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Philips 315w CDM Elite (CMH)
- Thread starter rives
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Dank Whisperer
Member
While not the direction I had intended to go, I pulled the trigger on a kit from ATL. I've got a Hammerhead reflector to throw it in for the time being, but I'm wondering if a broader reflector will give me a better 3x3 coverage if placed a little lower than the SS/Phantom types (specifically within a 4x4x7.5 alcove, entirely white floor/ceiling/walls with one side completely open). Most of the CMH reflectors seem to implement a more parabolic-type design, but I am highly resistant to using my OG reflector again.
Anyone have any thoughts? Especially those that may have played with different fixtures.
Anyone have any thoughts? Especially those that may have played with different fixtures.
Dank Whisperer
Member
Yeah yeah, I'm curious too, wondering what kind of footprint they make.
Only have one running in a fairly large room, so not a lot to say so far. That being said, the plants under them seem to be doing really well. Nice tight internodes, great color. I don't have a par meter (prolly need to invest in one) so can't take any actual uniformity readings.
Dank Whisperer
Member
I am currently meterless as well, but I've noticed with my OG that there is a pretty clear line of delineation where the projected light turns into a shadow. If you get the chance to snap a few pics of the Phantom's footprint (projected on a flat/level surface) w/ the bottom of the fixture at 3', 4', and 5', then I could use the ultra-scientific method of comparing their projections visually. Or, alternately, take measurements of the footprint with the reflector at the given heights, and relay that info -- if you could.
I'm super leery of any parabolic made by "big hydro" after (me AND my plants) getting burnt by the OG. I am very resistant to spending anymore money until I have an idea what I'm getting. If you're wanting to produce even light, then you would obviously need a symmetrical design, yet they insist on making everything square. Why? They don't want to spend money on: designing a proper round/symmetrical reflector (i.e. Greenbeams), only using materials with high enough tolerances (flatness, uniformity, etc.), making more precise jigs, higher quality control, yada yada yada. It's much easier (read: cheaper) to "computer model" and jig-up 5 cookie-cuttered flat pieces for spot welding.
The Cycloptics fixtures seem too diffusive to be used in small numbers (at least outside of a tent/closet). Also, that system is designed to be static, and for a dedicated grow space. I might not live in the same place for long enough to justify the setup each time. I wish they designed "stand alone" fixtures to cover given areas such as a 4x4,4x6, or whatever. I guess we'll see how the Hammerhead works with the 315w, as it's all I've got besides the OG.
I have a par meter. All I had was an Adjust a wing and Gavita triple star..I was using both for 600mh.. I'm using all of these to veg with. I didn't see the point in buying new reflectors. So far all doing fine.
the phantom hoods look like those "luxor" ones from sunlite supply, but im with PF, i have hoods/wings im plenty happy with....
Well, I finally finished drying & weighing the bounty from my first harvest under 630w of CDM. 606 grams of bud + an easy QP of popcorn & close trim. Different strains than my previous best of 505 grams using a 1000w dual arc. The soil, the blumats, the space & veg time remained the same. Dunno that it's really better, but it's def not worse. It's a big winner on power consumption, heat reduction & lower fan noise. Longer lamp life is just gravy on top. Def a good way to go for small growers who don't want to go beyond air cooling.
awesome results then.
the 315w is perfect for the small grower as well as a grower looking to add a bit more spectrum to their existing system. I've been really happy with my GB in a small veg system.
Truth is that I'm suffering from an embarrassment of riches. Santa will be generous.
Now that I've figured out how much I can produce I'm backing down from it because it's way more than we use. When I came back to growing with A64 I swore I'd never sell. I don't need the money or the paranoia. At current production rates, I don't trust enough people to let them know that I grow to give it away as fast as I can grow it. It's a weird problem, one I never imagined having. The answer is apparently to trust more & grow less, maybe make more ice water hash. My real concern is becoming a target for burglary. Word gets around, you know?
