Mcoocoo
Well-Known Member
you too, thanks for your help. much appreciated
flowering under a 600 watt HPS bulb with ballast dimmed down to 400 watts
- Thread starter Mcoocoo
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Mcoocoo
Well-Known Member
I got an email back from the manufacturer and they said that a 600w ballast set at it's 400w setting will power a 400w bulb , although the lifespan of the bulb will be diminished because the ballast will still draw 600 watts from the electrical panel no matter what the dimmer is set to. They said what happens when you use the dimmer is that it cools the bulb and lowers the lumen output. They didn't go into any detail as to how the ballast accomplishes this or where the extra 200 watts go. I am guessing that the extra current is turned into heat that is held inside of the ballast itself, making the ballast warmer and the bulb cooler. (that is my guess anyhow) They also said that I should use the correct wattage bulb with the correct ballast for maximum lumen output and efficiency. So, were they telling me that it is safe to use it that way? I don't know
Mcoocoo
Well-Known Member
Yeah I agree. Anyhow, I emailed them back and asked them if the spectral output would be correct if I did use a 400w bulb in in the600w ballast dimmed to it's 400 watt setting and they emailed back with a message ALL IN CAPS, that said: (the 400 watt lamp performance will not be consistent as the bulb may blow out in a matter of weeks or months). So now I been able to raise the light up as high as I can get it, and I have gotten a good handle on the temperature. I can get it down to 71 degrees in there and I am trying to see if that will counteract the intense lighting, so I am still using the 600 watt setting, but I do dim it down when I feed because I have to raise it up about 4 inches each time onto a piece of wire racking placed over the top of pan to catch the runoff, then I turn it back up to 600w when I put the plant back down on the floor. So far so good, buds are filling out and seem to be frosting up in defense of the high light level, (like a sunscreen).
Lord Bonkey
Well-Known Member
you are not getting light burn with a 600w in that tent lol
how high is your light?
how high is your light?
Mcoocoo
Well-Known Member
Yes, I am getting light burn. That is the problem
Lord Bonkey
Well-Known Member
3x3 the max area a 600 will cover
its not your lights
well not lux anyway, it might be heat, so again, how high is your light?
whats your canopy temp
Mcoocoo
Well-Known Member
Have you had this problem before? The plant should be able to handle it, at least I thought it would
Lord Bonkey
Well-Known Member
what size exhaust fan do you have running? whats the canopy temp
Lord Bonkey
Well-Known Member
the plants can handle that light np
Lord Bonkey
Well-Known Member
3x3x7 is 63 cubic feet
so even a 4 inch canfan should be enough to keep that tent cool with that light on full
you will want a fan blowing on and under the bulb too depending on what you use for a reflector
but 600 watt hps is perfect light for that tent
so even a 4 inch canfan should be enough to keep that tent cool with that light on full
you will want a fan blowing on and under the bulb too depending on what you use for a reflector
but 600 watt hps is perfect light for that tent
Lord Bonkey
Well-Known Member
then why do you think its the light?
do you have a pic of the damage?
do you have a pic of the damage?
Lord Bonkey
Well-Known Member
a 1k with a fan blowing on it can be 12 inches np
Lord Bonkey
Well-Known Member
yeah take a couple if you can and we will figure it out
