[delta9nxs]

hey, people!

the formula for offsetting watts with btu's is 1 watt per 5 btu. 1000w needs 5000 btu.

i bought 1k hortilux hps and tried to run them without tubes and could not control the heat, even with a massive ac. also i run mag ballasts and have never had a bulb failure with hortilux. i replace them every 6 months.

i put cool tubes with 500 cfm fans on them and now i run 8" from the closest foliage. so i strongly believe that proximity offsets light loss running bare bulbs further away, say 16-24" like most of the gurus recommend.

i run my lights vertically in between the plants and get 360* coverage with all foliage in the sweet spot. this is possible because of pruning. i rotate the plants 1/3 turn daily.

i am running 2250 cu ft of air per minute through a 1200 cu ft room and can report that i get about the same yield as when i ran co2.

i've got 16 plants under 4000 watts total and harvest one plant per week. that plant is averaging 10 oz so if you were to extrapolate that into a 16 week unit grow that would be 4536 grams divided by 4000 watts is 1.134 g per watt. i think i can do better in the future.

later on

[smoke1sun]

Nice info folks!!!!!!!!

[Dankblueberries]

Originally Posted by 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?

Right about now craigslist will have them for real cheap. I always buy them in the fall when they are cheaper, and if you want new, home depot has them on sale now also.

[intlplayr]

Originally Posted by 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?

Water-cooled A/C (doubles as a dehumidifier) is the best for closed room environment in conjunction with pumped up CO2 levels IMHO. Nothing vented this way and super controlled environment FYI. Also smell will be kept to minimum this way and security will be optimal. Just my

Dank, what yield are u getting? I've been trying to find a thread that compares different approaches / setups with yields.

[DankNugz420]

ive been hearing good and bad reviews on digital ballasts...

the good points are... Brighter light, less heat, and no humming noise (if stealth is a concern)

the Bad points are... Bulbs burns out faster, possible interference with electronic devices?, and i cant think of any other bad things.



Honestly im probably going to buy the digitals because i plan on replacing my bulbs pretty often, so life-span of the bulb isnt much of a concern for me...

your thoughts?

[VerdantGreen]

im interested in your record Dankblueberries

im organic soil so couldnt comment about the ppm (although i usually find less is more with nutes)

i would have to agree with the air cooled hoods - not only does the glass cut down light but i doubt if the reflectors are that efficient. the other thing with lights, is make sure you have them high enough to spread for a good footprint. if you are looking for optimum grams/watt then you want around 60watts/square foot.

V.

[Hydro-Soil]

Originally Posted by DankNugz420

the Bad points are... Bulbs burns out faster, possible interference with electronic devices?, and i cant think of any other bad things.

Sudden failures resulting in fire hazard. Most mags make some kind of noise that's 'not right' well before they fail. Not 100% but vastly more so than the digis.

[ninfan77]

How would one justify the running of a window or mini split A/C in the winter time..... Wouldn't it freeze up?

Having the room completely insulated and with multiple 600's or 1000s will heat up quickly w/out using air cooled hoods...

Interesting read...
One area where I differ is on the CO2. I share living space with my plants. It's easier for me to ventilate my room into my living space and temps are always right on. Having an enclosed room is a complication...though I suppose yields could prove me wrong.

Another thing I do (which negates light cooling) is a light mover. I can get my lights closer and provide better light penetration using the mover then if I used enclosed vented lights.

There's more then one way to skin a cat (coming from a dog person). lol
Peace,
ET

[Lazyman]

Yeah I've had window AC's freeze up when it got under 40-*F, no fun at all. They make mini-splits that are designed to work in cold weather though, but you have to find it as a feature.