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

[catman]

Awesome Cozy!

Enjoy and let us know how she smokes!

 

[Bulénath]

Cozy,
Nice harvest!
You have a lot of extra stem weight that you don't need to dry with.
What kind of humidity levels are you drying it in? If your dry room has a good 40-50% RH, then that much extra stem weight seems a little excessive.

The main arteries I will alwyas discard. Only some very small secondary stems will be keept through the drying and curing process. Although my ambient RH lingers around 50%, I could never dry my weed properly with that much extra stem weight. Turns out, cutting each individual bud off of every stem and stringing them up like a Hawaiian Lei, and letting them hang over the grow box's exhaust works perfectly.

Though each harvest takes me nearly 16-20 hours to finish. It takes quite some time to sew & string and entire harvest with a needle and thread. But in the end, the weed dries perfectly in exactly 7 days and I never had any more problems with the weed getting soggy after a few days of curing, even when curing porperly (I.e. glass on glass apothecary jars & taking the lid off for about 2-3 hours the first day, 1-2 hours the second, 1 hour the third day, 50 min, 40min, 30min, 20min, etc...Until 2 weeks.)

Heres a small example, but definately not the best...

 

[Cozy Amnesia]

growDaddy...ok your school won the football game but now it's basketball season. Can you also make out what is says underneath the jayhawk? "2008 NCAA National Champions." And you say your harvesting soon? I'm interested to see who yields more

catman, they have a strong citrus flavor and the high hits me pretty hard.

belenath, the temp is 78-80*F and the RH is a loooooow 20%, ouch! About the stems though, are you saying the buds would take longer to dry with the stems attached? Also, I didn't know that was the proper way to cure, thanks for the info.

 

[hoosierdaddy]

Very nice job, Cozy!

 

[TraneRek]

Thanks d4twamp and Bulénath for the replies.

So 7.5 x 5 = 37.5.. Only 40 CFM's?? I can definitely do that, even pulling through a carbon filter.

As far as ventilation goes.. I'm planning:
-A cooltube w/ its own fan exhausting the heat from the bulb
- 2-3 3" pc fans exhausting the box through a carbon filter
- 1 3" pc fan for air circulation

Does that sound good enough for a 7.5 cu.ft cab?

Also, I've heard decent things about the 150W econo-light. Is this my best option? I know they have 'em on 1000bulbs as well.

Thanks again for all the help fellas. I'm so pumped to start!

-Rek

 

[OahuGrown]

TraneRek i was thinking of doing those cab dimensions also.
Do you need a cool tube for a 150 watt hps with those dimensions?

 

[Bulénath]

Thanks d4twamp and Bulénath for the replies.

So 7.5 x 5 = 37.5.. Only 40 CFM's?? I can definitely do that, even pulling through a carbon filter.

As far as ventilation goes.. I'm planning:
-A cooltube w/ its own fan exhausting the heat from the bulb
- 2-3 3" pc fans exhausting the box through a carbon filter
- 1 3" pc fan for air circulation

Does that sound good enough for a 7.5 cu.ft cab?

Also, I've heard decent things about the 150W econo-light. Is this my best option? I know they have 'em on 1000bulbs as well.

Thanks again for all the help fellas. I'm so pumped to start!

-Rek

How are you coming to 7.5 cubic feet?

Assuming you are doing 50 watts per square foot, your floor-print should be 3 square feet. Let's say your grow box is 4 feet tall. That is a 36" flower chamber, and a 12" attic to house the carbon scrubber, fans, electronics, etc...That alone is 12 cubic feet.

Remember that computer fans are much different than other fans. They are not very strong at all. Some people use them as a main exhaust, but they don't seem well suited for such. Although there are some growers, mainly micro-growers, that use PC fans to power through carbon, I would opt toward getting a fan better suited to power through carbon.

As for the light goes, go for the mogul based 150's, not the medium ones, if your reflector allows such.

When you drill your holes or install the intake, remember that two 2" holes do not equal the same surface area as one 4" hole. The diameter adds up, but the actual surface area remains ata 1:4 ratio. I see so many growers get this wrong. Also try to have an intake that is slightly larger than your exhaust. 1.5 x bigger would be best.

 

[BL4ZE20]

For those of you who use the Econo 150w's is there anything you can use from the hardware to mount the bulb socket? I just dont have a reflector or anything so i was hoping there was a piece of hardware i could attach back to the bulb and socket after it's wired up so that i have a way to secure it in my cab.

My 150w should be here in a few days so i'll be joining the 150w club very soon can't wait!!!
Now if my damn fan wasen't taking so long to ship.

 

[growDaddy]

growDaddy...ok your school won the football game but now it's basketball season. Can you also make out what is says underneath the jayhawk? "2008 NCAA National Champions." .

Oh, you guys play basketball too?

 

[Cozy Amnesia]

For those of you who use the Econo 150w's is there anything you can use from the hardware to mount the bulb socket? I just dont have a reflector or anything so i was hoping there was a piece of hardware i could attach back to the bulb and socket after it's wired up so that i have a way to secure it in my cab.

