Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH)

[TroubleGuy]

Figured as much. I'll have to wait til a harvest or two have gone by and upgrade as Ii'm able.

So 2 400w CMH usually produce better than a 1,000 HPS... Do they produce better than two 600w HPS?

 

[CTSV]

God that is a ASS sir!

I think that 2 400w CMH perform better than a 1000w HPS.

I run 3 400w CMH on a light mover.

 

[TroubleGuy]

I'll have to try it, for sure!

+rep for all the useful CMH info I've seen from you. Thanks al ot dude, I'm sure I'll be revisiting this topic a lot.

It sure is quite an ass!

 

[Seismic]

Thanks a lot Simba and CTSV, after reading through your guys posts, I decided to switch to cmh, and so far my plants seem to be liking it.

Here's a picture of my hashberry, shes still real young though:

 

[stink.whistler]

CTSV,

The negatives in this thread (the non troll negatives, anyway) seem to be mostly around leafier bud w/ CMH. You mention that your considering calling off your test w/ a single HPS inserted into your mix of CMH, why? What specific detriment are you seeing w/ the HPS as compared to the CMH, and in your opinion, is one negative of CMH leafier bud?

 

[hoosierdaddy]

I want to see a picture of someones leafy bud grown with CMH. Until then, folks are going to have to actually believe what has been shown to them on multiple occasions. The CMH flat out performs and produces great bud. No question...well, there seems to be a new question about it every other day...but not ONCE have any of the nay-sayers shown any evidence of their assertions. Yet, plenty of evidence in both anecdotal testimonial and pictorial form has been presented here backing up the prowess of the CMH.
I want to see the other sides pics.

 

[smokesalot420]

I figured I would throw out some "leafy plant shots"

I wish I had a better camera so I could take some close-ups of the buds like CTSV does.... People are ALWAYS commenting on how many crystals are on my buds, but to each their own I guess.

 

[hoosierdaddy]

Now THAT is some leafy bud!

Very nice, 420.

 

[stink.whistler]

Very, very nice, Smokesalot

But you and and Hoosier continue to run a mixed spectrum, which makes intuitive sense to me. I would think a mixed spectrum would almost always be the way to go.

That's why I am especially interested to hear from CTSV, as he has tried mixed and full CMH, and seems to consider pure CMH superior. I am very interested in hearing why.

I know it would be somewhat complicated, Hoosier, for you to replace the 150W HPS with a CMH in your cab (assuming you are still running the mixed spectrum, can't remember for sure), you would have to rig in a new ballast - but are you considering doing so?

Sirsmokesalot, it would be pretty easy for you to get the HPS out of the equation, are you considering doing so?

 

[CTSV]

I have not switched anything yet.

The main reason I am going to switch back to 100% CMH, is the superior trich production. I also have not seen the same vigor, as I am used to.

I know CMH is better, and there is no reason for me to waste my time proving that. There is already 170 pages proving it.

If people are getting "leafy" plants, then I would say their manicuring technique is in question, and not the bulb. I ran mixed CMH for awhile, and I now remember why I switched to 100% CMH. The plants produce frostier nugs.

I also HATE the orange light HPS puts off.

 

[TroubleGuy]

CTSV - Just be careful of that extra UVB light. I don't wanna hear about you getting skin cancer while taking care of your babies!

Having the "explorer" personality I do, I plan on trying CMH out for at least a couple harvests just to get my OWN results. I'm all about experimentation and learning things myself. Until I'm able to though, I'll trust those who've tried it!

I'm probably going to run both MH and HPS bulbs, with a "reptile" UVB light once as well. I choose the reptile light, because I can turn it off from outside the room while keeping the HPS and MH on, reducing/eliminating my exposure to that nasty UVB light.

 

[stink.whistler]

It does seem like a lot of people saying that CMH produces leafy bud (I have also heard people say CMH bud is less frosty), but I haven't seen any of the people claiming CMH produces leafy, non frosty bud actually post any pics showing leafy, non frosty bud.

The CMH buds you and smokesalot have posted are very frosty, and not particularly leafy.

Thanks for the responses guys.

 

[TroubleGuy]

Exactly why I trust that CMH are worth at least a few test runs; the nay-sayers have yet to show proof that what they're saying is true.

 

[foo_bird]

I've been reading lighting treads on all the forums too find
out what works best and/or is most cost effective
HPS to me would be like 12hrs of sunset I want 12hrs of
high noon this being the internet all thats posted here
could all be BS with all that taken into account next
disability check I'm getting a 400w CMH

 

[smokesalot420]

Very, very nice, Smokesalot

But you and and Hoosier continue to run a mixed spectrum, which makes intuitive sense to me. I would think a mixed spectrum would almost always be the way to go.

