Removing the lens cover and plastic cover over the lamps in the Aquatic Life compact fluorescent fixture
My friend holds a 12 inch Fluorescent light bulb to my CB radio antenna as i whistle into the mic and the light illuminates. It illuminates halfway through the video, didn’t work the first go for some reason lol.
This is an extended version of Preheat fluorescent light.
When it comes to grow light solutions, it seems as if there are as many choices as there are varieties of plants for your garden. The two main grow lights, Metal Halide (MH) and High Pressure Sodium (HPS) are High Intensity Discharge (HID) lights used in hydroponic gardening. Metal Halide grow lights are generally used during a plant’s growing cycle – i.e., when it is not blooming or bearing fruit. HPS lights are used during a plant’s fruiting/blooming phase. There are two sub-types of HPS lighting: one is enhanced for the blue spectrum, which is better for fruiting, and the other is red spectrum enhanced, which specific benefits flowering. In addition, there are mercury-vapor lamps, which are similar to modern streetlights, and fluorescent grow lights.
All indoor grow lights make use of what is known as a ballast system. With MH and HPS lights, these are remote, meaning that an external box is required in order to house an electronic pre-heating system, which in turn runs the lamp itself.
Historically, all types of HID grow lights have a useful life of approximately 1 – 1-1/2 years. Although they will usually operate beyond this time, their luminescence is compromised – meaning that they will produce substantially less light, yet continue to consume the same amount of electricity.
With the advent of LED grow lights, are HPS and MH lights obsolete?
LED stands for “Light-Emitting Diode.” LED lights have actually been around for a long time – some people who built models of spacecraft from popular science fiction may recall the old “grain-o-wheat” bulbs used to illuminate them. LED lights have also been used in calculators, digital displays and movement sensors (your new cordless optical mouse probably has a motion-sensing LED device).
Unlike most traditional types of glow lights – each of which have its own specific application – LED grow lights can be tuned to specific wavelengths according to the needs of the particular plant. LED grow lights are also much more efficient, using only a fraction of the energy required even by fluorescent lights while providing much greater luminescence.
The best part of LED grow lights is their durability. Unlike MH or HPS lights which usually must be replaced after 18 months, LED lamps are built to function for up to 100,000 hours – nearly twelve years with normal usage averaging 18 hours per day.
Another feature of LED grow lights that make them superior to other types is the substantially lower amount of hear produced. Unlike other types of grow lights, LEDs are cool burning. This means that less heat is produced to affect the plant, nor will an elaborate ventilation system be required in order to carry away excess heat.
The drawback of LED grow lights is their relative expense; they require a greater initial investment than most other types of grow lights. However, because of their efficiency and durability, they quickly pay for themselves in terms of long-term energy savings.
The compact fluorescent light bulb… -They last longer -They can be MUCH brighter! -THEY CAN BE RECYCLED -They contain a lot less mercury than incandescent light bulbs. -They last about 7 times as long. -They use a lot less electricity! So seriously!!
A great movie to teach about CFL’s
When it comes to grow lights and other electronic devices, a ballast is mechanism that acts as a type of resistor. Similar to the “power pack” used with electric trains, its purpose is to regulate the amount of electrical current flowing through a circuit.
If grow lights – such as metal halide, high pressure sodium or even fluorescent lights - were connected directly to a power outlet, they would continue to draw greater and greater amounts of electric current until they burned up, exploded, or destroyed the power source. This is why a ballast is necessary to your grow system. The ballast provides positive resistance which limits the flow of electricity to the grow light.
Traditionally, the ballasts used with grow lights have been similar to those found in old-time automotive ignition systems, i.e. a magnetic coil. The problem with these is that they were designed to build up a certain amount of electrical current required to operate the light; once this level was reached, the power would be delivered to the cold bulb all at once. This caused a great deal of wear on the bulb mechanism, shortening its useful life by a substantial degree.
The other problem involved “strobing,” or flickering. This flickering is not normally perceived consciously by human eyes, but it does exist – and again, causes grow-light bulbs to be less efficient.
New digital ballasts address these problems. First of all, electrical current is not fired off to cold bulbs all at once; instead, these ballasts start off by sending low levels of current to the bulb, then increasing the amount as the bulb warms up (known as “soft starting”). Digital ballasts also provide a smooth, even flow of electrical current, unlike magnetic core ballasts which cycle. This eliminates the destructive strobing action that causes bulbs to wear prematurely.
Another great feature of the digital ballast is that it is “intelligent.” Different types of grow lights have different power needs. In the past, it was necessary to have different ballasts for metal halide and HPS lamps, or at best, use a special (and often expensive) ballast that had a switch allowing one to change bulbs.
Today’s digital ballast is optimized to distinguish between different types of grow lights and adjust its output accordingly.
The result is that grow bulbs are effective over twice as long as those powered by a magnetic coil ballast.
This said, it should be noted that not all digital ballasts are created equal. These can vary tremendously in terms of quality and effectiveness. Some digital ballasts can actually harm your plants by delivering insufficient current to the bulb, limiting its ability to emit light.
On the other hand, whereas the performance of coil ballasts starts to degrade after about three years, digital ballasts do not.
If you are considering the purchase of a digital ballast, it is a good idea to do some comparison shopping, and be prepared to spend a bit extra; a new, but cheaply made imported digital ballast from China might be worse than even an old coil ballast made in the U.S.
It seems silly that it is. I mean, I realize that it’s their own version of the game, but come on. The NFL is a higher level of play and you would think that you would want to watch the best. The drama and the spectacle of the NFL just seems like it would be way more exciting than the CFL.
So i changed the light bulbs around my apartment, trying to be more eco-friendly, but i recently learned that they contain some mercury, and could be hazardous if break.
So how do you dispose of them the right way?
I have heard it is better to use a standard halogen light bulb if you turn on and off a light frequently because CFL’s have a power-spike when they first turn on. I know they use less watts overall during prolonged use. But do they have a power surge when 1st turned on?