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 RasJeph
Psycho Pete
Registered: 01/14/09
Posts: 11,657
Loc: Bumfuckt Egypt
Last seen: 1 year, 5 days
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 Looking for a new light (updated with LED questions now) 
#403185 - 04/17/10 12:46 PM (14 years, 6 months ago) |
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So, my flowering room is about 5 feet wide, 3 feet deep, and 5 feet tall. As of now, I have it sectioned off a bit, and my HPS light hanging off of a bar.
Its only 150 watt, and its doing very good things to my 2 plants that are flowering...however, now I have a mother plant, and I want to have a few more going next round.
I'd like to be able to use the whole room, and not have to have it sectioned off. This would also allow me to use 5 gallon pots instead of having to keep them a small 1 gallon pot.
So, my question is...how many watt HPS light should I invest in for my closet? I'm not ready just yet (I plan on flowering 2 clones from my mother under my 150w to see their grow times, etc) but my birthday IS in 3 days...and it couldn't hurt to maybe get myself a little something 
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Of course it's happening inside your head.
Why should that mean it isn't real?
Edited by RasJeph (04/18/10 11:12 AM)
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DungenessDank
Lord of the Flies
Registered: 05/05/08
Posts: 9,372
Loc: PNW
Last seen: 11 years, 5 months
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Re: Maybe looking for a new light...need help :] [Re: RasJeph]
#403236 - 04/17/10 04:06 PM (14 years, 6 months ago) |
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I'd say 400 - 600 watt HPS 
With a 600 you'll most likely need to beef up your ventilation, which will add to the amount of electricity you use, so it may not be what you're looking for.
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KaptKid
Spaced Pirate
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 5,615
Loc: Bright Side of the Sun
Last seen: 11 months, 8 days
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 Re: Maybe looking for a new light...need help :] [Re: RasJeph]
#403245 - 04/17/10 04:51 PM (14 years, 6 months ago) |
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600 watts with an air cooled reflector. Heat will be a factor.
This will do a 3ft X 3ft area.
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Child of the 60's, Tripping ever sence.
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RasJeph
Psycho Pete
Registered: 01/14/09
Posts: 11,657
Loc: Bumfuckt Egypt
Last seen: 1 year, 5 days
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Re: Maybe looking for a new light...need help :] [Re: KaptKid]
#403255 - 04/17/10 05:15 PM (14 years, 6 months ago) |
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Cool, cool.
Yeah, upping the ventilation won't be that big of a deal. The opening for my closet is like a double door-way. I just have a tarp with a blanket pinned over it...plenty of room for a fan or whatever I'll need.
And it'll just be a flowering room, so only 12 hours a day anyway. 
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Of course it's happening inside your head.
Why should that mean it isn't real?
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 DrGreenThumb
Registered: 08/09/08
Posts: 487
Loc: Phish Tour 
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Re: Maybe looking for a new light...need help :] [Re: RasJeph]
#403289 - 04/17/10 07:21 PM (14 years, 6 months ago) |
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My advice would be to go with a 400W or 1000W system. Those two systems were built specifically for growing plants. Here is how I came to that conclusion.
If you visit this website eyehortilux.com you will see that they make bulbs specifically for growing. Check out their complete lineup. You will see that the only bulb they have for a 600W system is their Super HPS.
No MH bulbs for a 600W. As a matter of fact NO ONE makes 600W MH bulbs unless they are conversion bulbs. I consider this to be a problem. Maybe my logic is faulty here but it makes sense to me.
Don't get me wrong, you can grow great plants with a 600W as many people here do. But for me, I wanted something that I could use for a veg room when I upgrade to 1000W flowering room, without using an excessive amount of electricity. I can veg under a 400 and switch right over to 1000 without it costing an arm and a leg.
For you I think a 400W would keep you happy for about a year. Whereas a 600W would soon leave you yearning to upgrade to 1000W. 
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“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” -Dr. Seuss
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DungenessDank
Lord of the Flies
Registered: 05/05/08
Posts: 9,372
Loc: PNW
Last seen: 11 years, 5 months
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Re: Maybe looking for a new light...need help :] [Re: DrGreenThumb]
#403291 - 04/17/10 07:24 PM (14 years, 6 months ago) |
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I remember they used to make 600watt Hortilux Blue blubs, that's kind of disappointing to me that they stopped making them.