That's why I am especially interested to hear from CTSV, as he has tried mixed and full CMH, and seems to consider pure CMH superior. I am very interested in hearing why.

I know it would be somewhat complicated, Hoosier, for you to replace the 150W HPS with a CMH in your cab (assuming you are still running the mixed spectrum, can't remember for sure), you would have to rig in a new ballast - but are you considering doing so?

Sirsmokesalot, it would be pretty easy for you to get the HPS out of the equation, are you considering doing so?

The plants I showed in the pics earlier on this page all stretched too much to be able to go into the middle of my tent which is where my HPS is because they were vegging during my move a few months ago. This caused them to be too tall to fit into my normal routine and had to stay under the CMH's (which are on each side of my rectangular tent). I could see that only a small portion of the lower parts of the plants were even getting HPS light since they along the outside edges of the tent

I am not considering going all CMH (although I would have no prob at all doing so) because I want to add replace my 400W HPS with a 600W HPS to increase my overall efficiency a little bit.

If I HAD to pick one I would stick with the CMH's for a couple reasons like:
1-Less overall heat produced (yes less lumens than a HPS but are those lumens being used?
2-Increased resin production

I guess I think of it in this way.... if we're trying to replicate nature (air flow, water, light, etc) then shouldn't we be trying to simulate as best we can the sun? I mean, if you look at the sun throughout the day, you will see that at sunrise and sunset, you get a more HPS color, but during all other daylight hours (which is close to 3/4) you get a CMH spectrum. Knowing this, why would we try to just give it HPS color? During summer when it is 12/12 naturally the sun doesn't turn orange/red during the day, does it?

I do dual-spectrum because it works best for me.... I took the info in this thread with a grain of salt (as everyone should) because you never know who is giving you information. I also decided to test myself and I have been very happy with my results. I suggest anyone who can afford to do the experiment yourself to try it yourself and see what happens.... If you already have a 400W HPS it takes nothing but a new bulb for the upgrade (which made it easy for me to try, for if it didn't work out I would just throw a 400W HPS in it's place). Sorry for the long post, but I had a lot to say on the subject and can now speak factually since the trolls have moved on.

Shout out to Friendindeed for giving me the dual-spectrum idea, me likey!

 

[hoosierdaddy]

IMO, the CMH pretty well takes care of the dual spectrum thing. I like the addition of my HPS as a supplement. I know for a fact that a HPS produces a better quality bud than it's comparable MH lamp, so I figure a supplemental in that range of light is the way to go, if you add anything to the CMH, which I feel is fully adequate for quality production by itself.
My set-up really uses most of the HPS just for the bottom parts of the plant. The top tails see very little of the HPS light at all. This helps to keep me in mucho nice popcorn, and I like to reveg plants and like to have a fuller bottom than some may.

I do not plan to change anything in my cab, as it is dialed in about as good as it is going to be, and I am quite a lazy person.

 

[Wacky Tobacky]

Deltron, I just re read some of thread and I saw that you mentioned an air cooled reflector.......if that's the case, reconsider the CMH bulb. When I read the CMH thread, one of the key points to using the bulb is it's output of UVB light because it's a quartz bulb, not glass, once you put that bulb in an air cooled reflector, you loose the UVB output and it's basically the same as MH bulb.

I'm not a lighting expert, I'm just going off of what I read from Simba. I welcome others to chime in if I'm wrong about this but, I can run the CMH bulb in a cabinet 4-5 inches off of the canopy without an air cooled hood because of the way I have the cabinet ventilated.

i just read this ^ in another thread. is there any truth to this? because i have mine in an air cooled hood with glass under the bulb.

 

[wastekan]

Having a glass enclosure will stop you from using it as a cataract.. i mean tanning or light, but it shouldn't really affect the spectrum which is why cmh are so good; there are some claims that uvb increases the potency due to the plant protecting itself. I'm still investigating to see if it has been proven or another urban grower myth. If it were true i would think more growers would put "reptile" lights in their grow room. My next grow i will take off the glass and see if there is any noticeable difference .
Hopefully someone will jump in with a definitive answer...

 

[Neuronaut]

Can some one please clear something up for me? Do CMH bulbs give off uvb lighting, and if so, is there a danger to attending to your plants while the light is on??

 

[wastekan]

Yes cmh give off uvb, probably safest to put on a pair of uvb protective sunglasses, if you spend a lot of time under it some sunscreen wouldn't hurt.. tending my grow is like a day at the beach...