coughphee.connoiseur
Well-Known Member
lol... shit happens
All BS set aside CMH yields
- Thread starter Darth Vapour
- Start date
HGK420
Well-Known Member
i don't remember exactly what was more efficient but i think it was how much distance the energy travels while inside the bulb maybe? maybe it was the way the 2 parts connect vs the threaded part. i just remember reading a big article about how that socket was like 17% more efficient... obviously i don't remember exact percentage.
whats so special about the urban gro's? they look like digital CMH's?
GroErr
Well-Known Member
Let's try and get this back on track, last run with 5x 3gal in a 3.5x3.5' under 1x 315w Sun Systems LEC at the front
Cheers
§Leigh§
Member
Hello hello all I was really interested in this thread because I'm considering switching over to the ceramic metal halide. I currently run 2000 Watt HPS is in a 8 by 7 grow room and ended up with a very large electric bill and I'm not a very good yield. I was considering just buying the 860 Phillips bulb for my hoods and running them off my thousand watt magnetic ballast. However from what I gather doing that I will not see much of a difference in my electric now this will be my second run and I'm trying to find the most cost-efficient way two obviously get the most grams per watt and best flower. I am a little confused by all of the different types of lighting I had read about and all of the different types out of the woods they are used with I don't have the money to go out and buy 315 watt bulbs and complete setups to cover the 8 x 7 area. Is there anyway to just go and get different ballast and still run them off the same Hood? It is a Sun System single. I am a fan of the metal halide for its color spectrum seems to be the higher yield and a quicker turnaround yes I do eventually want to incorporate different lighting but I want a gear away from indeed metal halide and HPS for cost/ heat reasons. Im in Cen cal .The COB being my first choice as supplemental and a dyi as I go. I currently have 4T 5 I run as supplemental.. so if somebody could break it down for me a newbie language I would greatly appreciate it. I currently have 240 wired in. A bunch of magnetic ballast sand magnetic adjustable but they are all 1000 Watts. I do have two adjustable lumatek ballast however from what I understood it was told to me from the local store not to use a digital ballast on them. So if anyone would care to message it to me or respond to this post I would greatly appreciate it I've got about a week and a half to switch everything over. I run mainly Indica hybrid however just for Giggles I have a Jack Herer in there. So I need to adjust the lighting where he seems to grow like the Jolly Green Giant. Thank you
And what seems to be the difference between an LEC and a CMH??
And what seems to be the difference between an LEC and a CMH??
HGK420
Well-Known Member
in an 8x7 area i would shoot for more light sources. i try not to exceed 4x4 per light source. (5.5'x5.5' with gavita 1000's)
so it depends on your main goals i guess.
if your trying to absolutely maximize your 8x7 area while trying to keep your bill near the same, i would run 4 630w ceramic metal halides. you will be using a tad more power but your yields will more then likely double if not triple. the 2 sources of light in that big of an area creates a lot of shadowing and rally inhibits light penetration.
if your trying to get the most efficiency out of a space like that, id run 4 315w CMH's. the extra sources of light at angles the leaves don't block is really important for maximizing yields. anyone claiming 1.5+ grams a watt isn't doing that off of a single bulb, the angled light coming in from other bulbs in the vicinity IS KEY to big yields.
i used to run an 8 x 8 area with 2 1000w HPS like yourself. the best yields i got when doing so was when i ran the bulbs vertical in the middle of their respective 4x8 area. it took a lot of rotating plants but i got some pretty amazing results. if you add in man hours it wasn't anymore beneficial then running a 4 light set up tho.
also if you wanna keep new purchases to a minimum, i know you can run 2 600w's off of a 1000w ballast at 90% power (i think that was the percent) so you could go buy 2 more hoods, the splitters, and 4 600w HPS bulbs and you will be WAYYYYY better off then 2 1000w HPS.
MOAR SOURCES OF TEH LIGHT!!!
