150w HPS Club and Resource Guide......

[Indica Monkey]

Ive gone back to using my cabinet now, 15x20x38! Small I kno but its my first grow and im gonna see how I get on.

Just finished painting the inside matt white, about four coats. Once thats dry will install the ballast and light.

With a space that small I would leave the ballast outside of the cab, you're going to need every bit of space for the plants. It will also help to keep temps down, I would also forget trying to use a hydro system in there as the humidity will be through the roof in such a small space with a HID lamp above it.

Have you sorted your ventilation out yet?

 

[ambr0sia]

My cab is finally built, sealed, and painted - Pictures soon, I promise!

Next up: Getting my ventilation system all set up - I'm a bit confused about the best way to do it, and that's where I was hoping all you sharp folks came in.

I've got a fairly non-standard setup going on in my cab, and I'm having a hard time figuring out how best to get fresh air in and stale air out of my veg chamber, flower chamber, and utility room. Here are my options as I see them:

Ventilation Setup A

In this setup, air enters the vegetative chamber, passes through to the flower chamber, up into the utility room to cool off the ballasts, then into the ventilation room to get scrubbed and pushed out of the cab. One straight line all the way through. It's pretty simple, but I'm sure there are problems with this that I haven't anticipated - Enlighten me!



Ventilation Setup B

This one is a bit more tricky, but allows for a more modular and efficient approach - At least I *think* it does. Air intake occurs in both the veg and flower chambers individually and "meets" in the utlity room, from which it is pulled into the ventilation room, through the scrubber, and out of the cab. My concern with this design, however, is that the air flow will take the path of least resistance through either the veg or flower chamber, whichever it may be.

What are the dis/advantages of each? Thoughts? Suggestions? Ideas? I'm stumped!

 

[cajun79]

I actually mounted the ballast inside the next to the light, then run a pc fan blowing from outside the cab directly underneath the light and ballast.

Need to buy a temperature guage now to see what kind of heat is goin on in there. I wanted to run 2 plants grown from a bubbler in a scrog but like you said that would also mean running a water pump so thats even more heat to worry about.


Havnt even got round to an extraction fan yet, bit strapped for cash right now for buying a decent extractor fan and carbon filter, but im thinking I can last a month without it as wont be much smell during vegging.

 

[ReeferDan]

Hey folks! Ive been MIA for a while as there was a move and the grow had to be shut down. Im going to totally scrap my box i built and im going to recycle my (2) 150w hps lamps to a new dwc closet setup. I'll have pics and details when i get things going again.

Im sort of in a dilema as ive been mothering a re-vegged grape ape that was from my first grow bagseed and it showed great traits, now i kind of dont have the best situation to accomidate a veg setup and i dont want to scrap her but im kind of done with soil at this point and dont have room to veg her!!! damn! im going to have to try to figure out if a friend can take her for a while... she's such a beauty!!!

My cab is finally built, sealed, and painted - Pictures soon, I promise!

Next up: Getting my ventilation system all set up - I'm a bit confused about the best way to do it, and that's where I was hoping all you sharp folks came in.

I've got a fairly non-standard setup going on in my cab, and I'm having a hard time figuring out how best to get fresh air in and stale air out of my veg chamber, flower chamber, and utility room. Here are my options as I see them:

Ventilation Setup A

In this setup, air enters the vegetative chamber, passes through to the flower chamber, up into the utility room to cool off the ballasts, then into the ventilation room to get scrubbed and pushed out of the cab. One straight line all the way through. It's pretty simple, but I'm sure there are problems with this that I haven't anticipated - Enlighten me!



Ventilation Setup B

This one is a bit more tricky, but allows for a more modular and efficient approach - At least I *think* it does. Air intake occurs in both the veg and flower chambers individually and "meets" in the utlity room, from which it is pulled into the ventilation room, through the scrubber, and out of the cab. My concern with this design, however, is that the air flow will take the path of least resistance through either the veg or flower chamber, whichever it may be.

