Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH)

[messn'n'gommin']

Megas, as for late flower, they just fatten up so much, esp in response to red light during that time it's hard to beat HPS... the need for Violet/blue light tapers off the later you get into flower, esp indica--just my opinion
FlyinHawaiian, I'd say you're in luck. If you paid with a CC they'll go to bat for you at the drop of a hat. Just call your credit card company and let them know the situation.
Sorry if I was repeating myself Mods! Im sure all of Megas questions were answered somewhere in this 220pg thread I was just trying to make it simple for them. Advtech has been mentioned 100's of times I was just trying to make sure no one read an earlier page and ordered from them. It seems many people are having problems and ebay has them for much cheaper.

Just my but, anecdotal posts seem to indicate two differing takes on CMH or HPS in flower. It all seems to come down to either quality or quantity. CMH having more than a few positive comments as to quality and HPS more positive comments as to yield. Me? I'm using two 250's for about a 2x3 canopy. I grow more than I need. So, yield is ok, but, an increase in quality, at least for me, is more important than quantity. I can certainly understand that if somebody was growing commercially the trade off is another story. Regardless the problems ATL may be having, I still believe in the lamp and will just have to source another vendor. But, I am seriously thinking the next time around, I will use an old 400watt ballast and bulb for the last two weeks of flower and supplement with UV and see what happens. Yeah...that peeks my interest.

Namaste, mess

 

[Sparky 6]

OK well I found some ballasts at 1000bulbs.com. Which of these are recommended?

http://www.1000bulbs.com/150-Watt-Metal-Halide-Ballast/

Can anyone help this guy?

 

[Bass Akwards]

Length of Wires ...

Length of Wires ...

There have been no responses to our question about whether CMH bulbs can function to their designed parameters with connections longer than 3 ft. between the ballast & the socket.

All the "grow-light" ballast kits, those manufactured for the Hydro industry, have substantially longer leads.

What's the story here?

Is heavier gauge stranded wire the answer?

Long enough wire to allow CMH bulbs to be hung on a mover?

 

[MEnSouRdeeZ]

messn'n'gommin, for whatever it may help I torched a crop once introducing UVB late in flower, all trichs went amber too fast and it wasn't a success. Many crops later, I use heavy UVB in mid/late veg and early flower, and taper off UVB through flower to very little the last two weeks. I use violet/blue light on a similar schedule. (I have CMH's, LED's, broadband UVB fluoros, and HPS, I use all at diff stages. Not to brag I am just a lighting enthusiast!) Hope this helps your future trials!

Bass akwards- The distance you speak of is determined by the ignitor in your kit. Howard Industries are made in China, others like Sylvania, GE, Advance (philips) are US parts assembled in Mexico. Ignitor's often have something like "10 ft max to lamp" on them, if so this will tell you their maximum distance from ignitor to lamp.

Sorry Sparky not sure about the 150's

 

[Sparky 6]

Sorry Sparky not sure about the 150's

No problem someone will know. I've been adding up the parts in my head and this 150 watter won't be cheap. It'll be quality though.

Ballasts and there's a box for it there too
http://www.1000bulbs.com/150-Watt-Metal-Halide-Ballast/

Socket and cord
http://www.htgsupply.com/viewproduct.asp?productID=52206

Bulb and reflector from wherever.

 

[messn'n'gommin']

messn'n'gommin, for whatever it may help I torched a crop once introducing UVB late in flower, all trichs went amber too fast and it wasn't a success. Many crops later, I use heavy UVB in mid/late veg and early flower, and taper off UVB through flower to very little the last two weeks. I use violet/blue light on a similar schedule. (I have CMH's, LED's, broadband UVB fluoros, and HPS, I use all at diff stages. Not to brag I am just a lighting enthusiast!) Hope this helps your future trials!

Thank you, for that! I have a report somewhere that mentions a VLFR of <1 mmol UV irradiance for the plant to initiate an attack response. My last grow, I used it moderately throughout flower and was surprised when >95%/<5% cloudy/amber went 20ish%/80ish% in like two or three days. That is food for thought.

No no, not bragging, impressive! I can appreciate the "light enthusiast" aspect!

Interesting about Howard. I wouldn't have thought that. Yeah, most ignitors I have seen were rated for 2' (I have seen them rated up to 50' but more $) and "over-engineered" (for lack of a better term) making for longer power cords to the lamp. Even then, one could just use longer leads and move the ignitor, but, one had best know what they're doing!.

