Is a 400w MH really better than a 4-8 T5-HO bulbs for veg?

since1991

Well-Known Member
According to a digital footcandle meter (i know..not a PAR meter but fc/lumen degradation almost always translates to less PAR) 4 foot T5 bulbs most certainly do losee oomph after a year or so. And I can see it in the growth.
 

MichiganMedGrower

Well-Known Member
Yes first round I used the 3100k start to finish. Growth was good. This round I used the 4000k in veg and switched to 3100k in flower. The nodes on my afgooey are super tight. The Cali-0 kept a bit shorter.
Mind you my grows are small. But I was using 1000hps in flower and 400mh in veg for years and I thought they were the best. These 315 cmh do well for me, cost of use seems lower due to less heat(for my modest set up). If I ever do go back up to a larger grow I would use the 315cmh 4100k in veg exclusively. I would probably mix the de gavita and 315cmh 3100k in flower. Although @DemonTrich seems to have his flower room dialed in with all 315cmh with 3100k.

I will have to try the 4200k next. I already have and am going with the ss open reflector and the 3100 in a 3x3. Replacing and upgrading 10 2' t-5 tubes.

I have also come to the conclusion that the 315 is best supplemental and want to put one in between my 2 600 Super hps hoods nice and close together all over a 4x8 area.

Or 1 to 1 over a 3.5 x 6' area.
 

since1991

Well-Known Member
I will have to try the 4200k next. I already have and am going with the ss open reflector and the 3100 in a 3x3. Replacing and upgrading 10 2' t-5 tubes.

I have also come to the conclusion that the 315 is best supplemental and want to put one in between my 2 600 Super hps hoods nice and close together all over a 4x8 area.

Or 1 to 1 over a 3.5 x 6' area.
I want to retire all mh and t5's in my veg room and rock out some 315 cmh lamps soon. They are that good you say??
 

MichiganMedGrower

Well-Known Member
I want to retire all mh and t5's in my veg room and rock out some 315 cmh lamps soon. They are that good you say??

All I have said here and much more shown and discussed months ago in club 315 is the bulb does not do what the hype says and I am downgrading mine to veg.

My 600 Super hps and my 600 blue mh both put perform it in footprint and penetration. (Dense buds to the bottom of my plants).

But the spectrum add a subtle increase in potency and a dramatic increase in flavor and seems to shorten flowering times a week or so in my room.

I expect it to veg faster than my t-5's.
 

since1991

Well-Known Member
All I have said here and much more shown and discussed months ago in club 315 is the bulb does not do what the hype says and I am downgrading mine to veg.

My 600 Super hps and my 600 blue mh both put perform it in footprint and penetration. (Dense buds to the bottom of my plants).

But the spectrum add a subtle increase in potency and a dramatic increase in flavor and seems to shorten flowering times a week or so in my room.

I expect it to veg faster than my t-5's.
Really? Got to check that thread out. I was starting to beleieve the hype on the all 315's in flower. Glad i didnt bite the bait. The claims just sounded ridiculous at first. Like wild shit. Saying a 315 can replace a 1000 watt single ended hid. Or even a sixer. I knew something was up.Kinda like the early LED scam when they first hit the scene. The early ones made some bold claims and cost alot of growers some coin. Left a bad taste in many a grower s mouths to this day. I got friends that use 315's in veg and they kick ass in my eyes. But for hps replacement in flower...not so much. Iam talking real growers with bigger expensive setups. Not kids with tents. Maybe as supplemental replacing an hps here or there but not the whole setup in the flower room. Iam gonna have to check out that thread. Where exactly is your post saying they arent all that???
 

MichiganMedGrower

Well-Known Member
Really? Got to check that thread out. I was starting to beleieve the hype on the all 315's in flower. Glad i didnt bite the bait. The claims just sounded ridiculous at first. Like wild shit. Saying a 315 can replace a 1000 watt single ended hid. Or even a sixer. I knew something was up.Kinda like the early LED scam when they first hit the scene. The early ones made some bold claims and cost alot of growers some coin. Left a bad taste in many a grower s mouths to this day. I got friends that use 315's in veg and they kick ass in my eyes. But for hps replacement in flower...not so much. Iam talking real growers with bigger expensive setups. Not kids with tents. Maybe as supplemental replacing an hps here or there but not the whole setup in the flower room. Iam gonna have to check out that thread. Where exactly is your post saying they arent all that???

Multiple 315's seem to work much better for flower. If I buy another I will try 2 over a plant or 2 to see.

I also may try 1 plant in the 3x3 under 1 but I need it for my perpetual at this time.
 

TacoMac

Well-Known Member
If you were growing one or two or maybe even 4 plants, I'd say go with the MH/HPS.

But if you're doing four to six, you're going to need more coverage. You simply can't get that with a single HPS that low a wattage. A 600 would do it though.

But if it's down to T5's or a single 400 HPS, stick with the T5's. You'll get better, bigger, more consistent coverage and you just can't beat them for cost. They're cheaper than dirt these days and still do a fantastic job.
 

since1991

Well-Known Member
If you were growing one or two or maybe even 4 plants, I'd say go with the MH/HPS.

But if you're doing four to six, you're going to need more coverage. You simply can't get that with a single HPS that low a wattage. A 600 would do it though.

