Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH)

[Jhhnn]

They're both new technologies in lighting that are more efficient than their predecessors. The DE are nice lamps at 2100k; the last I read they were being removed from the consumer market tho. So if that happens, it'll be tougher to get them and the price will go up. But still I prefer CDM tho(or MH) at 3-4k...just cause I like the better visibility, and I prefer the ingredients in the arc.

I have a box of 860w lamps. I've only fired a few to check them, but haven't used them per say. Logic tells me it's an excellent source of light for plant growth start to finish. CDM860 is at 3700k and has a good amount of red. I like being able to see the plants without having to turn things on or off, etc. I like good visibility to monitor their health closely.

I've grown veg through repro, with great results, with 4k 400w CDM. I can't see 860w and slightly more red not working out.

If your box of lamps came from Canblack on Ebay, fire them all for 15-30 min each. They don't react well to being hammered by the USPS, & he's very good about replacing any damaged in transit. What he might lack in packaging he makes up for with service.

Just sayin', ya know?

 

[Avinash.miles]

i've gone through this long ass thread but either missed or forgotten about it, but has anyone run the same cut under cmh and hps and what were the differences between the two?

you should do that

 

[Ttystikk]

you should do that

I am doing that. I'm doing it with the ladies in the same room with the same conditions with their feet wet in the same RDWC, and I'm also doing a room vs room head to head. Same strains all 'round. Time will tell...

 

[Jhhnn]

I am doing that. I'm doing it with the ladies in the same room with the same conditions with their feet wet in the same RDWC, and I'm also doing a room vs room head to head. Same strains all 'round. Time will tell...

Excellent. We need more of that. I'm just in no position to do it myself, unfortunately.

 

[Avinash.miles]

I am doing that. I'm doing it with the ladies in the same room with the same conditions with their feet wet in the same RDWC, and I'm also doing a room vs room head to head. Same strains all 'round. Time will tell...

link to the thread?
def would be a valuable addition to everything we talk about here to have some documentation of such an experiment....

thanks ttystikk

 

[Ttystikk]

link to the thread?
def would be a valuable addition to everything we talk about here to have some documentation of such an experiment....

thanks ttystikk

It's my silo thread, the one in my signature line.

 

[Drek]

If your box of lamps came from Canblack on Ebay, fire them all for 15-30 min each. They don't react well to being hammered by the USPS, & he's very good about replacing any damaged in transit. What he might lack in packaging he makes up for with service.

Just sayin', ya know?

Hey JH. I actually fired 3 of them for about 15 minutes each. Enough to heat 'em up. Mine had very small glass shards in them. Some the quartz protection tubes had fine cracks in them, but nothing was broken per say. He added extra newspaper packed in the box. I actually sent him an email but I didn't hear back. But anyways, three of them worked fine, so whatever. I left positive feedback. Seemed like a nice guy.

 

[Ttystikk]

Latest update from Canblack; he's sending six bulbs to replace the four defective ones. If there was any lack of perceived customer service, it's entirely my fault for not knowing how to use eBay. I'm sure I'll see them soon and we'll see how the rest of this goes.

 

[Drek]

Did your defective ones just not fire?

 

[Jhhnn]

Did your defective ones just not fire?

I suspect that the tiny glass shards in HID bulbs are pretty common. I have a used horti acquired in a deal that has the same thing. The bulb works fine. Cracked inner tubes are something else entirely.

Dunno about Ttystikk's defective 860's, but 2 of the 330's I acquired strobed insanely once warmed up while 1 had a broken internal frame. I didn't trust any of 'em once I saw that. It's easy for me to test 'em because I have spare stuff so I did, Miles' 860's as well.

 

[Drek]

I figured those shards were part of manufacturing as well. I'm guessing it's when they attach the male mogul connector to the bulb. The bulbs I got seemed ok. Nothing broken, and like I mentioned, he added extra packing and newspaper in each bulb package and throughout the box. I ordered mine after you; did yours come with newspaper all stuffed with the lamps and in the box?

I know yours were damaged. Mine are all in storage now, so they're all packed away. 3 worked, so I figured that was enough testing. I need to update my 1k ballast as well, if I ever decide to run 1. It's probe and grunted pretty hard each time it started a bulb, there's a bit of breakdown in the lams as well I think, as it seems a bit too noisy.