What are the dis/advantages of each? Thoughts? Suggestions? Ideas? I'm stumped!

ambrosia, the first model looks perfect, its going from cool, to warm, to hot to hotter. Starting in the veg it wont have to cool too much as its only floro's in there, when it goes into the flower part it will cool the hotter hps and then go over the rest of ballasts and whatnot. This is probably your best bet at a good cooling system for the whole box.

Good luck and post pics!!! you know we love pics

 

[Indica Monkey]

I actually mounted the ballast inside the next to the light, then run a pc fan blowing from outside the cab directly underneath the light and ballast.

Need to buy a temperature guage now to see what kind of heat is goin on in there. I wanted to run 2 plants grown from a bubbler in a scrog but like you said that would also mean running a water pump so thats even more heat to worry about.


Havnt even got round to an extraction fan yet, bit strapped for cash right now for buying a decent extractor fan and carbon filter, but im thinking I can last a month without it as wont be much smell during vegging.

.
Have you done any temp tests yet? You need to get your venting sorted asap as odour control is only a bonus, the real reason for ventilation is to give the plants a good clean supply of carbon dioxide - this is what the plants breathe in to aid photosynthesis.
Do you have any photo's of the cab so far so we can give you some pointers if needed?!

 

[Cozy Amnesia]

My cab is finally built, sealed, and painted - Pictures soon, I promise!

Next up: Getting my ventilation system all set up - I'm a bit confused about the best way to do it, and that's where I was hoping all you sharp folks came in.

I've got a fairly non-standard setup going on in my cab, and I'm having a hard time figuring out how best to get fresh air in and stale air out of my veg chamber, flower chamber, and utility room. Here are my options as I see them:

Ventilation Setup A

In this setup, air enters the vegetative chamber, passes through to the flower chamber, up into the utility room to cool off the ballasts, then into the ventilation room to get scrubbed and pushed out of the cab. One straight line all the way through. It's pretty simple, but I'm sure there are problems with this that I haven't anticipated - Enlighten me!



Ventilation Setup B

This one is a bit more tricky, but allows for a more modular and efficient approach - At least I *think* it does. Air intake occurs in both the veg and flower chambers individually and "meets" in the utlity room, from which it is pulled into the ventilation room, through the scrubber, and out of the cab. My concern with this design, however, is that the air flow will take the path of least resistance through either the veg or flower chamber, whichever it may be.

What are the dis/advantages of each? Thoughts? Suggestions? Ideas? I'm stumped!

Of the two, setup A is seen most frequently, but I think setup B is better. It's more efficient. The difference between the two would be nominal if the total intake surface areas where equal, so it's not really a big deal. I just say B because you'll have more control. You could have more air flow for the flower chamber and less for the veg/utilities chamber by making the intakes bigger/slammer respectfully.

 

[Mr. Tony]

I think I may be joining the club soon with two 150's

 

[cajun79]

Not yet had a chance to check temps, need to buy a temp and humidity guage/sensor.

Was quite a bit of work just painting y'day and installing the light and ballast here are some pics I just took, hopefully you can chip in with with a few more pointers.

p.s Thanks for taking an interest, couldnt do all this without your help

 

[Knives]

nice cab man, lookin good.

Still LSTin my females. Gettin them low so I can pop up some spears lol.
Flipping to 12/12 soon, not gonna have any space if I dont soon.
Will be posting pictures the day after I flip em.

 

[growDaddy]

the only suggestion is to exit your air out the top

 

[Pipedream]

Ventilation Setup A

Ventilation Setup B

Mind if I throw in my two cents?

The basic problem with "B" is this..... Airflow always takes the path of least resistance. This being the case your system will likely exhaust most of the air from the veg chamber and not the flower space where the heavy majority of heat and smell will be produced.

 

[ambr0sia]

Mind if I throw in my two cents?

At today's currency exchange rate, two Pipedream cents are easily worth a couple bucks Fire away!

The basic problem with "B" is this..... Airflow always takes the path of least resistance. This being the case your system will likely exhaust most of the air from the veg chamber and not the flower space where the heavy majority of heat and smell will be produced.

And that right there was my primary concern; It looks like the advantages a two-intake system would provide me with are marginal, and probably not worth the risk I'd be taking with the "path of least resistance" problem - At least with my first cab. Maybe when I've got a bit more experience under my belt I'll give something like "B" a go.

