150w HPS Club and Resource Guide......

[GaryCares]

It seems likt alot of people here are using their 150watt systems for Veg and Flower, or maybe Im mistaken? Im only growing for personal medical use so Im nto worried about having the densest nugs, or the most crazy yield, I just want enough to use to medicate myself between harvests.Hopefully I do well enough with just this 150watt system, I plan on ordering it very soon (probably sunday night)

 

[Quazi]

It seems likt alot of people here are using their 150watt systems for Veg and Flower, or maybe Im mistaken? Im only growing for personal medical use so Im nto worried about having the densest nugs, or the most crazy yield, I just want enough to use to medicate myself between harvests.Hopefully I do well enough with just this 150watt system, I plan on ordering it very soon (probably sunday night)

A lot of people actually have two different areas setup for their micro grow. A smaller area for veg with usually CFLs or fluoros and the 150W area for flowering.

This allows you to have a perpetual system where there is always a plant to replace one taken out of flower at harvest time.

With enough time, research, and practice, the 150W for flowering is enough to suit most grower's personal needs. You can pull an ounce to an ounce and a half every couple weeks out of it if you want.

Nice pic cjk! Looks deeeee-licious.

-Q

 

[GaryCares]

Do you fellas have any tec's or advice for building a 150w growtent? I was gonna use PVC and some poly for the walls. Im trying to keep the initial price under $200 and it wont be a perpetual harvest at first because I wanna do an initial run. Is 4 feet tall, by 3 feet widw, by 2 feet deep big enough to to grow in with the lite, carbon scrubber and everything? Ive been looking for some specific tecs but as Im so new I dont understand alot of this stuff.

 

[zappa66]

I just yealded 34 grams off 4 small plants under my 150w hps. I just wanted to thank you all for the inspiration!

 

[Photorikki]

hi guys.
I've been reading thru these pages and got very inspired with all the fantastic advice.
So I got one 150W e-conolight and switched from 8- 42 watt CFLs to 150W HPS.
I ordered my second 150W and it should be here in 3 more days.
I was just registered today and am learing how to post.
Cheers!

 

[Shred42O]

hi i was inspired by all the success with the 150 that i was thinking about making a 2x2x6 area in my closet is a 150 to little for the height

 

[Cozy Amnesia]

GaryCares: 3ft by 2ft would require two 150s. Check out the "Grow Room Desing & Equipment" forum of this BB for more help, specifically look in the sticky with all the DIY links.

Zappa66: good work bro, that should keep you blazed for a good while. Have any pics?

Photorikki: welcome to the club! Let us know how the HID compares to the CFL, i'm interested...

Shred420: yeah just make sure you can adjust the height of the lights so that it's as close as possible to the plants. Have a fan blowing on the bulb if possible.

Go 150w HPS club woot woot!

-----------------------------------------

I have a new NGB style cab I'm in the process of building. It will feature two 150w HPS's for the flower chamber (2ft x 3ft) and a cfl veg area. I'll give updates as it comes along in the next week or two.

 

[Photorikki]

I built a cabinet that is 20" wide, 58" long and 70" tall.
I have 4 plants under the 150: 2 Grape Apes and 2 Pineapples.
I also have 3 small clones flowering there also.

I can't attach photos yet but you can see them in my gallery. Or here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/20629008@N02/sets/72157612578618973/

I will add my second 150W bulb over the weekend. I use the area 20"X36" inside my cabinet and have buckets and a fan in the remaining space.

 

[Photorikki]

Making it easy.

Making it easy.

Here is my cabinet pic.
My temps stay between 65-78 F, but I have to add more passive intakes.
I also have to fix the cool tube exhaust after I add the second bulb.

Am I right in thinking that 20"X35" would be right for the 2 150Ws?

http://www.icmag.com/ic/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=767548&size=big&sort=1&cat=500

 

[guest3589]

I am a new grower (never grown before) that is interested in starting up for medical purposes and I ran accross the Sun Systems 150watt HPS lighting system for $70.00 at my local hydro store. Now as a new grower I am not sure if this is a good quality product, but it is cheaper and alot easier to do than using the security light and reqiring it as a ballast system. I would really appreciate it if anyone could give me their opinions and input on this system.. http://www.4hydroponics.com/lighting/sunSystemHPS150.asp

I have three sun system lighting units, a 96w 4x24" t5, 175MH integrated lamp, reflector & ballast quite like the 150 you show and a 400w hps with air cooled hood and glass shield reflector & remote ballast, all the units are of high quality and I would recommend sun systems.

I might get a 250W digital HPS/MH switchable unit if I was going to get a small lamp right now for a first time cupboard garden. It's handy to have MH for vegging compact plants. As long as I knew I had a workable plan for a grow cupboard and also cooled effectively if that is an issue in your area as it is for me.

Having said that there is no reason you cant veg compact plants with cfl or t5 and use a 150HPS especially if you anticipate filling your needs with a 150. The cooling requirements for a 250 are considerable making a 150 a very good choice for a first time gardener with potential heat issues.

I would get the sun system since it has a nice hanging configuration with glass heat shield that may be able to be vented outside your garden area.

I cant tell you how many indoor gardens I have struggled to bring to harvest only to have fail until I finally got the ventilation under control now I have huge colas flopping around in my box and will get my first real indoor harvest next week. It took an air cooled glass heat shield to get it under control but it did the trick for me. This is true no matter what size or type of light I used.

 

[Pipedream]

GaryCares, To answer your first question, YES, the SunSystem 150 is a good product and will work fine. Many on here choose to go a less expensive route, but virtually every 150 has the same output light-wise. There are slight differences but they really don't amount to a hill of beans. Reflectors on the other hand need to be chosen and configured based on the growing footprint.

