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

DiscoBiscuit

weed fiend
Veteran
Iwanna, haven't seen any myself. A 150 cmh needs a pulse-start metal halide ballast. They cost a little more. I think e-conolight.com has a security light for ~$75. A remote conversion is roughly the cost of whatever you use to extend the lamp from the ballast.

If you go that route, send us a pic. Would be nice to see one in operation.

BTW, I think the 250 and 400 watt versions use a typical hps ballast.
 

zappa66

Member
I have had my 150 for 2.5 years but am still struggling with yield; I was wondering if someone could shed some light on the situation. I usually grow depending on the style in 1-4 gallon pots with promix + fish emulsion. Some strains I have grown: NLxSk, Bluebonic x gg, various autos, c99 x a11, etc. tried growing lst, natural, scrog, and vert with varying success, but have trouble going over 1-1.5 oz. I have also tried various sized grow cabs.

Anyone other than me have this problem? I know without more specifics it’s hard to say but I figured I’d through it out there.
 

catman

half cat half man half baked
Veteran
I'm going to do another round with my 150w vertical and I'm thinking about using small stakes with twistie ties or a screen I can put around my bulb. I have to take my containers out to water so I can't use a fixed screen. I'm not much of a carpenter so I would really appreciate any food for thought.

zappa, I looked at your gallery and anyone would need more pictures and information about your growing methods to give relevant advice. Your girls look happy and healthy to me and there is no shame when there is something to be gained.

Do you ever see any nute burn? Just a little shows your near the sweet spot. How do you veg and when do you put them into flower? How do you feed them during the stretch? When do you harvest? As simple as it is a lot of people don't yield as high as they think they should becuase they don't wait long enough. That bulb of yours looks a little odd. Have you tried a different one? I had a bulb that was went out on me and it had really lost it's power, but I didn't realize it until I bought the new one. I can say that Phillips brand bulbs have a more orange glow than the econno lights nameless brand one I used and no wonder one had cost 4 times as much.
 

bentom187

Active member
Veteran
i just bought a sunsystem compact 150 hps system and im impressed,its really nice for 71 bucks.i usually do outdoor i just bought it for winter bumper crops and i wanted to try a nice sativa this year,anyone else have this system and what are your thoughts on it.
 

elwaponino

Member
Hey Zappa66, I use a 400 watt and I still have troubles with yield, I think the max I had was about an oz., so don't beat yourself up.

First check the temp, should be at below 85degrees at least, and have a large INTAKE, for your exhaust.

Finally, PLEASE don't underestimate your veg time, it may take a month for it to reach a foot (but key for it to double in height is for the top stem to be stiff to bend), but when it does it WILL double in height. I know many people here can grow clones of inches and still grow large sticks, but nonetheless, veg for yield, PERIOD.

Please take my experience to heart, I've been researching for 3 years, almost four, and growing for 2, these are my mistakes that will give you knowledge.

No matter what you are in better shape than me right now, I just started using dolomite lime for my organic soil, hopefully everything will even out now, didn't need the stuff for almost 3 years, but regret it now.
 

asstastic

Member
some one help ive started vert and im 4weeks in and my plants are 12-16" tallso i was wondering if i should just move my light horizantil since (if youve grown vert youll notice that the light only really covers 8-10'' up and down) so what you all think right now im having to bend my tops to stay in that 8-10'' and i looks to be hurting yeild
 

jpizle

Member
Heat

Heat

Hey 150watters, need a lil help please...

I have a 9 1/2"x22"x48" tall cabinet I'm trying to get set up with a little 150W HPS. Got everything lightproofed and set up n everything and installed 1 120mm 105cfm(120V) PC fan at the top on a side wall exhausting and another of the same fan blowing directly on and slightly pointing up from the bottom of the light and my temps are still right at 90. This is with the door open on the clostet the cab is in and AC running in the main room. What gives? I was thinkg 2x105cfm would be plenty for this little space.

Any ideas? Thanks dudes
 

hoosierdaddy

Active member
ICMag Donor
Veteran
I would mount the other fan right next the first one. Then you need to have about double the hole area for intake, preferably from the bottom of the box opposite side from the exhaust fans. This will allow your box to have the maximum possible negative air flow with the fans that you have. Get another mini clip on fan or something for blowing air around in the plants. No fan inside at all will work out IF you have the air flow moving through the plants at the proper volume.
 

jpizle

Member
Right now I have the 1 120mm fan exhausting through a 4"(I know,slightly less than 120mm) and a 4" passive intake. What if I make another 4" intake hole so I have double intake as exhaust, think that would help? Otherwise I guess I will have to use my other PC fan for exhaust like you said and get one of those 6" clip ons for blowing on the plants(if necessary)

This is just a test run for when I get my 2x2 tent and a digital 250W mh/hps this winter. If I'm having trouble with a 150 I can only imagine what the 250 will be like. Will have to break down and get like a 6" inline for that I guess.