Thanks, again

Namaste, mess

 

[Big Beans]

Got my 2 blbs from advance tech lighting. Beautiful, slightly cooler and very white.
1 x 250w and 1 x 400w horizontal

Got stung for £20 through customs though

 

[FreezerBoy]

There have been no responses to our question about whether CMH bulbs can function to their designed parameters with connections longer than 3 ft. between the ballast & the socket.

I recall it being answered several times. The 250 doesn't suffer like the 400. My 250 was separated by some 12 feet until I had time to trim things up. Those with 400s, especially with HTG ballasts, were having the most problems.

 

[whatissixbynine]

.

 

[Bass Akwards]

Big blue letters ... we're impressed!

Big blue letters ... we're impressed!

read that as:
[ITS A FORUMS - READ DAMMIT!]

Wading through 200+ pages of postings shouldn't be a requirement.

and before there's any wining, i read TONZ

We'll just pretend that your Big Blue Whine never happened.

 

[ddd]

P.L. lights work great and I think their cord of 15 ft. Just buy a quality system and there should be no problems.

Do those smaller wattage CMH bulbs have the same spectrum as the 400s?

 

[FlyinHawaiian]

just to update you guys on my order from advtech I got a hold of him by phone, he said cuz im in hawaii there was a shipping error with their system and he didnt catch it so it never shipped, he said hes sorry and going to send it asap. i'll keep you guys updated, this buisness does seem like some guy working out of his basement lol.

 

[bbspills]

CMH for first weeks of flowering reduce streching?

CMH for first weeks of flowering reduce streching?

I read somewhere that using CMH for the first few weeks of flowering reduces stretching. Is this true?

 

[FreezerBoy]

There's a CMH thread around here somewhere. You and Bass should give it a read.

 

[MEnSouRdeeZ]

I don't understand this is a forum...
Think about when you click "contact" on a corporation's webpage and they make you read the FAQ before calling, and then you call to ask one of the questions already covered in the FAQ and they get pissed... We're on a stoner forum not a corporate FAQ page... give these guys a break eh?
Just got my CMH's in today .

bbspills-Yes they reduce stretching, it has to do with increased output in a very specific blue region that tells the plant to limit internodal stretching. I can't remember what wavelength it is, I just know that HPS lacks this wavelength almost entirely and CMH covers this wavelength (as it does every other visible wavelength!)

 

[MEnSouRdeeZ]

Thank you, for that! I have a report somewhere that mentions a VLFR of <1 mmol UV irradiance for the plant to initiate an attack response. My last grow, I used it moderately throughout flower and was surprised when >95%/<5% cloudy/amber went 20ish%/80ish% in like two or three days. That is food for thought.

No no, not bragging, impressive! I can appreciate the "light enthusiast" aspect!

Interesting about Howard. I wouldn't have thought that. Yeah, most ignitors I have seen were rated for 2' (I have seen them rated up to 50' but more $) and "over-engineered" (for lack of a better term) making for longer power cords to the lamp. Even then, one could just use longer leads and move the ignitor, but, one had best know what they're doing!.

Thanks, again

Namaste, mess

WOW, never thought of moving the ignitor.
I think I may try that, I am getting ready for summer, and I want my ballasts (and HPS bulbs, heh) as far away as possible! I'm going all CMH for the bulk of my lighting this summer!

 

[whiterasta]

here is a pic of two 1K ignitors moved to the J/B and wired to the 6' whip to the bulb

12/3 is used from the ballast with red hooking to X-3 (ignitor circuit) this config saves bulbs as well as ignitors.This config will improve any mag ballasts performance and lifespan and make CMH retro bulbs much happier during strike
WR

 

[binaryfission]

wooo. I'm more than halfway through this thread. i'm pretty sold at this point but the buds do look leafier in most pics. i'm hoping there is a true SOG before the thread is over. wish me luck. lol

 

[Climbinghigh]

I'm glad to see this thread is still alive. I was sold on the benefits of CMH from the beginning of it. I've done a couple small indoor grows with my 400w, SOG style in 1.5 gal pots, and I love it. the buds get fat and there's no more orange glow to adjust your eyes to.

But I was wondering if there would be any benefit to switching back to HPS near the end of flower? Was wondering if that would increase the red light or is it already covered by the CMH spectrum? If there is no good reason to, I will never use my HPS again.
Thanks.

 

[whiterasta]

Since the spectrum is so much more similar to sunlight the bud will look more "outdoor" finished under CMH to get that bald bud indoor look you could add HPS or substitute the last 30 days adding red. Or seriously cut N the last month and keep the P&K up helps cut the leaf production back quite a bit. I think a solid O/D strain would thrive vigorously CMH. I also think that land race strains would produce their full cannabinoid potential with the balanced spectrum and slightly added UV much more faithfully.
WR