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dankster
Stranger
Registered: 07/04/09
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A question on grow light's color temperature
#11400332 - 11/06/09 06:44 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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When I first began pinning, I used a compact florescent I had in my basement. I couldn't find any info about its color temperature in kelvin on the box nor the bulb. It was a CF that had the same light that usually comes from long florescent fixtures in schools or office buildings. I would say it looks "bluer" than incandescent bulbs.
Is this the type of blue light that RR and others say I should use? I wasn't sure, and earlier today, while picking up some silicon at wally world, I saw some grow bulbs for sale. They had blue hues. I remembered an experiment in my bio class where plants photosynthesized better with bluer lights, so I decided I might as well pick one up. I also remembered posts here saying you want lights in the blue spectrum around 6600 Kelvin. (Now I know that the mushrooms are just phototropic and dont photosynthesize.)
They sold a few types of bulbs at wally world. One was 50w, conical, kinda bluish and had a glass apparatus inside. Another was bluish, 60w and shaped like an incandescent bulb. Both were about $5, and neither said anything about light temperatures. I bought the conical one, figuring it might direct my light better. However, when I got home and plugged it in, the light was not blue a all. It looked extremely red.
I am not familiar with halogen bulbs, but could this be what my light is? It was sold as a grow light so it must get the job done. I know this produces heat and uses more electricity, but this isn't really much of an issue for me, as I only have one. It could probably use a little heat, actually.
Now that I have this light as well as a CF, which should I use? I usually only end up turning them on for between 1 and 4 hrs/night, (I dont want to leave suspicious lights on all day) so I would like to get the most out of the time they are on. Also, how is one supposed to tell the temperature of his lights? I have checked many cfs and a few grow lights and not of them say.
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Shea25
Just some guy
Registered: 01/27/09
Posts: 7,772
Loc: Westcoast Canada
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Re: A question on grow light's color temperature [Re: dankster]
#11400356 - 11/06/09 06:50 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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Well generally if there cool blue lights or day light there mostly going to be around 6500K.
Edited by Shea25 (11/06/09 07:20 PM)
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myco_mikey_mo
Mycologist For Hire
Registered: 09/11/09
Posts: 1,460
Loc: The PNW
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Re: A question on grow light's color temperature [Re: Shea25]
#11400458 - 11/06/09 07:16 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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6500K is what i use
-------------------- -Give a man some mushies, He'll trip for a day...Teach a man to cultivate, He'll trip for a lifetime- Self healing Tyvek and Silcone lids for Trade... PM me Looking for anybody with extra spawn bags for trade... PM me
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Slimz
.-~*´`*·~-experience-~*´`*·~-.
Registered: 10/03/07
Posts: 3,588
Loc: Maryland
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Re: A question on grow light's color temperature [Re: myco_mikey_mo]
#11400484 - 11/06/09 07:20 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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anything marked "DAYLIGHT" is 6500k
-------------------- Lazy Drywall Tek (no powdery mess) This series will blow your mind and confirm what you already know to be true. The Pharmacratic Inquisition Best Thread Ever ! ! ! me if you have questions about lasers Although i may advise others in a general way regarding all types of mushroom grows, and may even post question from other forums about growing "active" mushrooms, i only grow non-"active" mushrooms and edibles. FeelFamily resident tech guru
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cloudsaregathering
pasturbater
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Re: A question on grow light's color temperature [Re: Slimz]
#11400593 - 11/06/09 07:50 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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i use the sun, he's pretty good...
-------------------- "the root of the problem has been isolated"
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Slimz
.-~*´`*·~-experience-~*´`*·~-.
Registered: 10/03/07
Posts: 3,588
Loc: Maryland
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its GREAT in simmer but in fall and winter, not so much
-------------------- Lazy Drywall Tek (no powdery mess) This series will blow your mind and confirm what you already know to be true. The Pharmacratic Inquisition Best Thread Ever ! ! ! me if you have questions about lasers Although i may advise others in a general way regarding all types of mushroom grows, and may even post question from other forums about growing "active" mushrooms, i only grow non-"active" mushrooms and edibles. FeelFamily resident tech guru
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myco_mikey_mo
Mycologist For Hire
Registered: 09/11/09
Posts: 1,460
Loc: The PNW
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Re: A question on grow light's color temperature [Re: Slimz]
#11403856 - 11/07/09 10:54 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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it is great in the simmer!
-------------------- -Give a man some mushies, He'll trip for a day...Teach a man to cultivate, He'll trip for a lifetime- Self healing Tyvek and Silcone lids for Trade... PM me Looking for anybody with extra spawn bags for trade... PM me
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kydelic
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Re: A question on grow light's color temperature [Re: myco_mikey_mo]
#11404341 - 11/07/09 11:53 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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A regular lightbulb works fine
-------------------- http://flickr.com/photos/mycography - A collection of my fungal photography
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myceleus_rex
seeker
Registered: 07/01/09
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Loc: alized
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Re: A question on grow light's color temperature [Re: dankster]
#11404452 - 11/07/09 12:05 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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dankster
Stranger
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Re: A question on grow light's color temperature [Re: myceleus_rex]
#11408589 - 11/07/09 11:07 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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Right now, I have the two lights described above. I found the conical light online, and it is actually incandescent. I'll return that to wally. The CF, I have had for a long time. It says nothing about daylight on it, and I cant find the model online. However, it seems like it has a bluish tint tom me. Are all CFs that have blue tints "Daylight" CFs in the 6500k range? Or are there CFs that we would say look blue but are really significantly lower in color temp than that of "daylight" CFs?
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cowfodder
banged your mom.
Registered: 10/22/09
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Re: A question on grow light's color temperature [Re: dankster]
#11408672 - 11/07/09 11:33 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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6500 Kelvin (actually 6487k is the exact number) is the color temperature assigned to white for film and television by the Imaging Sciences Foundation (ISF) and has generally been adopted as the standard for daylight. This measurement was reached by measuring the color temp of a pure white sheet of paper at high noon on the summer solstice at the exact latitude that the sun passes over head. Any temp lower than that is redish, higher is bluish. Most "cool blue" lights are in the 8500-9300 Kelvin range. The human eye perceives bluish white as being brighter. Plants do also photosynthesize bluish light better. For mushies, you do want to be closer to 6500 Kelvin. Any home improvement store should have bulbs that are set for this temp.
-------------------- "“Today a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration, that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves. Here's Tom with the Weather."" —Bill Hicks
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dankster
Stranger
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Re: A question on grow light's color temperature [Re: dankster]
#11408956 - 11/08/09 12:57 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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So if I have a CF that has a light that I perceive as being bluer than incandescent bulbs, then it could possible be all the way up to the 8000k range?
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RogerRabbit
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Re: A question on grow light's color temperature [Re: dankster]
#11408980 - 11/08/09 01:04 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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Hold a piece of white printer paper up to the light. If it looks white to slightly blue, you have a good light. If it looks yellow to red such as you'd see with an incandescent bulb, look for something with a higher color temperature. Most CFLs have the color temperature stamped on them. If the color temp has a name instead of number, go with cool white or daylight. RR
-------------------- Download Let's Grow Mushrooms semper in excretia sumus solim profundum variat "I've never had a failed experiment. I've only discovered 10,000 methods which do not work." Thomas Edison
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dankster
Stranger
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Last seen: 8 years, 2 months
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Re: A question on grow light's color temperature [Re: RogerRabbit]
#11409080 - 11/08/09 01:32 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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Thanks RR! That was exactly the type of response I was looking for.
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