When to buy a new light?
- Thread starter waterdawg
- Start date
kinddiesel
Well-Known Member
for max yield every 6 months quality bulb sunmaster hortilux . digilux . cheap bulb in the 25 60 dollar range plant max. every 3 months. strongly suggest getting a quality bulb if your using a cheapie. makes a difference. I pull another 25 % yield switching from a 1000 watt digitial design cheap to a super hortilux 600 hps. 400 watts less power uses . with a 25 increase in yield !
SimonD
Well-Known Member
Yes, it's time. I'd suggest buying a lamp made by a "real" company: GE, Ushio, Philips. Stay away from Chinese lamps with argo-sounding names. Hortilux 600HPS, while promoted heavily on the forums, showed a relatively low output (in my testing) that diminished fairly quickly. Tossed it after 2 grows. The GEs just kept on pumping. Same goes for Sylvania's Grolux. Their standard lamps are fantastic, but the Grolux series ...not so much.
Edit: Sometimes there's luck involved. 3 years ago I bought a pair of Digilux 1Ks. Impressed to no end. Much better than my Sylvanias. Huge flowers. Next year, I buy a whole batch of Digilux 1Ks and retrofit the entire garden. Not nearly as good as the first pair. Not even close. I tossed them after a grow, re-installed the original pair of 1Ks that I'm still running and went back to Sylvanias for the rest. Better yield, better quality flowers.
Simon
waterdawg
Well-Known Member
Thx I'll see what the shop has. I may switch to a 1000 as they are easy to get from electrical wholesaler where as 600's r not. I have to get the 600's from the hydro shop and just hate walking into that place! Also the price is half as much at wholesale. And no dont have light meter, may see if there's an app. that works.
fir3dragon
Well-Known Member
Let me know if their is!!
Figong
Well-Known Member
There are multiple light meter apps for the IPhone and droid-based that I've seen - haven't tried or tested them, so can give no real recommendation in that area other than to read the 100s of reviews on them and make an educated guess.. or get multiples and run an average of them.
Midwestmetal
Member
Interesting..........I have a light meter and should test these apps. Maybe check back on here if I can remember. I bet they are crazy wrong but who knows.
SimonD
Well-Known Member
I have a light meter. Been using one since my first grow. IME, its absolute readings have little relevance. It's the relative readings that matter, meaning, one compared to another. Too, it's a great tool for setting up the plants within the garden for maximum exposure.
Simon
Simon
waterdawg
Well-Known Member
Ya it would be a good comparative tool for loss of light from new! I will get an app or two and try them. I could only find two free ones today but will look some more. I actually was looking over the girls today and i am running 8 t5's and one 600. Its in the throws of stretch and its becoming a pain to raise the lights every day lol. I think one 1000 would be better but do get really good results with the combo. I have a 1000 so may try it but unfortunately cant use it and the t5's as im maxed out feed wise.
SimonD
Well-Known Member
No flush. I do reduce the nutrient concentration by a half during the last 5-10 days of bloom, depending.
Simon
SimonD
Well-Known Member
My personal rule of thumb: Use the biggest HPS that can be cooled effectively. The difference in yield and the overall quality of the flowers is no joke, even when going from a good 600 to a 1K. I'd strongly suggest running a 1K, and ditching the T5s, if your room allows it.
Simon
