150w HPS or 125w CFL

[UniX]

So which one should I choose? The space I'll grow in is quite small what about the heat and the sound of the 150w ballast and the bulb? Would I get a lot less yield with a 125w cfl?

 

[OregonMeds]

They don't even compare HPS wins hands down. And at that size hps makes no noise. Heat is a little more with the hps but not enough to give up the double the lumens and double the growth you will get.

Are you looking at the $20 hps? Buy it, you will never regret it.

Compare the lumens, the HPS is double.

 

[UniX]

Are you looking at the $20 hps? Buy it, you will never regret it.

What 20$ hps? I don't know from where I'll buy it, still searching, any ideas from where I could buy (somewhere that sends to europe)?

 

[Boneman]

150w HPS Period!! I am not a cfl hater but there is no comparison.

 

[Twistyman]

HPS, no comparison.. and when all is said and done HPS is about the same heat..
plus you don't end up with a octopus of wires and extensions.. all the wiring is made for that light, ballast.. not dollar store extensions, which present fire issues.... plus you're not constantly adjusting lamp heights.... IMO
inside sun has a 400W hps $120.
There are a lot of hydro shops in UK... plus a lot of hardware stores have them in security lighting section.......... Luck.

 

[RinceW]

I purchased 2 hps ballasts for 35 bucks a piece off ballastkit.com, they were 150 watt, their workin great, and yeah, hps HANDS DOWN.

 

[Kingb420]

im considering getting the $20 hps, but my space is SMALL im running 6 26w cfls now and pulled 1 O per plant x2, im in a 2x2x3 box...... how close could they get to the light? there @ 24" now

 

[autotek500]

2 inches from plants........2 feet is going to cause major stretching.........

 

[UniX]

so I will need to wire the bulb like that? That does look like a lot of wires...I don't like that

 

[autotek500]

Move your cfl's down 2 inches above your plants ,,,,I wouldn't advise putting a hps in such a small enclosure,....you are going to have heat issues,,,

 

[UniX]

My space is 27,5" wide 20" deep 40" tall, would a 150w HPS couse heat issues?

 

[pinkus]

I run two 150w hps in a 3'L X 1'W X 3'H with a fan pointed at each bulb and intake and exhaust fans (120mm case fans). I could only run 1 150w until I put the fans on the lamps. Now it's great!

 

[UniX]

I run two 150w hps in a 3'L X 1'W X 3'H with a fan pointed at each bulb and intake and exhaust fans (120mm case fans). I could only run 1 150w until I put the fans on the lamps. Now it's great!

What fans are you using to blow at the lamps? Same 120mm ones? What was the heat with 1 hps?

 

[pinkus]

What fans are you using to blow at the lamps? Same 120mm ones? What was the heat with 1 hps?

One nice clip on Air King and one cheap 4" fan from walmart. Good luck find fans@ walmart @xmas though. I just got a battery for my thermometer and it still doesn't work, so I don't know temps. I'm doing the "is my hand hot?" testing method

You certainly could use case fans if you can figure out where to mount them. In general it works best to have the fans blowing from lower in the grow box to higher. If you can configure them just below and to the side of the lamp, but not not blocking the light it works great.

good luck

 

[RinceW]

I had the same problem with the wires at first, just get blazed a couple times and look at it, the worst thing you can do is make it not turn on.

If you were growing to use CFLS, you need a higher wattage and some sort of homemade reflector. Your buds will be less dense and kinda scraggly looking.

 

[OregonMeds]

so I will need to wire the bulb like that? That does look like a lot of wires...I don't like that

No the lights already wired and works you only have to put a cord on to plug it in. If the cord on your vacuum cleaner was chopped off could you fix it?

 

[greenearth5]

Ive heard allot of good things about both the HPS and CFL's... personally im looking into getting the cfls becaue there is more bang for the buck

 

[OregonMeds]

No, there's not more bang for the buck you can't say that.
The $20 hps puts out twice as many lumens as the biggest cfl that costs over $100.

Numerous small cfl's won't grow as well even if you buy more than enough to think you have equal lumens.

 

[smppro]

I had the same problem with the wires at first, just get blazed a couple times and look at it, the worst thing you can do is make it not turn on.

If you were growing to use CFLS, you need a higher wattage and some sort of homemade reflector. Your buds will be less dense and kinda scraggly looking.

Wrong buds are less dense and scraggly from bad growers, its pretty common sense that cfls grow nice buds but they are not as efficient as hps and for $20 for 16000k lumens thats the best deal for growing period.

 

[greenearth5]

No, there's not more bang for the buck you can't say that.
The $20 hps puts out twice as many lumens as the biggest cfl that costs over $100.

Numerous small cfl's won't grow as well even if you buy more than enough to think you have equal lumens.

with that 20$ hps bulb you will also need a 20$ MH bulb and a 100-200$ ballast.. and if you must order off of the web then include an additional 30$ for shipping

It can cost you 200$ just to get a dual 400W hps/mh dual setup

Thats more then just the 20$ you speak about.. and yes i can say this.. because i am human and i have the right to say it