175w MH fixture

[md.apothecary]

I am trying to find out about MH lights. I've never looked into them before now, but I am getting super interested in doign a multi-phase grow, using MH as a veg, and HPS as the flower. I am slowly making my transition from CFLs and other experimental lighting.

I found a 175w MH fixture and ballast with reflect for $115.00 (before taxes) and want to know if that's a good price.

I also have been seeing MH bulbs in mogul sockets and standard medium base sockets. Which bulbs are more common. I don't want to get a fixture that requires me to literalyl hunt down a bulb each time because it's not the "norm".

Do MH ballasts and bulbs burn hotter (temperature)?? I tested my grow area with a 150w HPS and the temps are mid 80's on a warmer day. I wanted to make sure that temps wont be hotter with an MH bulb so I can still be in the safe zone with a 175W MH.

Anyone know of any places online besides HTGsupply to find 175w Metal Halide lights??

 

[umbra]

try www.1000bulbs.com

 

[md.apothecary]

one more thing...

is MH really THAT great for veg over vegging with an HPS? I mean... anyone done a SIDE by SIDE comparison??

 

[I'ma Joker Midnight Toker]

one more thing...

is MH really THAT great for veg over vegging with an HPS? I mean... anyone done a SIDE by SIDE comparison??

If you're only going to veg for a short time, I say stay with the flos...and then straight to HPS. They do make a dual digital ballast that will take either MH or HPS bulb...& they make a dual MH-HPS bulb - always an option... and I if had to choose just one bulb? The HPS hands down,... it's cause it doesn't matter how you start...but how you finish...(they are the best for flowering...)

 

[md.apothecary]

I plan on flowering with the HPS, but I have two seperate rooms for my multiphase grows. The hps will be setup in a closet, where as I have agrow box for seedlings and clones, but wanted to know if MH was really that much better than an HPS for vegging. So far, my seedligns don't do all that well with CFLs. So I am thinking of sticking to HPS for veg and flowering but in two different areas... unless someone shows me a great side by side with an MH vegging, and a HPS vegging to see if there's any differences.

 

[octobong007]

hiya md, i played with mh and got good results, i got better with the 6500k twisty cfl's for tighter stems and foliage. my hps stretched out my ladies in veg...especially compared to my cfl's. thats just what i found, other's findings are probly different tho. i've HEARD that mh is the way to go for vegging, i just couldn't get good enough results to keep my mh. hope that helps. as far as htgsupply, i have no idea who else carries anything, their the only ones i deal with. now, i've also heard vegging with t5's is really good too, but i only flower with my t5's, haven't got the 6500k bulbs yet...maybe someday. all the luck to ya

 

[storzbickel]

id like to add on the HPS for vegging, i have just been discussing this with a couple friends ....


Red spectrum lights, ie HPS- tend to make the plants stretch a bit more, the light is used to form the buds and cause the plant to reach for as much light as possible, thus making this light ideal for flowering and not much else. In fact, i dont use my HPS until 3 weeks into 12/12, as there arent buds forming in the first few weeks so i might as well help the plant with MH light.

Blue spectrum lights - ie MH, others - keep the plants compact and allow the light intake to go in to photosynthesis, leaves, vegging growht. I am not into CFLs so i dont know how the spectrums work but a blu-er CFL would do you good for veg if you chose that route MD.

i can also tell you (without numerical data) that MH puts out more heat than HPS . my temps are usually about 5 degrees F warmer than HPS in the same ballast/room. I also keep the HPS closer so i can say that it does put out less heat. If you get to the 80s with an HPS i would say you will want to consider cooling/ventilation if you go with an MH

 

[md.apothecary]

that's funny... i haven't gotten crap from my 6500k CFLs (105w each x 3). Just absolutely no growth. Put them under the HPS for veg and they're growing... stretching is minimal, but doable. I am hoping that I can stick to the HPS because it's cheaper, however, I would be willing to go MH if it was really economically feasible.