I've conquered any stash insecurities, that's for sure. I intend to explore some of the long flowering varieties & short veg periods because I really don't need the production. I won't start up again until well after the new year. I have other stuff I need to do & mods to the ventilation system I want to make.
Knowledge gained from this forum has been invaluable, your own contributions being an important part of it. Count yourself among the good guys.
I'm in exactly the same boat.
It's kind of a pain in the ass because I enjoy growing and it's easier to maintain any keeper strains if you roll from one grow to the next. I've got a closet full of vacuum-sealed 1/2 gallon mason jars.... I really don't smoke much anymore, but I use a lot of leaves in the coconut oil preparation that I make for topical use, and oddly, the buds have largely become a by-product. Giving it away is a very limited option - younger people are MUCH more open about their consumption, but old habits die hard!
Dank Whisperer
Member
For anyone ordering from ATL: Thomas does not ship for a certain period before Christmas due to an increase in damage that he's experienced during that time. I had ordered 5 days ago w/ no word back and was expecting a bit of a wait. A follow up email today garnered a prompt reply explaining his Christmas shipping policy and how he would have it out the following Monday. I guess his mother recently died too, so...
. Given his luck, anyone who wants anything from him had better hurry-up and buy it before a piano falls on his head.
Dank Whisperer
Member
Could you enlighten me on some of the details of your soil/veg situation (i.e. type of medium, amount of medium, length of veg, particular growing techniques if any), or let me know if the info is somewhere else? I ask because have a similar space (4x4x7.5, 3 sides/top/bottom all white, one side open) that I will be lighting with a 942 mogul base (for now) in a Hammerhead. I'm also curious about those pots and your experience w/ Blumats, but don't know if I should ask here -- and I can't PM yet, so... to be continued.
Dank Whisperer
Member
And if anyone is interested, I'll be doing a CMH and DE-HPS (semi)side-by-side. The room is L-shaped, so there will be minimal overlap. I'll have to properly document it, once I get the electrical done, and include the relevant aspects on this thread..
Ace's soil mix-
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showpost.php?p=7042671&postcount=4150
Blumats are pure freaking dynamite w/ that mix. Plants will go seed to harvest on water alone. It's extremely important to have a catch basin or floor drain in case of malfunction.
I veg 30 days or so in 1 gal pots w/ blumats, flip to 12/12, sex the seedlings after 10 days or so, up-pot to 5 gal root pouches. I went to them previously because of problems w/ soil mixes that didn't drain well. Don't let 'em get too big before going 12/12 because they'll explode into flowering.
Dunno how well a single 315 will work in your space. I'd keep the plants close to the light, not more than 18" away.
I'm retired w/ time on my hands in Colorado where it's legal to grow so I put some time, effort & money into it all. As a relic & a refugee from the 60's the fact that I can do that is pretty amazing. Check the pics in my albums for some of the details.
Dank Whisperer
Member
Thanks a lot. I've been checking the pictures, and if I'm asking about anything that's posted elsewhere then please let me know.
My problem has been having my veg pots (plastic) being limited to .75 gal plastic so I could pack them under my custom CFL veg light. Delays in transplanting meant likelihood for being pot-bound to the point of making it difficult for new roots to make it out of the ball, so my recent investment in CMH is to facilitate a one-transplant-grow, going from 4"x4"x3"h plastic to 5 gallon fabric pots. I notice a denser and more even rootball w/ the fabric pots, as opposed to plastic which create larger roots circling the outside with sparser growth in the middle.
My personal philosophy is that "zero stress creates the best", and I've made an effort w/ my current grow to minimize restriction to root growth. With Blumats in my future, I might just germinate in 5 gallons.
With the overall root-mass determining the plants yield (also the extent of the "explosion"), I'm wondering if it wouldn't behoove you to go into 3 gallon pots, 2-3 weeks before flipping. I think you'd be pulling a smaller number of bigger/better buds w/o needing a machete to get into the room. Instead of allowing the explosion to occur everywhere, focus it to the part of the canopy that lies in the 315s sweet spot depth-wise. You'd be still be limiting the overall growth of the plant, but with the size of your final pot (& your scissors) rather than your veg pot.
