Upgrading system...250HPS or 150w with PL-L

[big ballin 88]

Well as the name states i just built a new cab thanks to the help of some of the members on this forum. In the prcoess i decided to upgrade my fan to a 6" inline fan rated at 530CFM which i will speed control.

Now that i have this fan i am thinking of upgrading to a bigger light since my cab is a lil to big for just a 150w. I want to keep this a smaller grow not using above 500w. Right now im planned at 270w with the 150w HPS and fan. I am going to be buying atleast one t5 ballast for my veg room which will use 55w.

My main thing is i don't know if i should go with a more intense light being a 250w HPS w CMH or should I just buy another 2-55w PL-l's and run them as side lighting.

If you were in my position, what would you do?

 

[FreezerBoy]

If you were in my position, what would you do?

I'd supply the info needed that an opinion may be formed.

What's the size and shape of the garden?

 

[big ballin 88]

I could see how that would be helpful haha.

I decided on a cabinet that is 42" x 29" x 15.5" for the flower chamber. I was also thinking if i could use my existing Floralux mini hood for the 250w and just buy a ballast. This last run i didn't get the density i would really like with my 150w and its a 3.33 sq ft rectangle but that was more of heat issues since i live in a warm climate, which is why i bought the fan.

 

[big ballin 88]

I'm starting to think that a 250w would be better since i SCROG, i just don't know how the Pl-l's would compare. Their both gonna cost me around the same price either or maybe a little cheaper for the PL but are they intense enough to bring up my yields?

 

[FreezerBoy]

You can cool anything if you're willing to pay the bill and suffer the noise. At 50 wsf, a 150 is just right for that space.

 

[leftyguns]

Noise from what the fan or the light

 

[big ballin 88]

Noise from what the fan or the light

The fan since i'm going to be controlling it. I'm just looking over the 250w club and wish i was getting some fatter nugs. Currently i'm supplementing with a 105w CFL and it doesn't seem to do to much for me.

Anyways with 110w of PL-L at 5,000 lumens each it seems like they would help supplement a SCROG if i put it on the short ends of the reflector, what do you think?

I figured i'm gonna peak myself at 500w so with my plan of 150w hps + 120w fan+ 165W(2-bloom,1-veg) pl-l. I'm well below that and should be able to use half the fans power, even if i'm above 50wsf i just miss what i used to acheive with my 400w.

 

[FreezerBoy]

Noise from what the fan or the light

Lights aren't used for cooling.

 

[FreezerBoy]

Anyways with 110w of PL-L at 5,000 lumens each it seems like they would help supplement a SCROG if i put it on the short ends of the reflector, what do you think?

Depends on the reflectors construction. HIDs throw light to the sides. They throw little aft and, actually, throw a shadow forward. If the HID were the crossbar of an "H" it may help.

 

[big ballin 88]

That's actually what i was planning on doing. I noticed what you were talking about on my current grow and it really annoyed me because i have a nice bud set that the HID just cant reach. I figured with a 250w I would increase the area of intensity.
But than i came across PL-L's and thought they would work real well for supplemental lighting at 5,000lumens for a 55w and a better PAR. Even though lumens don't add up, that would put me close to a 250w lumens along a longer area.

 

[yesum]

lumens do add. as far as the lights, sounds like a toss up. if you want yield from the pll's you will need them real close to plant.

 

[big ballin 88]

lumens do add. as far as the lights, sounds like a toss up. if you want yield from the pll's you will need them real close to plant.

Do you have any expereince using Pl-l's?

Sorry but lumens do not add up. You can use 2 400w's and a 200w but the lumens do not add together to equal a 1000w. Lumens are a matter of visible light, just because you have 2 5000 lumens lamps does not mean you get 10000 lumens. The amount of visible light isn't changing because you add more bulbs. You are increasing the amount of available photons.

I have seen people on this board yield pretty large from just Pl-l's and their not very close to the plant. In addition, in comparison to other CFL's Pl-l's are stronger for their size so i don't see why they'd have to be closer when people pull of good yields from CFL all day.

 

[one Q]

if you can cool it get the 250. Ive done 250 in a 19x17x48 inches with a 280cfm whisper fan. 6oz. Mind you i had a thin plate of glass between light and canopy back then. upgrade light, upgrade fan and upgrade yield.

 

[big ballin 88]

if you can cool it get the 250. Ive done 250 in a 19x17x48 inches with a 280cfm whisper fan. 6oz. Mind you i had a thin plate of glass between light and canopy back then. upgrade light, upgrade fan and upgrade yield.

If i can use my existing hood i already have a piece of glass which would definitely help. I'm starting to think that maybe the PL-l's would be the way to go since i wouldn't have to rewire my HPS and should spead the light better throughout the whole cab. This was my major problem with my current grow.

I really wish someone with some PL-L experience or just CFL would chime in. Their both gonna cost me around the same and i should have enough fan to cool up to a 400w in my small area if i wanted to. Its gonna be a SCROG so i dont know if i would benefit better from the penetrating light more than the even coverage the the PL's would produce.

 

[one Q]

hey check Hydro-Soil, he has PLL exp. I understand not wanting to rewire that shit can be scary. Good luck with whatever you choose.