All BS set aside CMH yields

[ttystikk]

if we're thinking of the same ballast, DNA lighting is out of business and I heard from a couple of people (I know, not exactly scientific rigor) that they were dangerous.


also, hey errybody, I got about a pound off of 6 plants in a 4x4 on my first grow, mostly of EXTREME quality, with an lec 315 and two area 51 RW-75s. 50 day veg.

More recently, about six weeks ago I got about 6 ounces off of one plant ('twas 155 grams I think) that was under two of the LECs side by side sharing a tent with four other plants. If I could get it dialed in and stopped doing perpetual, I think I could harvest two pounds out of 630 watts, I don't even think it'd be that much of a challenge.

And the quality kills it.
If, hypothetically, it became illegal to use anything other than HPS, I would stop growing. I have good friends that grow with HPS, good friends with sub-par ganja, that's for damn sure!

Agreed. Only thing better is COB LED!

 

[ttystikk]

Inverse square law... Does anyone know what it is?

Of course. Why do you ask?

 

[ttystikk]

if we're thinking of the same ballast, DNA lighting is out of business and I heard from a couple of people (I know, not exactly scientific rigor) that they were dangerous.


also, hey errybody, I got about a pound off of 6 plants in a 4x4 on my first grow, mostly of EXTREME quality, with an lec 315 and two area 51 RW-75s. 50 day veg.

More recently, about six weeks ago I got about 6 ounces off of one plant ('twas 155 grams I think) that was under two of the LECs side by side sharing a tent with four other plants. If I could get it dialed in and stopped doing perpetual, I think I could harvest two pounds out of 630 watts, I don't even think it'd be that much of a challenge.

And the quality kills it.
If, hypothetically, it became illegal to use anything other than HPS, I would stop growing. I have good friends that grow with HPS, good friends with sub-par ganja, that's for damn sure!

They're really trying to encourage efficiency. Installing 315W CMH lighting gets a rebate from the utility company, as an example.

 

[borbor]

You think I could get one?
hahaha, kidding,
I saw that guy @febisfebi already said this but I want to say it again, LEC, CMH, and CDM all mean exactly the same thing. LEC was thought up by sunlight supply to misinform the ignorant into thinking LEC is some kind of new and innovative tech that hasn't been around for decades. There is new and innovative tech, but it has just about nothing to do with the fact they use ceramic in their lamps. I think it was all because LED and LEP are getting noticed and talked about. I bet if sunlight supply started marketing "LES- Light Emitting Sodium" then their hps sales would double. When I use the term LEC, I'm mostly using it to refer specifically to the sun system "LEC 315" fixture, so if I were to say "my LEC is yielding better than my CMH" then first of all, I'd be stupid, but secondly, I would really be trying to say "my reflector and ballast from sunsystem are yielding better than my phantom CMH ballast and OG reflector."

To put it simply, my LEC fixture is CMH, which also means it is CDM, but if I bought a CMH light from a different company, it would still be CMH, still be CDM, but I wouldn't call it an LEC

 

[Doogan]

Of course. Why do you ask?

Just wanted to see. Some people just state specs of the product but really don't understand the science...

 

[a senile fungus]

Just want to reiterate that the 315w cmh MUST run on the low frequency ballast.

The older 400w cmh (and I believe the 330allstart) will run on a mag ballast but the newer 315w CMH must utilize the lower frequency!

Stay safe and research your equipment!

 

[coughphee.connoiseur]

200-300 watt cree cob leds Vs CMH for supplementing a 8ftx8ft grow space in a 11ftx11ft room 8ft ceiling. ??? What do the people think.

 

[ttystikk]

Just wanted to see. Some people just state specs of the product but really don't understand the science...

Trust me when I tell you that's never my problem, lol

 

[ttystikk]

200-300 watt cree cob leds Vs CMH for supplementing a 8ftx8ft grow space in a 11ftx11ft room 8ft ceiling. ??? What do the people think.

This people thinks that 315W CMH is worth about 400-450W of HPS, and about 200W of CXB3590 driven at 50W apiece to get 56% efficiency.

The trend is clearly visible from least efficient to most. Place your bets, mind the fact that you won't be able to give your old lamps away in five years. Cuz COB LED IS that much better- and by then it will also be cheaper.

 

[skunkwreck]

Just want to reiterate that the 315w cmh MUST run on the low frequency ballast.

The older 400w cmh (and I believe the 330allstart) will run on a mag ballast but the newer 315w CMH must utilize the lower frequency!

