CMH Question ?

THCbreeder

THCbreeder

Well-Known Member
okay . I see the sun systems has a built in electronic ballast in the 630w set up . Would this mean running that would cause RF interference ? Square wave low frequency it says . Any help would be awesome . Can't have neighbors radio and tv going
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
THCbreeder said:
okay . I see the sun systems has a built in electronic ballast in the 630w set up . Would this mean running that would cause RF interference ? Square wave low frequency it says . Any help would be awesome . Can't have neighbors radio and tv going
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It's actually running two small 315W square wave ballasts, one for each lamp. Low frequency means less than 100Hz. Should not interfere with other RF signals.
 
GroErr

GroErr

Well-Known Member
PSUAGRO. said:
It's using quality philips e-ballast(s), I highly doubt it.

@GroErr has been running the SS 315 lecs for awhile now, maybe he's done the am test on them?
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Haven't done any tests on them, don't know if I have an am radio to test it - lol I do have a house full of electronics and have never noticed any issues remotely related to interference. No hum or any noise coming off these ballasts/fixtures when they're fired up.
 
a senile fungus

a senile fungus

Well-Known Member
GroErr said:
Haven't done any tests on them, don't know if I have an am radio to test it - lol I do have a house full of electronics and have never noticed any issues remotely related to interference. No hum or any noise coming off these ballasts/fixtures when they're fired up.
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Do your lamps themselves make noise?

I feel like mine have been noisier ever since I oriented them horizontally and put them in batwings...

Just curious.

I was thinking about putting both my 315w CMH into a 4x4 tent and seeing how they do...
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
a senile fungus said:
Do your lamps themselves make noise?

I feel like mine have been noisier ever since I oriented them horizontally and put them in batwings...

Just curious.

I was thinking about putting both my 315w CMH into a 4x4 tent and seeing how they do...
Click to expand...
Put both of them in there. You'll like it.

What you're hearing is the mechanical humming of the bulb in sync with the electronic frequency in the arc. It's easier to hear in a batwing reflector.
 
GroErr

GroErr

Well-Known Member
a senile fungus said:
Do your lamps themselves make noise?

I feel like mine have been noisier ever since I oriented them horizontally and put them in batwings...

Just curious.

I was thinking about putting both my 315w CMH into a 4x4 tent and seeing how they do...
Click to expand...
No they've always surprised me at how quiet they are but I run them vertically, not sure if that makes any difference. Overall there's less noise off them than my LED's, the LED's produce more noise from their active cooling fans. But I believe there is a difference in the bulb form factor we use, I run the 930's in the Sun Systems.
 
a senile fungus

a senile fungus

Well-Known Member
ttystikk said:
Put both of them in there. You'll like it.

What you're hearing is the mechanical humming of the bulb in sync with the electronic frequency in the arc. It's easier to hear in a batwing reflector.
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Good to know, seems consistent with what I'm hearing. High pitched hum that I forget about when I'm working around them but you realize there is silence when you walk away.



GroErr said:
No they've always surprised me at how quiet they are but I run them vertically, not sure if that makes any difference. Overall there's less noise off them than my LED's, the LED's produce more noise from their active cooling fans. But I believe there is a difference in the bulb form factor we use, I run the 930's in the Sun Systems.
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We have a different lamp. Mine is the 4k spectrum with a bulbous shape, no pun intended, and the mogul socket.

Not sure how any of that would affect it, but there is a difference for sure.




I had planned to purchase a 600w bulb and ballast for the 4x4, but now I might just do the 2x 315w CMH for that tent and use my fluoro panel for veg.



Hope all is well with you two, @ttystikk and @GroErr


Edit: the 4200k CMH have been killing it for me in the veg tent. I've flowered under them before but this setup will be twice the light intensity in half the space, should do better! ;-)
 
GroErr

GroErr

Well-Known Member
a senile fungus said:
Good to know, seems consistent with what I'm hearing. High pitched hum that I forget about when I'm working around them but you realize there is silence when you walk away.






We have a different lamp. Mine is the 4k spectrum with a bulbous shape, no pun intended, and the mogul socket.

Not sure how any of that would affect it, but there is a difference for sure.

I had planned to purchase a 600w bulb and ballast for the 4x4, but now I might just do the 2x 315w CMH for that tent and use my fluoro panel for veg.

