Setup and recommendations

BudJaMon said:
No toggle switch. Just comes with 2 315 bulbs and a 240v cord I'll have to buy a 120v cord
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Use the lower powered one for vegging and then the 600 for flowering. They have a life span of about three grows but power diminishes after every use. I use new bulbs for every grow just to make sure I'm losing nothing
 
BudJaMon said:
So the HPS bulb that comes with that kit has the full spectrum right? I'm gonna go ahead and do the kit sense it's the same price and has the wattage I need. Through searching I found 1000w kits with everything this one has and still has the dimmable option at the same price. Would it be worth going ahead and buying a 1000w sense it's the same price or would that just be overkill? I'm new to HPS/MH lighting and have never used one before, as well as first time "gardening/growing" so I'm learning still. But learning pretty quick.
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And stick with the 600w with the dimmable ballast. 1000w covers a fractionally bigger space but you'll get more light coverage (better still useable light that plants feed on) through using 2 600 w. Generates less heat using the two rather than the big 1000w for some reason
 
BudJaMon said:
If you have any links to one around the same price as the hps I’m going for that will do the same as a 1000w ballast and be able to go as low as a 600w for around $150-$200 I’d be up for it, but what I’m seeing them for right now is around $380-$450.
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They have "conversion kit" ballasts now available for about $100-$150, and then including the Phillips lamp for $80, you could probably get setup with a 315 w CMH ballast, the lamp, and a reflector for $220.

The nanolux is usually $250 for the relfector/ballast alone, with no lamp.

I've been researching the 315 W CMH options for a few months now and by far the cheapest options are your "conversion kits" that come with a little converter that allows you to plug the lamp into any E39 base, and a ballast, much like any MH/HPS setup would come with. You can even find these kits with the Phillips bulb included for $200, and so then you're basically left to however much you want to pay for a reflector.

A note on the Phillips bulbs though, be careful if you get the 4100 K spectrum. This one pumps out a lot of UV light and can be an extreme risk if the "envelope" (the glass" on the bulb breaks and will essentially give you an instant tan and a bad case of welder's eye. So if you're going to run the 4100 K, get some kind of hood with glass at least. The nice thing about the SunSystem LECs is they come with a little glass cover for this--a lot of owners of these don't run it because they don't want to lose the PAR, so you might be able to buy one second hand.

tl;dr hop on eBay and search "315 w cmh conversion kit", then buy an E39 base reflector/hood to go with it, and you just saved $200 on your first CMH
 
TheFertilizer said:
They have "conversion kit" ballasts now available for about $100-$150, and then including the Phillips lamp for $80, you could probably get setup with a 315 w CMH ballast, the lamp, and a reflector for $220.

The nanolux is usually $250 for the relfector/ballast alone, with no lamp.

I've been researching the 315 W CMH options for a few months now and by far the cheapest options are your "conversion kits" that come with a little converter that allows you to plug the lamp into any E39 base, and a ballast, much like any MH/HPS setup would come with. You can even find these kits with the Phillips bulb included for $200, and so then you're basically left to however much you want to pay for a reflector.

A note on the Phillips bulbs though, be careful if you get the 4100 K spectrum. This one pumps out a lot of UV light and can be an extreme risk if the "envelope" (the glass" on the bulb breaks and will essentially give you an instant tan and a bad case of welder's eye. So if you're going to run the 4100 K, get some kind of hood with glass at least. The nice thing about the SunSystem LECs is they come with a little glass cover for this--a lot of owners of these don't run it because they don't want to lose the PAR, so you might be able to buy one second hand.

tl;dr hop on eBay and search "315 w cmh conversion kit", then buy an E39 base reflector/hood to go with it, and you just saved $200 on your first CMH
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Do you get GAVITA lighting in the states? I've got the 600se that can go up to 750w or as low as 200w via a switch on the ballast which is digital. But they've also a controller that works much like a timer and climate control unit. It controls up to 80 lights that can be put onto different schedules for veg rooms and grow rooms
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BudJaMon said:
Would you recommend the light he has? I found it on amazon. Or would the one you mentioned be best? It would be the 630w double bulb(same as him) if I got it. And what's the life span compared to hps/mh and heat output? Also, do you use the same bulb from seed to harvest? Or do you have 1 bulb for veg and 1 bulb for flower?
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The sun systems 630's I have, have a much better reflector. Most of the results come from the bulb however. Bulb life span is around 20,000 hours. They degrade only about 2% at that mark. A MH will have to be changed out every grow to get full potential. More than likely, they will last slightly longer, but they degrade fast.
As for heat, it's very minimal compared to MH. My room stays about 70 to 76 degrees constant with my fans.
 
JoetheChro said:
Do you get GAVITA lighting in the states? I've got the 600se that can go up to 750w or as low as 200w via a switch on the ballast which is digital. But they've also a controller that works much like a timer and climate control unit. It controls up to 80 lights that can be put onto different schedules for veg rooms and grow rooms
420-magazine-mobile1283788552.jpg
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Gavita is sold in the states. They are a very good setup. My friend grew on these until he discovered LEC. Now that is all he grows with.
Startup could be expensive but it's worth it not to have to change bulbs out constantly, less heat, and less power usage.
The 630 LEC's do allow for one or both lights to be on at the start of the grow. I usually turn on half the light for the first week of transition, then go to full power.
 
pontiacman said:
Gavita is sold in the states. They are a very good setup. My friend grew on these until he discovered LEC. Now that is all he grows with.
Startup could be expensive but it's worth it not to have to change bulbs out constantly, less heat, and less power usage.
The 630 LEC's do allow for one or both lights to be on at the start of the grow. I usually turn on half the light for the first week of transition, then go to full power.
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What are LECs. I've not heard of them. Is it like the plasma light?
 
JoetheChro said:
And stick with the 600w with the dimmable ballast. 1000w covers a fractionally bigger space but you'll get more light coverage (better still useable light that plants feed on) through using 2 600 w. Generates less heat using the two rather than the big 1000w for some reason
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Wouldn't be able to afford 2 different ballasts right now. I was thinking about buying the 1000w and adjusting it at the 600w and using 600w bulbs at the start and then possibly going up to the 1000w bulbs if needed during that time and that way I'd already have the 1000w Incase I increased my space. But at the moment can only afford either 1 600w or 1 1000w and the only difference is $8. Still should go with the 600w?
 
BudJaMon said:
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this is the cmh I’m looking at.
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Grower's Choice has some for $270 if you don't want to be bothered to piece a kit together, but I really think you'd just be spending more than you'd need to. If you're going to spend the money on one of those $400 ones, then I'd just save up and get the SunSystems.
 
TheFertilizer said:
Grower's Choice has some for $270 if you don't want to be bothered to piece a kit together, but I really think you'd just be spending more than you'd need to. If you're going to spend the money on one of those $400 ones, then I'd just save up and get the SunSystems.
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Not really wanting to spend $500-$1000 on a sunsystem. The $400 is already over budget by $100 for everything else I have to get as well.
 
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