Stay safe and research your equipment!

Can I use a 315 CMH in my 400 digi ballast. ?

 

[GroErr]

200-300 watt cree cob leds Vs CMH for supplementing a 8ftx8ft grow space in a 11ftx11ft room 8ft ceiling. ??? What do the people think.

There's no question that the latest COB tech like the 3590's is more efficient watt for watt than anything out there. Depending on what you're trying to do and budget I suppose will be your best option. If you have the cash for a 3590 quality COB build, imo they would be your better long term investment. They're also more flexible for supplementing where if you build your own you can spread them where needed/wanted and direct the light exactly where needed. That said, if you're on a tight budget, can't or don't want to DIY and just need some highly efficient extra light quick, you can't go wrong by adding a 315w. If you don't want to DIY the cost of commercial 3590 fixtures is in the $2.50 - $3/watt range, whereas you can pick up a 315w Elite Agro bare bulb with ballast for as low as $200 through Advancedtechlighting.com.

 

[a senile fungus]

Can I use a 315 CMH in my 400 digi ballast. ?

I would not. There are others here with more knowledge of the tech than I.

My understanding is that the regular digital ballast will operate at a higher frequency, and it will literally rattle the lamp apart. These lamps are designed for low frequency square wave ballasts. I would never use any equipment in a fashion that it is not intended for!

Hope that helps to answer your question!

 

[ttystikk]

There's no question that the latest COB tech like the 3590's is more efficient watt for watt than anything out there. Depending on what you're trying to do and budget I suppose will be your best option. If you have the cash for a 3590 quality COB build, imo they would be your better long term investment. They're also more flexible for supplementing where if you build your own you can spread them where needed/wanted and direct the light exactly where needed. That said, if you're on a tight budget, can't or don't want to DIY and just need some highly efficient extra light quick, you can't go wrong by adding a 315w. If you don't want to DIY the cost of commercial 3590 fixtures is in the $2.50 - $3/watt range, whereas you can pick up a 315w Elite Agro bare bulb with ballast for as low as $200 through Advancedtechlighting.com.

You can go this route but it just isn't expensive to DIY your own COB LED setup. The basic parts are less than $300, and the kit mentioned above requires electronics knowledge to properly wire it up so you don't fuck up and smoke the ballast. So there ya go, it's already competitive on an initial cost basis, and there is no denying they're better.

Really, in 2016 the choice is COB LED first, something else if that cannot be sourced as a distant second.

 

[tripleD]

You can go this route but it just isn't expensive to DIY your own COB LED setup. The basic parts are less than $300, and the kit mentioned above requires electronics knowledge to properly wire it up so you don't fuck up and smoke the ballast. So there ya go, it's already competitive on an initial cost basis, and there is no denying they're better.

Really, in 2016 the choice is COB LED first, something else if that cannot be sourced as a distant second.

For someone who does NOT have the time nor the desire to learn how to DIY which LED system would you recommend?
I am 7weeks into my first grow with a spydr600 & I have bn very pleased so far, but I'm curious if there is a system out there that you wld recommend instead of the spydr in the event that I decide to add another grow room??

 

[Sativied]

And to add the there are plenty other manufacturers making these ballasts that work just as well. Welthink being one, chinese based.
Where are the philips ballasts made?

If not entirely then still partly in china. The real thing often uses more durable components and is subjective to more quality control.

Noticed one recently that sells bulbs and ballasts but 4 sets minimum. Cheap though, about $100 per set including a socket adapter allowing the use of a batwing or other reflector normally used for hps/mh. There are MANY diifent types if 315w bulbs with a large variety of specs and output, some much better than ones I see being sold at amazon, and I doubt everyone is using the best available, skewing the comparisson of the results.

Of course a 600watt hps yields more than a 315w, all marketing bullshit to claim it will outperform a 600w. The 315 does not have to yield 630 to be better though. It's a lot more comparable to a 400watt (specifically the 400w hpi-t plus, a regular mh), but probably a bit easier and more feasible to get a pound from a 315 than a 400. Either way, per watt it should outperform the 400 and 600w regardless. I've actually seen a grow with buds that look like they flowered under hps instead of the leafy stuff I mostly see.

If you get roughly the same from 3x315w as 2x1000 you're doing something very wrong as those 315s will not yield 5 pounds of nuggets.