GroErr
Well-Known Member
That's 2 runs in there, the bottom/front is the 3.5x3.5' under the LEC. At the back is a smaller 30" x 42" or so under 3590 COBs. Overall room is 4'x9'x7.5'H...
§Leigh§
Member
Ty...the 315w cmh's, can i use magnetic ballasts? 1000 w? Or lumatek adjustable 600- super lumen? With the sunsystem hood?
The 630w cmh could i use the lumatek ballasts and keep them at 600w? In the same hoods?
I have 4 hoods, sunsystem and enough mag. Mh ballast..2 adjustable..
§Leigh§
Member
I want to run 15- 18 girls
HGK420
Well-Known Member
no you would have to get the cmh ballast and hood. they usually come as combos. the 315 with bulb is about 400-420 right now, the 630 with BULBS(need 2) is like $580 unless u can find a sale.
GroErr
Well-Known Member
We're generally referring to the 315's in this thread, the 630's are just running 2x 315's in one hood. They require specific ballast which is what makes them more efficient than even the 860w "CMH", they could potentially fire under other ballasts but you won't get the same efficiency or even spectrum output than the ballast specifically made to fire and run the 315's. I think @ttystikk had tried a couple of ballasts running the 860w bulbs but found the actual power usage was the same as running 1000w bulb which kind of kills the efficiency factor.
LEC = Light Emitting Ceramic (e.g. Suns Systems 315e LEC)
CMH = Ceramic Metal Halide
Both = same thing, just different terminology
Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any options but replacing your ballast if you're looking to run the 315's. They do have them available in mogul format for the sockets so they could run inside an hps hood but the ballast doesn't seem to be an option, or at least I haven't seen anyone trying to run those 315's off hps/mh ballasts...
§Leigh§
Member
Which hood could i run 2 315w cmh in?
§Leigh§
Member
As for the cob lighting essentially if I really have no electrical experience whatsoever other than with welding. How hard would it be you and costly to do a build your own
HGK420
Well-Known Member
the nanolux 630 is the one i specifically use. like mentioned its just 1 hood 2 bulbs.
ttystikk
Well-Known Member
Well summarized, I'd add that IF you can find a low frequency square wave digital ballast, it will drive the 860W Allstart lamp to about the same efficiency level as the better known 315W CMH system.
I'm currently testing just such a combo now and it is effective.
ttystikk
Well-Known Member
There's a whole LED section full of people who make it their business to help people just like yourself. Many of them are even advertisers for lights, parts and services related to LED lighting.
GroErr
Well-Known Member
Any double ended hood with two sockets if you can source the mogul socket 315's, and replace the ballasts. The kits with hood/ballast/bulbs made specifically to run the 315's are what @HGK420 referred to above. Sun Systems and Nanolux make those and there are a couple of others. Growershouse.com carries a bunch including the bulbs. I've bought a couple of the 315w Sun Systems kits through them, they have regular sales on lighting so I just waited until they had a sale going on.
As far as COB building goes there are many options and a lot of companies making them to the point where it's questionable to DIY imo. Tons of references and threads in the LED section including some DIY kits from Cutters and others. Those kits include all parts and basically just require assembly. With holders and the like that avoid tapping or drilling, basically build a frame for them and assemble. Couple of links below, a ton of threads on DIY in the first link. Both options (CMH or COBs) are great, I'm still out on which one is better, both can produce great quality and 1gpw with even mid-producing strains and 1.5 gpw relatively easy with a decent producing strain. COBs can probably hit 2 gpw with the right method fully dialed in.
https://www.rollitup.org/f/led-and-other-lighting.124/
https://www.rollitup.org/t/cutter-electronics-complete-diy-cob-kits.902453/
ttystikk
Well-Known Member
Having run both, COB LED stomps the chit out of anything with a light bulb in it.
Simple efficiency is just the beginning; as I mentioned before, people can tell the difference from across the room.
GroErr
Well-Known Member
I'm still out as I've only done a couple of runs under the 3590's, those Sun Systems with the 315's still rock it and isn't going anywhere anytime soon. But damn those COBs produce nice terps/quality.