Thanks
 

AcroPhobic

Member
Day 77 - 12/12- 1 clone cut

Day 77 - 12/12- 1 clone cut

Day 77 harvest of 1 clone .. out of 4 clones total. Had to cut 1 as I need smoke. Others will get the cut next week to make room for a new set of 8 veggin clones from PC grow box that just got transplanted into 3 liter containers from 16oz party cups.

8 colas total ..
1st pic = 5 medium size colas
2nd pic = 3 main thick colas.
Trics= 60% cloudy, 30%amber, 10%clear
LST + even canopy + tops 2 inches from bulb = dense solid nugs
:smoweed:
picture.php

picture.php
 

Pipedream

Proudly Growing My Own Since 1969
Veteran
jpizle.... First off, welcome to the club.

Keep in mind that the smaller the interior space is, the tougher it is to keep cool. Heat builds up quickly in a small cabinet. Think of it this way.... Put a regular 60 watt bulb in the middle of your bedroom and it will do little to keep you warm on a cold night. Now put that same bulb in a shoebox, and the inside temps get mighty warm very fast.

With a narrow cabinet such as yours, I'd put both fans in the very top exhausting up & out to the outside. Then I'd have two or more matching holes acting as passive intakes right in the bottom. It will provide the best possible cooling and the constant updraft will eliminate the need for any interior fans.
 

jpizle

Member
Thanks for the advice pipedream and hoosierdaddy. I'll work on it over the weekend, let y'all know how it turns out.

:watchplant:

jpizle

Hey Acro..nice, dude. What kinda yield you think that one clones worth will be when dried? Looks nice and dense to me.
 

AcroPhobic

Member
Hey Acro..nice, dude. What kinda yield you think that one clones worth will be when dried? Looks nice and dense to me.
Prob an OZ give or take. Got 3 more to harvest so I'm expecting a Quarter-pounder with added cheese, ketchup + pickles as final dry weight. :)

By the way, welcome to the club, growing your own is bliss.
 

hoosierdaddy

Active member
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Just a word of advise...if you don't need to weigh it, don't. It can be very disheartening when we see the truth of our estimations. And what we don't know won't really hurt us much.
On the other hand, it can bring reality to the front and push one to improve technique.

That being said...I think your buds look damn fine!
 

AcroPhobic

Member
Very true and thanks HD. Too many people are worried about "how much will I yeild", when they should be thinking "I have lots of fresh bud grown for pennys on the dollar."

I have a digital scale and wet weight for that one clone was 91.6 grams.

The sad part is, I've already raped that plants bottom popcorn nugs to death a week ago!
 

hoosierdaddy

Active member
ICMag Donor
Veteran
:)
My estimate is that when you pluck the buds from the stalks, and weigh them dry, you will have close to 1/2 ounce. OK...I'll get closer...13.5 grams

...lol
 

StinkyPanda

New member
Hello, I came across this thread on the RIU 150w HPS club. This one is much more informative than RIU's, so a big thank you to everyone who has positively contributed. I've been browsing through for a few days now and wanted to get some input.

My first two grows were with a 400w MH/HPS. Due to my living situation coming up in the fall, I decided to go with the 150w HPS (Floralux) and about 65-70w of CFL's. I will be using the homebox xs tent which measures approximately 2'x2'x4'. I'll be running a 4" 171cfm valueline fan with 4" carbonaire carbon filter and 4" muffler for heat and odor extraction. I'll be using a small vornado whole room circulator fan and a 6" mini clip fan.

My goal is is an oz and a half.
I have approximately 12-13 weeks to complete the grow.

I'll be using fox farm ocean forest with fox farm nutes + solubles. My plan was to have 2-3 plants in 6 liter (1.6 gal approx) square pots. Do you guys think I can reach my goal if I top for 4 main colas and throw the plants into flower at 30 days from seed or less? Or would I be much better off just lst'ing the plant early on? If I were to use lst, I would start when they have 4-5 nodes and bend the plant in a circular pattern around the pot and inwards to the the center, then flower. I've looked at scrog, and don't want to use it for this grow. Thanks for reading.
 

KathyLee

Member
I have approximately 12-13 weeks to complete the grow.

This is just what I would do, let's hear other viewpoints.

Space is limited and so is time? Pop them (all of them) rapid rooters, rockwool starters whatever. Veg for 1 week under Hps (far away) Cfl (close). 2 weeks would be better.
Transplant to 2l pop bottles, give the roots 3 days to get a foothold, then start 12/12. You'll have the males out in 30 days and still have time to gently tie them down. If it wasn't for the time factor I'd say scrog . Are they regular seeds or fem'd?
 
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