250 HPS MH Better then CFL?

metalgodusa

metalgodusa

Active Member
Hello all, I need some advice i want to invest in a HPS MH Conversion Unit and I have a 3' wide 3' Long 6' High Grow space Right now I am using 17 CFL's with a mess of wire's. I only want 2 or 3 Plants in GH waterfarms. This is as much as I ever will grow. I want to know if the cooltube or just a air cooled Reflector would be ideal and woudl it really make a difference in growth then using the CFL's? Please help! Thanks Guys n' Gals heres a :joint: For all of you!
 
sophanox

sophanox

Well-Known Member
imo, always take the HID lights over CFL mate - you just cant compare the two when it comes to light intensity + penetration.

if you're gonna invest in a cooltube mate, get a 400w lamp instead, or even a 600w if you get a strong enough fan. It's defo possible in that space.
 
metalgodusa

metalgodusa

Active Member
sophanox said:
imo, always take the HID lights over CFL mate - you just cant compare the two when it comes to light intensity + penetration.

if you're gonna invest in a cooltube mate, get a 400w lamp instead, or even a 600w if you get a strong enough fan. It's defo possible in that space.
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Thank for the opinion, I just got the 250 watt With a air cooled hood. Im just gonna vent to the attic I hope i made a decent investment!
 
B

Bob Smith

Well-Known Member
You should return it and get a 600, or at least a 400 - a 250 is too weak for that size space.

That being said, if you're gonna go with the 250, good luck and happy growing.
 
Brick Top

Brick Top

New Member
If you use a 250-watt MH to veg with if you veg past about 10 inches to 12 inches (or like 11 inches to 13 inches) you will outgrow your light enough that those lower branches, where you have the tightest nodal spacing, will produce little to nothing or even die off. If you plan on growing bushes and not training them or anything 3 feet is about the max you can go and not have really wasted a bunch of time in veg before putting them into flower. (And that is somewhat pushing things.)
　
You will have about 24 inches where on the top of course you will have a very respectable cola (if the genetics and skill are there to get one that is) and by the bottom of that 24 inches the buds will be just decent, just acceptable. Then you will get about 9 inches of just decent to small but not exactly popcorn buds and then you will have about 3 inches of popcorn buds and just nothing mixed together. (That is on average .. normally .. give or take an inch here or there on this run or that.)
　
That is what you can expect. If you can do better than that with your CFL’s then by all means stay with them. If that sounds better then make the switch.
　
If you make the switch I would vote for the cool tube so you can keep it right down really close to the tops of the plants as much as in possible.
　
Now if other options were being considered I might vote for a 400-watt CoolTube but if that is not something that might be considered then ignore this last bit and only pay attention to the upper bits.
 
Brick Top

Brick Top

New Member
metalgodusa said:
Great! My hopes were soaring but now i'm thinking i made a really bad invesment! Dammit!
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Some people overestimate HID lighting but until you hit 400-watts or higher you really are fairly restricted.

With some topping and training to keep things low so you can keep as much of the production portion of your plant within the limits of your lighting you can do pretty well. Its just not so automatic.

That is why I suggested the 400-watt CoolTube.
 
P

propain

Well-Known Member
hey if u have the cfls still u can put a few around them for side lighting and that will help alot along w the 250 w hps overtop
 
Brick Top

Brick Top

New Member
I am curious .. what do your 17 CFL’s add up to in total actual wattage? Not equivalent wattage but in actual watts used?
 
metalgodusa

metalgodusa

Active Member
propain said:
hey if u have the cfls still u can put a few around them for side lighting and that will help alot along w the 250 w hps overtop
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Thanx for the POSITIVE input! Yeah I was thinking about doing that! It can only benefit.

Brick Top said:
I am curious .. what do your 17 CFL’s add up to in total actual wattage? Not equivalent wattage but in actual watts used?
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They add up to 442 watts. I have mixed 65k and 27k but more 27k obviously for flowering. But they do a damn good job. Im just hoping a little bit bigger of a yield this time with the hps. I want to vent the heat into the attic what would be the best inexpensive way to do this. My air cooled hood has 6" flange's on it Would a 6" in-line duct fan be good enough?
 
pitbill

pitbill

Well-Known Member
When i switched from cfl's to a 400 then 600 watt hps the difference was amazing. Always buys as much light as you can afford. The 250 will do ok for 2-3 plants but as the others have said the yeild and light penetration will suffer. You can get a nice 400-600 watt light for about 200-240 and it will be the best investment you'll ever make!! Good luck with the grow bro....
 
super2200

super2200

Well-Known Member
metalgodusa said:
Thanx for the POSITIVE input! Yeah I was thinking about doing that! It can only benefit.



They add up to 442 watts. I have mixed 65k and 27k but more 27k obviously for flowering. But they do a damn good job. Im just hoping a little bit bigger of a yield this time with the hps. I want to vent the heat into the attic what would be the best inexpensive way to do this. My air cooled hood has 6" flange's on it Would a 6" in-line duct fan be good enough?
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http://www.dchydro.com/

this site is having ridiculous ballast and bulb sale right now. they are selling both 600 and 1000 ballast for 120 and you can get bulbs for less than 20 if you search all pages on bulbs. There are a few under 10 dollars, i have been unable to find these prices anywhere else. Check it out

cfl is no comparison, I am doing both atm and the clf 300 watt and 150 watt even almost touching the plants have them all light green but the ones under the MH are dark green and 3 inches taller and they started at same time
 
super2200

super2200

Well-Known Member
super2200 said:
http://www.dchydro.com/

this site is having ridiculous ballast and bulb sale right now. They are selling both 600 and 1000 ballast for 120 and you can get bulbs for less than 20 if you search all pages on bulbs. There are a few under 10 dollars, i have been unable to find these prices anywhere else. Check it out

cfl is no comparison, i am doing both atm and the clf 300 watt and 150 watt even almost touching the plants have them all light green but the ones under the mh are dark green and 3 inches taller and they started at same time
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1000 watt hydrofarm hps/mh 120/240 volt ballast only $129.95
600 watt hydrofarm hps/mh 120/240 volt ballast only $129.95
 
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