Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH)

[McSnappler]

AFAIK you wire the ballast yourself, but there is a nice clear wiring diagram on the site. You'll also need something to mount the ballast kit to (project box from Radio Shack).

Then you're ready to roll, assuming you already have a reflector with lampholder in it!

There are some other guys on this thread that bought a pre-wired ballast, can't remember who sells it though. Search this thread for FreezerBoy's posts, I think he was one of the guys who got one.

 

[nekoloving]

damn this is an interesting thread - makes sense to simulate a more `real` spectrum, and it makes sense with all that light that the plants might not have as much height as normal, but wow some of those flowers just knock me out! watched a few vids and been reading a few uvb threads; and if that's helping the quality, even if the quantity dipps a bit thats much better for me and my lungs [especially when more light fixes the quantity just fine hehe]

anyway <tagged>

 

[mpd]

I hadn't noticed a drop in production, I'm getting everything using a vertical kool tube for my 400 watt unit. I just love the foliage sets that develop under these lamps.

I'll never buy the high-end lamps again.

 

[thal]

This may be a redundant question, but I've read through about 50 pages of this thread and haven't found the answer, and my search skills apparently suck.

Questions:

1) Would the 400W HTG brand ballast work with the CMH? Or are the ignitors not good enough?

2) What would you recommend for two 3x3x3 grow areas? I was thinking 400w because I'll have good ventilation. Plus I'd prefer to have 400w over 250, but I want to do what is best for now.

 

[Pinball Wizard]

It needs to be a magnetic ballast...not digital.

 

[iGro4Me]

Okay, thanks, I dunno why I missed that. I've actually seen that site before... So if I buy a light and ballast from this site, is it ready to go? Just plug in the wall? Do I have to get something special or wire stuff or anything? Ready to go?

You can also check out:

HTG Supply

They have some nice light kits with both bulbs already to go....unless you want to wire up your own ballasts, I would suggest them.

 

[ambr0sia]

Just received my 400W CMH bulb from Advanced Tech lighting - For what it's worth they're now including a complimentary Smart Pot with every purchase!

 

[Agent-Smith]

I'm sorry but I can't sift through 2000+ posts

Is there any word on if a 600W CMH bulb is going to be released? I loved my 400W CMH and would really like to use a 600W version in my upgraded grow box if they will ever make the damn thing!

 

[Pinball Wizard]

I'm sorry but I can't sift through 2000+ posts

Is there any word on if a 600W CMH bulb is going to be released? I loved my 400W CMH and would really like to use a 600W version in my upgraded grow box if they will ever make the damn thing!

Not likely......400 watts is the preferred size lighting that 95% of business consumers use. It was basicly designed for business that have HPS ceiling ballasts to be able to switch from the yellow light of HPS bulbs to the white light of Metal Halide bulbs, without switching ballasts.

600 watts is considered a bastard size by business users...that's why there is such a small selection of 600 watt bulbs.

 

[Agent-Smith]

DAMN IT! Oh well, I guess we lose again LOL and thanks for the quick answer

 

[cork144]

so many pages.... Is there any UK 250w cmh out? 240V..

 

[Cali smoke]

Just received my 400W CMH bulb from Advanced Tech lighting - For what it's worth they're now including a complimentary Smart Pot with every purchase!

Cool, thanks for the heads up! What size pot are they giving away, if you don't mind?

I see my smart pot pic up on their website, I've since gone to hempy buckets but smart pots still have useful applications.

 

[fsaebud]

I've had excellent luck with Atlanta Lightbulbs. $45 for the Ushio DD400 watt conversion lamp. Fucker puts out the light smack dab in the sweetspot. You end up with stretchy sativas looking like squashed indicas.

atlanta lightblubs is the shit. i go in there and pick up my stuff instead of having it delivered makes it much much more safe instead of having it shiped to a house as far as a security risk gos and i can pay in cash. and they are way cheaper than what the hydro store charges.

do the ushio's explode when they go out (do they need a special hood to contain them)? do they have protection like the philips CMH's?

i was gonna ask them next time i go in there if they could get there hands on the Philips CMH i bet they can through there distributer either way i will let people know in this thread if they do.

 

[DeJa]

HEY GUYS

WHICH WOULD BE BEST?


dual digital 600 MH + SUPER HPS


or.


1kw hybrid bulb + 400w cmh


i know the dual 600 setup will be most efficient
but i want to know how much better the mixed cmh spectrum would be...

 

[minds_I]

Hello all,

Well, Its been 45 days and two harvests since I re-installed it on March 26th.

What can I say, the yield was down...significantly in both harvest with the last being the lightest.

My last harvest was down 20-25 percent.

As to the potentcy, well, I actually thoguht the first harvest was a bit leaker then usual...these are the plants that got the last three weeks of cmh.

I am smoking on the lastest harvest now...yes, I know a cure will imprive them but that is not in cards. It is better then the previous harvest but lighter in weight.

I do like the thermal benefits of the cmh.

With that said, if I had purchased the bulb for theraml properties I would have felt it was money well spent.

BUt I also purchased it for the superior plant growth...I have not realized it.


I think I would use this bulb in veg though and even early flower.

These are my experiences and conclusions.

Also, I do not think I was getting the penetration either but that is subjective as well.

minds_I

 

[onegreenday]

Divenosa Well what i mean is that many people have plants that have a big stretch when you go from using a mh in veg to hps in bud. In tight spaces this can be an issue for some more then others. But it's not so with the cmh. Also i mentioned above that the plants seem to be much sturdier then when grown under a hps in veg or a mh in veg. So what i found was it kept my plants a bit more compact and sturdier by using the cmh and also running it into my bloom cycle 12/12 for 1-3 weeks. (strain dependent) then i switched over to a 600w hps and finish 12/12 with that. Alot of his was because i was tryig so many different things.

yah if you r space restricted or have strains that stretch too much this CMH
may be the answer as the plants seem to grow slow & stay smaller than usual.
they do seem to run cooler.
not sure on the yield or potency since i've not flowered with them,
but I would think a fairer comparison for yield would be with a Metal Halide
as the spectrums are more similar than an HPS.

For quality comparing , you'd have to do side by side with similar clones.

 

[EvilMooseOfDoom]

Just received my 400W CMH bulb from Advanced Tech lighting - For what it's worth they're now including a complimentary Smart Pot with every purchase!

Cool, I just got my 400 Watt CHM from Advanced Tech and I didn't get ANYTHING but the bulb. Go figure..

 

[Seismic]

Cool, I just got my 400 Watt CHM from Advanced Tech and I didn't get ANYTHING but the bulb. Go figure..

I wouldn't worry, the pot they give you for free only cost like $3 anways

 

[onegreenday]

my CMH has about 500 hours and I noticed once & a while the light
color will turn or flash to a bright orange/red for a second or two and then go back to the usual color whitish.

It's been like that since new. I've seen it about 10 times & I don't spend a lot of time in the room so it must happen quite a bit more.

Do you think the bulb is defective? thanks.

 

[Pinball Wizard]

my CMH has about 500 hours and I noticed once & a while the light
color will turn or flash to a bright orange/red for a second or two and then go back to the usual color whitish.

It's been like that since new. I've seen it about 10 times & I don't spend a lot of time in the room so it must happen quite a bit more.

Do you think the bulb is defective? thanks.

I won't call that normal...but,...my eyes have flashbacks all the time...

I wouldn't sweat it ...for a second or two