First time i,ve seen them.
The 150w version looks like it could be useful but not sure what advantages/disadvantages over a compact flourescent set up.
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I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with the AgroSun Daypot clamp lights to provide supplemental light at windows?
First time i,ve seen them.
The 150w version looks like it could be useful but not sure what advantages/disadvantages over a compact flourescent set up.
Jenn , I will see if ladybug ( Maggie)will post to this , I think she bought Agro. sun ? and recently replaced them because of heat....? The compacts work well and are a lot less $$ I just use regular full spectrum Flours. 40watt tubes . Gin
These are currently what I am running. So far, I am very happy with the results and even more with the price.Originally Posted by Gin
My experience with this type of light was actually with the 150w Wonderlites. (Similar bulbs, I think.) The plants loved the lights BUT....they did NOT like the heat. I used humidifiers, lots of fans mounted right under the lights to move the heat away and still had plants suffering heat stress. I had several of them in an 11x17 room...too many, in my opinion, but it took two bulbs to fully cover the 48x18 shelves with the fc's I wanted. (If I raised them for wider coverage, the fc's dropped, if I lowered them the coverage area shrank and the heat increased.) When the heat got too much in that room (90+ on a freezing winter day!), I gave up on them and switched to 4,4ft-T8 fluorescents per shelf from Lowes.
Imagine how hot that room would have been with 90+outside!!!
For one shelf or two, even...they might be okay....I suppose I overdid it but then I "overdo" everything. I think it's a genetic flaw?
I did like the looks of the light and the fixtures, however, the T8s with Phillips Deluxe Daylight bulbs is equally nice looking. (I never liked the pink or yellow glow given off by reg. fluors.)
FWIW, the T8 fixtures were about $15 with elec. ballasts. The T8 bulbs ran $7, two per pack. The Wonderlites were $49 each and the fixtures were about $30 each. I like the math better, too.
I've also got lots more blooms this year than last, too!
Hope this helps.
Maggie
Thanks everyone.
Maggie, how far from your plants could you get away with haning the fluorescents? I think I am going to switch to fluorescents.
Mostly it's 23" from bottom of bulb to top of shelf. The plants themselves (leaf surfaces) are from 15" to 5" away depending on what they need. These T8's seem to be quite strong for fluors. causing red tinges to leaves on the mini dends, some dends (phal type), mini catts and a few phals. I think that's because they aren't needing terribly high light to begin with.
Also, I should mention that the dends, oncids, phrags and catts are sitting within 2ft of west, nwest windows so they do get around 3-4hrs of filtered sun in addition to the lights. Fluoros are the supplemental light. The phals and odcdms and burr. are in the north/ nwest windows and do well despite little usable light from the north so they depend on the lights and are doing very well, indeed.
I've only been using the fluors. since last winter though. I've heard that I can't really judge the light's influence until they've gone a whole year under them. Anybody know if this is true?
Good luck and good growing!
Maggie
Thank you Maggie!
I LOVE THIS FORUM! It is so helpful!
I think you would know in less than a year . floppy new growth . very dark green leaves , I have used the Flours. to supplement the natural light for about 4 years , Matter of fact they bloom as well as the ones in the green house , probably because mother nature is not relied on . Happy Growing Gin