Convince me that a 1000 watt HID is the way to go.........

LeonJer

Active Member
Ok, I have a new 600watt ballast ( maxibrite) which I bought a couple of weeks ago. Now I learn, (being a noob) that they are not the best. I only want the best. Whilst I buy another new ballast, should I upgrade to a new wattage? I've just bought a secret jardin tent DR150II 150x150x200. I have a Magnum XXXL reflector.
With a 1000 watt bulb, is heat crazy from it? Is there a way to deal with the heat? Does it need a Nuclear power station to run it? Is it over kill to put the 1000watter in this size of space?
And finally if you think I should get the 1000 watt bulb. whats the best ballast? Im in the UK, and the only 1000 watt ballasts appear to be Quantum or adjusta-watt.
What would you do?
Experienced growers advice please.

Thanks for stopping by........
 

Jack Harer

Well-Known Member
1K does get hot. REALLY hot. If you're in a tent, I'd go with the 600 unless you can effectively keep it cool. I had 4 1Ks in a 10x12 room and played hell keeping the temps down in the summer, even with an A/C unit. YOu're gonna be a happy camper with the yield of the 1K tho.....They are BEASTS!!!
 

MidnightJoker

Well-Known Member
With the DR150II, I really think you would be happier with a 1k lighting set-up. Galaxy makes some nice ballasts, so I would go with them.

On the other hand, you can also just add another 600w or 400w to your set-up, but I really think that just 1 600w light will not be enough.
 

shnkrmn

Well-Known Member
Well, you need a good fan to cool that magnum hood. and the DR150 is a little small for a 1k. So get a nice 600 watter, Quantum is fine. Spend the balance on a good inline fan. Even with the 600 your heat issues will be crazy without it.
 

303

Well-Known Member
I run several xxxl hoods, did you get the 6" or 8"? Whichever it is get the same size fan to connect to it, pull air from a cool room, and dump it outside your home, or in a attic. I can touch the glass on all my lights with just the fan pulling air through them, and its as cold as the room with lights on. Anotherwards, if you can cool the light correctly you shouldn't have problems or need AC. At least I don't. And yeah 1000 watts is much more efficient than your 600, you'll pull much more yield from a 1000. They pull some wattage but you don't need your own power plant to run it, lol. I'm unfamiliar with products in the UK, although I have heard of quantums, they seem legit..
 

Jack Harer

Well-Known Member
Any time you put glass (unless it's expensive optical glass) between the light source and the plant, you're gonna lose at a minimum of 20% of the light due to the added neutral density of the glass. All the glass in the Sun Systems hoods I bought ate about 25% of the light behind them so I shit-canned the glass. Good Optical glass has less than a 10% loss but it's hard to get here and costs more than gold.
I checked and verified for myself the light loss with a Minolta photographic incident light meter.
 

Jack Harer

Well-Known Member
That would definitely be more flexible in lighting bigger areas, but no, you really don't wish that. I agonized for a good while over that issue. All the way up until I had my first 1K harvest. I ended up with a bunch of 1Ks. ('Course, I have a bunch of 400's, but I use them only for veg.) 1K lights are just BEASTS!!
 

techlad

Member
Hi all

First post but have been lurking here for a bit. I have several Adjusta-Watt 1000w and i love them. I like them coz they have no fans inside and they run different lamp sizes. I can use my 600w halide in them then switch to 1000w of sodium and boost it too. I know 1000w might not be as efficient as 600 but I like what happens underneath them!!
 

PotPower

Active Member
Use a Hydrofarm Radiant 6" air cooled light housing with about 300cfm going though it for one light to keep it cool.
And yes, stick with a 1K light, I run 4 of them! lol:lol:
 
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