Distance from a 150watt HPS

[MonkeeMan]

I have a 3 foot tall grow space and ive been debating for a long time how to set up the lights

Should i use 150 watt hps? because ive been reading you need the plants far from it for it to work. Or is there a way to cover the light?

or should i switch to another type of light?

 

[jomal206]

I don't think 3ft is going to be enough to grow my friend...especially with an HPS

 

[mexiblunt]

That is a little short. If it was 3 feet minus the pots and light etc, then it may be feasable. 3 feet=36 inches. pots prob at least 8 inches. light well at least the 150 I had took about 6-8 inches. leaves you 20 inches for plant and space bettween plants and light. I did have our 150 as close as 6-8 inches. that leaves you with 1 foot plants in the best scenario!

Not saying it's imposible but It would be a great challenge!

 

[MonkeeMan]

im not looking for big plants, and my friend used to grow small amounts in a size that big so i know it can be done.

Do you mean distance because i have risers to put the light closer to the plant

 

[MonkeeMan]

well then if 3 feet is to small i can bump it up if i have to, but ive seen people with really interesting set ups that are that long

 

[mexiblunt]

Yeah I guess your right, like I said it can be done, this was a little cab I made last year with a 250 hps and homeade cooltube. I just used it for vegg and mothers, very hard to keep cool even with cooltube. It's not even 3 feet. I was thinking of doing a little scrog in there.

 

[MonkeeMan]

whats a cool tube?

 

[thedoctorzoidberg]

i use 150watts of hps for my lr2's, it's usually enough light for four or five of em and i usually keep it no more than a foot above the tops of the plants. i don't know where your getting that the light needs to be far away for it to work... the further away the less lumens your getting to the plants, the only thing you need to keep an eye on is your temps, computer fans might not cut it. i use small osculating fans.

 

[thedoctorzoidberg]

whats a cool tube?

a glass tube that goes around the bulb with a fan to move the hot air out.... it's supposed to be hooked up to ducting

 

[thedoctorzoidberg]

Yeah I guess your right, like I said it can be done, this was a little cab I made last year with a 250 hps and homeade cooltube. I just used it for vegg and mothers, very hard to keep cool even with cooltube. It's not even 3 feet. I was thinking of doing a little scrog in there.

whats the point in having a cool tube if it's not being vented to the outside of your cabinet? you should have air inlets and outlets to keep your temps down.

 

[MonkeeMan]

Thanks for your information doc

what does everyone think of using a different light, and suggestions? and will one 150 watt hps be enough?

 

[thedoctorzoidberg]

if your just gunna have hps you should go out and get a couple 13 watt blue cfl's for your veg stage, during veg plants need the blue spectrum for healthier growth, that is why most people use mh for veg and hps for flowering (hps has more red spectrum which is used in flowering)
how many plants? what strain?

 

[MonkeeMan]

im thinking of 2 plants... i have white widdow and bc mango sitting around

ok so heres my question... just so im clear on it

Ill need two bulbs... a 13 watt blue cfl's for the veg, then my 150 watt hps for the main growing

 

[thedoctorzoidberg]

no... just throw in the blue cfl's WITH your hps for the veg stage. and that's plenty for two plants, as long as you don't let em get too big.

 

[MonkeeMan]

ok cool im building the casing now, how needed are the cfl's because i can save tons of room without needing another light socket i think

 

[thedoctorzoidberg]

oh you don't NEED em, they would just help.

 

[MonkeeMan]

ok well for my first grow i think ill keep them out just to save space and keep it simple, me and my friend are getting down to it mid next month so if i have room ill do that for sure

also should i get pexi glass or tempered glass to put between my lights and plants so they dont touch?

 

[thedoctorzoidberg]

well the glass will get hot anyway..... regular glass might break as it cools down. i don't have anything between my bulbs and my plants.... as long as you keep an eye on em your not gunna have to worry too much. just lst em.

 

[specialkayme]

I've always read that tempered glass reacts better to the heat. I've also heard that it allows less heat to pass through, but I don't know personally.

 

[aintgottabhwd]

First off 3 feet is plenty of room for a 150w HPS cab. I have one that is only 3 feet by 3 feet tall. You just have to flower at like a foot and a half which is perfect for a SOG. If you LST who knows the possiblilities. The height is the least of your problems with a HPS cab. The DOC is right about something lol, Computer fans are out. Your going to need a nice Exhaust blower. I tried those 80 cfm inline fans. (FORGET ABOUT IT!!!!!! 100 degrees plus) i use one for intake and an active air 265cfm blower for my exhaust. My temps are still not where i would like them 75 to 80 degrees depending on ambient room temps. You have to plan for at least a five degree rise from room temp. So if you room is 85 degrees for get about it. Next step cooling is the cool tube. PS DOC mexiblunts cab does exhaust out the back its a centrifigul blower. The cooltube is some thing like a pyrex bake a round placed over your lamp to that the hot air from the bulb can the channel'd out through ducting via exhaust fan. I just got my bake a round today to start my cooltube. If you search for my post 150w HPS cab you can see my cab there. I wil post some more pics soon with my cooltube and my babies. I think cab grows ar the best thing for personal use. I have a veg room and a flower room in mine so i can do a SOG. If I do it right i can put a 1 gallon pot every two weeks in to my flower room. At that rate i can harvest AT LEAST an ounce every 2 weeks. I can fit 4 pots in my flowering room at time. Wait till i get my mini hydro setup in there. Either DMC or Aero, Ttats still on the drawing bored. Any more questions just PM me