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DrGreenThumb
Registered: 08/09/08
Posts: 487
Loc: Phish Tour
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Re: Maybe looking for a new light...need help :] [Re: DungenessDank]
#403293 - 04/17/10 07:33 PM (14 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
DungenessDank said:
I remember they used to make 600watt Hortilux Blue blubs...
Really? That's too bad. Probably something to do with bulb life would be my guess.
I got a 400W Hortilux Blue and it looks like a beast! The inside tube looks like welding slag has hit the glass of the inner tube and caused some spots. I thought, great I got a bunk bulb. Apparently this is normal and if you look closely at the picture on the box you can see the pits on the inner tube.
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“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” -Dr. Seuss
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DungenessDank
Lord of the Flies
Registered: 05/05/08
Posts: 9,372
Loc: PNW
Last seen: 11 years, 5 months
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Re: Maybe looking for a new light...need help :] [Re: DrGreenThumb]
#403295 - 04/17/10 07:36 PM (14 years, 6 months ago) |
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About 2 years ago I was in the market for one and I could only find them at one place online, must have been because they were already discontinued bulbs 
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Buddy
Mr.
Registered: 06/14/09
Posts: 995
Last seen: 2 years, 3 months
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Re: Maybe looking for a new light...need help :] [Re: DungenessDank]
#403297 - 04/17/10 07:41 PM (14 years, 6 months ago) |
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If you're looking to keep a mother and clones going I'd personally go with a 150-200W CFL. It'll provide enough light to keep them going and will reduce your heat concerns. Something in the blue spectrum.
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When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!
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DrGreenThumb
Registered: 08/09/08
Posts: 487
Loc: Phish Tour
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Re: Maybe looking for a new light...need help :] [Re: Buddy]
#403298 - 04/17/10 07:46 PM (14 years, 6 months ago) |
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No!!! No CFL's. He's looking to upgrade (not downsize) and roll with the big dogs. 
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“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” -Dr. Seuss
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Buddy
Mr.
Registered: 06/14/09
Posts: 995
Last seen: 2 years, 3 months
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Re: Maybe looking for a new light...need help :] [Re: DrGreenThumb]
#403306 - 04/17/10 08:11 PM (14 years, 6 months ago) |
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I thought he was looking for something for a mother plant and clones? If he means just making his grow area bigger then obviously a higher wattage bulb is in order. But if he's looking to section off his grow area for a cloning/mother area then CFL makes sense to me. Sorry.
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When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!
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RasJeph
Psycho Pete
Registered: 01/14/09
Posts: 11,657
Loc: Bumfuckt Egypt
Last seen: 1 year, 5 days
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Re: Maybe looking for a new light...need help :] [Re: DrGreenThumb]
#403415 - 04/18/10 07:23 AM (14 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
DrGreenThumb said:
No!!! No CFL's. He's looking to upgrade (not downsize) and roll with the big dogs.
My mother and clones are in a separate (veg) room, which DOES have CFL's. The new light I'm looking for is the flowering area I have
Then I'll have an extra 150w HPS...I foresee this getting out of control
Anyways, thanks for the input. I see what you're saying about the 600w. I think I WILL go with the 400w...at least until I've got a few more grows under my belt
Edit: Hot damn, I found a really sweet looking deal on craigslist for a guy who apparently has a warehouse full of 400w HPS lights. $50 for used ones, $100 for new IN THE BOX ones...can someone review the specs for me, and let me know if these sound like they're right? ("actual labels on the fixtures")
High Pressure Sodium:
Hubbell Cat No BLA400S8 HPS
400 watt HPS S51
Volts 120/208 240/277
Amps 4.1/2 3/2.0/1.8
Medal Halide
Hubbell Cat No Bl400HSWHLB1UPL
400 watt MH
Volts 120/208 240/277V
Amps 4.0/2.3/2.0/1.7A
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Of course it's happening inside your head.
Why should that mean it isn't real?
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DrGreenThumb
Registered: 08/09/08
Posts: 487
Loc: Phish Tour
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Re: Maybe looking for a new light...need help :] [Re: RasJeph]
#403419 - 04/18/10 08:09 AM (14 years, 6 months ago) |
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I found those ballasts you were looking at on craigslist. Don't get them! The bulb sits vertical in the ballast and this is NOT ideal. I've read from a few reliable sources that you loose up to 30% of the light in a vertical fixture. This means you GAIN 30% usable light just by orienting the bulb horizontally.
