Mini Cab light questions...?

[UBER21]

Hey guys need a little help on this one I have a small mini cab that I just got and im looking for some opinions on what light would be suitable for the mini mini cab..lol..here are the specs at 24 in height x 12 in deep x 12 width....made of wood.....thinking of an hps of 100w or some cfls but dont know yet....for exhaust im hooking up a pc fan rated for 133cfm and wow this little guy can whail...lol... also will throw some passive intakes at the bottom of the cab for air intake......was thinking of using a 150w but im thinking that would be overkill in such a small space withought using a cooltube....any ideas are welcomed guys...thanx....

 

[sandman8324]

I pretty much have the same cab dimensions as you and was considering the 150w myself. I decided to keep it cheap and go with 8 cfls like Jeff said and also used plexi glass to seperate the chambers. This allowed me to get temps no more than +5 degrees and allows me to get my plants 1-2" from the lights. I am still considering the hps though and would be interested in what people have to say. Good luck.

 

[stke_fingas]

click on the link in my sig, i got 400w cmh in just a little bigger space. very little wasted light and space, full sq yrd of net. 22x28x15

a 150w cmh will stay cool enough with a DIY cooltube in your space.

 

[UBER21]

click on the link in my sig, i got 400w cmh in just a little bigger space. very little wasted light and space, full sq yrd of net. 22x28x15

a 150w cmh will stay cool enough with a DIY cooltube in your space.

Thanx Stke fingas....I have heard a lot of ceramic metal h lights but never went with them as they are a bit pricier than what I was hoping......I tried the cfl thing before but l prefer the hps for less power consumption and more lumens... a 150w hps pumps out an impressive 15000 lumens...in a small space like mine I know the yield would be really good.......but the damn heat is the problem....I think making a cooltube is the only way....

Leboski thanx alot for ur help too....

 

[stke_fingas]

uber,
plants don't see lumen's. we do, plants see PAR. very short spectrum from what i understand.

where did you price the cmh? i paid $63 for my 400w, and thats a phillips, cheapo hps are more than that. if your thinking bout an eye then forget it, you can have a backup cmh bulb ready in hand for the same price as one eye(horti). the cmh also don't throw heat like a hps, better for that your trying to do.

anyway hope i helped

 

[Mr_Micro]

I'd say go for a 70 watt HPS or if you're willing to make a glass heat shield and a separate ventilation system for the light (or a cool tube) than a 100 watt HPS would be just fine. I do think 150 is a bit overkill and would be rather difficult to cool in a space that small even with a cool tube.

CFLs can be nice too, but once you get done buying all the sockets then mounting and wiring all of them and then have to factor in the cost of all those CFL bulbs you might have been better off just buying a single 70 or 100 watt HPS.

Don't get me wrong, you can get great results from CFLs if you keep them very close to the plants, but since you have a good amount of height to work with biglaugh: yes, I'm the type of micro grower who considers 24" a "good amount" of height) I'd recommend a 70 watt HPS or a 100 watt if you can make a separate ventilation system for the light.

Hope that helps!

 

[UBER21]

uber,
plants don't see lumen's. we do, plants see PAR. very short spectrum from what i understand.

where did you price the cmh? i paid $63 for my 400w, and thats a phillips, cheapo hps are more than that. if your thinking bout an eye then forget it, you can have a backup cmh bulb ready in hand for the same price as one eye(horti). the cmh also don't throw heat like a hps, better for that your trying to do.

anyway hope i helped

Yes thanx stke fingas I know its par but I tend to use lumens on the basis of doing comparisons.lol.....I did see a an eye and it was pricey...How are those phillips for that price are they reliable? Im trying to get as much wattage as possible withought having to worry about 90 deg temps......

Hey Mr M thanx for stopping by buddy......I had a 70w hps that was pretty cool that gave out about 6600 lumens..but looking for something a bit better...lol...24in in height is sweet for micro.....my fan is rated 133 cfm which will be for the scrubber but may help in sucking out some of that hot air....and maybe get a small clip on air king fan for just the bulb..to try to keep it cool.....whatayathink?

 

[stke_fingas]

the philips cmh is the top notch brand for cmh bulbs. i have only had mine for 2 months so who knows if it's reliable. i'm a firm believer in never too much light, only too much heat. my cab runs bout 80*F with a cmh, and about 89*F with hps. but the most difference between them is the heat on the canopy, my plants are only 2-6'' from the bulb. YES the bulb! most hoods have the bulb 3-4'' from the glass. i've moved the ones that are closer to the bulb back a little because they are starting to take dominance. i want even bud coverage for a higher yield.

i'm on week 6 and will go 8, i can't wait to show a pic of this netting laid out.

if you are into the brightest bulb and all that jazz, why not look into changing your style of growing to utilize that kickass bulb. honestly i wouldn't be going through all this shit if i didn't think that a v-scrog is the absolute most use out of any bulb bar-none. i know i have a 4'' vent running down the middle of my cab but fuck man it was the only option, i'm trashing this cab for more room. my next cab will be the yield test for my design. if that goes good i'll make 2 and flip flop em. tuition is a bitch.

 

[UBER21]

Cool man have to check out the phillips then and see whats up.....Yup tuition is a mother-fer.........lol.......