(Growth could also be controlled utilizing a negative DIF, but that's neither here nor there.)
I only say this from my experience whenever the roots were restricted early by taking the form of the pot (not even being pot-bound) instead of being allowed to grow unimpeded. Plants sometimes didn't grow as well as they could've had I let them grow straight into the bigger pots. What grows above ground is the direct result of what has grown below ground, and I figure it's safer to just let the roots do what they've been doing for thousands of years, and I'll just make my adjustments above ground.
Then again, I've never used cloth/air pots for vegging, nor have I transplanted from one into another one, so that could change things right there. Also, your situation or preferences might negate everything I just said, so feel free to tell me where to shove it. Thanks.
Yeah, I plan on using the 3x3 in the middle. And with the Hammerhead being ~2.5x3 itself, along with the reduced heat of the 315s, I'm hoping to be able to slam it to maximize the single bulb. I think my focus will be to modify some dual Raptors that will serve to replace my father's system (2 x 1000w MH/HPS) when I am out of the country later. If I was ahead of the game I'd get a few sheets of hammertone aluminum and build a brake. (BTW, I know you said you don't like broad reflectors, but if the only concern was headroom I just saw one that was only 5" deep and uses oval duct to achieve it. I run Raptors in my dad's space, with less headroom than your space, and have pulled 6+ per freestanding plant. I am by no means pushing them on you, but I'm just wondering if there isn't potential improvement at the cost of a few inches of headroom.)
I've been curious about those Air-Pots I saw in some of your pics. If there is a better place to mention it then let me know. I'm curious what the root system looks like after 4 wks in a gallon, and how much of the 5 gallon pots get filled within the limited time they have.
My problem has been having my veg pots (plastic) being limited to .75 gal plastic so I could pack them under my custom CFL veg light. Delays in transplanting meant likelihood for being pot-bound to the point of making it difficult for new roots to make it out of the ball, so my recent investment in CMH is to facilitate a one-transplant-grow, going from 4"x4"x3"h plastic to 5 gallon fabric pots. I notice a denser and more even rootball w/ the fabric pots, as opposed to plastic which create larger roots circling the outside with sparser growth in the middle.
My personal philosophy is that "zero stress creates the best", and I've made an effort w/ my current grow to minimize restriction to root growth. With Blumats in my future, I might just germinate in 5 gallons.
[Let me preface by saying I'm not an expert on roots] I'm curious why you wouldn't just go into smaller pots? If the roots only fill out ~1 gallon of soil a week, and root growth is associated with vegging, the final push for the roots would coincide with "the stretch". It doesn't seem they'd be able to fill out the extra 4 gallons adequately.
With the overall root-mass determining the plants yield (also the extent of the "explosion"), I'm wondering if it wouldn't behoove you to go into 3 gallon pots, 2-3 weeks before flipping. I think you'd be pulling a smaller number of bigger/better buds w/o needing a machete to get into the room. Instead of allowing the explosion to occur everywhere, focus it to the part of the canopy that lies in the 315s sweet spot depth-wise. You'd be still be limiting the overall growth of the plant, but with the size of your final pot (& your scissors) rather than your veg pot.
(Growth could also be controlled utilizing a negative DIF, but that's neither here nor there.)
I only say this from my experience whenever the roots were restricted early by taking the form of the pot (not even being pot-bound) instead of being allowed to grow unimpeded. Plants sometimes didn't grow as well as they could've had I let them grow straight into the bigger pots. What grows above ground is the direct result of what has grown below ground, and I figure it's safer to just let the roots do what they've been doing for thousands of years, and I'll just make my adjustments above ground.
Then again, I've never used cloth/air pots for vegging, nor have I transplanted from one into another one, so that could change things right there. Also, your situation or preferences might negate everything I just said, so feel free to tell me where to shove it. Thanks.
