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Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH)

fatbob166

New member
I've been using my 400w CMH for about a week now, and everything is going great!! I have it about 6" or so off my canopy, and haven't had any burning like I used to with my HPS bulb. All my girls seem to love it as much as I do. In my flowering room. I used to run a 400w HPS along with a 250w MH, I still have the MH for now, but I'm thinking about getting another 400 in there instead. Everyone who has made the switch knows how sweet it is to not have that annoying yellow light blinding you when you go into your grow area. Now it's all nice clean white light.......I'll try to get some pictures up within the next couple days.
 

MPL

Member
Alright, so apparently, a 4' lamp cord on the HTG 400w ballast will light a CMH lamp, but not consistently. I turned the light on today and the ballast just buzzed, without the lamp doing a thing. :/ Anyone know if it is for sure because of the cord length? I did just turn off the lamp about 20 minutes earlier... might that have something to do with it?
 

FreezerBoy

Was blind but now IC Puckbunny in Training
Veteran
vindiesel said:
cool. u like your CMH much better than your HPS freezerboy...? what exact bulb are u using?
I went from a 150HPS to 250CMH and I'm very happy with it. The 100 watt increase generated heat issues which I botched (inline fans and stealth do NOT go together) but, I won't blame the bulb for my screwup. :pointlaug
MPL said:
Alright, so apparently, a 4' lamp cord on the HTG 400w ballast will light a CMH lamp, but not consistently. I turned the light on today and the ballast just buzzed, without the lamp doing a thing. :/ Anyone know if it is for sure because of the cord length? I did just turn off the lamp about 20 minutes earlier... might that have something to do with it?
Maybe it's different with higher wattages. My 250 has an 8-10 foot between ballast and bulb.
 

simba

Sleeping Dragon
on Monday i will be ordering a HTG Ballast (there made by TDC Power and made in CHINA,,(I didnt know that when i was recommending them.. I thought they where venture ballasts....IE Made in india (not as bad as china )>>
 
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Dragor

Member
CMH is definitely seems a whole lot brighter than HPS and probably MH too... which is odd being that it emits less lumens - it might just have something to do with the spectrum it emits which covers more wavelengths than HPS or MH alone. I have yet to see the difference in trichome production per UVB rays from CMH. I cannot hold my palm up at 6" from the bulb (no passive fan or air cooling installed) for more than a minute, gets very unpleasantly warm - at 10-12" its just fine (as the heat emitted from the CMH rays disipites faster it seems, upwards and then pulled out by ventilation/scrubber system).

I will post some pics of the progress in a week or so, as I just switched back to CMH from HPS :) the verdict is still out tho - does anybody have comparison grows of specific strains done under CFL-MH/HPS vs 100%CMH? Would love to see those!
 

simba

Sleeping Dragon
Dragor..
im probably not going to make allot of sense but here goes..
just as the cmh seems brighter to you than HPS even with less "lumen" Output..
its the same with the plant.. IE you and plant can absorb/see different Wavelengths easier than others.. ETC..
 

simba

Sleeping Dragon
heya, id like to know what u think of the Power..
ya its a bit of a change in grow style IMPHO for optimal results
i recommend shortening the "veg" time.. even go down to 3-4 days (few variables in that, IE avail plant sites vs space vs expected yield)
Youll see the pics below.. they give u an idea..

if you start with a mini bush it continues to bush.
for 90% of the growers out there as lovely as they are AZ's plants are to bushy, with that said in his case he gos away for few days all the time and that extra Bulk will allow it to go threw harshness for allot longer and not affect overall health as much and provide shorter recovery..

for us.. who is there every day u dont need that bulk.. nor want it with the Inv Sqr Law of light working against us Using any lamp.



heres pics of what you Dont want and then want..

Dont want.
look at the mylar on the right side of pic you can see its crap go with white
hydro-lightingcannabis.jpg


P10104551BOGsGiantBogglegumwithJug.jpg


wpe42570.jpg



Want..

