Advice needed on this grow light please~

[Gary1960CA]

Hi everyone!!

First time poster here...

I am planning on starting my own indoor plants, and I would like experienced growers opinions on the following grow light:

Sunlight Supply
Sun System Spectra Max 246
2-Foot High Output Fluorescent
High Intensity Hybrid Plant Grow Light

Just in case the link doesn't work, the setup is: The Spectra Max 246 incorporates a 150 watt HP Sodium high intensity lamp with four 24 watt high output fluorescent lamps to provide the ideal color spectrum for plant growth in a fixture that provides excellent light uniformity over a compact area.

I realize that this isn't the really high power lamps that comercial growers use, but I am just an old head trying to grow a couple of plants to keep myself in weed for cheeper that $70 an eighth!!!

I would like to know your opinions about whether that light is

a) a good/well regarded brand
b) powerful enough to grow 3-4 plants indoors in an area of approx 4x4 (corner of spare bedroom, not enclosed in closet)
c) a good deal??? (It's about $400.00)

Again, this is my first post, and I admit I havent searched around too much on this forum for answers yet. I'm hoping that I can post this, go get high, and when I come back later on, I'll have a ton of GREAT tips/tricks from a bunch of cool people on this site!!!

Hope that's not just a "pipe dream"...

Thanks in advace everyone!!

Gary

 

[theganjaguru]

Do have any experience growing indoors or is this your first crop.

If this is your first crop and you're on a budget. I recommend buying 6 to 8 42 watt cfl's, from home depot. Don't forget the reflectors.

If your experienced and don't know to much about lights and not on a budget then I recommend 400 to 600 watt hps full spectrum bulbs.

 

[Bee23]

I have no experience
but I did see a MH 400 bulb for $30 ish at home improvement.

 

[theganjaguru]

Bee23-Just the bulb or with a ballast and hood.

 

[Bee23]

Just the bulb that's it-no ballast no nuttin'.

 

[LaidBackinCali]

i'm a first timer and and am using 400watt HPS, its worth just gettin 400 HPS

 

[Harry Red]

powerful enough to grow 3-4 plants indoors in an area of approx 4x4 (corner of spare bedroom, not enclosed in closet)

Greetings Gary,

I would suggest that you can make better use of your $400. You can pick up a complete 600watt HPS system with a hood, bulb, electronic ballast & hangers for $250 including shipping. HTG is selling a nice one on eBay but you might want to check the sponsors of this website as well.

A 600W HPS would be perfect for flowering four nice plants in a 4x4 area. It's basically the setup I use.

You could spend the other $150 on a 4 bulb x 4' T5 fluorescent lamp fixture and section off another corner for vegging. That way, you can be vegging the next crop while flowering the current crop and have a harvest every 8-10 weeks. A separate vegging area in the other corner will come in very handy. Otherwise, you'll need to complete one grow before starting next and you will still have no place for clones & mother plants. I was planning on a single area but quickly realized that I needed both a veg and a flowering area.

Good luck and keep us updated!!



Harry

 

[theganjaguru]

If you do choose to go with the 600 watt HPS system, I recommend a electronic ballast.

 

[michiganrules]

hey i would spend that 400 bucks on the 250 watt switchable system that lumitec has loos good and 250 watts pluss some cfls should be plenty for 3-4 plants just my opinion hay and the 250 wont be as harsh on your electric bill

 

[Triconomics]

first you need an enclosed dark space like a grow tent to flower in. 600 watts is way too much and you would more than likely need an exhaust system depending on your climate year round.

However buying a 600 watter just for flower would probably be ok if you didn't use it for veg. Use CFL's for vegging. If you wanted to be really efficent you could throw a tiny tent for veg and a nice little tent for flowering with a 250 watt hps. Otherwise you will only have one tent for your complete grow cycle of your plants. Once one crop is done your new vegged plants will be ready to flower.

You might be able to do all that for $400, but probably more like $500-600.

 

[Cultivator]

600w hps is perfect for 4x4 area, i would recomend at least that amount. u will be to grow 4 nice plants under that and aim to get between 20-30 dry oz. i like to use 1000w per 4x4 space. $400 will get u a ballast, bulb, hood, extractor fan and duct.