JohnnyAppleS33d
Active Member
So whats the verdict? Is this new bulb better for use throughout the grow? Only in vegging? Only in flowering?
HPS, MH, Floros, Phillips Cermamic Metal Halide has 'em all beat.
- Thread starter ThatOneDude
- Start date
Here are some pictures of week 5 flowering under a CHM. These nuggets are so incredibly hard you would think I was lying about saying they are as hard as wood.
https://www.rollitup.org/hydroponics-aeroponics/70485-true-aero-growing-tag-15.html
https://www.rollitup.org/hydroponics-aeroponics/70485-true-aero-growing-tag-15.html
Grower2009
Active Member
I am new to this site and would like to know where I can purchase thes CMH bulbs? Home Depot?
jonezin
Active Member
In case anyone is interested I found these bulbs for $39 from this place: http://www.lightingsupply.com/products/product_detail.aspx?product=1343427fa4804e41b9bd353f08196e39&category=99172fa60656481fb998bfaa0944213c
evilferret
Active Member
This thread is great. Just finished it and had to jump in.
I will be ordering a CMH bulb due to this thread + the one on ICMAG. Just have to price out multiple 150 pulse ballasts so I can save on bulbs.
Sorry I had to quote this. If you do your research Henry Ford originally had a model that ran on alcohol (and guess what ethanol is?).
Guess what was used to make the fuel?
HEMP!
http://www.hempcar.org/ford.shtml
http://journeytoforever.org/ethanol.html
Just a quick search.
Come on people. We need to know our history! Heh cars that run on hemp. Almost as good as cars that run on water.
If you want more info or proof let me find my 6th grade report on Ford.
Well we can all guess what happened.
Wow why are we bringing them back if they're old technology?
Because some technology isn't obsolete, it just doesn't make money for people to manufacture them.
Anybody notice the lack of hybrid/solar/electric car ads now that the price of gas dropped? I bet if the price of gas goes back up the companies will "start" their research on alternative fuels.
Before I get flamed for jumping on the CMH bandwagon.
My main reason is
a) the slight heat reduction (I know its not much but from posts the heat travel upwards better than HPS. I personally had heat issues previously with HPS and had to route my airflow from underneath my plants and vent from the top. If CMH does disperse heat better I might be able to cut another fan from my room).
b) won't need a UV light (I have to use 2-3 UV lights to get a decent coverage and I'm looking for quality not quantity)
c) less total equipment (won't need the extra UV lights nor an extra MH bulb)
d) the price difference, everybody saying the CMH is more expensive but I can find them locally for 40 dollars vs my local hydro shop which is asking 40 for their generic HPS light. The ones for the Pulse MH ballasts are around 20.
And it seems the most nay-sayers are those with 400+++ wattage grow setups.
Though if I can find cheap pulse ballasts to run CMH without a conversion I would be much happier.
I have restricted space so 1 ballast/light vs 1 ballast + 2-4 uv lights + having to switch the bulbs.
Also I know this sounds weird but what are the bulbs that people use in Alaska to keep them from going crazy from sun deprivation?
And for the record HEMP should be the future of cars! Well I wish it was so.
A few people in my car club have the biodisel conversion done to their VW's. Going to McDonalds or to Chinese Takes Outs for fuel was fun the first few times but it gets smelly fast.
Wow that was a long post.
BigBudBalls
Well-Known Member
I'm thinking they haven't caught on mainly because most people have 2 rooms going.
BigBudBalls
Well-Known Member
one room for veg, another for flowering. I look at the bulb as a compromise, or a jack of all trades, but a master of none.
Nope don't use 'em. Haven't seen enough data to say it does better on flowering.
polishfalcon420
Well-Known Member
is anyone making a 600w?
I recently screwed in a HPS-RetroWhite in 400w, 4000k, and my plants absolutely love it. I'm still a long ways off from flowering but I'm going to use this lamp alone through the whole cycle. The quality of the light that comes from this lamp is mesmerizing. I don't know how to put this, but when I'm at work I look at our 400w MH's that hang in the shop... I can "see" the the light is overly blueish and "incomplete," with HPS it is completely clear there is a lot of the spectrum missing. The light that comes from the CMH feels... very complete with no noticeable bias towards blue or red... to my human eyes. My transition lenses turn dark in seconds, faster than if outside in the sunlight, so I would say I won't need to supplement UV output. Looking at the spectrial graph thingy, I don't believe a HPS produces any more red than the CMH does, only that it simply produces a greater available quantity of light. If you are really that worried about the loss of lumen's just pair up a 400w and 250w CMH's to make up the lost lumins... but I really don't think it will be needed.
