Growing with HPS

[bluter]

I have 6 hps lamps bulbs and ballasts available but won't necessarily use them all due to heat and safety reasons but if I use 3 I should get a decent sized 6plants... I do have a 250w LED that I have at my mates which I was thinking to replace 1 of the hps with this? And use the LED through veg but you know how it is when your gear is at your mates, they coincidentally are never home when you want to pop round and I need to get this started sooner rather than later

how may watts total are you planning on running, what size is the area, and what size pot are you running ? all of that determines your lighting and power needs.

if running more than 2 lights - 800 watts + fans and exhaust- you'll need to invest in proper electrical. a dedicated circuit is advisable. otherwise you'll have to find everything on the shared circuit and add up the draw to remain safe.

edit : chuckeye runs hps but we're legal. he doesn't need to be discrete. if you're gonna do it then add reflectix to the list and prep the loft with it.

 

[VetSmoke85]

With the current price of electricity I wouldn't consider anything but LED. I went up in my loft properly for the first time a couple of days ago and was thinking maybe I could use it as a grow space. Then popped up yesterday evening after a sunny spring afternoon and it was baking in there. The loft grow idea went straight in the bin.

 

[bluter]

With the current price of electricity I wouldn't consider anything but LED. I went up in my loft properly for the first time a couple of days ago and was thinking maybe I could use it as a grow space. Then popped up yesterday evening after a sunny spring afternoon and it was baking in there. The loft grow idea went straight in the bin.

loft grows always need piles more air movement in all seasons. unfortunately, it's sometimes the only space available.

 

[VetSmoke85]

loft grows always need piles more air movement in all seasons. unfortunately, it's sometimes the only space available.

Yeah I wish the OP best of luck if it's the only option. I'd definitely bite the bullet and get some mid range budget LED's like Mars or Vipar. Make the battle a little easier.

 

[bluter]

Yeah I wish the OP best of luck if it's the only option. I'd definitely bite the bullet and get some mid range budget LED's like Mars or Vipar. Make the battle a little easier.

i'm thinking he might be hoping part of the grow will pay for itself. lofts are tempting due to the space available but they bring all sorts of issues you don't face when growing in basements or on a main level.

i've seen professionally prepped loft grows before and they had all sorts of environment control, air conditioning, dehumidifiers, lots of fans and exhaust etc.

 

[Phytoplankton]

I couldn't even consider a loft grow in the summer, the attic fan comes on now when it's only 65 degrees outside, in the full summer sun it's well over 120 degees up there, the AC bill would break me, even with LED's!!

 

[bluter]

I couldn't even consider a loft grow in the summer, the attic fan comes on now when it's only 65 degrees outside, in the full summer sun it's well over 120 degees up there, the AC bill would break me, even with LED's!!

lots of times you can move the majority of the heat with fans. at some point AC becomes the only hope though. oddly insulating proper helps with both heat retention in winter and getting rid of it in summer.

 

[Fenderbender]

Yeah the loft will probably require pulling cooler air in from somewhere as well.
Growing the next months indoors is tricky anyhow, high risk of unhappy plants and pests and heatstress as how to get the place to the right temperature when everything is too hot. Of course depends on your local.

But honestly we're probably all like hmmm hmmm without the proper investment in planning and prepping the room and climate control it could be a recipe for disaster, added in the HPS factor and Summer..
And if you don't prep you end up panic buying a bunch of stuff anyway, extra fans, de/humidifiers, airco, as you already got some plants going that you want to save from going under..

Maybe get the temp/hygro meter in the loft and chart the values for a while.

 

[Fenderbender]

Or get a lamp setup already and try to get some flowers by the end of July.
I've just started and I'm trying to make a run for it as I leave the end of July, just a quick veg and flower and I'll take whatever it brings.
And then I'll start again after the heat passes, but it could already get tricky the next month as as soon as the mercury rises it's too hot in the growroom.

 

[AgedMaster]

With the current price of electricity I wouldn't consider anything but LED. I went up in my loft properly for the first time a couple of days ago and was thinking maybe I could use it as a grow space. Then popped up yesterday evening after a sunny spring afternoon and it was baking in there. The loft grow idea went straight in the bin.

I can say its expensive for electric with a single 400w hps in veg it costs about £4.00 a day about £2.60 in flower that's light only

 

[bluter]

I can say its expensive for electric with a single 400w hps in veg it costs about £4.00 a day about £2.60 in flower that's light only

i run a 600w led but usually have it dimmed to ~75% in flower. i'm still pulling 450w no matter how you cut it in a 4 x 4. i normally would run 600w of hps in the same space.. i'm saving a whole third.

not bad but not great. my rig is getting old, with the newer emitters i'd probably be saving 50% or better. i have a newer 650w light i'm gonna run next.

