Good nutrient system for a newbie?

[Icebox]

On 3/16/2019 at 7:49 AM, Restorium2 said:

The Maxsisun 1440 is discontinued so I had to pick another brand. Currently reviewing some others and will get back with what I found is the best bang for the buck.

I grow all older strains. OG Kush, Chem D, Headband. Aero, hydro, and soil.

The Maxsisun timer light 1000W LED grow light is the one that I’d seen in Amazon, $298. 

I grow Auto OG Kush, Original photoperiod DeathStar, Girl Scout Cookie, Purple Punch, auto WhiteWidow, Strawberry Kush, Anna Purna, Blueberry Bliss. 

[semicaregiver]

I switched over to 750 Gavitas from 1000w single ended HPS three years ago.   1000 Gavitas are just too powerful for a basement grow. Production up, power bill down.  Six months ago I bought a hydrofarm PAR meter to help determine when the bulbs should be replaced.  At that point I had bulbs with any where from 6 months to 18 months on them.  All were within 80% of new output.  At about $300 per fixture (w/bulb) I could not justify the pricing I have been seeing from LED's

 

 

[Restorium2]

1 hour ago, semicaregiver said:

I switched over to 750 Gavitas from 1000w single ended HPS three years ago.   1000 Gavitas are just too powerful for a basement grow. Production up, power bill down.  Six months ago I bought a hydrofarm PAR meter to help determine when the bulbs should be replaced.  At that point I had bulbs with any where from 6 months to 18 months on them.  All were within 80% of new output.  At about $300 per fixture (w/bulb) I could not justify the pricing I have been seeing from LED's

 

 

I totally agree on the pricing. I've been finding ways around the higher priced models. I have the same PAR meter you have. I can point you at a cheap LED that will surpass your 750 HPS, on your meter and with your plant growth. 

Less heat in your grow. Less power bill. What's not to like? 

 

[Icebox]

17 hours ago, Restorium2 said:

I totally agree on the pricing. I've been finding ways around the higher priced models. I have the same PAR meter you have. I can point you at a cheap LED that will surpass your 750 HPS, on your meter and with your plant growth. 

Less heat in your grow. Less power bill. What's not to like? 

 

From the LED manufacturers recommendations that I’ve been seeing, they recommend keeping the LED lights 15”-30” above your plants canopy due to light burning. That’s what not to like in my book if you don’t have the room height. I don’t.  With my LEC/CMH lights plants can be within inches of the bulbs without burns. Low heat. The fixtures are less expensive @$119.99 for a high quality VisoSun(SunPlix is high quality also) VS Expensive LED fixtures.  LEC/CMH bulbs are $43-80, reasonably cheap to replace. LEC/CMH 315W usually runs @140W usage. And my plants grow faster & much bigger higher quality buds than when I was using MPS/HPS fixtures.  

Edited March 19, 2019 by Icebox

[semicaregiver]

With regards to the CMH most established growers can convert over for about $15.   

I don't know about anyone else, but I have a room full of last year's great ideas.   For around $10-15 you can buy an adapter that converts your screw in bulb socket to the duel pin CMH socket.  Screwed that puppy in to my Sun Systems Magnum xxl reflectors, connected up an old 400 w mag ballast and we were off and running.   Also worked with Lumatek 600 w ballast dialed down to 350.

This was not a random experiment.  Phillips originally developed the bulbs as a way to corner the industrial 400 w HPS lamp replacement market.    You could pop the bulbs into your warehouse light fixtures and get better color lighting, reduce your power cost and get 2-3x's the life from the bulbs.  Bottomline, our old 400 w ballast or a 600 dialed down will work.  

[Icebox]

11 hours ago, semicaregiver said:

With regards to the CMH most established growers can convert over for about $15.   

I don't know about anyone else, but I have a room full of last year's great ideas.   For around $10-15 you can buy an adapter that converts your screw in bulb socket to the duel pin CMH socket.  Screwed that puppy in to my Sun Systems Magnum xxl reflectors, connected up an old 400 w mag ballast and we were off and running.   Also worked with Lumatek 600 w ballast dialed down to 350.

