent%20bulb&qid=1349241552&ref_=sr_1_1&s=hi&sr=1-1
approx. $71.73

I suggested something that would save you money.

Get a bunch of 23w bulbs. They're cheap as shit. You can buy 6 for $12 on Amazon, so I'm sure you can find em even cheaper at the hardware store or walmart. Then buy some of these for like a buck each, put em all together with a power strip or two, and DONE.

But I'm sure you've found some super special way that works even better, using overpriced bulbs, with the wrong color temp, that nobody would ever suggest.


Just curious, on the grow your referring to where you spent zero dollars... How big was your harvest? Was the shit any good? How much lighting (watts)? How were you able to successfully grow without even knowing what color temp your lights need to be?

3x 6500K + 2x 2700K CFLs for the growth phase and 1x 6500K + 4x 2700K for flower phase is my current setup. Every bulb has 20 W so 100 W in total. You should have at least 100 W for a good lighting.

Something like this
and this.