Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH)

[MPL]

I think you can use your ballast, but you may experience a somewhat reduced lifetime of the lamp. Hopefully someone else with a bit more knowledge will chime in.

ok, i just remembered that I had a 430W ballast. I know your not supposed to use different wattage ballast/bulb, but they dont have a 430CMH, could i still use a 400CMH on that particular ballast?

 

[FreezerBoy]

ok, i just remembered that I had a 430W ballast. I know your not supposed to use different wattage ballast/bulb, but they dont have a 430CMH, could i still use a 400CMH on that particular ballast?

I wouldn't but, I'm a coward when it comes to electricity.

http://www.businesslights.com/400w-hps-ballast-kits-c-190_241.html
My 250 kit (Core, Cap, Ignitor) came PREWIRED. All I had to do was connect it to the power cord.

 

[FreezerBoy]

After looking at eBay, theres no way I could compete with those people...

Think of them as emergency spares. Always a good thing to have.

 

[Guest]

Why sell your bulbs? If they are used at all, only a fool would buy them. Not that you would sell them a bad bulb, just that they can't know that. Just tuck them away as spares and all will be good.

 

[green_tea]

quick question:

Would putting 4 x 400W of CMH bulbs in an 3' x 9' area be too much light? (assume proper cooling etc) ( would there be enough space for even a avg of .6g/W, aka ~950g)


how would i better setup 4 x 400W bulbs for a longer type cab. 3' x 12' ?

 

[Military]

Sorry Green_tea cant answer your questions to well.. But "they" say that a min of 50watts per square foot, and i read that 150 per square foot is pushing overkill... So hope that helps im sure someone else can answer your question better though..


But Azeotrope= I JUST bought these 2 bulbs, the MH and HPS both 400watt probably a month ago, and they haven't even been plugged in to even be tested...

I of course took out of box to check them out Im new the the "BIG BULBS" lol You can even look at my ONLY grow.. a CAB and its running CFLs.. I also have the receipt from when i bought the bulbs to prove they are not old...


With the new CMH i bought now(thanks to you ) The MH and HPS WILL only be collecting dust Unless i can get HTGsupply to take them back for a refund, or sell them to someone that can use them.. I wouldnt charge full price of course, and Id pay for shipping.. I just want to get some of my money back, better then none. Know what I mean

 

[green_tea]

Military, I think your calculations are off (though I completely forgot about changing it to that)

3' x 9' = 27sq ft.

4 x 400W = 1600W total

1600 / 27 = 59W/sqft.


which would make it seem as though it were doable. though a small space like that wont allow for much airflow in a cab like setting. (but thats for another thread)

If I were to put 4 of the 400W CMH bulbs in series, would a 340CFM fan do it? (I am thinking of the panasonic whisperline fan that is 340CFM)

 

[gramsci.antonio]

@vbp6us

Heres a few ladies growing under the CMH 400. I took a year off from growing, and when I came back people were talkin about this lamp so i'm using it This picture is the current ladies at day 10 of flower, with 1 week of veg(half of that just adjusting to the room).

I have to say my favorite part about this light is i put 4x27W "daylight" CFL bulbs in my bedroom, they are almost the same color as the CMH. If i turn those on, then open the closet i dont get this crazy different colored light streaming out the window. With HPS it always looked like a streetlamp in my window while i was working, now it looks just looks normal.

Hurricane

niceee

 

[simba]

Hurican..
Lookin Good U should have some nice Colas on those..
id say trim a few of the Bottom bracts off.. so they dont waste on lil popcorn buds..

 

[Wedge Antilles]

well........3 hours 46 pages and 2packed pipes later, i think I am sold on the Cmh...Thanks Azeo and simba.......Quick question though....I know NO digial ballasts, but does the ballast have to be UL, is just much safer to get a UL ballast.

 

[simba]

wedge,

as far as Ballast being UL.. 90% of magnetic USA sold ballasts are UL Cert..
if we break it down the magnetic ballasts aren't as great of a concern as Elec/digitals for UL CERT.. (shortened version) however u still want UL Cert..

 

[Wedge Antilles]

simba.....thanks!!! Kinda thought most of them were UL listed

 

[JackOneill]

here is a couple shots of my current 400 watt CMH garden. 4 Plants, 1 Kali Mist, 1 BubbleBerry, and 2 Northern Lights all in 3 gallon pots.

I love my CMH this is 4 days into flowering so no action just yet.

 

[Military]

hurricane and JackOneill looks like both of you guys have the same exact plants!!!

Both to compare under the CMH and they look crazy healthy!! Look way better then my hydro plants NICE WORK, Taking care of those ladies like they couldnt be taken care of anymore

and Green-Tea... I wasnt calculating your stuff I was to lazy I was just telling you that 50watt is usually the minimum and 150watt is "I THINK" pushing overkill

hehe

 

[JackOneill]

thanks Military, very impressed myself with the growth that is occuring under this light, but a little LST is one of my keys to getting those nice short bushes. Now that you mention it our plants do look similar but mine are definitely a heavier mix of indica, hurricane's looks a little more sativa. Even my Kali Mist looks like an indica but it has more sativa in it genetically.

 

[Military]

hah nice yes I cant wait to get mine I ordered my 400watt CMH yesterday should be getting it next week..

Pretty excited to jump up from CFL's to a CMH not gonna lie. Everything I have read points to CMH = best hands down..

And the light scales even say it also Just cant compete with fact

 

[vindiesel]

i'm sold. F HPS, and thank u guys, especially azero for turning me onto CMH. here's another little bit of more info 4 u guys on CMH:
http://www.hydro-techn.com/showcandle/NEWScan.html

my question, i would get an eballast for a 250CMH but only see e ballast at 150, then 400 and up, anyone know of a 250W eballast that will run a CMH. otherwise i'll just stick w/ getting the agrostar mag ballast i was gonna get for HPS.
another question, can i use a regular hood/reflector which i would have used an HPS or HPS/MH conversion bulb in...? or do i need a special hood/reflector for CMH.
this is the hood/reflector i want:
http://www.htgsupply.com/viewoption.asp?ID=108
it's for hps and mh conversion lamps.
thanks again guys. great thread on most important topic in the game...

 

[Microwido]

OK so we all know advancedtechlighting has great customer service. It turns out the DIY ballast from HTG doesnt may or may not have a strong enough ignitor to work with this light. I returned a CMH bulb because it would not fire, and when ATL got it, they said it fired up in 10 seconds. So, the HTG do it yourself ballast's igniter lighted 2 of 3 CMH bulbs Be warned this may happen to you.

FYI

 

[Guest]

Stay away from the E-ballasts/DigiBallasts with these bulbs. There are a few expensive and hard to locate that are tuned for it. Hydrotechnw sells them and they work fine. For the price though, you should find a quality core and coil HPS diy kit or a prefabricated HPS ballast assembly that is a core and coil.

 

[vindiesel]

agrostar mag HPS ballast ok? i'm pretty settled on that as long as it's ok for CMH....