3071RP_50_days_005.jpg


week_14_02.jpg


15866Belladonna_Bush.jpg


FotoI8LLXZZ7.jpg


IMG_1050.jpg
 
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vindiesel

Active member
Veteran
daaaaamn. nice! are those buds in 3rd pic from last really that turquoise...? crazy...

so simba, if starting from seed w/ CMH from veg to harvest, how long u recommend veg?

and when is veg considered the start of veg w/ seeds....? as soon as they pop up out of dirt or what....?
 
simba said:
on Monday i will be ordering a HTG Ballast (there made by TDC Power and made in CHINA,,(I didnt know that when i was recommending them.. I thought they where venture ballasts....IE Made in india (not as bad as china )>>


Did you order the Agrostar or their own ballast? I don't know if the HTG ballast are UL listed, they don't mention it....they do mention that the Agrostar is UL listed
 

vindiesel

Active member
Veteran
i'm ordering the agrostar, is ul listed. i'm sure HTG's is too (i think ), but HTG rates all ballasts they sell as good, better, best, etc. they have the agro as better than their own. i'm going w/ the agro. i only read about 1 complaint w/ someone that was having a problem w/ a 600 agro.
Wedge Antilles what are u getting a 250, 400, 600? 1st grow?
 

simba

Sleeping Dragon
vin, seedlings PITA to dertimine from one strain to next..
Ill post a pic to give you idea when to start considering it "veg" (have to find one thats good)

HTG's basic rebuild ballast is TDC it IS UL certified.
the concern is
1. is the Coper in the Core Cut
2. what is the tolerance's for there Ignitors and Caps (IE why are some getting stronger or weaker ignitors, will that play into LIFE of Ignitor)
3. What is there efficiency, Goes to If its Cut.

id like to know who makes there agrostar..

but either way at this point in time the HTG TDC ballast is not a bad choice
 
vindiesel said:
i'm ordering the agrostar, is ul listed. i'm sure HTG's is too (i think ), but HTG rates all ballasts they sell as good, better, best, etc. they have the agro as better than their own. i'm going w/ the agro. i only read about 1 complaint w/ someone that was having a problem w/ a 600 agro.
Wedge Antilles what are u getting a 250, 400, 600? 1st grow?

Im getting the 250...I'm going to supplement it with 144w of T5 HO(heard T5's give off great resin production), just don't know what grow tent im gonna get yet.......I've had about 8 harvests since I've started about 5 years ago grew on and off, used a 400 in my closet, want to get more productive and stealth though
 

MPL

Member
What do you mean about the copper in the core being cut or not?


simba said:
HTG's basic rebuild ballast is TDC it IS UL certified.
the concern is
1. is the Coper in the Core Cut
2. what is the tolerance's for there Ignitors and Caps (IE why are some getting stronger or weaker ignitors, will that play into LIFE of Ignitor)
3. What is there efficiency, Goes to If its Cut.
 

simba

Sleeping Dragon
i really didnt want to say that but figured i share my only concerns..with tdc ballast..
cut as in like watering down the boose.. IE Coper is $$$$$, and china is KNOWN for Cutting every Corner...no pun intended..
IE they could get away with Using cut coper Still getting a Magnetic Charge (the reason for the core) but the resistance is Higher cause its not pure coper.. (Shortened Version)

Im not saying that it is "cut" but it is something we would like to know..
 

floppy

Member
i hope someone can help me out.

im going to do a small pc case grow, & wanting to see what all the fuss is about with these new founds bulbs CMH.

the case dimensions are: 62cm H.. 19cm W.. 43CM D..

im only wanting to use a 70W CMH, i have read this thread from start to finnish & found out i need to use a MH ballast for the 150W & under, also, the bulbs need to be protected versions.

can i use any 70W MH ballast?

can anyone point me into the right direction please?

forgot to mention, im in the uk...
 

vindiesel

Active member
Veteran
simba i tried to find who actually makes the agrostar but all i can find is who sells them. i would go w/ the coolstar electro magnetic at HTG but they don't offer it in 250W. plus i don't know if u can use an ELECTRO magnetic ballast w/ CMH, or if it has to be plain magnetic. i think 4 me, going w/ a 250W, the agrostar is a good choice, along w/ HTG's ballast.
 
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