That's what I am after right there... temperature differences mostly. Any increase in temps is an instant turn off for me.

I know the laws of color temps and all that good stuff. I've been doing a lot of research into LEDs and CFLs, only to go back to the classic HPS. I've yet to try an MH, but right now, I am still not convinced it's worth the extra money or heat problems.

Thanks guys!

 

[octobong007]

that's funny... i haven't gotten crap from my 6500k CFLs (105w each x 3). Just absolutely no growth.

i tried those big ones like your using and mine would grow either...just sustained life. try the twisty ones, 26watt at walmart...i use 4 blue and 2 red, all 26 watts and do wonders in my veg. all the luck

 

[S']['()|\|3D]

If you want cheap light bulbs go to http://www.e-conolight.com/Product/EFamily.asp

 

[jjsunderground]

go with something from high tech garden supply. they have a veg light that is a 10,000 lumen fluoro for 85.00 with shipping. this is what im using and you get very good growth with it. or go with the 175 watt htgs metal halide. that would work even a litlle better. what are you flowering with??
​

 

[md.apothecary]

the CFL i had WAS a twisty! Not the multiple "U" bend kind.

Yeah, but righ now the growth in veg with my HPS is awesome! That's why I am wondering if the MH light is any better. The HPS light puts off about 2" of new growth a day... literally!

I now have to transplant all my plants today/tomorrow.

 

[trillions of atoms]

unless you got money to blow stick with one 400- insidesun.com got one for 100 bux complete.

ive gotten three lights from them, great s*** still working even OG bulbs with many cycles on them all. 100 bones gets you a 400w system, cant beat it. discreet shipping- im all for them. i have sent him MANY a customer only cuz ive dealt with him and talked to him alot. he keeps no records of purchases after shipment is completed...which is a GOOD thing.

 

[md.apothecary]

I always fear of buying refurbished items, especially electrical items like that. regardless of warranty or not.

 

[Fretless]

That is really, really bizarre. You had 3x105 watt CFLs and zero growth? What an odd mystery. I had 3x42 watt CFL in the 2700k spectrum, and it grew the bejeezus out of the plants, super dense. But they had to be in tight, within inches of the tops. CFL burn is an ugly thing.
It's impossible to say, perhaps your plants were stunted, and coming out of it with the HPS was a coincidence.
But this is the second thread I've come across in which the cool CFLs weren't doing that well.
Most of the books, in their Floro section, state a mix is best, maybe there is a problem in using only 6500k CFL. Some critical wavelength of red isn't present enough.
While we all ponder the mystery, the good news is your plants are growing again! Happy harvesting....

 

[md.apothecary]

That is really, really bizarre. You had 3x105 watt CFLs and zero growth? What an odd mystery. I had 3x42 watt CFL in the 2700k spectrum, and it grew the bejeezus out of the plants, super dense. But they had to be in tight, within inches of the tops. CFL burn is an ugly thing.
It's impossible to say, perhaps your plants were stunted, and coming out of it with the HPS was a coincidence.
But this is the second thread I've come across in which the cool CFLs weren't doing that well.
Most of the books, in their Floro section, state a mix is best, maybe there is a problem in using only 6500k CFL. Some critical wavelength of red isn't present enough.
While we all ponder the mystery, the good news is your plants are growing again! Happy harvesting....

Yes, I started an experiment a while back which is still in the works. The focus is CFLs and COLOR temps. Preliminary results so far shows taht there is much more significant growth with CFLs in the 2700K spectrum vs. the 6500K spectrums. I don't have the resources to test 4100k and 5000k spectrums in addition to these others, but so far in the recent times, in the 2700k spectrum plants grew almost 12" in a month where as they were only a few inches tall under the 6500k in the same given time period, same conditions, etc. Strains were also the same. But very unique for sure, this is why I'm considering doing a full switch to HPS and/or MH from this point on.