AlienBait Tries Cold Cathode Lights

[AlienBait]

What are Cold Cathodes? They are the lights that people put inside their computer cases to light up the components (though I really don't see the point). They are 1 foot long and use 3.5 watts each. I got 10 of them for a total of 35 watts of light, just to see if they would work for growing our favorite plants. I've never seen anyone grow with these types of lights before, so I'm doing a little experiment.

I chose to use mostly red lights because that is what the chlorophyl absorbs best, but it also absorbs blue, so I have a couple of those. I also added two white ones just to give the plants a little more variety. The white lights actually don't put out as many photons as the red or blue because (I was told) they are actually the same as the blue ones with a coating on them that absorbs some of the blue light and re-radiates in the lower spectrums. In doing so, some light energy is lost.

The lights cost about 3.00 each. With tax and shipping, the 10 lights cost $36.00.

Despite the name, they put out as much heat as a fluorescent tube. However they are much smaller and many of them can be crammed into a small space. Like fluorescent lights, they need a ballast. That is what those little blue boxes are on top of the grow box. Each ballast can control two lights. Everything is running off the computer power supply, which also made it easy to plug in the computer fan without any mods. The power supply and fan together use 15 watts for a total of 50 watts for this grow.

I'm using 2 liter soda bottles with the top cut off. The medium is 50/50 perlite/vermiculite and I will be hand-watering with Hydro nutes.

The plants are 1 White Satin and 1 White Widow which I grew from clones. The White Satin was vegged for 2 weeks longer than the Widow, which I vegged for 1 week after rooting. That is why it is a little bigger and thicker. By the way, the White Satin is a clone from the plant I used for a LED/16oz cup grow last spring. I re-vegged that plant and took about 5 clones from it. The White Widow is a clone from last spring's closet grow.

Of course, one would get better results with a HPS, but for Micro-Growers, this may be a way to go. Even so, I think it's going pretty well. Buds and trichs are forming and the plants are healthy. The folowing pics are 3 weeks into flowering and were taken last week.

1) The lights glued to the top of the grow-box.
2) The ballasts. Each one controls 2 lights
3) Modified PC power supply
4) The plants on day 1
5) The plants at the end of week 3
6) WS and WW side by side
7) Different angle
8) From the top
9) White Satin
10 White Widow

[AlienBait]

Here is an update on the Cold Cathode grow. These pics were taken this morning. This is the end of week 4:

1) White Satin on the left, White Widow on the right.
2) WS
3) WS
4) WW
5) WW

[Don de Marco]

I'll watch with interest. Very well done so far :thumbsup:

[Cannagirl]

Hey they are looking a lot more frosty then I thought they would with those lights! Good stuff, I love all your experimentations!

[SFC]

You are a mad scientist Alien bait! I don't recall anyone else trying this yet. Good job mang:thumbsup:

[AlienBait]

Thanks guys. I've never seen anyone try growing with the Cold Cathode lights either. I am trying to find a way to maximize yield and minimize space and power usage. These lights are very skinny, not bulky like HIDs, CFLs, or Fluorescent Tubes AND they are much cheaper than LEDs

These lights are doing better than I expected. I think if I use these again, I will get some more and use them for side lighting. Then again, I could just use the LEDs that I have for side lighting. We'll see when the time comes.

[AlienBait]

Update time!

Things are going pretty good on this side of the lab. We are at the end of 5 weeks flowering. The buds on the White Satin are getting really thick. You can really see the difference a couple of extra weeks of veg makes (Then again, it could just be a difference in the strains).

The Pictures:

1) Both plants: White Satin on the left, White Widow on the right.
2) WS
3) WW
4) WS
5) WW

[SFC]

That is simply amazing. Who would have thought cold cathode lights would grow such picturesque buds.:thumbsup:

[AlienBait]

Picturesque, eh? Maybe I should throw some pics into the BOTM contest...:rasta2:

I'll wait until next week and take pics under the colored lights and make it real fancy. ;)

[SFC]

Good idea Alienbait. But I will still be rooting for my BOTM :roll:

[web420]

Very Cool ................ AB :alien2:

Strain Report? ........:alien1:

:blaze:

[AlienBait]

Very Cool ................ AB :alien2:

Strain Report? ........:alien1:

:blaze:

Howdy Web. Thanks for dropping in. For the strain report, are you asking about the White Satin? If so, I can't really give a good one. I've only used it for experiments. I don't know what it would be like under a "normal" grow and I won't be able to do that until next spring.

