Advice on which light to go for?

BigJohnny · Jan 18, 2021

I'm looking at setting up a small RDWC in my living room in a grow tent, probably 2 plants for now.

I'm going to get a 315W CMH, but I'm looking at two options:

A cool tube setup with external ballast or the "regular" CMH fixture with reflector and ballast all in one unit.

Since my tent will 24x48 I'm not sure which light setup to go with because of two reasons.

1.) Orientation, since it's a rectangle tent, using the all-in-one CMH would allow me to put the light perpendicular to the length, thus spreading light more widely over the rectangle area, but adding more heat to the tent.

2.) Heat. I have to run 3 AC's in the summer to keep my 3rd floor apartment from getting ridiculously hot and humid. Running the ACs typically keeps the apartment around 22-26C depending on if we have the door open, oven on etc. I think we're usually around 24C most times.

Using the cool tube I'll be able to keep heat out of the grow area better, but light spread may not be optimal?

If I use the all in one, I can still vent heat out of the grow area, but my confusion comes in where I'm wondering if I might need the added heat during the summer months when my apartment has 3 ACs going, but the temperature might be in a good range for the plants?

or the light may add too much heat to the small area and it would be better to go with the cool tube?

right now, mid winter it's a comfy 24C and slightly dry 21% humidity.

Aspenou812 · Jan 18, 2021

Go with HLG the kits are the best you’ll find several names in Led light have copied there design and equipment go with the original

Greenheart · Jan 18, 2021

No experience with the 315.

I did run my old 330 on a mag ballast with cord option. I liked that I could run without the hood and cool the ballast in a separate room. I started with the horizontal batwing then went bare bulb vertical by the end of it.

BigJohnny · Jan 19, 2021

I went with the cool tube setup. I figure it's easier to add heat than it is to remove it if need be.

The light pattern won't be "ideal" but it might work out with the space I have.

I can only do a 315 really, I only have 6 to absolute maximum of 7 amps to work with.

so I figure the 315 CMH, a 200 CFM inline fan and my eco 633 pump should come in under that enough to leave room for some minor things if necessary.

Don't need tons of plants, just trying to grow some better stuff for ourselves than we've been smoking.....problem is we smoke a LOT, that might be due to shit weed though.

BigJohnny · Jan 19, 2021

Aspenou812 said:
Go with HLG the kits are the best you’ll find several names in Led light have copied there design and equipment go with the original

I'm set on the CMH for it's spectrum output.

I have enough 3W COB LEDs to build another couple of lights if I need to, but I don't think it will be necessary at this point.

Aspenou812 · Jan 19, 2021

BigJohnny said:
I'm set on the CMH for it's spectrum output.

I have enough 3W COB LEDs to build another couple of lights if I need to, but I don't think it will be necessary at this point.

Right on I have a few of them hanging from my ceiling I haven’t used in about 11 months they are a good choice... spectrum isn’t an issue because I add UVA uvb and uvc lighting.. good luck that’s why I started growing.. to have better weed to smoke...

BigJohnny · Jan 19, 2021

biggest problem I'm facing right now apparently is how to get 4 plants in a RDWC system in my space. I supposed I don't need big buckets, but I was going to use some cat litter buckets we have since we always get them.....

But I can only get two of those in the space I have, with a reservoir.

I want my 4 plants, but I don't think I can do more than 2...... but may not need more than 2 if I spread them out and top them right?

I gotta a lotta learnin' to do still.

alpo · Jan 19, 2021

cool tube is probably the least efficient. I saw a 315cmh vertical reflector with separate kit to turn to air cooled

you can fill the space with 2 plants but it will need more veg time than 4

BigJohnny · Jan 19, 2021

alpo said:
cool tube is probably the least efficient. I saw a 315cmh vertical reflector with separate kit to turn to air cooled

you can fill the space with 2 plants but it will need more veg time than 4

why least efficient?

I don't know yet if I'm going to do veg, I might just stick clones in and go directly to flower.

RockinRobot · Jan 19, 2021

Go open bulb for best results. Cool tube or any air cooled light is less efficient as the glass/plexiglass will block small amounts of light. I started out with 600w HPS in air cooled reflectors and saw a noticeable difference in yield after removing glass and going bare bulb..

BigJohnny · Jan 19, 2021

RockinRobot said:
Go open bulb for best results. Cool tube or any air cooled light is less efficient as the glass/plexiglass will block small amounts of light. I started out with 600w HPS in air cooled reflectors and saw a noticeable difference in yield after removing glass and going bare bulb..

I'll have to take that one step at a time.
I'm not really sure what the heat situation is going to be like in my apartment so if I can keep heat out of the tent directly I think it will be a better start.

it gets pretty hot in our place in the summer, and humidity can be insane sometimes.
So 3 ACs to keep the apartment comfortable, and might be within the ideal range for growing, but if a light is going to add too much heat then that could be a problem later on and I would end up having to get a cool tube or air cooled reflector anyway.

At least this way if it isn't adding too much heat that I can't control, then I can easily get a gull wing reflector or some such thing much cheaper and go that route.

I'll only have a 4 x 2 x yy" tent and going with a "320 CFM" fan from grow lights canada. that should be plenty to vent the entire tent if necessary......I will also be venting directly outside, so no need for a filter, but there will be some duct work causing a reduction in CFM.

alpo · Jan 19, 2021

BigJohnny said:
why least efficient?

