New Grower Using Phillips 400W Cmh Lights, Any Thing I Should Know

[Timmahh]

So, ive decided to grow with the Phillips CMH 400w retro White bulbs, for a few reasons. they are cost effective. will fit/work for my current size, and can double them up when needed later, and get as much as a 1k setup, but with less heat and overall cost. they are cheaper to run, and the biggest reason, is i can use one bulb style for everything, Momma, babies, grow and flower. SO it would seem using these lights offers alot of nice bonuses.

 

in searching around online, the best prices i have found anywhere is at www.HoritcultureSource.com.

and other than the Pillips CMH bulb itself, i dont think their priced can be beat on the perticular items I chose. Like the light, i chose the sun systems for the high quality build, plus being us made (mostly anyways0 is a nice thing i think as well. maybe someone can refer me a Mi store has these items available.

 

here is my list if goodies i chose.

 

 

Sun Systems Harvest Pro Elite 400w HPS mag ballast 134.00,

Sun Systems YieldMaster II 6" Supreme Reflector 89.00,

Phillips ColorMaster CMH 400w HPS Retro-White Bulb 59.00,

(Found these as low as 42.00 online + 9.95 shipping)

Titan Controls Apollo 4 120v inline Timer for light 43.00,

Titan Controls Apollo 9 dual outlet timer for pump 23.00,

EcoPlus Eco Air 2 dual outlet air pump 12.00,

EcoPlus 6inch air stone (1.12 each) total of 6 7.00,

EcoPlus Eco-264 Submersible inline water pump 18.00,

 

385.00

shipping and handling 50.00

total to door is 435.00

 

unless someone can find me the items i listed above here in Mi for a similar price. I would like to buy locally, but want these specific itesms (ballast/hood/bulb/Timers minimum). And if it has to be ordered by a store, i can order it myself, and get them delivered to my door, which will save me 4 hrs of time driving time, 60 plus in gas, as well as taxes, so prolly close to 100.00 to 200.00 or so.

 

any help/tips info using these lights or the items ive listed would be great. Or a michigan store that may carry these items, but not want 3 arms and 4 legs for them.

Timmahh

[Bisharoo]

That is a lot of work I wish I had something to say to help you but thank you for helping others with a very good shopping list to get started. We appreciate it even when you don't always get feedback I have found that folks are still reading and listening and are learning, so again, thanks!

[WillyWonka]

I've been reading alot about the CMHs and I'm excited to see how this goes! Best of luck!

[Mememe]

SGS is a MI company, a bit on the spendy side though.

[Sativasfied]

Good work Timmah, coming over to the light side. How broad of you.

[kak1963]

them bulbs have a very good spectrum which they now say is more important then lumen s now as these are lower what are the lumens? . when i was looking at them they didnt have them in 400 yet so i haven't tried them out yet guess i should hehehe. whish they made them in 600 also maybe in time but i think ill get one for sure. it will be cool to see how they work for ya. thanks for this and have a gr8 grow. kak

[Catfinger]

Hard to beat those prices at a store

[Timmahh]

the initial lumans are around 34,500, and it settles in around 29,000 or there abouts. not to bad for a 400w light.

 

i bought locally, and got out the door with the same items (excpet i chose the econa reflector for 70.00 instead of the yield master atm. total including tax was 445.00 so not too bad for working with a local shop that was willing to price match internet prices for the most part.

 

i ll post a pic of the girls here in a bit, as they went under the CMH, and as they are today, about 4 to 5 weeks into veg on 18/6.

 

 

 

and the new lil sister. these 2 above girls were abou this size or smaller when i put them from new cuttings under the CMH. That was March 5th, 2011.

 

18/6 at approx 2 ft height above plants. when i left monday, the bigger plant (about 4 days older cut from the slightly shorter girl), was minimum of 12 inches above her.

 

this littl girl is a week cut on sunday.

 

Timmahh

[kak1963]

cool i like the blue its shining on the wall ya can sure see it very nice spectrum. with the lumens though its like a 250 watt hps strength at 28000. will be cool to see how it performs for ya if any thing i would worry about penetration with the lower lumen s but the spectrum is awesome good luck and ill diff be looking to see how it goes . later bro. kak

[RealFast59Ford]

Lumens are for humans.

[Timmahh]

i agree 100% RF59. Plants dont have eyes to SEE light with.

Lumans are the measurement for how the human eye measures for Brightness, not color spectrum, IR (which humans cant see, but plant life does and utilizes) UVB(which a plant also sees and uses but we dont, but we suffer from it where plants thrive from it)...

[kak1963]

lol yea i didnt say i agree or disagree just the diff in power. i am with the spectrum for sure as instead i blend mh and hp with separate lamps and get both.so yes i agree for sure. just stating. kak

[Timmahh]

fully understood Kak. No harm no foul. good conversation/discussion is the epitaph of a better tomorrow.

[kgb69ss]

I am running one 600w hps, and a dual arc (300hps/300mh) bulb. My plants are really going crazy with the addition of the second fixture sporting the dual arc bulb. A friend of mine didnt have a hps bulb so she flowered hers under mh and they actually turned out alright! Buds were nice and tight! Hydrofarm has a great line of T5's that come in several configs. I have one 2'x 2 bulb 6400k cfl for starting seedlings, and one 2'x 4 bulb also 6400k for vegging a short time. This is my first cycle using the cfls and then flowering with 900hps and 300mh. The girls are well over 4 feet tall and nearly out of control! (thats a good thing!)

[RealFast59Ford]

A friend of mine didnt have a hps bulb so she flowered hers under mh and they actually turned out alright! Buds were nice and tight!

 

That's how it was done before HPS, mercury vapor definitely had it's place too.

 

The HPS revolution for indoor horticulture is mainly driven off of one NASA study.

 

That alone is pretty narrow, just like the spectrum.

 

Plants love it wide.