"A" it is!

Where should I direct the air that's coming from the veg room into the flower chamber? I've been bouncing around the idea of pulling it out of the top of the veg chamber, passing it through the wall via PVC, then piping it back down to the bottom of the cab and across the bottom to the midpoint or so (I'm using drawer rails, which'll give me a couple inches of space to work at the bottom) so that the airflow doesn't choose one cooltube or the other to flow through - Do ya'll think this extra work will be necessary, or should I just drill a couple holes in the wall between the two chambers and call it good?

Thanks again for all the great advice, everyone!

 

[ambr0sia]

And since a few folks have suggested venting up instead of down, here's a variation on "A" for your consideration - We'll call this one "C":




In a nutshell, should my airflow look like:
A: Veg > Flower > Utility > Out

or

C: Flower > Utility > Veg > Out

?

 

[Indica Monkey]

Not yet had a chance to check temps, need to buy a temp and humidity guage/sensor.

Was quite a bit of work just painting y'day and installing the light and ballast here are some pics I just took, hopefully you can chip in with with a few more pointers.

p.s Thanks for taking an interest, couldnt do all this without your help

That's a good start, the next thing I would do is seal those holes in the back of the cab they're just going to mess up your ventilation system. Once the holes are sealed I would turn the reflector around so the cable is on the back wall of the cab (maybe even tack this in place), this is to make sure you don't get tangled up in the cable and rip the lamp off the top of the cab this could possibly burn your home down. Also make sure the cable hangs below your lamp & ballast instead of going up like it is at the moment, this is to prevent condensation running down the cable into ballast or lamp, again possibly causing a fire. That closed end reflector is really going to build up some heat so I would hang a pc fan underneath the reflector to shift some air from the lamp, check the picture below.

Apart from the lack of ventilation things are looking good, now I'm looking at the size of the cab with the lamp in there I really wouldn't run that lamp without active ventilation.

Get a duct fan sorted, build a light baffle and get some beans cracked.

 

[CrystalsCrystal]

master kush sativa pheno .. how much longer ? couple months?

 

[Cozy Amnesia]

master kush sativa pheno .. how much longer ? couple months?

Lol I think that all masterkushs have a little sativa pheno in them, they stretch pretty good. Here's mine after 37 days of veg:





And they need 60 days of 12/12, well at least the dutch passion ones do.

 

[bounty29]

I'm pretty happy with my canopy going into 12/12. I think I'll have some great looking buds from my 150w, proud to be part of this thread!

 

[Pipedream]

I'm not feeling "C". Too much super-heated air hitting the veg chamber. I'd go with the routing of air thru PVC tubing from the top of the veg to the bottom of the flower areas. Many folks have gone that way with good success.

 

[growDaddy]

I'm pretty happy with my canopy going into 12/12. I think I'll have some great looking buds from my 150w, proud to be part of this thread!

nice looking girls. that 4 of them?

 

[cajun79]

Worked my arse off today and basically completed, running 2 120mm PC fans as exhausts and passive intake. Have a thermometer/Humidity guage on its way from fleabay.

The wholes are where I installed the fans, both fans are blowing air out of the canbinet are basically directly below the light, rigged up a peice of glass to act as a cool tube kinda thing.

Does seem a little hot in there but im a newbie so maybe its fine.

I germinated 3 seeds only two have shown a root and have been put straight in the cabinet a few millimeters under the soil.

I will put up pics as soon as I can, my camera battery needs charging!



I already made the mistake of planting the seeds in 4 litre pots from the start, then thought actually I better take them out and put them in little cups untill they break the surface.

Couldnt even find the first seed and have no idea where it is in the pot now so I just put some more water in there and Im praying it didnt get pushed to far down. The second seed I just left alone

Feel like an idot now might have wasted that seed.


Im using Promix soil straight from the bag with nothing added and I have some Bio Bloom to start using in half amounts once I start flowering which will be once the plants are only 5-6 inches.



Oh yeah and the cabinet was supposed to be totally stealth but the ballast does make a hum, which I dont mind but im sure it is noticable by others.

Are digital ballats basically silent, as I might have to invest in one of those at some point.