Another CMH question thread...

[ganjalfthegreen]

Hey all,

Just getting back into growing after taking a couple years off. Bought an 8x8 tent to throw in the basement and need some input on lighting.

I've run 1k HPS and 1k DE fixtures but that was in larger spaces. Now that space is limited and cooling is an issue in a tent, I could use some help...

I've decided to jump on the CMH train but can't decide whether to run 315's or DE 630 fixtures. I've been looking at these 630w setups from growlights.ca that have a remote ballast and also come with a Silverstar 4XL Lite reflector. Between saving the heat of not having the ballasts in the tent, and the spread of the 4XL hoods, I figure that might be better?

On the flip side I can cram x9 315w's in there and have more points of light source for coverage, but that's also x9 ballasts now in the tent adding heat, and I'm unsure whether I will have the same penetration power as the DE's do? Is this a 6 of one, half a dozen of another scenario?

Half the tent is Soil, and the other half is a 10 site UC system.

Thanks for any input...

 

[zachrockbadenof]

my tent is 4x3.5ft (biggest i can use in my room) - i am using 2 x 315's with remote ballasts, and philips bulbs - i think the yield sucks compared to a 1000w hid, but like u, heat is a problem- as i grow for quality, i don't see any improvement with cmh- others on the site do... it could be that i'm just a shitty grower...

 

[sallyforthDeleted member 75382]

I’m using a 630w DE cmh and it’s a massive improvement from my 1000w de sodium. Less heat, same yield, faster ripening and overall plants are happy. Also with a good yielding pheno I can get 1.5g per watt in a scrog in a 4 x 4 ft area so matching the old sodium.

 

[udontknowme]

So you got over 33 oz from a 630?

 

[Grower369]

I Have Just Bought a Dimmable Ballast. but i can Only use it on 250 watt.
But I would Love too Run a 315CMH one day

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

If you have a budget... I would go with LEDs over CMH. Lower watts, so lower heat and lower cooling costs. The best lights have nearly the same spectrum as CMH anyway. With the latest tech, you'll be very happy with the cannabis it produces.

If you don't have a budget, there are various DIY options which are around $1/watt. With premium LEDs, a 1000w HID is being replaced with a 660w light. Really cool stuff.

 

[ganjalfthegreen]

I'd prefer to jump on the LED band wagon but I find the prices are still too high. Unless I'm looking in the wrong places, the cheapest I have found is $1000 CAD per unit. That's for a Fusion Pro X-Spider 800w. I'd be $4k in just lighting for this 8x8 tent. I have seen the threads with the boys running DIY COB units and they look amazing, but I honestly don't have the time to fiddle fuck around with that stuff with work and family in the mix. Or worse yet mess it up and burn the pad down.

Cheapest option would be to throw x4 1k air-cooled HPS in there as that would only be $1200 said and done, but these days its about quality not quantity. That being said though I still want more penetration power than what the 315w have to offer. It's $300 CAD for a 315w fixture with a phillips bulb here in Canada. Multiply that by x9 units and theres $2700. Or I can throw x4 630w in there each with a 4XL reflector for $500 per unit and I'm down to $2000.

I'm thinking the x4 630w with 4XL's will be the best choice. Should be awesome coverage and overlap from the x4 separate fixtures.

If anyone know of an LED source that's financially feasible I'm all ears...

 

[Grower369]

yes i think that to i just bought a 250-watt ballast. to get me through
a cpl of grows. It will do for now Cant see me spend 1000 on an Led

 

[Lost in a SOG]

Cmh beat hps just because they arent wasting half their wattage as infrared.

Leds are a piece of piss to build now especially COBs..

its a heatsink + Driver + diodes..

Most strips come with molex connectors and you just buy a solderless holder to pin down COBs. so no soldering needed.

Horticulture cobs on the round mechatronix heatsinks are easy and beat hps so hard on all fronts apart from IR..

Those daft HID lights are caveman tech now..

 

[Grower369]

Cmh beat hps just because they arent wasting half their wattage as infrared.

Leds are a piece of piss to build now especially COBs..

its a heatsink + Driver + diodes..

Most strips come with molex connectors and you just buy a solderless holder to pin down COBs. so no soldering needed.

Horticulture cobs on the round mechatronix heatsinks are easy and beat hps so hard on all fronts apart from IR..

Those daft HID lights are caveman tech now..

So Lost in Sog how much do you think it would cost to build an led
to beat 1 x 315cmh? i am only looking to do a small grow for some percy

 

[ganjalfthegreen]

Cmh beat hps just because they arent wasting half their wattage as infrared.

Leds are a piece of piss to build now especially COBs..

its a heatsink + Driver + diodes..

Most strips come with molex connectors and you just buy a solderless holder to pin down COBs. so no soldering needed.

Horticulture cobs on the round mechatronix heatsinks are easy and beat hps so hard on all fronts apart from IR..

Those daft HID lights are caveman tech now..

Can you recommend a place to source these? Like I said, I have an 8x8 tent so I need a fixture for each 4x4 that will stand up to what a 1000w would do...

 

[Lyfespan]

anyone see these 1000 DE CMH


https://nanoluxtech.com/cmh-1000w-fixture/

 

[ganjalfthegreen]

I would be running those if I wasn't in a tent these days We had two separate rooms each running x12 Nano 1000w DE fixtures and they were awesome. They were the HPS models mind you, but the spread in a multi-light setup is amazballs.

 

[Lyfespan]

I would be running those if I wasn't in a tent these days We had two separate rooms each running x12 Nano 1000w DE fixtures and they were awesome. They were the HPS models mind you, but the spread in a multi-light setup is amazballs.

i have a room running 14 nanolux hps DE 1000s love them a lot, love the controller too

 

[ganjalfthegreen]

I've been searching online this morning for LED alternatives. Aside from getting the low end MEIZHI or Viparspectra LED brands that are $500 range for the 1200w units, it looks like its $1200+ per light to get a Cobb or QB setup... Wouldn't be too bad if I didn't need x4 units.

 

[Lyfespan]

I've been searching online this morning for LED alternatives. Aside from getting the low end MEIZHI or Viparspectra LED brands that are $500 range for the 1200w units, it looks like its $1200+ per light to get a Cobb or QB setup... Wouldn't be too bad if I didn't need x4 units.

i really like my MEIZHI 1200s i have 8 of them, give really great veg results

MEIZHI are 300 bux for 1200 watts on ebay

 

[Vash]

I've got a similar situation as the OP. I have a 8 x 6 x 7.5 room. Thinking of putting 3
630 CMH's for coverage. Would that be adequate? Thanks for any input.

 

[Lyfespan]

I would be running those if I wasn't in a tent these days We had two separate rooms each running x12 Nano 1000w DE fixtures and they were awesome. They were the HPS models mind you, but the spread in a multi-light setup is amazballs.

yeah i have 14 de 1000 in a room with 16' ceilings its nice, love those lights but always got to be with the times and cmh is the new kid on the block

 

[Mr D]

Has anyone had a CMH bulb come apart internally? My bulb went way before it's time and the only clue I have is some pieces inside the bulb.