Lights...again.

[Bradfo69]

Having moved a few times and rarely having enough windowsill space facing the right direction has forced me to pursue growing most of my stuff under lights.

Like others, I have the cursory florescent setup(s) obtained cheaply from Home Depot in addition to some experiments with HID.

In my bedroom, over top of a dresser, I used a bracket shelving system to hang a 2 x 4 foot lay in troffer usually seen in drop ceiling with acoustical tiles. It uses T- 8 bulbs and I'm using a 50:50 mix of cool white and warm white (actually Phillips "Daylight" and "Kitchen and Bath") These are, I believe 5000k and 3400k. I have them approximately 4" above the foliage of about 40 paphs. Mottled and green leafed plus a few other things thrown under there to observe. (Couple small phals, a BLC, a neobethamia gracilis and some unopened flasks. The plants sit in a "boot tray" like you toss your wet winter boots on when you come in from outdoors, filled with river gravel and water. So far, and I've only used it a couple months, I've been pleased. I run an oscellating (sic.) fan about 3 feet way which blows back and forth, covering the whole setup.
I don't have any major questions with this set up.

In the basement, there is an old powder room with nothing in it but a toilet. Cinder block walls, cement floor and wooden rafters above. My other flourescent lights are in there which is comprised of cheap $7 shop light fixtures holding two 48" bulbs each. Each shelve has two shop lights, each with a warm and cool white bulb. Again, generally about the same degrees kelvin.

In the ceiling, and this is where it gets interesting, I bought a 70 watt high pressure sodium light that you might traditionally mount on a garage or pole. I remove the plastic shroud so the bulb is fully exposed. Next to it is a 100 watt mercury vapor light set up the same way. I decided this wasn't enough and 4' away mounted another pole style 185 watt mercury vapor light. I've read mixed reviews about mercury vapor but metal halide has been too difficult and expensive to obtain. (Lowes just started selling one about 100 watts for $65.) I'm fairly pleased with this. Enought that I had to make another temporary setup when I got a little overzelous with my plant purchasing using another 70 watt HSP and a 185 watt mercury vapor in a corner of the basement and draped the whole thing in white shower curtains to reflect back the light and help contain humidity. What I'm NOT happy about and have a question about is the amount of electricity being used for this set up. Home Depot sells a product manufactured by Lights of America that is a 65 watt compact flourescent bulb designed (because of the ballast) to be screwed in place of a 185 watt mercury vapor. They claim it's brighter, the color is more white than blue, and more energy efficient. The brightness lumens on the box are higher than the mercury vapor but the photopic lumens on the box is less. I want to try it but it's a $20 bulb. I'm just not sure about it yet. Lights of America has been unresponsive to my questions. Anyone familiar with it or using compact flourescents in general?

Also, on this forum, I'm reading about people using T-5's. A T-5 to me is a compact flourecent or a very thin tubed straight bulb. I'm reading that many of you are stating they're almost too bright! Yet they seem to be less wattage than T-12 bulbs or T-8's. I don't get it.
Am I understanding you correctly? Now...on that note, I was a a seminar in my local library the other day and looking up, noticed they had what looked like a compact flourescent bulb in a recessed fixture that was so bright I had to turn my eyes away. I thought maybe this was what you were talking about but have yet to see anything like it at Home Depot or Lowes. Maybe I need to go to a specialty lighting store.
Any suggestions? I'm really concerned about efficient electrical usage since I'm living at home with an aging parent temporarily and this is all going on their electric bill.

Thanks!