 

[Jhhnn]

I figured those shards were part of manufacturing as well. I'm guessing it's when they attach the male mogul connector to the bulb. The bulbs I got seemed ok. Nothing broken, and like I mentioned, he added extra packing and newspaper in each bulb package and throughout the box. I ordered mine after you; did yours come with newspaper all stuffed with the lamps and in the box?

I know yours were damaged. Mine are all in storage now, so they're all packed away. 3 worked, so I figured that was enough testing. I need to update my 1k ballast as well, if I ever decide to run 1. It's probe and grunted pretty hard each time it started a bulb, there's a bit of breakdown in the lams as well I think, as it seems a bit too noisy.

His packing improved w/ each shipment. The first box just got hammered badly by the USPS. At the price, it's probably easier for him to cover losses than to pack a box in a box using addl material.

My switchable 1000w ballast did kinda grunt firing off the 860's, but it was first time every time. My 400w ballasts are industrial salvage MH pulse starts which fire the 330's with ease. My current spare 1000 is set up for HPS only & it runs noisier. I need to open it up & rework it to a switchable configuration- 120/240 as part of my planned rework, so I might as well make it HPS/MH at the same time. Easy-peasy when you have the tools & you've done as much wire work as I have.

 

[redclover]

I have two 860s with shattered glass. I talked to the rep and Phil engineer on 3 way. I'ts just some normal shit in HID like prev mentioned.

I've done comparisons between HPS and CMH. Both would be an amazing combo...

CMH-stretch
HPS-tits
CMH-last 2 weeks for hard tits.

 

[Ttystikk]

I'm still waiting for my replacements. We've emailed back and forth and I should get them next week.

 

[Ttystikk]

Did your defective ones just not fire?

I had two with damaged quartz liners, that wouldn't stop fragments from an exploding CDM pit from rupturing the outer glass envelope. Two more actually exploded as they warmed up on their initial firing- but were contained.

Tracking says the replacement box should be here Monday. I told him that if five or even all six survived the trip, I'd pay him for the extras.

I really like the ones I'm running now, and I just spent last night rearranging ballasts so all my digital and HPS only units are grouped in one space, a room I'm finishing and should have loaded and running in a week or two.

If you smell a head to head coming, you smelled right!

 

[Drek]

Wow. So, did they go off with a bang? lol ..I'm assuming no one was hurt, thankfully. They are wired up pretty good so...
A few of mine had very small, fine cracks in the inner envelope but none were broken outright.

Delicate lamp. Doesn't like shipping.

 

[Ttystikk]

Wow. So, did they go off with a bang? lol ..I'm assuming no one was hurt, thankfully. They are wired up pretty good so...
A few of mine had very small, fine cracks in the inner envelope but none were broken outright.

Delicate lamp. Doesn't like shipping.

The quartz liner did its job- the only sound I heard was a muffled 'pop'. The blast completely destroyed the quartz liner but the wire that supported it and the aforementioned outer envelope were both intact.

Coincidentally or not, both of those popped in the vertical hanging from the ceiling position, not the less common upright base down orientation.

 

[Avinash.miles]

just harvested from under the 860w vert bare bulb that was put in with plants on their 4th week of flowering, replaced a 600 w HPS,
easily hit an LB with 7 plants in a ring around the vert bare bulb.... grown using KISS method, maxi at 7g as base nute, added some MOAB (0-50-30) in weeks 2 and 4&5. plus floralicious and some silica protekt.

so far so good with the 860w

 

[Drek]

Nice. Any photo updates for the vert thread?

860w CDM should stand shoulder to shoulder with 1000w HPS PPFD wise(give or take a few trillion photons), yet with way better visibility.

 

[Ttystikk]

Nice. Any photo updates for the vert thread?

860w CDM should stand shoulder to shoulder with 1000w HPS PPFD wise(give or take a few trillion photons), yet with way better visibility.

That visibility really counts for a lot, especially when spotting problems.

I believe the CDM is both more efficient and more effective than HPS, and the HPS only room to prove it one way or the other is almost done. So far, any HPS thouie in a room with CDM bulbs is just not getting the same fan(leaf) club as the CDM crowd.

Here's what a bulb looks like after it goes 'pop';