Growing under high intensity light is not that easy. 600/1000w hps is no toy, requires proper climate control and water and nutrient regime... If you got a pound max with 600w magnetic, SE, then growing with a 315w may be for you. Real men, however, use HPS as nothing beats it, not the 315w (comparing bulb to bulb for a small space)and especially not a cob led... many combined running soft is a different story, and price tag... and indeed:

I would never use any equipment in a fashion that it is not intended for!

Though the things you can do with an electric toothbrush

 

[ttystikk]

For someone who does NOT have the time nor the desire to learn how to DIY which LED system would you recommend?
I am 7weeks into my first grow with a spydr600 & I have bn very pleased so far, but I'm curious if there is a system out there that you wld recommend instead of the spydr in the event that I decide to add another grow room??

I just got finished answering exactly the same question on another thread, so forgive the copy n paste;

If you want to purchase a quality LED panel, you could do a lot worse than panels advertised on this grow forum, like TastyLED or Stephen Johnson Grow Lights. You can speak with the owners of both companies right here and see what real live owners say about their reputation right here as well.

If you're still dead set on buying old generation tech from another country made by a company with a poor reputation for quality then we wish you the best of luck.

 

[tripleD]

I just got finished answering exactly the same question on another thread, so forgive the copy n paste;

If you want to purchase a quality LED panel, you could do a lot worse than panels advertised on this grow forum, like TastyLED or Stephen Johnson Grow Lights. You can speak with the owners of both companies right here and see what real live owners say about their reputation right here as well.

If you're still dead set on buying old generation tech from another country made by a company with a poor reputation for quality then we wish you the best of luck.

Thanks for the info you gave in the first paragraph, but I'm not sure that the second paragraph applies to me since the spydr is manufactured by BML in Austin Tx & I don't think they have a bad reputation...
Or am I missing something??

 

[Carolina Dream'n]

If not entirely then still partly in china. The real thing often uses more durable components and is subjective to more quality control.

Noticed one recently that sells bulbs and ballasts but 4 sets minimum. Cheap though, about $100 per set including a socket adapter allowing the use of a batwing or other reflector normally used for hps/mh. There are MANY diifent types if 315w bulbs with a large variety of specs and output, some much better than ones I see being sold at amazon, and I doubt everyone is using the best available, skewing the comparisson of the results.

Of course a 600watt hps yields more than a 315w, all marketing bullshit to claim it will outperform a 600w. The 315 does not have to yield 630 to be better though. It's a lot more comparable to a 400watt (specifically the 400w hpi-t plus, a regular mh), but probably a bit easier and more feasible to get a pound from a 315 than a 400. Either way, per watt it should outperform the 400 and 600w regardless. I've actually seen a grow with buds that look like they flowered under hps instead of the leafy stuff I mostly see.

If you get roughly the same from 3x315w as 2x1000 you're doing something very wrong as those 315s will not yield 5 pounds of nuggets.

Growing under high intensity light is not that easy. 600/1000w hps is no toy, requires proper climate control and water and nutrient regime... If you got a pound max with 600w magnetic, SE, then growing with a 315w may be for you. Real men, however, use HPS as nothing beats it, not the 315w (comparing bulb to bulb for a small space)and especially not a cob led... many combined running soft is a different story, and price tag... and indeed:



Though the things you can do with an electric toothbrush

That is what I'm saying. Everyone I've talked to that has replaced 2 1000s for 3 315s were only pulling 1.25-1.5 lbs per 1000w.
I've yet to see a grower pulling 2-2.5 lbs per 1000 changing to them at the same 2 1000s for 3 315s, they do 3 315s per 1000, and claim to be yielding 30 to 40% more with 3 315s than a 1000.

 

[ttystikk]

Thanks for the info you gave in the first paragraph, but I'm not sure that the second paragraph applies to me since the spydr is manufactured by BML in Austin Tx & I don't think they have a bad reputation...
Or am I missing something??

Don't know about origins, I'm talking about the guts of the device itself.

I'll just say it; CXB3590 is the best widely available light source for growing indoors. Find fixtures that use them, preferably running them softly to get better efficiency.

I'm done arguing about the name on the box. It's what's inside that counts!

 

[tripleD]

Don't know about origins, I'm talking about the guts of the device itself.

I'll just say it; CXB3590 is the best widely available light source for growing indoors. Find fixtures that use them, preferably running them softly to get better efficiency.

I'm done arguing about the name on the box. It's what's inside that counts!

Gotcha! Thanks for the info!