Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH)

[gnarly]

Ok guys,
Sorry to ask a question where the answer might be here, but its over 80 pages and I've browsed like 15 and haven't gotten a solid feeling of an answer out of this so I'm just gonna ask and hope I get an answer. I want to add a 400w CMH setup from the plug in the wall (timer) to the bulb in the hood.

1) What commonly known (US side, at least) 400w ballasts and hoods will support a 400w CMH bulb?

2) Where can I buy a 400w CMH bulb and is there anything specific I need to know about it?

I can buy most brands/types of ballasts locally. Be it lumatek, galaxy, etc.... I don't mind ordering the bulb, but I would prefer to buy a ballast locally.

Please help.

 

[Grow Tech]

My understanding is that most CMH bulbs will run on a HPS ballast of the same wattage. Please double check this before you spend $$

 

[Cali smoke]

My understanding is that most CMH bulbs will run on a HPS ballast of the same wattage. Please double check this before you spend $$

the 250w and 400w cmh bulbs are retrofit to be used in hps magnetic ballasts.

 

[SatoriSOG]

would electronic ballasts be a bit better for the cmh bulbs? or are they designed specifically around magnetic ballasts?

 

[FreezerBoy]

Which CMH bulb are you talking about? Check the ANSI code on Bulb and Ballast to find your match.

 

[simba]

heya..
Philips Ceramic Metal Halide MasterColor is available in
20-400 watts
20-150 watt PCMH's run on Pulsed start Metal Halide Ballasts Only
250-400 are avail in PS MH or HPS retro..
(we chose HPS retro for many reasons for horti)
the 250 and 400 "HPS Retro White Ceramic Metal Halide" are specifically designed for use in HPS Magnetic Core Ballasts..
cmh bulbs will run on a electronic ballast only if that electronic ballasts Specifically says for use with Ceramic Bulb on the actual ballasts..
actually cmh like the low Freq of Mag core ballasts over High Freq Electronic ballasts.
there preferred range is 144-240Hz mag core ballasts is 60hz

 

[FreezerBoy]

If I were King, the above post would be edited into either Simba's first Post or stolen by MPL for editing into the very first post.

 

[simba]

what surprises me.. is not to many people coming back and posting results.. vs how many readers and what i know has moved..
like they grow find it works and keep quite.. cmone show ur cmh results..
FB, Done and done..(i had a nice new first page but i forgot to upload it and then erased my flash drive ;( )

 

[barletta]

Here's a result......

BOO-YAH!!

lol, I bought a 400 to add to my 400 hps, and I love it. I bought a sunleaves ballast, and with like 12' of cord to the lamp, NEVER has a problem firing. The plants stay smaller, leaves and stems (and I assume roots) get fatter, and the plants process nutes more quickly (notice on the flush). I do like to start the plants under the hps to gets em to stretch a lil...

CMH makes for EASY pics.....

Spice ~45 days

I will throw some more CMH love here once they get the uploads fixed..

 

[javtfs]

hello Barletta,

Can you explain me how have added your cmh to your hps? I am planning to add a 150 hps to my 400 CMH once I have started 12 /12 . I can put both bulbs in the same reflector . is that your case ??


Thanks a lot

Here's a result......

BOO-YAH!!

lol, I bought a 400 to add to my 400 hps, and I love it. I bought a sunleaves ballast, and with like 12' of cord to the lamp, NEVER has a problem firing. The plants stay smaller, leaves and stems (and I assume roots) get fatter, and the plants process nutes more quickly (notice on the flush). I do like to start the plants under the hps to gets em to stretch a lil...

CMH makes for EASY pics.....

Spice ~45 days

I will throw some more CMH love here once they get the uploads fixed..

 

[FreezerBoy]

what surprises me.. is not to many people coming back and posting results..

I hang my head in shame and chastisement.

No pics of my previous setup or grows but, I went from a 150HPS Rockwool F&D to a 250CMH DWC. Obviously I can't give all credit to CMH but I went from measuring colas against my thumb to measuring with my forearms.

The PVC frame is 29" long (74.6 mm). Check those cola's on the right and in the rear.



