Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH)

[Guest]

Freezerboy:
It better exist because they say mine should get here on the fourth.
The li'l ones run on pulse start metal halide ballasts. Which, as I understand it, is almost exactly how the old-fashioned magnetic ones with an "ignitor" work. I've got a lamp/hood/ballast lined up for it. Can't wait.

I may be wrong but I think the little ones below 250 watt run off a MH ballast and 250 + runs off a HPS ballast if a pulse start MH ballast is the same as an regular old MH ballast you answered my ? about the 1000 watt bulbs I was looking at thanks.

 

[Guest]

http://advancedtechlighting.com/mhced17.htm

$32.00

100 watt CMH

 

[FreezerBoy]

D'oh. Captain Slow on the Uptake ™©® finally gets a clue. Didn't scan down the page but went straight to products.

Cool.

 

[slimshady]

What is the best reflector for CMH 400 Watts?

 

[nightcrawler]

Woot i got my 400W CMH bulb in!!!!!! So i pluged the bulb in, then the ballast. All went well, but then i had shut it down for 5mins and now it wont light up anymore.... Maybe i just need to wait longer? ill wait another 15mins before i try again.

peace
NC

 

[MPL]

Wait 30 minutes before you try to fire the bulb again.

Woot i got my 400W CMH bulb in!!!!!! So i pluged the bulb in, then the ballast. All went well, but then i had shut it down for 5mins and now it wont light up anymore.... Maybe i just need to wait longer? ill wait another 15mins before i try again.

peace
NC

 

[MPL]

The PL hood (I think it's the deep one) that covers a 3' x 3' area looks like it would be perfect for the 400. I haven't tried it, but I've seen it with different lamps and it's a really nice, focused footprint. Very little light is wasted.

What is the best reflector for CMH 400 Watts?

 

[duddits]

Also, I don't know if it is the new strains I'm growing or not but do you guys notice more leafy/less tight bud in flower than when using HPS?

I wanted to pull back from this in regard to CMH since there are currently many other factors that could be the culprit here and being a newb I can't be sure until I find out for myself. It could be my nutes and/or ratio, coco (1 gal bags this time, last time 3 gal bags but I didn't uncompress the coco as well as I should have). Last time my pH meter was way out of whack and didn't realize until last week of flower. The last run was steady at approx. 6.8 - 7.0. This time it is steady at 5.7 - 5.9. The trich production last run and this run too is insane. Never run any of these before, both last run and this are first time and from seed. I am at what I believe is day 44 of flower today and switched to my 600 W HPS for the rest of this run. What do you think folks?

 

[AlienDude]

I own an old (but used very little) Hydrofarm Sunburst reflector w/250mh ballast built in, was wondering if its possable to exchange w/one of the 50 dollar 250hps ballast from advance, then run a 250 CMH ?

I understand the hps has a igniter, will this fit easily back into the reflector ?


TY

I would say that the only way to know is to try. Igniters aren't that big, so it should gfit. And I know Hydrofarm at one time made the same setup as yours but with HPS instead of MH. So, I would bet they prolly built that reflector to handle either one.

 

[registeredtoker]

what would be a good brand 250 hps ballast to run with the CMH? not looking for dyi, but something already built, like sun system etc. thanks all.

 

[AlienDude]

what would be a good brand 250 hps ballast to run with the CMH? not looking for dyi, but something already built, like sun system etc. thanks all.

I bought my 400 from HTGSupply.com
They have 400's for a little over $110.

As far as 250's...I'd check out bghydro.com.

But I highly reccommend using a 400, I have a small grow tent and 400 is the right number.

 

[registeredtoker]

thanks alien, so your 400 from htg works good with the CMH? no problems?

 

[AlienDude]

thanks alien, so your 400 from htg works good with the CMH? no problems?

It works better than I could have asked.
Always ignites, and puts out constant rays of beautiful sunshine.

 

[MPL]

Yeah I'm really impressed with my HTG 400w ballast. I got the kit and put it into some metal sheeting that I had leftover from making my reflector. I have a 4' lead on mine and it fires 100%.

 

[registeredtoker]

cool mangs....think i'll get one

oh the reason i'm having to buy one is my old 250 el cheapo ballast worked great with a hps light but as soon as i put the cmh in it fried....yalls seen that before?

 

[AlienDude]

Oh yeah, is there much difference in size & heat, between a 250hps & a 400hps ??
Thanx

IMO...yes. Heat is about the same, but the 400 gives off enough light that it's perfect for places that the 250 is just a little too small for.

I mean I use a 400W in a 3' x 2' x 6' Tent, and there is no way I would use a 250 in that space.

But some do..to each their own..but the 400 is going to yield more, simple supply and demand of the light to plants.

 

[MPL]

I have a cabinet of those dimensions I got from Home Depot. My 400w works great there.

I already have a 19" x 30" space picked out with minimal ventelation (small fan< pullin thru a small carbon filter for air exchange) & i think the 250cmh will be plenty, because of its location heat could easly be an issue, so i'm trying to avoid it. not to mention the bulb in the sunburst is off-centered because of the ballst mounted in the end.



Peace,,

 

[FreezerBoy]

What is the best reflector for CMH 400 Watts?

Read through this
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=51325&page=1&pp=15

Last I saw the SunSystem II was the big winner but, I'm not current.

 

[FreezerBoy]

I own an old (but used very little) Hydrofarm Sunburst reflector w/250mh ballast built in, was wondering if its possable to exchange w/one of the 50 dollar 250hps ballast from advance, then run a 250 CMH ?

I understand the hps has a igniter, will this fit easily back into the reflector ?


TY

You may want to consider these http://www.businesslights.com/hps-ballast-kits-c-190.html

HTG is infamous for weak ass ignitors. As a bonus, the Venture Coil, Cap, Ignitor came pre-wired.

 

[simba]

sorry been away..

Deft, Good idea for burn in.. i say just start using in min 12/12 and ur golden..

Georgia Green,, is cmh same as MH pulse start - yes and philips has a cmh bulb that runs on HPS ballast.. IE the retro-white..
ur other q,. no MHP or HPS competes with CMH.... look at the life.. and the specs it prob has more blue to red.. and we want more red than blue.. and long life.. etc

cmh wattages currently on market.. 10watts -400 watts.(600-15Kw not yet no real word at present)
i dont know who is currently offering 10watt.. so it goes 20,39,50,70,100,150,250~HPS RETRO WHITE,350,400~HPS RETRO WHITE
for us we want 4k and thats avail in 50-400

Currently no best but what i recommend (not for long YA!!) is the SUnlight supply Super SUn 1 original Ver 1. if u cant fiind Ver 1 get ver 2..

advancedtech will have ballasts made in USA online by end of week..for chines prices.