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Would a security floodlight work as a grow light? (and other newbie questions.)

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    Would a security floodlight work as a grow light? (and other newbie questions.)

    So, I'm trying to decide if growing is worth it for me, and want to start small and, whenever possible, with stuff that can be later re-used for something else if I decide this isn't worth it.

    CFLs seemed like an obvious solution, but while I wasn't looking the world has changed. It seems that nobody sells them here any more, even on Amazon, except for the 100+W growlights that aren't much use for anything else, old inventory and/or suspiciously cheap knock-offs...

    So, I started to look at LED lights and thought of those outdoor/security floodlights... Ones without sensor (which I don't need anyway) can be surprisingly cheap, even if you need to wire your own plug. They usually have a reasonable-looking heat sink, and, of course, a reflector, their power/flux ratios don't look like the puffed-up ones often found on cheap growlights ("600W" which isn't even 100W actual drawn power.) you get about 1000lm per 10W with a reasonable brand, which sounds about right... I've seen some YouTubes of people growing both errr... conventional vegetables and pot using those, but just because it worked for 3 dudes on YT, doesn't mean it's generally a good idea. Are there any catches or things I should be aware of if I go that route, and what other options are there?

    Smell is also a bit of a worry... I cannot afford any, but, again, I don't really want to buy a filter just yet. Guess, figuring out whether or not I (and the neighbour) like the smell of ona instead is the safest option, as low-smell strains seem to not always perform as advertised.

    The rest I think I can jury-rig Space Bucket style (how much height I would need with a LED, though?) and grow a lowryder of some kind or some other small and quick strain as a test... Did I miss any major points?

    #2
    It depends. The main factor that makes using floodlights difficult, is that they focus the light a lot. Which is not ideal when you are trying to create a uniform light distribution.

    Some flood lights use single COB chips with narrow angle lenses, others use multiple diodes over a small surface area. The bigger the surface area of the light source and the wider the lens (at least with respect to spotlights), the better it will be.

    What size grow area were you looking at doing ? Is it not possible for you to order online ?. There is a product that Weed Pharma brought to my attention that is quite decent and a great fit for new growers looking to start their first grow. Its the optic 1 XL. It will be perfect for 2x2 grow rooms.
    Written Articles:
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      #3
      That growlight looks neat, but it's just a bit overkill and over-budget (I really thought 1 or 2 plants, and would be happy with an ounce yield and an experience to decide if I want to move onto bigger and better things.)

      Thanks for the tip about many widely-dispersed LEDs, I think I saw just the thing when I was shopping...

      Comment


        #4
        I would recommend looking on Craigslist or eBay and picking up something cheap to test the waters.
        From my experience just trying to "get by" with something not designed to do it leads to a horrible experience and a waste of time.
        ultimately you're going to need 300+ watts one way or another to grow cannabis indoors.
        hey if you don't like growing you can always
        re-ebay/Craigslist your stuff.
        You can try 1000bulbs.com for cfl's
        You're killing me Smalls!

        Comment


        • selectricat
          selectricat commented
          Editing a comment
          Thanks, that's actually a good idea, I still have a couple weeks before I could actually start, I'll keep an eye on the used stuff ads in the meantime.

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