My 150w should be here in a few days so i'll be joining the 150w club very soon can't wait!!!
Now if my damn fan wasen't taking so long to ship.

Where hardware can you use supplied with the light? Well you can use the socket of course and the screws that hold it to the base of the light. I've seen people keep the socket mounted to the base and then mount that to the inside of their cab.

This isn't ideal though, I think it's too bulky and you don't want your ballast in there with your plants unless your temps are too low.

So just get creative and build your own! This is where being a stoner will be an advantage, lol. For example, slice up a coffee can to be a reflector and mount the socket to the bottom of the can. If you just want something to hold the socket to the cab but don't need a reflector, than maybe the easiest thing to do would be to use "pipe strapping".

blah blah blah

Thats what we are going to do to your basketball team, like we did twice last year.

 

[Bulénath]

For those of you who use the Econo 150w's is there anything you can use from the hardware to mount the bulb socket? I just dont have a reflector or anything so i was hoping there was a piece of hardware i could attach back to the bulb and socket after it's wired up so that i have a way to secure it in my cab.

My 150w should be here in a few days so i'll be joining the 150w club very soon can't wait!!!
Now if my damn fan wasen't taking so long to ship.

I have no experience with the Econolights, but my 150w mogul socket will fit a 3"-ish "L" bracket. Try to find one where the socket's bolts line up with the L-brackets holes. If you find one that fits, the rest is super easy and self-explanitory.

Worst case senario, go buy some aluminum stripping with pre-cut holes and use that. That stuff is easily bent to shape...

If you need a reflector, buy a sheet of aluminum, have it cut to size, and shape like this:


/--\

So it is only two bends and three sides. Then you can drill a couple holes, attach the socket and your finished!

 

[hoosierdaddy]

 

[BL4ZE20]

Alright thanks for the ideas everyone. Yea i'm definitely going to have the ballast remote and outside the cab. I'm sure i can come up with something when i have it sitting in front of me and get to look at it. I just like having a plan so that everything goes together smoothley and having everything i need and not having to make trips out to the hardware store lol.

 

[TraneRek]

How are you coming to 7.5 cubic feet?

Assuming you are doing 50 watts per square foot, your floor-print should be 3 square feet. Let's say your grow box is 4 feet tall. That is a 36" flower chamber, and a 12" attic to house the carbon scrubber, fans, electronics, etc...That alone is 12 cubic feet.

Remember that computer fans are much different than other fans. They are not very strong at all. Some people use them as a main exhaust, but they don't seem well suited for such. Although there are some growers, mainly micro-growers, that use PC fans to power through carbon, I would opt toward getting a fan better suited to power through carbon.

As for the light goes, go for the mogul based 150's, not the medium ones, if your reflector allows such.

When you drill your holes or install the intake, remember that two 2" holes do not equal the same surface area as one 4" hole. The diameter adds up, but the actual surface area remains ata 1:4 ratio. I see so many growers get this wrong. Also try to have an intake that is slightly larger than your exhaust. 1.5 x bigger would be best.

Ahh right, didn't account for the utility area.. Well I still plan on using PC fans (maybe I'll just get more?).
I also want to have my carbon scrubber in my utility area, and have my fans attached to the wall of utility area. That way (if I seal it properly..) I can run all the air through the filter, then out the utility area cooling all its components on the way. Does this make any sense? Here's a crude depiction..




I'd make sure the ratio of intake and exhaust are correct as well. 1.5x more would still give me enough neg pressure right (assuming its sealed well)?

Also.. If I'm going to make a cool tube the medium base would be better than the mogul, correct? So the air can pass easily?

Thanks again for all the help!

EDIT: Ignore that dumb test shit.. Stupid Imageshack -.-

 

[Notorious B.U.D]

this might be a dumb question....but i have a 400w ballast am i able to hook up a 150w to it ?

 

[hoosierdaddy]

NO notorious.

As was mentioned, PC fans simply do not provide enough power. If they are blowing out of an exhaust hole(s), and they are sized properly, as well as the intakes proper, then you can effectively move enough air, in theory.
Problem is when you start thinking you can pull through either an intake that is not properly sized, or a carbon scrubber. Those fans cannot handle negative pressure at all. It will pull them down to nothing, and you will only run yourself silly trying to add more of them to make up the difference.
You should get the proper equipment right off, and not noob around with things that simply are not going to work well. Oh, they will work, and many will swear by them, but they do NOT work well, and people simply don't know how things would have been had they simply got the proper air moving equip from the start.
IMO, folks should be looking at the Stanley blower if they want cheap and effective means of moving the air.

 

[Bulénath]

NO notorious.

