Adding CFLs to my MH/HPS.

[Bookush34]

Right now I am running 2 x 400watts in the same huge air cooled hood. All crammed into a 3.5x3.5 tent.

I usually run both MH in veg and hps/mh in flower.

I am looking to add 2x 250Watt CFLs to my grow.

I am thinking of running them at just below canopy height to help dence up some of That under growth.



Any input?

Or am I nutz. Just get a 1000watt lol.

 

[Johnny Lawrence]

You have a ton of options that will improve your current setup. 250 and 400 watt HID lights are less efficient than 600s and 1000s.

1. 630 watt CMH, or a pair of 315s. Two 315s would be a bit more expensive, but the spread would be better.

2. 600/750 DE

3. Build a hybrid light. I've built a couple. I love my latest. Remote 315 reflector set in an aluminum frame, with 50 watt Citizen cobs at the corners. 515 watts and absolutely crushes the 600 it replaced. My frame is 3x4, but you could easily build a 3x3 frame for your area. Coverage would be insane. http://timbergrowlights.com/200-watt-citizen-clu048-4-cob-grow-light-kit/

4. Two 260 watt QB kits. Really easy to assemble. These would murder your little area. https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/collections/diy/products/260w-qb-led-kit. They sell out within hours of being made available, so you need to contact the company to find out when that will be.

4. But while looking at the 260 QB kit for you, I noticed that they now have this little beast. And they're offering 20% discounts on them till Xmas. https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/products/hlg-300. Or if you have the money, get the 550


Don't get CFLs - they're incredibly inefficient. If you're that concerned about side lighting, look into Samsung or Bridgelux strips. You can learn more about them here - https://www.rollitup.org/f/led-and-other-lighting.124/

 

[Bookush34]

Thanks for you input.
I did some more searching. Sound like big CFLs would be a disappointment for me.

So I decided it’s christms. Treated my self to 2x mars hydro COB 100watt. (250Watt hps equivalent)

I am going to run them on the sides ( angled in) of my dual 400watt hood. For now. Then in the future. I would like to do a veg tent with a 400watt. Then slap a big led panel in the flower tent. And these COBs.

But for the time being. I am going to run a 1300watt 3.5x3.5. Lol.

Should pull a lb or two.

 

[Johnny Lawrence]

Thanks for you input.
I did some more searching. Sound like big CFLs would be a disappointment for me.

So I decided it’s christms. Treated my self to 2x mars hydro COB 100watt. (250Watt hps equivalent)

I am going to run them on the sides ( angled in) of my dual 400watt hood. For now. Then in the future. I would like to do a veg tent with a 400watt. Then slap a big led panel in the flower tent. And these COBs.

But for the time being. I am going to run a 1300watt 3.5x3.5. Lol.

Should pull a lb or two.

Sorry to break the news to you, but you shouldn't have purchased those Mars lights. They run 5 watt diodes, so they are little use as side lighting since they need some space between them and the plants. Should have gone with strips.

Also, you're not running 1300 watts. You'll be running 1000 watts. Those mars lights aren't equivalent to 250 watt lights. They are equivalent to 100 watt lights.


Edit: Noticed you picked up the cob lights. $200 each??? Ouch! The Timber kit I previously linked to would have been a much better purchase.

 

[growin-Jables]

Oh boy. Another mars led experimenter . Not being a dick...but I think if you have been growing under hid...your gonna be sooo dissapointed eith those mars fixtures . But you live and you learn. I am running 630cmh with dual 315w bulbs. 1 3100k and 1 4200k. I only use my blurple for supplemental lighting.

 

[Bookush34]

HAHA

Guess I’ll see. Maybe I jumped the gun.


You guys think they are junk eh?

I read a few reviews online and some grow journals that praised them pretty good.

They are made with Cree chips and Meanwell drivers. From the reading I’ve done they are made with sound components.

Guess not ?

 

[growin-Jables]

HAHA

Guess I’ll see. Maybe I jumped the gun.


You guys think they are junk eh?

I read a few reviews online and some grow journals that praised them pretty good.

They are made with Cree chips and Meanwell drivers. From the reading I’ve done they are made with sound components.

Guess not ?

here's the thing with majority of blurple led. There good as supplemental , but when using as side lighting or primary , there not ideal. , MOST are dissapointed with results. Yeah you can grow weed eith it...but as I was saying earlier, your already using hid lights which provides the best growth and results. Again the 5w diodes dont work as well as 3w. By all means your gonna do what you are going to do. Most people that say the mars worked well for them are generally first time growers or growers who have only grown with blurple leds. I have yet to find a serious grower who has a large amount of experience to give reccomendations for mars or any other blurple

 

[Bookush34]

Have you used this new COB light?

 

[Johnny Lawrence]

here's the thing with majority of blurple led. There good as supplemental , but when using as side lighting or primary , there not ideal. , MOST are dissapointed with results. Yeah you can grow weed eith it...but as I was saying earlier, your already using hid lights which provides the best growth and results. Again the 5w diodes dont work as well as 3w. By all means your gonna do what you are going to do. Most people that say the mars worked well for them are generally first time growers or growers who have only grown with blurple leds. I have yet to find a serious grower who has a large amount of experience to give reccomendations for mars or any other blurple

Mars is now making cob lights, which is what he purchased. I think they're using Cree cobs with Osram single diodes around the cob. i guess Mars is trying to step up their game. Two things though.

1) At $230, they are a bit overpriced compared to other options available.

2) They're still using that lame marketing technique of saying that their lights are equivalent in output to much larger lights. With these particular 100 watt lights, they are trying to claim that they are equivalent to a 250 watt HID. I mean even the OP was suckered into thinking he was adding 500 watts to his by adding two of them. I would say that Mars needs to cut that shit out, but hey, they've got company parties they need to finance.

 

[Johnny Lawrence]

Have you used this new COB light?

Why did you even bother making a thread asking for advice, only to go and pick up a pair of Mars lights?

For the $460 you paid for them you could have gotten this http://timbergrowlights.com/300-watt-citizen-clu048-6-cob-grow-light-kit/ from Timber which would have crushed those Mars cobs.

 

[Bookush34]

I picked them on spec. Same as you not liking them based on spec.

I am not in the USA. So all the lights you have available are more then double the price by the time I get them.

Based on spec these were best bang for the buck in my country.


Thanks for you help.