Thanks!
Phil in Alaska

http://anchorage.craigslist.org/grd/304896341.html

There is one major drawback to this system. The tubes are mounted 3.6" apart. This is stupid. The only reason to pay big bucks for a T5HO system is to get higher light intensity than you can get from other fluorescent setups. Space the tubes out and you lose that. You can get the same light from the same area for the same electricity, for a lot less money, with 12 or 14 48" T8s.

If you really need 400+W of light, you should also consider HID lighting. Much easier to mail order, you'd probably save a little money up front, running costs are comparable, only one bulb to keep track of instead of all those tubes.

Ahh thank you this was just the answer I was looking for, a no BS opinion. I wouldn’t have given the bulb spacing any thought. I do have a brand new 400watt MH in a sun system hood. Where I intend to grow the Greens (for a salad and basil to go with the tomatoes) is a space that’s long and rather skinny. Since the HID light covers a square I was looking at alterative for longer skinny lights to accommodate the space. I will probably start with the HID MH and see how it goes. I guess I could even buy another one just like it and save the fluorescents for the seedling starts. I am so looking forward to getting things growing inside. This year I plan to put a few things outside in containers and let them at the summer sun but this year I won’t have to sweat weather the tomatoes will turn red as there will be a couple plants going indoors. Since both inside and outside plants are seedlings now it will be fun to watch them inside and out and compare their progress as the summer goes on. I guess if the outside plants do better I could move them in at the end of the summer and get rid of the ones grown indoors.

Thanks again!
Phil in Alaska