400W vs 600W

I'm currently running 2x 250 MH @ 4200k supporting 10 plants. I used them for veg and had planned on using them for flowing but I'm quickly coming to the realization that I will not have enough light to support all my babies. Even if 1/2 of them turn out to be males. The room I grow in is 6x6x8. and I'm moving roughly 450cfms through the room. Pulls cool air in from the bedroom (intake 4" passive) and vents it into a closet across the house from my grow room. Pics of my grow room https://www.rollitup.org/grow-room-design-setup/29089-venting-cooling.html

Surprisingly enough the vented air is not very warm and has no noticeable impact on the frequency to which my central AC unit cuts on. My concern though is if I go and buy a 600w HPS it will make the vented air too hot for the house but if I buy a 400W HPS then I may end up kicking myself in the ass for not getting enough light.

Can I get some opinions on 400w vs 600...which one should I buy for the space I have? I still plan on running the 2x 250's during flowering and at most the plants will occupy a space of 5x4...( I think..I'm a noob)


I plan on staggering the 400/600 this would be a top view of what I have planned.

250................. 250

.......400/600.........

with both the MH's running, a 400 hps will do...

i mean... thats 900w of lighting in there...

that should cover them...

1st light 150hps, 2nd light 250hps, 3rd light 400hps, still not enough. I would like a 600hps digital. Invest in a 600 and good ventilation. I have a 2x6x8 400w pulling 200cfm and its still not enough light temps stay fine in the summer.

250 x2mh and 400/hps sould be fine to grow about 5 plants. a 600 hps mite get a bit hot.
craige

So I went ahead and plunked dow sum $$$ for one of these

High Tech Garden Supply

and upgraded the reflector to one of these.

High Tech Garden Supply

I'm going to run a 4" dryer tube up to the air scrubber and see how effective the passive ventilation will be.. if enough heat isn't being drawn out of the lamp then I will add a pc fan or sumthing and lay it next to the air scrubber.

If the vented air is too hot for the house then worse case senerio is a 4" hole in the roof and vent the lamp heat to the attic.


Thanks for the help all.

good stuf... I'm kicking myself in the ass for not getting the 600 W too ... but I wont be getting it any time soon ... lucky bastard... and hes got the air cooled reflector... damn

This is exactly what I got, their 600W digitals are cheaper then their 400W...just get some flanges and a 4" fan. Looks like a VERY nice light system.

it does look very nice indeed... did you get it yet?

yeah post some pics of it let us know about the heat and everything really interested.

It came in yesterday and I finally got it all hooked up.. Temps in the room are now 80F vs 77F previously...(intake air to the room is 76) I think I'll have to hook up that PC fan to the end of the 4" dry tube after all.

I'm also considering either expanding the the 4" room intake air to 6" or adding a second 4" intake vent to the room. I'm venting anywhere between 330-420 cfm, the room is 288sqf, so my logic would have me believe that if I'm moving the room air every min then it should be as cool as the air coming in.

I'll post some pixs tomorrow.. it's late and I'm gonna smoke a bowl and go to bed.

that not even that big of a temp difference. I put in a 400 W HPS and my temps went from 70-87

I go the same reflector and a digital 400 watt. I really like the setup though I am kicking myself for not getting a 600. I think I might get a 600 watt system later and run a mh in the 400 and hps in the 600. Good choice. What I can't fingure out is why the digital package you bought before upgrade is cheaper than just a 600 watt ballast.

sounds good man, you'll be happy u got the 600. if you vent your lights heat is never a problem. i have 2 600's vented by a 270 cfm can fan and they stay cool enough to touch the glass right under the bulb. you'll be happy with 1100 watts and so will your plants. you cant have "too much" light. more light=better nugs(if you grow em right)

Hello all, well I got the fan hooked up and it is really moving some hot air now....nothing special, just a cage fan.. good thing is it's rated for 24v so it is moving more air than say a 80mm or 120mm pc fan. I just taped it to the end of my 4" dryer tube and that was that..the metallic duct tape is pretty bad ass stuff when it comes to working with venting...first time I've used it.




I decided to secure the 4" intake hose to a fan, hoping that it will increase the volume of cold air coming in over the previous passive intake system



I use the tower fan oscillating, to help move the room air and to provide the plants with a breeze.



Everything that leaves the room is going thru the scrubber!




The digital ballast is pretty sweet.. totally cool to the touch.. only bummer is that it's not switchable so I'll have to run a MH conversion bulb.?.?



Here's a bird eye view of the grow...grow baby grow.....please.
I started with 10...flowered and pulled 5 males. I wonder if I'll get 2oz dried off of each one.?.?



So I heard you could veg in 12/12.. so I decided to try it with this batch here.. the "clone" in the cup was an accident.. I dropped one of my MH reflectors while rearranging and accidentally broke it off.. SO i figured WTF.. I dropped it into some PH'ed run off water...(5. covered the cup and will see if it will do anything other than die.


Well thanks for looking.. I ma gonna smoke a bowl of some killer and go to bed.

cool pictures.
but putting plants under 12/12 wont veg them, it will flower them, im trying it with a few plants now.
I thought that all digital ballast were swithchable... I hought thats why people like them

Well If you look close the light you purchased is not a digital ballast. The brand name is Digital Greenhouse. It is a standard ballast. Kinda misleading with the brand name. I wish I could setup a 600w unforntunatly I can only use two 70watters. Keep us posted on the progress. The plants are looking good.

KM