 

[mufc420]

Yeah I wish the OP best of luck if it's the only option. I'd definitely bite the bullet and get some mid range budget LED's like Mars or Vipar. Make the battle a little easier.

I managed to get my LED from my mates which I'm glad and will help with veg, but can you or anyone possibly advise if this would be sufficient to run 2 - 4 plants through veg and as they get bigger I will add a hps.. temp is a issue but I'm doing the best I can with what I've got with another intake fan on the way that I have ducted through through vent and going into the eaves

 

[VetSmoke85]

I managed to get my LED from my mates which I'm glad and will help with veg, but can you or anyone possibly advise if this would be sufficient to run 2 - 4 plants through veg and as they get bigger I will add a hps.. temp is a issue but I'm doing the best I can with what I've got with another intake fan on the way that I have ducted through through vent and going into the eaves

Depends how big you want. If it's one of the Amazon lights I think they advertise as 3x3 footprint for veg and 2x2 for flower. So you should get away with vegging a few plants under it. I've never used one of those LED's though.

 

[mufc420]

Depends how big you want. If it's one of the Amazon lights I think they advertise as 3x3 footprint for veg and 2x2 for flower. So you should get away with vegging a few plants under it. I've never used one of those LED's though.

Thanks mate and I will give it a go, Time will tell, but I've got myself a air cooler to use because I know temps are going to get high and I've got myself 2 carbon filters with inline fans and 2 intake fans all ducted to the eaves in the loft.. I have 2 oscillating fans which only one is on at the moment just like my intake I only have one on at the moment

 

[Fenderbender]

Well it will certainly do for the next weeks, and yes you can have a couple plants under there but they will grow accordingly.. Do not expect any 600watt plants.

Whatcha got going under there? I see some Barney's farm, they are photoperiods?
As if you had some auto's going that would have a better chance as you could use the veg footprint of the lamp and increase hours to hit the required moles.

Sounds good you're taking the vent part at heart.
Here's hoping you get some bulbs setup and have a good run.
And I hope you put something away to get a nice led.. an array that can do 4'x4' or 5'x5' you can fit a lot under there and you buy it and run it for many many grows.

Have the HPS been used before? like 1-2 or 3-4 harvests? as I feel that's about it, the times I've tried using them more I was not rewarded with happy plants or the same return.

 

[Mister White]

Hps is the best , but what do I know

 

[Wastei]

that's a good point. they also run quieter than magnetic.

And the digitals eat bulbs! I would go analogs with HID's if I were to choose. Most new MH bulbs can be retrofitted in a HPS ballast. The digitals lights the bulb to aggressively and you loose % every cycle, way more so than analogs/magnetics.

 

[Mister White]

And the digitals eat bulbs! I would go analogs with HID's if I were to choose. Most new MH bulbs can be retrofitted in a HPS ballast. The digitals lights the bulb to aggressively and you loose % every cycle, way more so than analogs/magnetics.

Digital balasts effect radios ,cops have radios.
But.......
What do I know.....

 

[Phytoplankton]

Digital balasts effect radios ,cops have radios.
But.......

Probably not an issue, considering that most street lights have digital ballasts that are much stronger than the ones used for growing. Plus, there are FCC rules for how much radio interference you can put out with electronic equipment.

Edit: Plus I'm in a legal state, and even when it wasn't, they weren't looking for personal grows. I lived in Humboldt county back inthe 70's, even then, if it wasn't an acre or more, they really didn't care (but of course back then most of the money coming into the county was from growing, they knew where their bread was buttered!)

 

[bluter]

And the digitals eat bulbs!

do they ever. i only got about half the lifetime out of my bulbs in the digital ballasts.

I would go analogs with HID's if I were to choose.

my old magnetics are still in operation. gave them out to a couple growers needing a hand. the oldest were bought in the early 80's.

Probably not an issue, considering that most street lights have digital ballasts that are much stronger than the ones used for growing. Plus, there are FCC rules for how much radio interference you can put out with electronic equipment.

a long time ago the police would look for radio interference as an indicator. they needed more than just that for a warrant, but it was one method of honing in on a grow.

i'm fairly certain it hasn't been done in a while, and both newer led drivers and digital ballasts are shielded now like you mention.