T*Haze x Skunk #1, I smoked liberally along the way, perhaps as much as 20% of the potential yield. I pulled 4.2 oz after water cure and aggressive trimming. Had I kept my hands off and jar cured, yield may have been as high as 8 oz.

 

[Cali smoke]

here's my og kush x afghani kush (center) and satori (left) right before harvest.

my 2nd grow ever, didn't have an intake fan and temps were consistently in the high 90's Fahrenheit. Yield suffered because of it, but I'm happy with what I got.

^Satori

^OGK x Afghani Kush

^The new grow (kryptonite ogk sfv bx1)

 

[MPL]

Read the very first post in the thread. Also read the second one.

Ok guys,
Sorry to ask a question where the answer might be here, but its over 80 pages and I've browsed like 15 and haven't gotten a solid feeling of an answer out of this so I'm just gonna ask and hope I get an answer. I want to add a 400w CMH setup from the plug in the wall (timer) to the bulb in the hood.

1) What commonly known (US side, at least) 400w ballasts and hoods will support a 400w CMH bulb?

2) Where can I buy a 400w CMH bulb and is there anything specific I need to know about it?

I can buy most brands/types of ballasts locally. Be it lumatek, galaxy, etc.... I don't mind ordering the bulb, but I would prefer to buy a ballast locally.

Please help.

 

[MPL]

The information is in the first and second posts and has been for quite awhile now. It is a bit general, but it does say what will and will not work with which lamp.

If I were King, the above post would be edited into either Simba's first Post or stolen by MPL for editing into the very first post.

 

[MPL]

lol that sucks! Ironic, since I was working on a new first post as well but lost it when my laptop OS crashed.

what surprises me.. is not to many people coming back and posting results.. vs how many readers and what i know has moved..
like they grow find it works and keep quite.. cmone show ur cmh results..
FB, Done and done..(i had a nice new first page but i forgot to upload it and then erased my flash drive ;( )

 

[Murphy]

Here's a few just before the chop. DJ's Grape Krush

 

[MPL]

I really wish they'd hurry up and release a 600w or 1kw CMH lamp. I think it will do exponentially better as intensity increases.

 

[JohnnyToke]

Problem.

I have 2 x 400 cmh's in my grow. I'm in flower so when they fire up, both burn bright. When I get home at the end of the day to check on them, one bulb is burning about half as bright as the other. This has happened 2 days in a row.

This bulb is about 6 months old. Is the bulb going bad or is it the ballast? I have sunlight supply 400w hps ballast driving it.

Anyone else had this happen?

JT

Followup: swapped bulbs and was getting the same dimming. The ballast has a problem. swapped ballast with a backup I had on hand and it works fine.

 

[gnarly]

Read the very first post in the thread. Also read the second one.

I know it probably felt good to put on a smarmy smile and whip your reply out. I'm not an idiot man. Let me re-post my exact same question again.

1) What commonly known (US side, at least) 400w ballasts and hoods will support a 400w CMH bulb?

2) Where can I buy a 400w CMH bulb and is there anything specific I need to know about it?


Now... #1 is not answered in the first two posts. It says magnetic, not electric, and it says ANSI S50 and S51. None of that information tells me a COMMONLY KNOWN BALLAST/HOOD name does it? The brands 'lumatek' and 'galaxy' come to mind....

As for #2, I scanned around that site for a while and did not originally find that you can buy the bulbs there, but I just did a minute ago. So at least I know where I can get the bulb.. Thanks.

Am I to assume that any 400w magnetic ballast will work?

 

[simba]

gnarly, i don't think mpl meant it meanly..

a s50 or s51 ballast is the Common Ballast Code and standards for ballasts here in the usa..

basically you need a basic HPS magnetic Ballast (a cheapo 400 watt hps ballast will do)
in a horticulture shop any 250 or 400 hps Magnetic core (standard style Not electronic) style ballast will work (IE NO LUMETEK OR GALAXY OR FUTURBRITE if it says electronic ballast run)

sorry i dont think i saw ur post or i woulda replied earlier to it..