This was not a random experiment.  Phillips originally developed the bulbs as a way to corner the industrial 400 w HPS lamp replacement market.    You could pop the bulbs into your warehouse light fixtures and get better color lighting, reduce your power cost and get 2-3x's the life from the bulbs.  Bottomline, our old 400 w ballast or a 600 dialed down will work.  

Yeah I was reading that initially the CMH light bulbs were introduced to the commercial markets for brighter, better lighting and cheaper cost  electric bill.  But I didn’t realize that you could use the same ballast from your HPS lights...I knew about the socket adapters though. Huh...so are you saying there’s really no difference between HPS & CMH ballasts? And so the sales market is duping buyers? When you’re talking 400W dialed down 600W old ballast, is that the old variable ballasts? You’ve perked up my interest!  I have a few old variable ballast from my HPS lights just sitting in boxes that could be in use right now if that’s so. 

[Icebox]

On 3/16/2019 at 7:03 AM, Restorium2 said:

It turned out good. Better than the 1000 HPS right next to it, same strain. 

I'm switching over to all LED for the summer. Less heat! Less power consumption. 

 

 

17 hours ago, Restorium2 said:

I totally agree on the pricing. I've been finding ways around the higher priced models. I have the same PAR meter you have. I can point you at a cheap LED that will surpass your 750 HPS, on your meter and with your plant growth. 

Less heat in your grow. Less power bill. What's not to like? 

 

 

12 hours ago, semicaregiver said:

With regards to the CMH most established growers can convert over for about $15.   

I don't know about anyone else, but I have a room full of last year's great ideas.   For around $10-15 you can buy an adapter that converts your screw in bulb socket to the duel pin CMH socket.  Screwed that puppy in to my Sun Systems Magnum xxl reflectors, connected up an old 400 w mag ballast and we were off and running.   Also worked with Lumatek 600 w ballast dialed down to 350.

This was not a random experiment.  Phillips originally developed the bulbs as a way to corner the industrial 400 w HPS lamp replacement market.    You could pop the bulbs into your warehouse light fixtures and get better color lighting, reduce your power cost and get 2-3x's the life from the bulbs.  Bottomline, our old 400 w ballast or a 600 dialed down will work.  

 

19 hours ago, semicaregiver said:

I switched over to 750 Gavitas from 1000w single ended HPS three years ago.   1000 Gavitas are just too powerful for a basement grow. Production up, power bill down.  Six months ago I bought a hydrofarm PAR meter to help determine when the bulbs should be replaced.  At that point I had bulbs with any where from 6 months to 18 months on them.  All were within 80% of new output.  At about $300 per fixture (w/bulb) I could not justify the pricing I have been seeing from LED's

 

 

Are you having any issues with your Hydrofarm PAR meter? I was reading the the reviews on Amazon as it was only getting 2 1/2 stars and the reviews cons were the saying the same thing...”after using for approximately 40-50 days screen locks up.” One customer had it replaced 3 times and then after the replacement period ran out 50+ days it locked up.  Some found out it’s a electric cord plugged on the circuit board issue and they fixed it. Some said it was a software issue and company has updated it since. It seems the PAR meters selling for $19.99-29.99 have higher reviews at 4.5 stars. Dr. Meter & Urceri Meter. 

[Restorium2]

8 minutes ago, Icebox said:

 

 

 

Are you having any issues with your Hydrofarm PAR meter? I was reading the the reviews on Amazon as it was only getting 2 1/2 stars and the reviews cons were the saying the same thing...”after using for approximately 40-50 days screen locks up.” One customer had it replaced 3 times and then after the replacement period ran out 50+ days it locked up.  Some found out it’s a electric cord plugged on the circuit board issue and they fixed it. Some said it was a software issue and company has updated it since. It seems the PAR meters selling for $19.99-29.99 have higher reviews at 4.5 stars. Dr. Meter & Urceri Meter. 

I have had my Hydrofarm PAR meter for about 6 months now and it still works like new.

You have to treat it right like all electronic testing devices. That might explain some of the reviews about malfunctions.

It's a very enlightening tool. Takes the blinders off about your usable light footprint. Priceless …..

