Why did I get such a low yield?!

respawned

Active Member
That ballast would be ok, but I'd toss the reflector.
In that case I would rather just get the high bay unit (cheaper and it's a better ballast because it'll run MH or HPS) and try get proper reflectors, I am sure I'm loosing a lot of light using my homemade reflectors.
Finally decided to go with four 600's, I have a whole garage to use just for budding so that should cover most of it I think.

Here are some random pics, all taken with my new (second hand) camera. The budding room has four 400's, plants are mostly Cheese and Train Wreck in bubblers (at the back) and Blue Berry (just before harvest, it's the bud drying in the other pics) in an ebb and flow with various other strains in soil in the front and along the sides.

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tat2ue

Well-Known Member
I had 5 x 400w in my flower room and the yield was piss poor. I then went to 4 x 1000w and added co2 and my yield blew thru the roof. I just harvested 40 plants in a perpetual grow a cpl days ago and the wet weight after trimming was 3,819 grams from a 12 sq ft area (3'x4')...it should dry out to about 2.0-2.25lbs
 

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ol hippy

Well-Known Member
Whoa guys, those are some serious grow rooms!! I'm just about to start, by hydro sys was shipped yesterday so it should be here soon. At first I bought a single 150 watt hps , but after reading a few posts here I ordered a 400 watt set up .Now after reading this link I'm worried that I'm still behind!? This is my first hydro attempt and havn't grown anything in over 25 years !! Kids are grown I'm on my own again and dying to stop paying 50-60 bucks for an eighth oz.!!!My little grow room is my heater closet! so theres not much room, I plan on using the 400 watt overhead and use the 150 for a fill light. Hope all goes well, I can only hope to have the success you guys have had will try to post some pics when I get started.. ol hippy
 

respawned

Active Member
I had 5 x 400w in my flower room and the yield was piss poor. I then went to 4 x 1000w and added co2 and my yield blew thru the roof. I just harvested 40 plants in a perpetual grow a cpl days ago and the wet weight after trimming was 3,819 grams from a 12 sq ft area (3'x4')...it should dry out to about 2.0-2.25lbs
Nice setup, very clean. I guess I could just get two 1000's, the cost of the ballast is just a tad more that the 600's. Damn! Cant decide.
 

respawned

Active Member
Whoa guys, those are some serious grow rooms!! I'm just about to start, by hydro sys was shipped yesterday so it should be here soon. At first I bought a single 150 watt hps , but after reading a few posts here I ordered a 400 watt set up .Now after reading this link I'm worried that I'm still behind!? This is my first hydro attempt and havn't grown anything in over 25 years !! Kids are grown I'm on my own again and dying to stop paying 50-60 bucks for an eighth oz.!!!My little grow room is my heater closet! so theres not much room, I plan on using the 400 watt overhead and use the 150 for a fill light. Hope all goes well, I can only hope to have the success you guys have had will try to post some pics when I get started.. ol hippy
Hey ol hippy. This is a good place to learn, lots of helpful people here. Good luck with your grow and do post pics.
 

OregonMeds

Well-Known Member
IF electricity is expensive where you live the 600's might be the most practical but if your electric costs aren't that high I'd always reccomend the 1000w.

Also I don't think there are any warehouse ballasts that run both MH and HPS. Again I believe the poor labeling on the cooper/lumark ballasts has confused you. They only run one or the other.
 

respawned

Active Member
IF electricity is expensive where you live the 600's might be the most practical but if your electric costs aren't that high I'd always reccomend the 1000w.

Also I don't think there are any warehouse ballasts that run both MH and HPS. Again I believe the poor labeling on the cooper/lumark ballasts has confused you. They only run one or the other.
Thanks again. My ballasts do run both bulbs, that I do know for sure because that is how I have been vegging, by swapping the bulbs. I am in Africa so I think the ballasts I get here are different to the ones in the states. I just opened mine up and it's made by Vossloh Schwabe, a German company.
 

OregonMeds

Well-Known Member
Thanks again. My ballasts do run both bulbs, that I do know for sure because that is how I have been vegging, by swapping the bulbs. I am in Africa so I think the ballasts I get here are different to the ones in the states. I just opened mine up and it's made by Vossloh Schwabe, a German company.

Cool, I wish we had those here. Is there a switch on the ballast then to go from HPS to halide or is it an electronic ballast that can autodetect or what? Got a pic?
 

respawned

Active Member
Cool, I wish we had those here. Is there a switch on the ballast then to go from HPS to halide or is it an electronic ballast that can autodetect or what? Got a pic?
No switch, it auto detects. Here is a pic, I was told by the supplier that it can run lower wattage bulbs too, but never tried that yet.
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respawned

Active Member
Just placed my order, getting four 600 watt ballasts and bulbs plus 2 metal halide bulbs for vegging. Only place that I can find decent reflectors is from my local grow shop, the reflector alone will cost me more than the ballast and bulb together.
 
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