Keep my see 1k hps or switch to cmh???

[Itsmychoice]

I have a room running two of the de 630 bulbs and 2 hlg 550 quantum boards to see what happens. After this run I am going to change out the de bulbs for some 1000s with the same clone to see how production compares.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=355655

I have run two 315s over a 4x5 for a year or so in another room with decent results but in my experience the de 1000s are better but mainly because they cover a 5x5 with a quality reflector. The single vertical bulb 315 fixtures might be good for your 3x3 trays if you keep the plants short.

 

[sturgeongeneral]

I'm looking to give the 630s a go just because I need some penetration. The strains I run range from 1.5 to 3 4 ft at finish. I'm looking at the cmh due to being closer to a full spectrum light.

 

[stoney917]

How is your environment controlled???? Got the size of the room but how is it cooled ? How much air movement? Co2 or air exchanges??? I see you got flood tables above your Rez, u loose a shit ton of height which u really don't have @7ft ... u married to flood and drain??? Get the Rez out that's a lb 12in of more weed of plant height per light right there.. Lights are only part of it , and really those umbrella hoods kick as I'd just get another one of them or 2 1k de dimable and a 4x8 or 2 4x4s put them on casters and expect 2per easily... if ya don't drop ya tables look into the 315s they work great 3-4 in that space would run much cooler then 2 1ks... and a more efficient... in spaces like yours u got comfort or production certain things like casters help both but ya really gotta pick depends on what's more important i would just have my tables or plants in saucers on bricks or 2x4s on the ground and run a 5x9 trellis across the room under 2k . Work won't be fun especially defoliation really sucks but other then that let it do its thing ... your yield will go way up

 

[mean mr.mustard]

Would you consider 6 315's?

 

[sturgeongeneral]

Stoney that's kind of what I was thinking. But I'm so used to flood and drain and the simplicity of it, if hate to change it up too much and mess everything up. Air wise I have air constantly coming I. And going out. No timed exchanges. Cold air from outside, hot air from in the room circulates into the house ducting. For me Im A production over comfort person. The umbrellas kick ass but I want to add another 3x3 tray and have 9x3 canopy and my room can't handle another 1k addition to cover all 3... I'm not opposed to 6 315s but I feel like I'd get better bang for my buck with 3 630s 1 o er each tray..

 

[heatherlonglee]

Don't get CMH, unless your'e primarily making the move for energy reduction; otherwise you'll be disappointed. If weight is your #1 priority HPS is still at the top. Quantum Boards are close; no ability to go extra Blue/UV light last 20 days of flower is biggest limiting factor. Adding a 3rd tray and reducing temperature won't be easy. If you can put your 3rd tray into over lapping light from the lights you already have. I'd just drop a Quantum Board in between. The board will outperform your expectations; the main limiting factor with the boards is they aren't capable of changing spectrums. The Quantum Boards still put out significant heat that will be in your grow room because the way ballast is wired with the heatsink and led's all together. A 4k Quantum similar to these maybe?

https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/collections/kits/products/320w-xl-qb-v2-led-kit
https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/products/hlg-550

Again if I where you I'd add one of the Quantum Boards listed above and focus more on how you can control temperature in your grow room. Maybe move the 1k ballast's I see in photo into another space, air cool that one hood, get creative with fan placement. As you already know HPS won't disappoint on weight. Keep what gear you already have and go back and look at those MH Blue bulbs. Then reconsider if you think you really need all new ballast/hood to run very similar bulbs; that have been available for years pre CMH. lol

The best way to grow dank weight is still HPS, then last 20 days finish with MH Blue. If you aren't willing to change bulbs at the end of flower; just go all out on the Quantum Boards, and drop the HPS/MH ballast and hoods. If you don't change bulbs the last 20 days of flower you won't gain anything with HPS that Quantum Boards can't do.

 

[heatherlonglee]

Spectral Analysis of the Philips Elite Agro 315W Ceramic Metal Halide Lamp Conducted by
Utah State University’s Crop Physiology Laboratory

"The CMH lamp has a more uniform spectral output than the other widely used lamps for plant growth lighting. This is often a significant advantage in lighting for humans, but it is not necessarily an advantage for plants, since the energy absorbed at one wavelength can be transferred to reaction centers and effectively used for photosynthesis."

https://www.cycloptics.com/sites/default/files/USU_spectral_analysis.pdf

 

[DrDee]

I'm looking to give the 630s a go just because I need some penetration. The strains I run range from 1.5 to 3 4 ft at finish. I'm looking at the cmh due to being closer to a full spectrum light.

