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HPS & MH Bulb Questions!!

R

Rellikbuzz

Active member
Hey Folks- I am about to setup a 400 watt HPS/MH switchable system and had questions about the best bulbs for this system.

1st Question: With regards to MH bulbs, should I go with the Super Metal Halide bulb or just the regular MH bulb? What are the differences? Which brand of bulb have you had the best luck with? Is a 6500 kelvin spectrum the best for veg?

2nd Question: I have heard in several places that Hortilux HPS bulbs are the best. Should I just use the "EYE" brand for flower or should I use the "BLUE" HPS bulb which is significantly more expensive? Again, what would the differences be? It seems to me that added blue spectrum to a flowering bulb might be counter-productive to flowering. What do you think? Thanks in advance for the feedback people!! :confused:
 
G

Guest

MH in veg and HPS in flower

I use a 250w mh light to veg my clones and seedlings and then put them under two 600w hps Hortilux bulbs

I have a couple 100w mh lights I play with also in veg and for a broader spectrum in flower. Spend the money on better bulbs in my opinion and remember they start losing stregth immediately so you have to replace them with new bulbs about every third or fourth cycle(once a year or better for me).

Tex
 
R

Rellikbuzz

Active member
Hey Tex- I really appreciate your feedback as always. Do you have any thoughts on the difference between the Hortilux "EYE" HPS -vs- the "BLUE" HPS? The "BLUE" being almost double in price, I would like to know if you have any experience with either of these. And any thoughts on standard MH's -vs- Super MH's? Thanks.
 
G

Guest

I have both the "eye" and "blue" and there is a "red" out there as well.

I have used them all but not in a comparison mode so I don't know the better of the three. I have regular old bulbs here also from Home depot and local electrical supplier

http://www.1000bulbs.com/category.php?category=878

These guys are in Mesquite off Gross Road, so the freight is nothing and I believe you can pick up there also

Tex
 
G

Guest

This is the one I use all the time in my flower room.

Description: LU600/HORTILUX EYE, Enhanced Performance High Pressure Sodium

600 Watts
Hortilux By Eye International
High Pressure Sodium
Mogul Base
Bulb Type ET-18
Length 9.75 in.
Diameter 2.250 in.
Kelvin 2100
CRI 25
ANSI S51
Universal Operating Position
Average Life Hours 16,000
Approximate Initial Lumens 102,000
Approximate Mean Lumens 87,000
Case Quantity 12

I will have to look at all my light info tonight and see what other ones are still out there available

Here is a link to the site with the "red" spectrum mh bulbs
http://www.1000bulbs.com/category.php?category=1046

Tex
 
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G

Guest

Solarmax, Gavita, and Osram Plantastar are some other high end bulbs for horticulture.

Tex
 
G

Guest

LIGHT IS LIFE - OSRAM PLANTASTAR


Heat and light are essential for the health and well being of all living organism. For plants, however, light is the source of life itself. For most plants, the sun is the natural source of light. However, there is an increasing trend amongst gardeners and horticulturalists to use artificial light in order to promote growth. OSRAM South Africa has many solutions for plant lighting.
Light intensity is a decisive factor in the growth and development of plants. Inadequate intensity leads to abnormal elongation, smaller leaves and inhibited chlorophyll formation. The composition of light can also damage plants: for example, too many blue-violet rays can retard, and too many red or infrared rays accelerate, linear growth.
Lamps for market gardening
The elongated design of the fluorescent tube makes it particularly effective for lighting large surface areas, especially in very low roofed greenhouses where the distance between the light source and the exposed material is relatively small.
The OSRAM FLUORA tube was specially developed for plant lighting as it emits rays mainly in the blue and red ranges and is thus ideal for the photo biological process. Other OSRAM lamps are also ideal for plant lighting, such as the Powerstar HQI metal halide lamp, the Violox Nav high-pressure sodium lamp and the Vialox Planta high-pressure sodium lamp.
In comparison to other economical light sources, the metal halide lamps' spectrum comes closest to daylight. They are particularly suitable for lighting and growing plants when intensive lighting is required. The Nav high-pressure sodium lamps are used very successfully in horticulture, although they emit mainly yellow-red radiation.
 
ezozo

ezozo

Member
hortilux is type/company they have MH and HPS
very high lumes per watts but not full spectrum.

zozo
 
G

Guest

Hortilux I think is just a brand name of a bulb made by "Eye International" a company in Europe somewhere. I think

Tex
 
G

Guest

Rbuzz, local service is always nice and they are cheap.The billing is an open commercial account or at least mine is there, I send in an purchase order and recieve everything in as facilities maintanance or something. Slides right under the radar.hehe. The lesson, always have a legit business to cloud the appearence of industrial type products ie.fans, nutes, lights, plumbing items, a/c, compressors.

Ezo, I think they still need a ballast and igniter in order work.
Here is the budget way http://www.1000bulbs.com/category.php?category=217 no housing so you can remote mount the ballast setup.

I run these also, but the 100w mh versions

http://www.1000bulbs.com/category.php?category=726

Tex
 
B

badmf

Active member
The blue in the bulbs is not counter-productive but helps controll stretching and lessens the need for the old two bulb set-ups. the blue spectrum will weaken at about 9 months as the regular hps will still be good for much longer. Mh bulbs rarely last a year w/o significant lumen loss. HPS will go for 1 1/2 years if kept cool when running. As far as bulbs go I use the Hortilux and have used the EYE too not much difference to me.
 
ezozo

ezozo

Member
Thanks TK.
badmf > you are saying that you didn't see any diff with Hortilux to HPS ?
If I have Son Argo 430W more then a year I don't have the blue spectrum any more ?

mmmm
zozo
 
B

badmf

Active member
Correct the blue lasts about the same as the regular mh bulbs, I got this from the co's rep! Now I was not checking on 430's as I only have 600's and 1k's. The only way to tell is to have a spectrum analyzer or to check lumen output but you must be accurate in measuring these. I bought a lumens meter a couple years back and it has paid for itself in that I don't replace until necss. or wait too long, a worse problem!
 
H

HerbWeedman

Member
badmf said:
The blue in the bulbs is not counter-productive but helps controll stretching and lessens the need for the old two bulb set-ups. the blue spectrum will weaken at about 9 months as the regular hps will still be good for much longer. Mh bulbs rarely last a year w/o significant lumen loss. HPS will go for 1 1/2 years if kept cool when running. As far as bulbs go I use the Hortilux and have used the EYE too not much difference to me.
Click to expand...

badmf-Everything I'm reading says Eye and Hortilux are the same HPS bulb with blue spectrum enhancement. Eye is the company name whom makes Hortilux lamps for HPS fixtures (and others) not a different bulb to compare a Hortilux to (you're comparing a Company Name to their Product). Perhaps you're comparing the Hortilux to the son Agro? Eye makes Ultra Ace and Metal Ace conversion bulbs too.
 
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