Something else to think about... it's not red out all day during the winter months, or the fall, only when the sun comes up and goes down. For the rest of the day, it is normal bright full spectrum daylight... so I think that our plants will benefit from having a full spectrum to choose from. The plant is only going to take what it needs, from what is available to it. Is it not simply the length of time the plant is exposed to light that effects if the plant is flowering or not(nevermind the autoflowers
)?
I'm growing in a closet, 60cm x 80cm, my temps were on the too hot side with the HPS. The CMH has noticeably lowered the temps of the closet, and I can no longer use the heat from the closet as supplemental heating in my room.
I have read that this bulbs can be hard to strike, but I have a 3m long cable from my ballast to socket and mine lit up right away. Apparently they can be fussy with cable lengths greater than 1m.
I think that if you have a closet grow and are using 250w or 400w HPS, it is worth the money to at least try this lamp. When you actually see the light that it produces and the way your plants respond to it, you likely will be pleased. Perhaps early next year I can give a "seat of my pants" comparison of the bud production verses my old HPS. I paid $62 Canadian for my lamp, but for the time being I'm being a bad boy and using a vertical, horizontally... I have a horizontal on order, but it won't be here for another month and I couldn't wait to try out this lamp...
Something else to think about... it's not red out all day during the winter months, or the fall, only when the sun comes up and goes down. For the rest of the day, it is normal bright full spectrum daylight... so I think that our plants will benefit from having a full spectrum to choose from. The plant is only going to take what it needs, from what is available to it. Is it not simply the length of time the plant is exposed to light that effects if the plant is flowering or not(nevermind the autoflowers
)?I'm growing in a closet, 60cm x 80cm, my temps were on the too hot side with the HPS. The CMH has noticeably lowered the temps of the closet, and I can no longer use the heat from the closet as supplemental heating in my room.
I have read that this bulbs can be hard to strike, but I have a 3m long cable from my ballast to socket and mine lit up right away. Apparently they can be fussy with cable lengths greater than 1m.
I think that if you have a closet grow and are using 250w or 400w HPS, it is worth the money to at least try this lamp. When you actually see the light that it produces and the way your plants respond to it, you likely will be pleased. Perhaps early next year I can give a "seat of my pants" comparison of the bud production verses my old HPS. I paid $62 Canadian for my lamp, but for the time being I'm being a bad boy and using a vertical, horizontally... I have a horizontal on order, but it won't be here for another month and I couldn't wait to try out this lamp...
Have to agree with this knowledge....and the point about people growing a nice looking plant using a shitload of cfl's. I will stick with my pricier hps's that every major producer uses.
You are correct, but for the closet grower the cmh is an excellent choice.
Things the CMH has against it for commerical operations:
-Only available up to 400w
-High lamp replacement cost (up to x3 the cost)
-Shorter lifespan
-Horizontal lamps are harder to source than vertical lamps
-HPS lamps are cheap, abundant and meet the plants needs
-Protective lenses to protect workers would reduce lamp effectiveness
-PPE's for workers would be cost prohibitive as well.
If you are not a commerical sized operation, the CMH has benifits:
-can eliminate any need for supplimential lighting... uv and lots of available blue.
-broad even spectrum for the plant to use
-uses hardware many of us already have
-runs cooler
-much more natural light for our comfort when working in the grow area (wear your uv protection though).
-promotes shorter plants which helps with space constraints.
-when sourced from a lighting supplier, cost is usually less than "horticultural" lamps.
People who will use CMH lamps:
-Those who are willing to experiment with their grows
-Low volume producers who already use 250 or 400w hps lighting (I'm not covering the lower watt pulse start MH)
-Those with open minds
I don't believe the CMH is in any fashion a competitive lamp in the commercial growing market.
Datakeova420
Active Member
What are the negatives of using a CMH light
Datakeova420
Active Member
Because I'm looking to get a CMH bulb for my 72"Hx36"Wx18"D cabinet...will this be a good choice?