As was mentioned, PC fans simply do not provide enough power. If they are blowing out of an exhaust hole(s), and they are sized properly, as well as the intakes proper, then you can effectively move enough air, in theory.
Problem is when you start thinking you can pull through either an intake that is not properly sized, or a carbon scrubber. Those fans cannot handle negative pressure at all. It will pull them down to nothing, and you will only run yourself silly trying to add more of them to make up the difference.
You should get the proper equipment right off, and not noob around with things that simply are not going to work well. Oh, they will work, and many will swear by them, but they do NOT work well, and people simply don't know how things would have been had they simply got the proper air moving equip from the start.
IMO, folks should be looking at the Stanley blower if they want cheap and effective means of moving the air.

Exactly. PC fans can't handle much negative pressure. If they are forced to, they will burn out quickly.
Not only that, but lets say you, TraneRek, hook up three of those 4" PC fans. The CFM be cut by more than 50% because they are weak.
Also: A single 4" hole ( 4 divided in half, times itself) = a surface value of 4.
Multiply that by three PC fans and your exhaust's surface value is 12.
You must calculate that into your intake, which will be hard to compensate for while keeping it light proof!-(mostly because we are dealing with really small grows, not large grows where dark vents can be more well-suited).

TraneRek,
Have you checked out the Panasonic Whisper Fans yet?
Look into models with the lowest sone rating, aka a different dBA rating.
You can find an 80cfm model with 0.3 sones or less, with a variable motor speed contol that will compensate for the negative pressure caused by the carbon.
They are built perfectly to attach a simple home made tray scrubber.
I have tried soooo manyt different methods of ventilation over many years, spending hundreds of dollars searching for the holy grail of ventilation..
That fan also saved my life, quite litterally... Without it I would have given up on growing by now.

As for the cool tube/bulb size ratio, it is good to think about any obstructions that will cause negative pressure.
However, if your cabinet's flower chamber is 36" tall, you probably won't need a cool tube, just a really strong fan to blow drictrctly on the bulb and between the cola's tips.

I live in the tropics where ambient winter temperatures range from 75F-80F in the day, and 65-70F during night. Summer ambient temeratures are 70-75F at night, 80-85F day time. During the summer, when my lights turn on at 8PM, and eventually reach a peak heat, it rarely gets hotter than 85F. I do have a small window AC made for a single room no bigger thaqn 12 x 12 feet that I use to dry & cure my product, and also control temperatures and humidity.
The A/C helps a lot duirng the summer, but in the winter it is uneccessary to lower temperatures, only humidity. Hope this helps...

 

[ambr0sia]

Have you checked out the Panasonic Whisper Fans yet?

I'm seriously considering your Whisperline + DIY scrubber box for my next single 150 cab; How do they hold up to continuous use? Seems to me that since they're not intended to push or pull through a carbon filter that they may wear out pretty quick - Has this been your experience?

My only other concern is placement - It seems like they'd be kind of a PITA to find a spot for them in a cab - Where do you usually mount yours? What are the dimensions of the finished fan / filter combo?

Thanks again for the cool "out of the box" idea either way, Bulénath; It could turn out to be a very cost-effective solution to a very common problem

 

[Bulénath]

I'm seriously considering your Whisperline + DIY scrubber box for my next single 150 cab; How do they hold up to continuous use? Seems to me that since they're not intended to push or pull through a carbon filter that they may wear out pretty quick - Has this been your experience?

My only other concern is placement - It seems like they'd be kind of a PITA to find a spot for them in a cab - Where do you usually mount yours? What are the dimensions of the finished fan / filter combo?

Thanks again for the cool "out of the box" idea either way, Bulénath; It could turn out to be a very cost-effective solution to a very common problem

I have three of them.

They have all been running continuously, never turning off, for roughly two-three years straight. The oldest one has been Gutted from it's black metal box casing and hooked up directly to a rectangular vent: The upside is it is waaay more quiet, the downside is, if you run the fan without any sort of pre-filter like carbon, the fan's insides will eventually get really dusty...
My Panasonics run perfectly like the day I got them...
But DO NOT push air through a scrubber with these fans. Make sure your intake is 1.25-1.5 times greater (or more) than the exhaust's surface area.

Within the last two or three pages you will find more conversation about it...
Oh and there is a tutorial in the Link-O-Rama.

 

[Quazi]

Exactly. PC fans can't handle much negative pressure. If they are forced to, they will burn out quickly.
Not only that, but lets say you, TraneRek, hook up three of those 4" PC fans. The CFM be cut by more than 50% because they are weak.
Also: A single 4" hole ( 4 divided in half, times itself) = a surface value of 4.
Multiply that by three PC fans and your exhaust's surface value is 12.
You must calculate that into your intake, which will be hard to compensate for while keeping it light proof!-(mostly because we are dealing with really small grows, not large grows where dark vents can be more well-suited).

Careful with the math there. Each PC fan is 4 inches squared or 16 square inches.

3 x 16 square inches = 48 square inches

The area of a circle is pi * r ^ 2.

It sounds like you got the r ^ 2 with "4 divided in half, times itself" but left out the part about multiplying it by pi (3.14).

So, a 4 inch circular hole gives you about 12.5 square inches.

4 inch circle: 12.5 square inches
4 inch square: 16 square inches

-Q