[Green Iris]

Wow, whoda thunkit? Mr. Alien, that's cool!:coolpunk:

[AlienBait]

Why, thank you Mrs. Iris.:rasta2:

[greenthumbdanny]

I gotta say that's pretty intresting.:thumbsup:

[Cannagirl]

AB ma buddy, ur the shit. A man after my own heart. I'm all about defying convention. So, whats next? Growing by candles? ;)

[AlienBait]

Since SFC was asking for an update, I thought I would. :sfc:

I was going to chop this weekend, but after a closer look, I decided to wait until next week. The plants are looking really nice and frosty. :D

The Pictures:

1) White Satin on the left, White Widow on the right.
2) WS
3) WS
4) WW
5) WW

[AlienBait]

And one more of the White Satin under the Cold Cathodes for mood lighting. :rasta2:

http://www.420genetics.com/gallery/files/6/5/6/CC-W8ws3.jpg

[Killahkush]

Looks wonderful, keep it up.

[Don de Marco]

Most impressive :thumbsup:

[SFC]

Ab I think you finally have a BOTM winner on your hands. Get that baby up whilst there is still time.

You are right to wait IMO, they are getting close, but still have a little bit to go:thumbsup:

[camskushedup]

I'm very much drooling..

[AlienBait]

Well, I think these plants have done all they are going to do so I chopped them yesterday. Did not get much, but like I said earlier, this was just a test to see if Cold Cathode lights would even work. I think with more lights, the harvest would have been even bigger. They do look nice and frosty, though. Anyway, on with the pics:

1) Right before the chop. White Satin in the left, White Widow on the right.
2) White Satin
3) WS a little closer
4) WS even closer
5) White Widow
6) WW a little closer
7) After trimming the leaves
8) WS
9) WW
10) WS came out to 24 grams wet.
11) WW came out to 12 grams wet.

I'll get the final numbers in a few days after it is dried.

[SFC]

Hey, it is still impressive in my book. Nice scale too! Was it office max or staples? 30 bucks you can't beat it.

[Taco]

They look great to me AB. So whats your next project? Fiber optics? LCD with a sun screensaver? Keep up the good work and I am looking forward to the next round.

[AlienBait]

Hey, it is still impressive in my book. Nice scale too! Was it office max or staples? 30 bucks you can't beat it.
Thanks SFC. :rasta2: By the way, I got the scale at Staples. Good guess. LOL! I originally got it for weighing packages and mail for my business, but as you can see it works just fine for other things as well. The only problem is that it only weighs whole grams, so it is not as accurate as I would like. I had another one that was better, but I broke it. :blazed:


They look great to me AB. So whats your next project? Fiber optics? LCD with a sun screensaver? Keep up the good work and I am looking forward to the next round.
Thanks Doob. I've got some ideas. As soon as my clones are ready, I'll let you all in on the plan. ;)

[AlienBait]

Well, I have the final numbers.

The White Satin was 5 grams dried and the White Widow was 2.5 grams dried for a total of 7.5 grams, which is just over a quarter oz.

The quantity was not much, but this grow has given me some interesting ideas. The next time I use these lights it's going to be another fun little grow.

Hope you enjoyed the show.

I have some pictures of the dried bud, but either my camera is not very good or I just cannot take a good picture. Anyway here they are:

1) White Satin
2) WS Close up.
3) White Widow
4) WW Close up.

[midnitefarmer]

Great Job AB!!!Thanks for keeping us on the cutting edge!!:thumbsup:

[AlienBait]

Thanks MidniteFarmer. It was a fun little experiment. I only got 0.21 grams per watt, but it was my first try with these types of lights. In the future, I'm going to see if I can improve the yield. :rasta2:

[UrBigBuddie01]

REALLY great n Interesting Experiment My good friend Alien Bait dude, Wow, some nice experiments STILL kicking from your experimenting,light idearing mind,lollol

Great flippin JOB though bro, REALLY enjoyed looking through this, great work, really interesting indeed my good man,:bigok:

RESPECT, TOTALLY, for all your effeorts and all,;)

UrBigBuddie01.......:icon_smil :pics: ;) :thumbsup:

P.S, AWAITING some more experimental tricks of yours bro, and the idea of putting more of those lights at the side, Would that STILL cut costs and all brotha???
Ponder that one!?!?
PEACE! Cheer's!

[mr_nice_guy]

hey that is amazing first time i have seen anything like it!!! so i assume the light make almost zero heat? also what expected bulb life? i really wanna see how this works out, less cost than hid set up, GREAT WORK!!!

[AlienBait]

Thanks, Mr_Nice_Guy. The lights do put out a bit of heat. About the same as a fluorescent tube, so you will still need some kind of ventilation. For this grow, I used a computer fan.

I don't know the how long the bulbs will last. They are pretty cheap, but I think by the time you get enough to equal the output of an HID, you will have spent a lot more than you would on a HPS. If you are doing a micro-grow, this might be a way to go.

[mr_nice_guy]

though they may not be as cost effective, i think the look on someones face selling you 400 dollars worth of these would almost be worth it!!:lmao: i have yet to grow personally and i guess these unconventional methods i fine very interesting, i guess that is why i drag race a honda civic, i like being the under dog. keep up the crazy experiments you may stumble on to something!!! :study: :study: :bowdown: :salute:

[Captsneak]

nice work ,mate,stealth action:animbong: