EYE Hortilux/CMH grow

ipeeinpools

Well-Known Member
Alright people, after researching EYE hortilux bulbs, I've found that each test that seems to be done on the Super HPS bulb is always with a 50hz-60hz ballast...and since the Super HPS bulb is geared for 120hz, there is no question why people like hating on these bulbs! But what if you got to see what those bulbs can do running at 120hz?

I'll lay down as much of my set up as I can, starting with strain....White Fire OG x Deathstar cross (3 plants total). Using 10gal fabric pots, Cyco and Key to Life nutrients.
- 10 x 10 x 6.5 grow tent
- 2 x 8" aircooled reflectors
- 2 x Super HPS bulbs
- 2 x Gold Series Hortilux digital ballasts (running on 240V)
- 1 x SunSystem 315w LEC (running on 120V)
- 1 x 8" exhaust
- 1 x 6" exhaust
- 1 x 8" intake
- 1 x 6" intake
- 1 x 8,000 btu AC unit
- 2 x 20" box fans
- CO2 @ 1300 ppm
 

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OldMedUser

Well-Known Member
Was looking this over and meant to post but got busy with my plants, got a little high, zoned out on TV for a while then the next thing I know it's 4:20am and time to hit the pipe before I hit the sack. :D

Interesting so I'll be back after a bit of kip.

:peace:
 

OldMedUser

Well-Known Member
How do you like the hortilux mh for veg? I just bought a used one for $20
I like mine fine. It's definitely better than a standard mh bulb which is way better than fluoros. I just fired up a cheapo Plantmax 400 I bought a few months ago. 7200K which is a lot higher Kelvin rating than most mh grow bulbs so I'll see how I like that after I get some more plants going under it. Just have 3 CBD girls going in there atm.
 

OldMedUser

Well-Known Member
Your setup looks really good ipeeinpools. Your light coverage looks more than adequate and you had the smarts to install a soft and adjustable screen instead of building some elaborate and unneeded frame for it. I use metal sheep fencing and tie the grow tips to the screen with short pieces of twist tie. Much better than weaving it through the screen. What's going to be happening in the other half of your double-wide?

I assume you mean 120 khz output since that's what the hortilux gold runs at.
Where does one find out about the output frequency of ballasts? I went to Hortilux and can't find that info on their site. I have 5 yo High Times mag here with an article about HID lights and ballasts and it says that electronic/digital ballasts output 12 - 20KHz. Just did some searching on the interweb and couldn't find much there either. Might have to go to the library. :)

:peace:
 

FoilageTrees

Well-Known Member
Your setup looks really good ipeeinpools. Your light coverage looks more than adequate and you had the smarts to install a soft and adjustable screen instead of building some elaborate and unneeded frame for it. I use metal sheep fencing and tie the grow tips to the screen with short pieces of twist tie. Much better than weaving it through the screen. What's going to be happening in the other half of your double-wide?



Where does one find out about the output frequency of ballasts? I went to Hortilux and can't find that info on their site. I have 5 yo High Times mag here with an article about HID lights and ballasts and it says that electronic/digital ballasts output 12 - 20KHz. Just did some searching on the interweb and couldn't find much there either. Might have to go to the library. :)

:peace:
How do you guys suggest I even out my canopy in some way where the middle plants dont get all the light, impossible? I have only a 400w hortilux mh?
 

OldMedUser

Well-Known Member
How big a space are you lighting and are the plants movable or fixed in place?

That's something you should really start a thread to ask folks so we don't hijack this one. :)

:peace:
 

ipeeinpools

Well-Known Member
Thanks, yea the screen i use is just that orange plastic fencing shit, i just happened to find it in green at Lowes, and my last grow i weaved the stretch back into the screen but am going to let Fire OG do her stretch upward this time. Shes not extremely leafy so im hoping to get more weight in the light penetration than I am in an even canopy.

I like the space for now, its like my little man cave lol, but ill probably add the same set up to fill the entire tent out eventually.

Yea i do mean 120khz output. I can try to find the link where I found the hertz of the golds, but i had to sift through several searches to find the hertz of other ballasts.
 

OldMedUser

Well-Known Member
It's cool about the hertz thing so don't worry about it. I'm not an electronics kind of guy. Do my own house wiring no problem but if a component dies on a printed circuit or something it better look burned like parts in an old TV I fixed years ago or I won't be able to figure out what need fixing. I can replace parts with my handy soldering irons if need be OK. I fix everything around the house or it doesn't get fixed because I have no money to hire a pro. Same with any car or motorcycle I've owned since I was a kid.

A buddy I knew on another forum ran a setup like yours with a 10x10 tent in his house. Had an 8x8 as well for his veg/clone/mother room. He was running 2 RDWCs on either side using 1000W lights on light rails. He'd load up one side then about 5 weeks later load up the other side. Split the tent in two to be able to use a flipper so he just needed one ballast to run two flowering chambers. He stopped showing up about 6 months ago but was doing good the last I heard.

:peace:
 

ipeeinpools

Well-Known Member
I have several tents lol....I use my 4'x8' for drying, my 5'x5' for vegging and then i have a 2'x2' for seedlings. I'm not a big electrical guy either, honestly before I bought my gold ballasts, all I knew was that electricity hurts lol. Then i met a master electrician who was cool as shit that helped my fix my electrical issue in my house by upgrading to 240V....just have to hope the landlord doesn't need to come over anytime soon lol.

Splitting the tent is actually not a bad idea....I have 6 months left here in CO and then I'll be moving on from here so that is an idea i might have to play with once I finally move. I wish I had a light rail for my lights, I think it'd go perfect in my 10'x10' but I'm at my spending limit until I move as well lol.
 

OldMedUser

Well-Known Member
I'm not really shopping for any lighting gear atm. Might get a 1000W HPS magnetic to go with my 1000 MH so my next bulb can be had cheaper but also have 3 - 400w HPS, 1 - 400 MH and a couple of 150w HPS with bulbs for all of them.

Have you seen the T-5s Hortilux makes? Look pretty interesting but I haven't run across any grow journals where someone is using them. Haven't been looking for any either tho.

http://www.eyehortilux.com/products/power-veg.aspx

:peace:
 

OldMedUser

Well-Known Member
For some reason I can't edit my own posts but was just looking at that link for your ballast specs and it says the output is 120000Hz or 120KHz not 120Hz.

Something that intersts me if I wanted to go digital is these ones from SunPulse lamps. They will test and certify ballasts that are compatible with their bulbs and their bulbs look great if their hype is to be believed. Might be worth a look.

http://www.sunpulselamps.com/Certified_Ballasts.html

:peace:
 

ipeeinpools

Well-Known Member
Well stay tuned OldMedUser :) I plan on grabbing some of those T5 Hortilux bulbs soon, I've got Grandpas Breathe vegging right now that I'd like to use those bulbs with....and then take those T5 bulbs into the flower room for supplemental lighting. The bulbs are pretty amazing, customizing your own spectrum....

Yea, i forgot the "K" when i posted the 120hz. I'll have to check those ballasts out when I'm not at work lol.
 

ipeeinpools

Well-Known Member
Have you seen the T-5s Hortilux makes? Look pretty interesting but I haven't run across any grow journals where someone is using them. Haven't been looking for any either tho.

http://www.eyehortilux.com/products/power-veg.aspx

:peace:
Here you go, went and bought 4 x Blue 420's and 4 x Full Spectrum bulbs, spaced'em every other in the lamp, and those babies will be my last run at this house probable so when they go into flower, i'm going to add all 8 of those T5 bulbs into the flowering tent. Strains there are:

Grandpas Breathe
Citral Flo
Naked City Kush x Sin Mint Cookies
Blue Dream x Blue Power
 

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