 

[Restorium2]

17 minutes ago, Icebox said:

 

 

 

Are you having any issues with your Hydrofarm PAR meter? I was reading the the reviews on Amazon as it was only getting 2 1/2 stars and the reviews cons were the saying the same thing...”after using for approximately 40-50 days screen locks up.” One customer had it replaced 3 times and then after the replacement period ran out 50+ days it locked up.  Some found out it’s a electric cord plugged on the circuit board issue and they fixed it. Some said it was a software issue and company has updated it since. It seems the PAR meters selling for $19.99-29.99 have higher reviews at 4.5 stars. Dr. Meter & Urceri Meter. 

I believe those are LUX meters. Whole different tester. Not nearly as useful as a PAR meter. LUX just measures light and PAR measures available light that plants like. 

[Icebox]

3 minutes ago, Restorium2 said:

I have had my Hydrofarm PAR meter for about 6 months now and it still works like new.

You have to treat it right like all electronic testing devices. That might explain some of the reviews about malfunctions.

It's a very enlightening tool. Takes the blinders off about your usable light footprint. Priceless …..

 

Good to hear yours is still working after 6 months.  

True, who knows if people are dropping or tossing their meters causing the stated issues. Or...are the only customers writing reviews are the ones having issues with their meters?

ive heard people that are using PAR meters say this same thing that they are Priceless. 👍🏼

Do you think there’s “That much” of a differences in meters that are more expensive VS less expensive?

[Icebox]

4 minutes ago, Restorium2 said:

I believe those are LUX meters. Whole different tester. Not nearly as useful as a PAR meter. LUX just measures light and PAR measures available light that plants like. 

Lol, you just answered my question while I was writing the above question. 👌🏻

[Restorium2]

8 minutes ago, Icebox said:

Lol, you just answered my question while I was writing the above question. 👌🏻

Glad I could help. 

[semicaregiver]

I would agree with Resto on the Hydro Farm Par meter.   I bought the meter in January and it seems fine.   Price wise (approx $100) it is at the very low end of instruments to measure PAR.   Serious PAR meters seem to run in the $350 to $500 range.   I would not use it for absolute readings, i.e. my lights produce 2,000 par, but it is fine for comparative readings.   In my case I wanted to know how my older bulbs compared in output to a new one or perhaps to a different style, i.e. LED. 

I am guessing my meter is reading high.  The reason for this is I was comparing my readings to those in an online review of 750 Gavitas.  My numbers were 10-15% higher.   They had the $500 meter.  While that is concerning, the important thing is, are the readings  repeatable?  As long as they are I can compare different designed fixtures and/or bulbs for my own evaluation.

[Restorium2]

I compared my Hydrofarm meter with another $750 meter and they were almost exactly the same. Definitely close enough. 

[Restorium2]

I bought the meter to make sure the LEDs were really produced decent PAR. The first time I compared my 1000 HPS with the 1440 LED I was blown away by how much more PAR the 1440 had. Then I did a side by side grow and the results were much better with the LED. 

[garyfisher]

On 3/17/2019 at 9:15 AM, Restorium2 said:

No Gavitas? 

No.  I replaced them all.  They're sitting in a closet if you know anyone who needs them.

[Restorium2]

2 minutes ago, garyfisher said:

No.  I replaced them all.  They're sitting in a closet if you know anyone who needs them.

Craigslist is chock full of HPS lights. I wonder why? lol

[garyfisher]

3 minutes ago, Restorium2 said:

Craigslist is chock full of HPS lights. I wonder why? lol

I think all the 'get rich quick' schemers have realized their fallacy.

[Restorium2]

30 minutes ago, garyfisher said:

I think all the 'get rich quick' schemers have realized their fallacy.

And the smart ones are all switching to LED and have no use for the HPS. I'm keeping mine around for old time sake. 

[MyFloridaGreen]

Nitrogen is the most important nutrient for any plant. Critical in the production of chlorophyll, a plant with too little nitrogen quite literally starves.

If your cannabis is growing in nitrogen-deficient soil, you're going to grow anemic, underwhelming plants.