[Natural high]

Originally Posted by Jhhnn

They are excellent, the best HID tech money can buy. Two are the rough equivalent of a conventional 1000w lamp. Maybe not quite, but it's close. The price/performance ratio is much better than quality LED's. You'll never regret it.

They are excellent, but 630w will not replace a 1000w hps. I have 2 x 315w in a 4 x 3 grow box and it is about equivalent to my 600w hps I previously used, but with nicer buds in terms of frost and terps.

[Drop That Sound]

He is only trying to veg, I think its a waste to buy a 315 setup just to veg, then switch to 1000hps for flower. Might as well upgrade the flower room to the CDM bulbs instead, IMO.


Jhhnn: I still have that 330 (or 360) CDM retrofit bulb for my old 400MH probe start ballast that you recommended awhile back.. Still haven't even used it though lol. Did they make smaller bulbs that would for a 100w MH? like say an 80 watt that's equivalent to the 100...

If so I would just upgrade to those. Ya they only put out like 100lpw compared to a 315 that pushes 115.

I kinda feel like they reinvented new square wave or whatever CDM ballasts as a marketing scheme.. to get people spending 100's instead of just using older ballasts.

Not really but trying to get 115 lumens per watt instead of 100 and blowing a small wad of cash to do it doesn't seem all that great really.

I bet my 55$ CDM MH replacement bulb works just as good as a brand new 315. The few extra watts I would be burning probably makes up for the lost lumens. And by the time you save enough money to justify buying the newer tech, LEDs and HID will be even better and cheaper, probably.


I say use what you already got, and upgrade your flower room if anything..

[Tbonegrower]

Lots of opinions on the matter, but so far I am leaning in the direction of the 315 CMH. I only have one solid round out of the 1000 watt, and I don’t have the height for a DE setup in there. I was thinking about a 650Gavita down the line, because I am reading a lot that the 630 CMH setups don’t really replace a 1k HPS as well as folks thought initially.

I am gonna keep the poll rolling and see what shakes out.