If you ask 15 growers if something will work or if its the right way to do something you'll likely get 30 different opinions. That's just how we are by nature, myself included.

I for one am in love with the 150 and have used it from sprouting seeds right thru harvest with no problems. I guess that's why I started this thread. I'm a serious medical user in need of a constant supply, and I have never been able to out-smoke my set-up. I'm not saying my system is "God's Gift to Growing" or even that it's one of the better ones on this site, all I'm saying is that it works for me and has for many many years. My growing footprint is quite large for a 150 so I sometimes supplement it with a CFL, but there are plenty of times that I don't and it does just fine.

My advise to you is to read everything you can and plagerize the best of it. Also, don't let folks tell you something can't be done. All these plants need is light, air, water and food. I've seen successful grows that started as nothing more than a couple of bag-seeds thrown into a half-gallon milk carton of potting soil, fed with a drop of Miracle Grow, and placed on a window sill or under a cheap $8 shop-light.

These are weeds: if you plant them, they will grow.

Good Luck, Grow Smart & Grow Safe, and welcome to the club.

PD

Six large plants and one of the buds all grown from seed with just a 150w HPS......

 

[growDaddy]

4 feet tall, by 3 feet widw, by 2 feet deep

I also have a space 3'x2' just a little taller, 6'. The last grow I got 135g nice bud from 1 150w hps and 4 55w cfl. I let them veg for a couple of months.
This grow I started my girls much sooner, they have gotten about half the height of the previous grow and about half as many big buds. But they look very good. I currently use 2 150w hps and 6 55w cfl for 6 sq ft. This gives me 105w / sq ft and 9000 lumens / sq ft. Not as big or dense as larger grows but it keeps me happy. I expect maybe 60-70 grams this harvest for 4 plants.

 

[Photorikki]

G'Day to you all on this fine morning here in N. Calif.

I'm looking for some advice on how to set up my second 150W when it arrives later today.

Should I put it under its own reflector and hang it side by side with my first 150W?
Or should I simply put it in the other end of the cool tube that is already set up and hanging?
I'm wondering which set up will give me better coverage?

I also keep trying to decide if I should leave the position of my reflector hanging in line with the long dimension of my room, or turn it perpendicular?

By the way:
The $20 150W HPS from e-conolight has been discontinued! :-(
They must have gotten tired of watching the $20 lights fly off the shelf leaving the $25 ones to collect dust. The $25 model is the cheapest option now.

Any thoughts?

Thanks guys!

 

[Shred42O]

thanks alot for your help iam stoaked to have my 150 setup with 2 27w 100w equiv CFL iam germinating some NL seeds right now caint wait to see how my first grow goes

 

[Photorikki]

Second 150W

Second 150W

Greetings.

I've decided to include the second 150W next to the other one in the cool tube for now. Seems easiest.
I've also started to build a plywood veg/clone cabinet so that I can have a perpetual harvest to keep up with my medical needs.

Its a real joy watching and learning (and smelling) how these plants grow!

Peace out!

 

[Cozy Amnesia]

Yeah you're right, our $20 cheapo is gone! But what is the $25 model you're talking about? I don't see that one either. Damn, I was going to order another soon but I guess I waited too long.

edit: Google provided some answers (sort of) --
"RIU users cleaned them out give it a week or two so they can restock em."
"i heard they are not restocking that item, but are replacing it with one that screws into the ceiling for $25"

 

[DaDank]

Greetings Sun Systems 150HPS fans-
I recently purchased the Sun Systems 150watt HPS lighting system for $70.00 at my local grow store

Seems like the price was right (opinions of others who think 400K is the way to go are duely noted!). My needs for this small lamp are simple - it will allow me to do flowering of (2) plants whose sex, at this point, is undetermined. Anyway... I have the thing suspended at either end with chains (adjustable) that hang from a 1-1/2" dia. horizontal PVC bar. When I turned it on, I was struck by the amount of electric RACKET the thing makes! I thought it was just a question of the thing maybe needing to warm up a little. Half an hour later, the thing is still making this loud electic BUZZ that sounds like somthing right out of a 1930s Sci-Fi movie. I cannot believe this is normal. But I have never dealt with HPS lamps of any kind before. Is my suspension system in someway making the sound worse? How do I quiet this sucker down? ANY INPUT ON THIS MATTER GREATLY APPRECIATED.

 

[DaDank]

First Post on this thread (I do not know hwo to make the green quotation box): "I am a new grower (never grown before) that is interested in starting up for medical purposes and I ran accross the Sun Systems 150watt HPS lighting system for $70.00 at my local hydro store."

I actually purchased for one of these Sun System 150 HPS lamps. Seems like the price was right. My needs for this small lamp are simple - it will allow me to do flowering of (2) plants whose sex, at this point, is undetermined.
My problem is, I am scared by the sound this light makes. I have the thing suspended at either end with chains (adjustable) that hang from a 1-1/2" dia. horizontal PVC bar. When I turned it on, I was struck by the amount of electric RACKET the thing makes! I thought it was just a question of the thing maybe needing to warm up a little. Half an hour later, the thing is still making this loud electic BUZZ that sounds like somthing right out of a 1930s Sci-Fi movie. I cannot believe this is normal. But I have never dealt with HPS lamps of any kind before. Is my suspension system in someway making the sound worse? How do I quiet this sucker down? ANY INPUT ON THIS MATTER GREATLY APPRECIATED.

 

[Shred42O]

this same thing happend to me try putting some weights on the top also try having a fan blowing on the bulb

 

[bleezie]

the sound that your talking about is called the infamous ballast buzz. so what if you heard your neighbor's thousand watt ballast buzzing for 12 hrs a day? lol