CMH advice, looking for good equipment

'Boogieman'

Well-known member

• Jun 28, 2018

• #1

Hello, I plan to start Indoor growing once this outdoor season ends, Im not new I and have helped people grow indoors but most of my experience is outdoors but I tried to do my homework on cmh lights. I want to grow good smoke and consistently read that cmh makes great buds, its ok if I yeild less im not doing this for $.

I plan on making a 3x6 room 8 ft high and using 2 315w cmh units, really room size depends on what best fits 2 315w cmh units so if 3x5 is better I will go there. I have been trying to research the best equipment and sun systems comes up a lot but im not sure if its just the reflector recommended or what. Here is what im considering getting (x2), if a better hood, ballast, or bulb exists please let me know. Any general advice on 315w cmh systems would be greatly appreciated most threads turn into a led vs cmh argument its hard to find solid advice.

 

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Last edited: Jun 28, 2018

Raho

Active member

Veteran

• Jun 28, 2018

• #2

$440 for each complete light seems expensive
have you checked out nanolux?

 

D

DemonTrich

Active member

Veteran

• Jun 28, 2018

• #3

Cmh adapter 18.00
Cmh ballast 80.00
Bulb 75.00

Use existing goods free

 

'Boogieman'

Well-known member

• Jun 28, 2018

• #4

Raho said:

$440 for each complete light seems expensive
have you checked out nanolux?

Click to expand...

I have checked them out, I don't understand why the ballast is in the grow room on these units some built right in. I would think heat is an issue with those built in ballast reflectors but I only worked with hps in the past. Are cmh ballasts cooler too? Money is not too much of an issue.

The hood I posted above already has a built in ballast I guess, and at that price im put off. Im looking at the phantom hoods now. They have the verticle bulb and apparently they are double walled so cool the unit but not the light itself which from what I have read cooling CMH lights messes with the light spectrum. Im open to nanolux too, which is better equipment?

 

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'Boogieman'

Well-known member

• Jun 28, 2018

• #5

DemonTrich said:

Cmh adapter 18.00
Cmh ballast 80.00
Bulb 75.00

Use existing goods free

Click to expand...

I don't own a reflector hood yet and just want the best hood I can find. I have read that verticle bulb is better than horizontal and that you dont want too air cool as it can change the spectrum of light.

 

D

DemonTrich

Active member

Veteran

• Jun 28, 2018

• #6

Stop drinking the kool-aid

Do some research for yourself vs just listening to people. You will be a much better grower.

 

zachrockbadenof

Well-known member

Veteran

• Jun 28, 2018

• #7

i bought '2' entire 315's on ebay for $185 - remote ballast,hood,bulb, hangers, everything... 2 year warr on ballast, the unit made by hydro crunch... is the bulb as good as a philips??--- prob not, but the price was rite....

my tent is 4x3.5' - i used '2' 315's, and a couple/few guys said its a bit shy , should add some add lighting- so if u r going 5x5...

always investigate it yourself... peace

 

Vanilla Phoenix

Super Lurker

ICMag Donor

• Jun 29, 2018

• #8

I’d start with asking advice on this thread. This is pretty much the go to thread here on everything CMH. Lots of knowledgeable ppl with the experience to answer just about anything you wanna know.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=299165&page=474

 

W

watts

ohms

Veteran

• Jun 29, 2018

• #9

phantom hood, sun system hood, and the gavita triplestar all good reflector options.

 

Azeotrope

Well-known member

Veteran

• Jun 29, 2018

• #10

The Sunplix ballasts are nice. I have one and like it. Would not use any bulb other than Philips. Reflector choice is largely dependent on your physical set-up/layout.

 

eastcoastjoe

Well-known member

• Jun 29, 2018

• #11

I am really happy with the galaxy cmh ballasts I have. They made very reliable HID ballasts so to me it was a easy decision to try them out.

 

P

P-NUT

Well-known member

Veteran

• Jun 29, 2018

• #12

Ive got a galaxy and a sun system 1 ballast. The galaxy hums just a tiny bit. Ive also got the vert hood from sun systems and it has a very good footprint and a neutron horizontal hood and the vert is more uniform horizontal seems to have more light but its concentrated. Dont want to say a hot spot because ive never had heat issues and burnt buds w cmh like hps. And i would only recommend philips bulbs and the 3100k at that. Growershouse has them cheap. I think the 4200 caused a hermi in flower but it could've been other things cuz it was a new room. Didnt result in seeds just a single sack.

 

eastcoastjoe

Well-known member

• Jun 29, 2018

• #13

P-NUT said:

Ive got a galaxy and a sun system 1 ballast. The galaxy hums just a tiny bit. Ive also got the vert hood from sun systems and it has a very good footprint and a neutron horizontal hood and the vert is more uniform horizontal seems to have more light but its concentrated. Dont want to say a hot spot because ive never had heat issues and burnt buds w cmh like hps. And i would only recommend philips bulbs and the 3100k at that. Growershouse has them cheap. I think the 4200 caused a hermi in flower but it could've been other things cuz it was a new room. Didnt result in seeds just a single sack.

Click to expand...

There may be something wrong with it then? I have 6 galaxy ballasts and none of them make a sound. They have a warranty, take it back to your store and have them replace it

 

zachrockbadenof

Well-known member

Veteran

• Jun 29, 2018

• #14

P-NUT said:

I. And i would only recommend philips bulbs and the 3100k at that. Growershouse has them cheap. .

Click to expand...

i'm at the end of my 1st grow with my 2x315 cmh's which came with hydro crunch bulbs (3100)- next grow i will swap out one of the bulbs for the philips to see if there is a diff in the intensity ... this grow with these bulbs has been ok, but always looking for that 'edge'...

 

'Boogieman'

Well-known member

• Jun 29, 2018

• #15

Thanks for the replies everyone everybit of knowledge helps.

zachrockbadenof said:

i bought '2' entire 315's on ebay for $185 - remote ballast,hood,bulb, hangers, everything... 2 year warr on ballast, the unit made by hydro crunch... is the bulb as good as a philips??--- prob not, but the price was rite....

my tent is 4x3.5' - i used '2' 315's, and a couple/few guys said its a bit shy , should add some add lighting- so if u r going 5x5...

always investigate it yourself... peace

Click to expand...

I wasen't going to go 5x5 but your post does make sense, going by 50w per square foot roughly 2.5 square feet is a better footprint than 3x3 from what your saying correct? How do you feel your lights do in your 4x3.5 room?