Fluorescent Lights Blinking and Going Off

[GrowRebel]

When I get some cash later this week I'm going for these T5 strip lights ... are these lights ok? Would the one light replace the two T12 lights?

 

[GrowRebel]

:ciao: I did some more looking around because I prefer to have 2 lamp fixtures instead of the strip ... so I'm checking these out ... isn't it better to have mixed lamps instead of all grow bulbs?:confused2:





:giggle: :fly: :banana:

 

[soil]

It never hurts to increase the spectrum with plenty of blues an reds, thats what i do anyway.
A good 5500k or 6500k would be fine by itself. The red ones (3000k or less) are slightly dimmer then the blue ones but its not a huge difference. if i only had 2 bulbs i'd go with 2 blues but if you gotta bunch , throw a few red ones in there with um.

i use both throughout the whole cycle.

as far as the T5's go , they are a lot brighter then the t12's. all the ones i have seen lit up , had a nice reflective (expensive) fixture to make them even more bright, so im not sure.



soil

 

[GrowRebel]

:ciao: Okay ... so these T5's fixtures are going to give me any trouble like the cheap fluorescent fixtures I got ... I'm tired of not getting any light. I'm going to go ahead and get the mixed bulbs. I'm going to order them today ... I need lights bad!:doh:

 

[ston-loc]

Im baked, and not re-reading the whole thread, but didn't you start out saying these were just for general lighting? NOT grow lights?

Again, I do not believe that many fixtures, of that many different brands are all bunk buying them new. You need to get your electrical checked out.

 

[GrowRebel]

:ciao: Dang ... I got the lights but ...
One of the fixtures won't light:doh: and I know it works. When I first opened it up I put in the bulbs and plugged it into the nearest outlet ... it lit right up. I unplugged it and took it to where I wanted to hang it and plugged it in ... nothing. I checked the bulbs to make sure they were in properly and plugged it back in ... nothing. The instructions stated it may have to reset, but that is just suppose to be a couple of minutes and it should light up and it doesn't. I'm sure it's just some kind of glitch because it lit right up at first. I plugged the other fixtures (two of them) into the same outlet I plugged the one I can't get to work and they both work fine so it isn't the outlet.
Please tell me how I can get this fixture to work. I really don't believe it is defective. I really don't want to have to paid to send it back for a replacement.:rant:




:giggle:

 

[soil]

did you try it in other outlets (again) just to make sure ?







soil :icon_smile:

 

[GrowRebel]

:ciao: soil ... what I did was took the bulbs from the working fixture and tried them in the fixture that wasn't working ... still no lights:doh: ... and I took the bulbs that was with the fixture that wasn't working and put them in the fixture that was ... lights! So dang it:hairpull: ... the fixture is indeed bad ... I'm having such rotten luck with these fluorescent fixtures, but no sweat ... HTG Supply is sending me another fixture,:cool2: with a prepaid sticker so I can sent the defective one back. That HTG Supply really :headbang2:

 

[GrowRebel]

:ciao: Okay ... HTG Supply came through and I got the replacement fixture as well as spare bulbs ... I don't know if that was a mistake or what, but I am grateful.:woohoo:

All fixtures are working fine ... no flickering ... no on and off ... no one bulb burning. ... and they do look like they are giving off more light than the T12 bulbs.

All I can say is thank God for harvest time:yay: ... I would never have been able to get these lights if not for that. I didn't want to spend that much, but I was so tried of the hassle with the cheap lights ... for those that have them and they work fine consider yourselves lucky.

From what I see I got a pretty good deal at $50 bucks a fixture even though that seem a bit expensive to me. But other places wanted $50 for the single strip light ... which is outrageous to me.

Many thanks to the poster that suggested the T5 lights ... I do like them and they are indeed brighter.:hubba: Hopefully they are worth the $165 investment.:watchplant:



:giggle:

 

[Growdude]

I do like them and they are indeed brighter.:hubba: Hopefully they are worth the $165 investment.:watchplant:

:giggle:

Im sure your going to love them for vegging, but for $165 you could have got a much better system that would be ideal for both vegg and flower.

@55,000 lumens its almost twice as much.
hxxp://www.htgsupply.com/Product-HTGSupply-Ultimate-400w-HPS-&-MH-Grow-Light.asp

 

[GrowRebel]

Im sure your going to love them for vegging, but for $165 you could have got a much better system that would be ideal for both vegg and flower.

@55,000 lumens its almost twice as much.
hxxp://www.htgsupply.com/Product-HTGSupply-Ultimate-400w-HPS-&-MH-Grow-Light.asp

:ciao: Grow ... That would not have met my needs those fixtures went into three different areas of my grow ... one was for the clones ... one was for the lower veg. level and the other was for the separate veg box ...:watchplant: one fixture couldn't cover all areas ... and I have to consider the heat factor. I use the "big guns" (HID) on the flower level. Also the $165 was to the door price.eace:



:giggle:

 

[soil]

t5's are great. if you can "afford" them you will never go back to the t12's. i could really use to replace my shop lights too ...... but its not in the budget right yet.

i do believe if your usin shop lights and switch to t5's the growth will go faster with the louder lights. (like noticably faster)




soil .....

 

[GrowRebel]

:ciao:Hi soil ... hope all is well with ye ... I will have to post a report to let you good folks know how that is working out ... but yes indeed ... they were expensive in my book, and yet, you have to pay what I paid for the two bulb fixture for the single strip in most of the store.:bolt: and according to HTG Supply these are the "budget" fixtures:huh:

If they do show improvement and faster growth I will see if the budget will allow me to replace the two remaining t12 fixtures with two t5 before HTG Supply raises their price to match the other stores.

I could use the t12's to put light on the sides of the plants if heat doesn't become a factor.:watchplant:

So far I like the lights ... they haven't given me any problems ... hopefully they will continue to function well:laugh: .




:giggle:

 

[soil]

Hey Reb , im doin alright.

Things are going slow but they are going.

You will love the t5's. mine get so much healthier when they get put under the big guns , so i know my t12's just aint cuttin it right now.




soil