Lighting on a budget

Indoor
#1

When I first started growing indoor I was flat broke and suffering from chronic back pain due to an injury. I was being prescribed opiate pain killers and I did not like what they did to me so I used cannabis instead. It relieved the pain just enough that I could function as a normal human being but the down side is it got expensive from the clubs price gouging with 100% or more mark ups and if you went to your local bud man you weren’t always guaranteed to get quality organic buds.

I couldn’t grow outdoor in my county anymore aside from my guerrilla grows but they kept getting pilfered by people stumbling upon them. So really my only option was to grow in my shed.

I looked everywhere for decent lights and ballasts but everything but the bulbs were extremely expensive so I decided to hit the junk yard and do a little DIY. I managed to find an old reflector, an old ballast, and an old street lamp post that still had the lighting fixture and internal ballast. Walked out of the junkyard only spending $20. Went home and rewired the ballasts to run on 110 volts then put a 400w MH in the reflector and a 1000w HPS in the GE lighting fixture.

Even with next to nothing you can get a lighting setup with a little ingenuity and determination.

If anyone has any questions about some inexpensive DIY feel free to ask. I can even walk you through setting up old ballasts or what to look for at the thrift shops and junk yards.

Happy growing friends. :v::metal::call_me_hand:

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Light information please
#2

My 1st set of lights were on a boat dock that sunk during a snow storm but not deep enough to submerge the lights and they were junking the dock so I ask if I could salvage the lights and the guy said sure. I gave him $5 and a 12 pack of Budweiser and got 4 lights off of his dock,they were the 400 W metal halide so if you look.@MDBuds is right you can get them on a budget.

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#3

@DMT that’s quite a score man. I love running into salvage.

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#4

Awesome post brother ! Ik this is a huge issue with new growers or growers on a budget.

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#5

@organigrower0624 @dmtscravey @MDBuds my wife and i grow indoor once a year all personal stuff (6 plants all under these lights in three homemade tents). this Sour OG is some i bought at a Dispensary and got 8 seeds from in a 1/8 ounce. likely Hermie. grew 2 and one flowered last year. you can view plants also grown under these lights of Homegrowns Seeds at How To Grow Gorilla Glue #4 Fem. - Q&A … our lights increase $25 a month for four months on Fem. Plants :grin: crap, we only got 39 ounces after cure this year

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#6

two plants each tents

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#7

we grow for five things. Highest THC, Desease Resistance, Solid Root Base, Hairiest Buds overcome by Solid Sugar Pollen. Cut to the chase type stuff. yield? just gimme some of the best :clap: and uh :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: get your Sunday Morning LED Light Laugh because my led bulbs are $15.00 a bulb and produce Zero Heat. cost us 4 months of lights at $25.00 a month to grow 39 ounces of premium bud on 6 very hard trimmed almost tortured but happy healthy plants. that’s why we grow feminized seeds indoor. we can whip them with a willow switch

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#8

My brother has been cloning the same plant for 21 years under those fixtures that I got off the dock (not the same bulbs and ballast) but after seeing the harvest I get with LEDs he is going to retire them to the garage and move into this millennium a get some LEDs I think he is going to be amazed at the savings on electric bills.

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#9

@dmtscravey Check That. $100.00 bucks in electricity to grow 39 Ozs. was what led me to those tiny round LED Bulbs. way back when they first came out. we love LED. saving is why i grow. my wife just loves the plant for its beauty. and those itty bitty bulbs can grow some Kacker Bud. Good Seeds and Woop Woop :see_no_evil::hear_no_evil::speak_no_evil:

#10

i germinate in the soil, always have. they start seeds good… not having heat the light can be right next to on the plant for short sturdy structures and based strong round roots. other growers around me are shocked as i am down to or get up about being able and love to show off a fist size Super Root.

#11

I’m doing LED this round,

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#12

@Meko Hi meko, Welcome to the Forum… Have a Laugh :grinning: all i have to do is satisfy Me

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#13

I agree with Dollarbill if it makes you happy and it works for what you want grow with it! It doesn’t take a lot of expensive equipment to be happy and grow a decent harvest. Just takes a little bit of attention and a lot of fun and maybe a prayer now and then.

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#14

All really good ideas on acquiring cheap lighting setups, I love it. Thanks for the tips gang :+1:. I’m running L.E.D., if you can come up with the $100 bucks or so you can get a decent one on Amazon. Much cheaper in the long run because less electrical consumption :+1::+1::+1:

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#15

Nice score bro wtg :sunglasses:

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#16

I’m running a budget led right now too. Those light fixtures are over 15 years old now. They still work and not a bad deal for $20 but I went full organic and wanted to lower my carbon foot print and electricity bill so I spent about $120 on a King Plus LED 1500w (now that I’m not flat broke) and it’s getting the job done so far.

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#17

@MDBuds @dmtscravey @Philly111 @Meko my wife has those silly little round LED Bulbs all over the cabin with auto flower seeds in small pots for decoration. silly little plants are always full of buds that i could have put in tents. Prevent Nats and flying pest with those cups of water layed around the grow. :smiling_imp: They love to drown their selves. Each day you’ll have less pests until they’re gone. Adjust your RH to the change

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#18

Hot Damn, three days old and still no stem :grin: it’s all fun

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#19

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#20

Keep us updated on how it goes?

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