[headiez247]

I agree with all of that except the air cooling part, you won't get much agreement with that. Everything else is legit.

USHIO bulbs suck btw anyone that uses them haven't done enough research into the topic.

PS- I'm using 9 1,000 digis and have eye hortis for all of them.. no problems in over a year.

[Lazyman]

Eye hortilux has published that they don't recommend digitial ballasts, let alone the use of their bulbs in them. Headiez I'm glad you haven't had issues, but your bulbs seem to be the exception rather than the norm. Most of the time Eye bulbs burn out in a couple months, I had 5 go out in their first 4 months of use, both their HPS and MH bulbs. Many report similar failure rates with Eyes in digis.

Yeah Ushio is the bulb typically recommended for digital ballasts, orrrr I think Solarmax.

[Flying High]

Nice tips... reminds me it's time to change bulbs.

my digitals work fine with the hortilux. Just as an FYI the two models of digitals I have used(lumatek/CAP)both had 60hz stickers displayed. I heard the 100.000hz stuff from a chap in a shop up in sonoma, but can't imagine anything running on that frequency in this country; he sold the story well, but the numbers told me something else. But, I know dick about electricity...

[ItsGrowTime]

Another vote for Solarmax in digital ballasts. Hortilux bulbs burned out damn fast on me in digis. I have brand new Solarmax and USHIO 600w HPS bulbs going right now and they seem about the same so far. Solarmax is my bulb of choice.

Im creeping up on 1gpw. The original list is good, though I would debate the air cooled lighting too. I add that the right supplements DO matter. Strong, healthy roots makes strong plants. I won't grow without beneficial bacteria, myco fungi and Hygrozyme. Nothing matters more than root health.

[Dankblueberries]

Thanks everyone for the debate on air cooled lights. I have tried it myself only once, and found it to be a pain in the ass. I understand the concept that you can get the light closer, so more lumens on the buds, but like a previous poster said, you are making your light footprint smaller. So you are illuminating less square footage.

Has anyone tried an experiment, back to back? I would really like to know for sure what works better. Either way, I believe, getting an an air conditioner is crucial if you are running more than 4 - 1000 watts.

I have watched my friends struggle with heat problems, trying to integrate air cooled lights, plus an exhaust in the room that is always running to get rid of the heat. How do you keep your CO2 levels up if you are constantly exhausting? To me it seems like basic physics. Filter out 5% - 10% of the light, you get close to 5%-10% less results. I know you are using more electricity with an air conditioner, but I believe it pays for itself.

Maybe its hard to admit that, the sick air cooled venting system that you spent so much time putting together and spent so much money on, could have been easily replaced by an air conditioner, at half the cost and it doesn't look as cool?

If the debate is about which setup uses more electricity, AC of course. If the debate is about which one looks cooler, vented hoods! For me the debate is about yield per 1000 watt light. Keep in mind, the systems I am talking about are 6 - 1000 watts, or more. If you are just running 1-3 lights, the difference is irrelevant.

All i know is I haven't heard of anyone getting the yields i get, with vented hoods.(actually, vented or not) Maybe someone on ICMAG can beat my record? Is there a thread on maximum yields? I'll start one if not, I need some healthy competition. I am sure I'll find it here.

Keep the debate going!

[Texasdrodown]

So setting up vented lights cost more than a ac unit big for your room? My hoods weren't very much I bought the hydrofarm 8" radiant's then I bought a small stand alone ac and it cost more than all three hoods,ducting and inline fan I cool them with. Just wondering if you could put up on cheap place you bought your ac?

[Hydro-Soil]

Originally Posted by Texasdrodown

I bought a small stand alone ac

A window or mini-split A/C is going to be more efficient and cheaper than the same rated stand alone unit. They also tend to work a LOT better, unless you spend extra on more ducting and fans for the intake/exhaust of the stand alone. That may have had something to do with the costs.

[Lazyman]

Well just for the record I think both are needed, just that a smaller AC is usually required for running air cooled hoods.

I don't have my hoods hooked up at the moment, as in my area it is usually pretty cool at night, so my ac's and exhaust rarely run. If I was running lights on in the daytime I'd definitely have to have ducted hoods and a HUGE ac.

[dasmoke505]

I was wondering if you run an AC, wouldn't your fan air suck all that air out? If you were using a window AC wouldn't the smell come out of the end of the AC? Did some solve that problem?

[Lazyman]

I don't usually have a problem with window AC's and odor, but it IS recommended to have either air-cooling OR A/C, but both are not recommended (sucking out cold air.)

I do both because my building is a hot tin shed basically, and though the fans do a decent job sucking air out and keeping it at ambient temps, I like to blow cold air from the ac's over the girls on really hot days so they don't croak. Once I get my building insulated and sealed it'll be different.