If you look at all the reflectors sold for growing, you will notice that all the bulbs mount horizontally. There is good reason for this, as stated above.
Don't get me wrong, you can still grow great plants under them, it's just not what you're looking for. Go ahead and splurge and get a good light for growing plants. You won't regret it.
My first grows have been done under a vertical mount high-bay fixture (just like the ones on craigslist). Here's some pics from my first grow. It worked at the time, but now I need more. So I got a REAL grow light. I'm shooting at pulling 1g/watt or more on this run with a 400W. With my new light it shouldn't be a problem.
 
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“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” -Dr. Seuss
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RasJeph
Psycho Pete
Registered: 01/14/09
Posts: 11,657
Loc: Bumfuckt Egypt
Last seen: 1 year, 5 days
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Re: Maybe looking for a new light...need help :] [Re: DrGreenThumb]
#403421 - 04/18/10 08:20 AM (14 years, 6 months ago) |
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Ah, OK. I just figured I'd check before I went out and bought a different setup. At $50 each, I wasn't about to pass it up if it were good. Hell, I'd have gotten 4 for my budget
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Of course it's happening inside your head.
Why should that mean it isn't real?
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coda
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 4,736
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Re: Maybe looking for a new light...need help :] [Re: RasJeph]
#403447 - 04/18/10 10:37 AM (14 years, 6 months ago) |
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well, follow the basic rule of thumb when choosing a light for your grow area. You're aiming for 50 watts per sq ft of your grow space.
You have 15 sq ft
a 400 watt light gives you 26 watts per sq ft
a 600 watt light gives you 40.
Multiple small lights may give you a better foot print for your grow space then one large light. IMO, if you can, two 400 watt lights would be ideal for your grow space.
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MFDoom666: sobriety kills my buzz every time.
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RasJeph
Psycho Pete
Registered: 01/14/09
Posts: 11,657
Loc: Bumfuckt Egypt
Last seen: 1 year, 5 days
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Re: Maybe looking for a new light...need help :] [Re: coda]
#403454 - 04/18/10 11:09 AM (14 years, 6 months ago) |
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Before I jump in...how about this guy?
http://www.htgsupply.com/viewproduct.asp?productID=52466
When I was looking into these before, there wasn't much info available. How about this paired up with my 150w HPS? I'm not sure how this works. Thanks!
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Of course it's happening inside your head.
Why should that mean it isn't real?
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DieselB
High Watt Closet
Registered: 02/10/10
Posts: 1,156
Last seen: 9 years, 8 months
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Re: Maybe looking for a new light...need help :] [Re: RasJeph]
#403456 - 04/18/10 11:20 AM (14 years, 6 months ago) |
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I say forget the LED's, for the same $200 you could have a complete 400w HPS setup thats gonna yield much better.
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If you ain't smokin' dro, you're smokin' reggie. 
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RasJeph
Psycho Pete
Registered: 01/14/09
Posts: 11,657
Loc: Bumfuckt Egypt
Last seen: 1 year, 5 days
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Re: Maybe looking for a new light...need help :] [Re: DieselB]
#403458 - 04/18/10 11:24 AM (14 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
DieselB said:
I say forget the LED's, for the same $200 you could have a complete 400w HPS setup thats gonna yield much better.
Yeah, I see that. BUT, this promises it has everything figured out and changed for the better... I was just wondering if anything actually HAS changed with it since I last read about it.
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Of course it's happening inside your head.
Why should that mean it isn't real?
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DieselB
High Watt Closet
Registered: 02/10/10
Posts: 1,156
Last seen: 9 years, 8 months
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Re: Maybe looking for a new light...need help :] [Re: DieselB]
#403459 - 04/18/10 11:28 AM (14 years, 6 months ago) |
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Eh, they all say that, one on Ebay is like $1300 dollars, and if that one is the best one, what are you gonna get for $187? Atleast with the HPS you know what you're getting.
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If you ain't smokin' dro, you're smokin' reggie.
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DrGreenThumb
Registered: 08/09/08
Posts: 487
Loc: Phish Tour
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Re: Maybe looking for a new light...need help :] [Re: DieselB]
#403580 - 04/18/10 08:42 PM (14 years, 6 months ago) |
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Yeah it's better not to question. HID is better! For now and for a while to come.
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“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” -Dr. Seuss
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