But if it's down to T5's or a single 400 HPS, stick with the T5's. You'll get better, bigger, more consistent coverage and you just can't beat them for cost. They're cheaper than dirt these days and still do a fantastic job.
You mean a metal halide right??? At any rate..i can slap a 400 watt mh over a 3x3 table and grow out 9 or so compact 20 inch bushes in 2 or 3 gallon pots much more quickly and with better bottom coverage than I can with equivalent wattage in t5's (6 or 8 four foot bulb fixture). Like I said...t5's are great for small rooted cuts in a 4 or 6 inch pot. You can veg quite a few in a rectangle pattern and beef em up to about a foot or so. I use em for basically a strong root structure. (Pre vegging i call it) after they leave the even smaller propagator rack with 2 foot 2 bulb t5's. But for bulking up some real preflowering branches and growth to about a 20 inch bush..an HID will blow past a T5 everytime. In my setups anywAys. Soon though..i will still run t5's just less of them and only preveg for a sec and replace both my 400 watt halides with 2 315 cmh and see where that gets me for preflowering bushes.
 
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TacoMac

Well-Known Member
I'm talking about real plants, pal. Not mini-plants. I'm talking about getting 3 to 5 ounces per plant, not 2 to 3. You're not going to effectively cover a 4 foot long tent (which most people grow in) with a single 400 watt MH/HPS. You can with a good T5 fixture with ease.

I personally use a 600 watt MH/HPS, so I don't give a shit in the grand scheme of things. But if it's me in a tent, and the 400 or the T5's are my only choice, I go with the T5's every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

And I'll win. Every single time.

Leave it to a douche bag to dig up a 4 year old thread to talk shit about his special 400 watt light.
 

since1991

Well-Known Member
I'm talking about real plants, pal. Not mini-plants. I'm talking about getting 3 to 5 ounces per plant, not 2 to 3. You're not going to effectively cover a 4 foot long tent (which most people grow in) with a single 400 watt MH/HPS. You can with a good T5 fixture with ease.

I personally use a 600 watt MH/HPS, so I don't give a shit in the grand scheme of things. But if it's me in a tent, and the 400 or the T5's are my only choice, I go with the T5's every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

And I'll win. Every single time.

Leave it to a douche bag to dig up a 4 year old thread to talk shit about his special 400 watt light.
Fuck off dork. You dont have a clue who your talking to dipshit. I was just saying what works. Wasnt trying to get down on you asshole. Iam far from a rookie with a tent trying to pull off some buds. Who said anything about a 400 watt in a tent? I veg in a 7x7 with 400 halides and t5's dork. I pull over 225 ounces a month with 8 Gavita 6/750's and 1000 watt single endeds.... in 2 flower rooms. Cmon small time. Your out of your league I can tell by your posts. Another third year pro. Lol. Your not winning shit. In the playoffs with a minor league cellar dweller for your team...maybe.
 
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chemphlegm

Well-Known Member
Please post when you see any improvement. Old bulbs do not have the proper spectrum for max growth.

And all has burning bulbs degrade. Sharply. Even my cheap 3 in one garden meters crappy light sensor shows steady lumen degradation on all of my bulbs.

When it's showing low to me the plants always reflect that with their health and growth.

I go 9-10 months on Hortilux hps bulbs. 18 on stock t-5 6500's

And I went 9 with my first metal halide in 18/6 and it started to show its weakness. In 12/12 it couldn't do the job like a newer bulb at all.

Ok all fucking ready....I'll change my bulbs in veg goshdamm laying the guilt on me:P

(I secretly know well the loss of growing potential resulting from my choice. Nobody else knew though till now, bastards keeping me in check...)
 

chemphlegm

Well-Known Member
According to a digital footcandle meter (i know..not a PAR meter but fc/lumen degradation almost always translates to less PAR) 4 foot T5 bulbs most certainly do losee oomph after a year or so. And I can see it in the growth.
all of them equally? say it isnt so. I see the degradation in most of my hid's till my recent ushios, and I know some degrade faster than others, seems like they all over the map. How many t5's did you grow and check with the meter? what brands
 

TacoMac

Well-Known Member
More "look at me, I'm the bomb because I dig up 4 year old post to brag about my 400 watt MH/HPS because I'm such a bad ass then make up more shit I Googled up real quick when I'm made to look like the complete fucking retard that I am.
Fixed that for you.
 

since1991

Well-Known Member
all of them equally? say it isnt so. I see the degradation in most of my hid's till my recent ushios, and I know some degrade faster than others, seems like they all over the map. How many t5's did you grow and check with the meter? what brands
Eiko 4 foot t5 6400 kelvin. I dont know the amount..I just know that the meter is a much lower number overall after 8 to 12 months of 18 hours a day. Thats when I change them. 3 bucks a pop at my local electricans shop. All 24 of them.
 

Hammerhead571

Well-Known Member
CMH FTW... Both my rooms where converted to CMH a long time ago. I used my par meter on my t5 6/8 bulb fixtures compared to 1 315 it was no contest.. my veg room uses 3 315 fixtures.. My flower room uses 630/945/1kw CMH de bulbs with 1 1kw hps for the spectrum. My results are killin it. much better then all HPS in my flower room.
 
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