I don't know yet if I'm going to do veg, I might just stick clones in and go directly to flower.

The ones with the reflector on the outside of the tube.

If heat is a problem look at LED's since they produce less infrared the leaf surface temperature is cooler than an HPS and even CMH

Greenheart · Jan 19, 2021

BigJohnny said:
if a light is going to add too much heat then that could be a problem later on and I would end up having to get a cool tube or air cooled reflector anyway...

...I'll only have a 4 x 2 x yy" tent and going with a "320 CFM" fan from grow lights canada. that should be plenty to vent the entire tent if necessary...I will also be venting directly outside

When I ran bare bulb I had the intake coming up from underneath the bulb and my exhaust filter above the bulb. If you have enough draw it will suck the heat right off the bulb. You might want to get a speed reducer if you don't have one. It will let you dial the fan down so you can keep some of the cool air in your apartment and find the sweet spot. Solid State type. Dial-a-temp is the one I went for with my vortex.

BigJohnny · Jan 19, 2021

yeah I'll get a speed controller.

My light arrived today though, so I'll run with the cool tube for a while and see how it goes.
I can also stick a 600W HPS in it, and might just have the capacity to run a 600W light.

Aspenou812 · Jan 19, 2021

RockinRobot said:
Go open bulb for best results. Cool tube or any air cooled light is less efficient as the glass/plexiglass will block small amounts of light. I started out with 600w HPS in air cooled reflectors and saw a noticeable difference in yield after removing glass and going bare bulb..

Correct RR... that cool tube will also shift the light spectrum slightly too bare single ends are the way to go
You shouldn’t put your reservoir in your space it’s going to be lighted.. heat from the actual grow will keep the Reservoir over temperature resulting in low oxygen and premature nutrient fallout... plum your reservoir making sure it’s out of the space the plants are in and they can be kept cool and dark to maintain high Oxygen levels
If you have heat issues when it warms up keep in mind a 300w led will run half the power and 1/4 of the heat that a single end bulb will put out... the led will also keep stretch to a minimum for tight spaces I use to run single 1150w Gavita de over a 4x4 table I could pull 2+ off about anything I was running... With the 600w hlg diy kits I pull about 3 per table on Average... equipment choices are difficult when your a new grower... there is a lot out there

BigJohnny · Jan 20, 2021

Aspenou812 said:
Correct RR... that cool tube will also shift the light spectrum slightly too bare single ends are the way to go
You shouldn’t put your reservoir in your space it’s going to be lighted.. heat from the actual grow will keep the Reservoir over temperature resulting in low oxygen and premature nutrient fallout... plum your reservoir making sure it’s out of the space the plants are in and they can be kept cool and dark to maintain high Oxygen levels
If you have heat issues when it warms up keep in mind a 300w led will run half the power and 1/4 of the heat that a single end bulb will put out... the led will also keep stretch to a minimum for tight spaces I use to run single 1150w Gavita de over a 4x4 table I could pull 2+ off about anything I was running... With the 600w hlg diy kits I pull about 3 per table on Average... equipment choices are difficult when your a new grower... there is a lot out there

There is basically no way that I can have the res outside of the tent. like there is literally no space.
Entertainment stand on one side, and open walking space on the other.

I was going to go LED but kept being told by "IM FUCKING PRO WITH 97 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE" people that they were no good, also got told that I was going to fail hard and the world would end if I didn't have a chiller.

Unfortunately, a chiller just isn't an option. not only are they like $500 min, I don't think I have the electrical capacity to run one. 1/10hp is 74w if I'm not mistaken.....if that's true I might be able to pull one off.

alpo · Jan 20, 2021

RDWC and no chiller with three A/C's needed sounds hectic

I have the same size tents and going to use a flood table

BigJohnny · Jan 20, 2021

alpo said:
RDWC and no chiller with three A/C's needed sounds hectic

I have the same size tents and going to use a flood table

looking at the electrical requirements for a small chiller, it might be doable electrically. 74w is low enough.

the apartment is usually kept pretty cool though.

I might also go with a flood table perhaps.... I'm not really set on RDWC but I found some buckets easy enough lol.

I could probably do a table just as easily.

at any rate, I'm going to have it setup before I have plants so I'll be able to test temps and stuff and make adjustments before any plants are growing.

Aspenou812 · Jan 20, 2021

Listen are you new to growing? If so fuck a DWC system you should look and take a serious look at coco... you can grow in your space but you need to make better choices... I wasn’t sold on the led lights until I saw what the new ones will do... I replaced the 1150w gavita with a 600w led.. and my pulls and quality went up... to each there own.. I don’t run dwc because when I started chillers were too expensive.... Now I can show you a coco system that will rival any dwc and I grow in coco... the res will heat up if exposed to light heat 80+ degrees and you’ll have major issues that you won’t be able to control... you can have good pot in there but seriously you should make different choices with coco you can mix a few gallons in the kitchen to feed a few plants with every day... you can reach your goals in that tent though we can help you get there

Aspenou812 · Jan 20, 2021

This is what’s possible in a 2x4 space with coco and plenty of light...

Like I said it is possible... that’s over a pound and a half of Luscious GG4
DWC And RWDC Require expert environmental controls and leave very little room for error...

Advice on which light to go for?

Member

Well-known member

Active member

Member

Member

Well-known member

Member

Active member

Member

Active member

Member

Active member

Active member

Member

Well-known member

Member

Active member

Member

Well-known member

Well-known member