SG...I understand your desire to keep E&F. It's easy and plants like it. But for headroom, it's not the best. You could drop those trays almost to the ground and go drain to waste. Just a thought.

My other thought is to somehow incorporate a light mover or two into your room...that would allow somewhat improved coverage but more importantly you could space light a little closer to maximize vertical space.
JD

 

[St. Phatty]

Nice to see a Rockwool set up in Ebb & Flow trays !!!

To lower the temps, just increase airflow. Unless your outside air is 95 degrees, that should do it.

To have cool incoming air, it can affect how you set up the light schedule.

 

[Itsmychoice]

I think I would get 2 of the acde sun system hoods and take the lenses off and duct them out to be your exhaust. They will cover 5x9 perfect and 4 pounds will be easy with an occasional 6 when it all goes just right. I would consider putting the containers on the floor though. I have some of the sun system 630. They are two 315 bulbs and they are horizontally mounted. The single 315s mounted vertically do much better and wouldn’t be a bad option with your ceiling. They cover 2.5x2.5 in flower so it would take 6 or 8 which is pricey. The 550 quantums are doing well.

 

[digging]

Check this thread out on a comparison grow between 630 watt CMH and 1000 watts HPS.

Very interesting read

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=352859

 

[sturgeongeneral]

Phatty where I'm at during the summer it's 100 plus degrees and still 80 at night so I switch to house ac as my intake bit even then I can only run 1k during the summer. I want to run 3 trays year round and not have to shut 2 down during summer.

 

[stoney917]

Stoney that's kind of what I was thinking. But I'm so used to flood and drain and the simplicity of it, if hate to change it up too much and mess everything up. Air wise I have air constantly coming I. And going out. No timed exchanges. Cold air from outside, hot air from in the room circulates into the house ducting. For me Im A production over comfort person. The umbrellas kick ass but I want to add another 3x3 tray and have 9x9 canopy and my room can't handle another 1k addition to cover all 3... I'm not opposed to 6 315s but I feel like I'd get better bang for my buck with 3 630s 1 o er each tray..

In order for a 9x9 u would need 9 trays 3 rows of 3 I thought ya were gonna do 3 3x3s which gives you 3x9 = 27 , 4x8=32 , 4x8 = more weed!!! Now take that and put 2 umbrellas get rid of that other reflector... or if ya still gonna flood n drain and think it's gonna have height issues 4 315s got a buddy with a similar setup except he has 3 315s per 4x8 and top feeds RW to waste n with the right mix is less maintenance then flood n drain ... he pulls about 2.5-3 off that tray using just under 1k . I'd stick with 2 1ks n redesign your layout, either way go to the 4x8 or 2 4x4s in the middle build a low profile table with some 2x4s on wheels you will definitely improve your yield no matter what lights you go with...

 

[sturgeongeneral]

I can only fit 3 3x3 trays in my room and still have room to work. At the time I have an extra 3x3 tray just sitting so I wouldn't have to buy another tray
I do have another umbrella sitting but I'm thinking the full spectrum from cmh may help my overall quality... I did the math wrong on 9x9..it'd be 9x3. Not sure what you mean by 27? If that's a plant count??? I run 20 some in the 3x3s as is with a 1ft flip and 2 to 3 ft finish height...

 

[Itsmychoice]

If 3x9 is the size, I would go with 3 hlg 550 quantum boards. That will be a great combination of coverage, production and spectrum/quality for that foot print. The heat will be manageable and they fit tight to the ceiling so you can keep the reservoirs underneath.

 

[sturgeongeneral]

Right now $825 per leds a little more than I'm looking to spend.

 

[sturgeongeneral]

Right now $825 per leds a little more than I'm looking to spend. Currently with my res underneath I can have 3.5 to 4 ft plants with my 1k. My res and tray on top eat up about 1.5 -2 ft

 

[sturgeongeneral]

If I was to go 630, I'd have 2 2.5 ft from light to canopy if I keep the plants limited to 3 ft which is about my normal finishing height unless I extend veg.

 

[Itsmychoice]

A 630 over each tray would be productive on 3’ plants, can’t wait to see it. I tried to stretch their footprint to 4x5 with 5’ plants and it didn’t do what I was used to. Can’t wait to watch how it goes.

 

[DrDee]

If I was to go 630, I'd have 2 2.5 ft from light to canopy if I keep the plants limited to 3 ft which is about my normal finishing height unless I extend veg.

Hi SG.
Been reading a bit about cmh and have two 315s waiting in my new room.

2.5' is a very conservative number. I think you could run closer to 1.5' which would give a little extra headroom...
JD