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Philips 315w CDM Elite (CMH)

Avinash.miles

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Would these LEC lights be good for veg mode? Will the 630 cover a 4x4 table, i'm assuming 315 would cover a 3x3

yes,
2 x 315w CMH (LEC) will easily cover a 4x4 footprint... imo each 315w bulb has about a 3x3 footprint... always can put them together and overlap more if u want.
 
Accidentally?

Wait until you see the difference in the plant's response. A 400w HPS isn't even vaguely comparable....
Yeah...accidentally lol.
I went in the store thinking I'd spend $100 max! Not!

Thanks Rives, for pushing info out about this tech. I wouldn't have bought it otherwise.
I had a look at the garden today. Plants are really reaching.
Cheers
 

Devilman

Active member
SO how do these stack up vs regular HPS lamps? I've seen claims of ~40% more PAR etc.. So what "conventional" HID lamp is a 315w equivalent to? 400W HPS? (I've seen a few claims they can match a 600W HPS but that seems wishful thinking).

They seem too damn good to pass up, but I am wondering whether it is better to "downsize" to one of these lamps (from a 600w HPS) and get similar yields as before (Due to the higher PAR numbers), or drop 2 of these in a 4x4 tent (replacing the same 600w HPS) and get even higher yields for similar power usage?
 

rives

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You can search the large CMH thread for tenthirty's posts to verify this, but if I recall correctly, he found the 315s to be pretty equivalent to 600w HPS.

After thinking about this more, I don't recall if this came up in our PMs or if it was in the thread. Hopefully tenthirty will pop in and clear things up, or you can PM him. As I recall, when he initially made the change from 600's, he thought that they were fairly equivalent but after using them for a while he decided that the 315's were significantly better. HPS works very well, but the spectrum is a long way from what plants most efficiently make use of.

As I said up above, the 315's are vastly superior to 400's.
 

drakore

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I found out an interesting piece of info that I thought I would share. The first generation of the Welthink ballasts do not work very well with ED37 bulbs. Also any apparently the PGZX18 to E39 adapters are not UL listed.
 

xekki

New member
thanks rives, great thread! it's rather nice to have a concise summary of the 315's


I've ordered the $220 ATL kit but the lack of communication is a bit discouraging

And then I ordered a trigear 1500w transformer from a seller on amazon and they shipped me a 300w.. considering shelling out the coin on some plug and play greenbeams just to save me the troubles haha

Are the Agro/Green Power bulbs available anywhere? all I can seem to find are the 930s @ 3100k or am I just missing something


thanks again!
 

rives

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They are available almost everywhere now, including Amazon (unbelievably high price) and Home Depot (better, but not much). Try Googling "Philips Mastercolor CDM-T Elite 315W Agro Lamp T12".

It looks as though Philips has fiddled with the Green Power numbering again and many people are stocking them under what is apparently the SKU number (#901575) rather than the part number. The Agro lamp is part #415216, and the part number for the Green Power version is #41521-6. Confused yet? There are so many different names, numbers, and spec sheets for these things that it is mind-boggling. I think that they issued a new spec sheet every time somebody thought that there should be a spelling or punctuation change. It's interesting to note that almost all of the retailers that are using the new SKU number are also calling it an "Argo" lamp rather than an "Agro" lamp.


Growershouse, $94.95, on sale now 10% off, but high shipping cost, http://growershouse.com/philips-mastercolor-elite-315w-lamp-t12-3100-k

Horticultural Resource, $79.79, decent shipping cost, http://www.horticulturesource.com/philips-philips-mastercolor-cdm-lamp-315-w-argo-p-12-cs--p13536/

Greener Hydroponics, $79.30, high shipping cost http://www.greenerhydroponics.com/P...-Elite-Agro-3100K-Full-Spectrum-_p_81225.html
 
Do we know if anyone has raced the DE philips 400V bulb and the 315 CMH? the results?

Readers may care to note that the 942 bulbs with the more blue (4200K) spectrum are considered by some to grow better than the agro 3100K.

also

growgreenmi 77.78 http://growgreenmi.com/philips-mastercolor-cdm-lamp-315-w-argo-p-3100-k?gclid=CL3e39i8lMMCFcECaQodICwADg

bulbamerica 74.30 http://www.bulbamerica.com/products...6&cadevice=c&gclid=CMT6wNi9lMMCFRaBaQodX78Alg

Rives do you want to add these buying guide links to the beginning posts? you already have 4 pages, so they likely get lost in the incoming tsunami
 
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rives

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Has this been brought up ....now that you can get it from a big supplier?

https://www.sunlightsupply.com/shop/bytype/New/philips-cdm-860w-allstart-lamp


The 860w has been talked about extensively in the big CMH thread, along with all of the other variants of the technology. This thread's focus is the 315 because it had become very difficult for people to pick out the relevant data for that lamp. It would be great if an 860 user started a dedicated thread for them, but I have no experience with them and they are significantly different than the 315 - they are intended as a retrofit lamp for 1000w magnetic ballasts.
 

yesum

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For a 2x2x5' tent would this light be overkill? I could still get a 250 watt cmh for much cheaper with reflector and ballast, or I think I can?

I am thinking this is for a minimum 3x3 foot area with lots of head room. eh?

Also, is the cmh superior to a quality LED light for growing sativas. Am considering either a a California Lightwords LED or a cmh light Cost for the Greenbeams would be quite high and the 250 watt would be cheaper than the LED.
 

rives

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I use one in a 30" x 30" tent and it works great. A 2x2 would give you a shade over 70w/sq ft which would be far more than necessary, but would probably also work great. There is also the 210w option with the same ballast.

It's a hell of a long way from a cheap solution, but at this point, I think that it is the best solution for the money. YMMV. The only LEDs that I think could touch it are DIY Cree CXA3070-based fixtures, but that is just from what I've gathered from other people - I haven't played with them (yet!).

Can't help you with the sativa question.
 

Ozone25

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For a 2x2x5' tent would this light be overkill? I could still get a 250 watt cmh for much cheaper with reflector and ballast, or I think I can?

I am thinking this is for a minimum 3x3 foot area with lots of head room. eh?

Also, is the cmh superior to a quality LED light for growing sativas. Am considering either a a California Lightwords LED or a cmh light Cost for the Greenbeams would be quite high and the 250 watt would be cheaper than the LED.

I plan on using my 315w in a 2x2x5 tent. You can buy the 315w and switch it to 210w on the ballast. Or you can just purchase a 210w philips bulb
 

rives

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Thanks.^^ What is the 210 watt option?

As Ozone mentioned, the ballast has a switch on it that allows you to switch the output to either a 210 or a 315 lamp. The 210w lamps aren't as widely available, but I have seen them for sale in both 930 & 942 configurations, but I don't think that they offer an Agro version in 210.

There is also a dimming capability built in that uses a 0-10vdc signal to vary the output from 50-100%, but dimming shifts the spectrum a bit.
 

rives

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Thanks, I stuck the link in where I mentioned them up top.
 

T_unkown

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is there anywhere that will ship the ballast and/or bulbs internationally for a reasonable price ballast discount won't and ATL isn't answering emails (12 days now) any suggestions
 
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