Hope all is well with you two, @ttystikk and @GroErr

Edit: the 4200k CMH have been killing it for me in the veg tent. I've flowered under them before but this setup will be twice the light intensity in half the space, should do better! ;-)
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Yeah, thought I remembered you using that form factor, could be the difference.
If I were choosing between 1x 600 and 2x 315's, I'd lean towards the 315's. These things can easily hit 1gpw with any decent producer, and I think they can go 1.5/gpw or higher in the right conditions/methods. The 600 hps can certainly do that but hitting 2lbs. with a 600 is not easily done, imo 2x 315's with the right strain could do that in a scrog, in ~ 3.5'x7' footprint.
 
Getgrowingson

Getgrowingson

Well-Known Member
The newer square waves have shielding in the cables between the ballasts and the bulb. That's where most Rf interference comes from. Most higher quality ones will have the shielded cable. Think your fine brotha
 
a senile fungus

a senile fungus

Well-Known Member
Getgrowingson said:
The newer square waves have shielding in the cables between the ballasts and the bulb. That's where most Rf interference comes from. Most higher quality ones will have the shielded cable. Think your fine brotha
Click to expand...

Hmmm the equipment that I got only came with a bulb and a ballast, I supplied my own cables and sockets. I just used an extra extension cord. Maybe I need to pull out a radio to see if I'm causing RFI?
 
a senile fungus

a senile fungus

Well-Known Member
PSUAGRO. said:
yes...............I would, just to make sure...............safety first grower!
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I'm growing out in the country side in a barn, I don't even think I have any homes within RFI range, but I'll be checking anyways.

When I used my setup in a more residential area I didn't have any hiccups with cable or WiFi, nor any companies knocking on my door.

We'll see though, won't we?
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
ttystikk said:
I'm getting comfortable with my recent decision to shitcan the remainder of my HPS lighting for flowering use, in favor of 860W CDM. I'm in the process of installing a setup with 315W LEC, we'll see how well it works. Next stop, COB LED!
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that's where I am at too, my biggest trepidations regarding the cdm or the cmh is the sheer amount of lumens they put out, sure I understand the "quality" of the light is better.
but a 315w puts out 33k
a 860 cdm puts out 82k
to compare that.
a 600w hps puts out 90k
so a 600w is three times the lumens @ twice the watts
and a cdm is LESS than a 600w output.
Plus those setups aren't cheap, for that $$ i'm just going with a quality LED to replace my 600w hps. Now I gotta figure out the ins and outs of leds...
Although I have pondered on getting a 400w cmh for my 400 w magnetic ballasts, but most of those are "uv" protected.. which defeats the purpose for me, since i'm using it as a supplemental light. I want that uvb..
It just sucks to plop down 1500 for an led setup... when I already have the ballasts for HIDs..
hmmm a hundred bucks... or 1500 bucks...
 
hyroot

hyroot

Well-Known Member
greasemonkeymann said:
that's where I am at too, my biggest trepidations regarding the cdm or the cmh is the sheer amount of lumens they put out, sure I understand the "quality" of the light is better.
but a 315w puts out 33k
a 860 cdm puts out 82k
to compare that.
a 600w hps puts out 90k
so a 600w is three times the lumens @ twice the watts
and a cdm is LESS than a 600w output.
Plus those setups aren't cheap, for that $$ i'm just going with a quality LED to replace my 600w hps. Now I gotta figure out the ins and outs of leds...
Although I have pondered on getting a 400w cmh for my 400 w magnetic ballasts, but most of those are "uv" protected.. which defeats the purpose for me, since i'm using it as a supplemental light. I want that uvb..
It just sucks to plop down 1500 for an led setup... when I already have the ballasts for HIDs..
hmmm a hundred bucks... or 1500 bucks...
Click to expand...

Lumens are for humans not plants. Lumens rates brightness basically not the amount of photons - par
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
@greasemonkeymann You want to compare PPfD, or if not available then PAR watts. Lumens are a measure of how well human eyes respond to the light, not how well the plants will. It turns out the two are very different, indeed.

860W CDM is in the same price class as HPS; about a hundred bux for the lamp and you use an old school thousand watt magnetic ballast to operate it. This is NOT expensive.

When I ran an HPS thouie (overboosted on a digital ballasts, for good measure) vs 860W CDM in the same grow space, the plants had a clear preference for the CDM, watts and lumens be damned.
 
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