Time to add a vegging area- lighting advice

[tastyness]

So it is time for another trek for supplies so I can complete this round in style.

My current setup is a beautiful tent with two lights. Older (with a big old scary ballast) 1000w light and a sleek new shiny 600W light with adjustable ballast (60%, 80% and 110%).

I've noticed that the heat from the 600W seems much stronger than the 1000W and that led me to thinking about replacing that bulb. I got the 1000W setup used and don't really know how old the bulb might be and what I might be sacrificing in yield by being at the low end of the lumens for flowering.
The new bulb is about 155.00 and a complete new set up for 600W is 229.00- so I got to thinking should I just replace the whole setup?

I don't have a light meter which I guess would be the real way to check. (except for the one in my 3-way prong plant measure for pH/moist/light.)

In addition I need to set up a small veggie/clone/mom area. I have a perfect little utility area about 4 X 6 with easy access to electricity and ventilation. I would only be using part of the area because there is a water heater that takes up some room. Normally I would use some sort of fluorescent setup but they are super pricey in relation to full blown lights. And I've been really happy with my vegging under HPS-plants are bushy and healthy. This area will also flower the autos when I flip tent to 12/12. My plan was for this to be a tent but I thought I would rather spend money on lighting.
I've got 4 23W CFL's in desk lamps with reflectors and one 2 tube fixture of tbulbs of 28W each.
For this area I could grab a 600W for 229.00 or a 400W for 209.00 or move my older 1000W setup and use it until the bulb really looks used up.

Electricity where I am is very, very pricey so that also needs to be factored into the equation.

Any thoughts from the pros on what would be the best next step?
Buy new bulb or new setup for tent? Or leave as is and replace for next grow?
Veg area- 400W or 600W or use old 1000W?

PS: No need to post links to great North Americans prices- I've already drooled over the 59.00 bulbs on some of your favorite sites. Most don't even ship to where I am and if they do it costs the big bucks.

 

[Old_SSSC_Guy]

Really sucks you can't access the cheap lamps. We can get them for $35-$45 in the US so we change our lamps 2-3 times a year.

I would be more inclined to get a new digi 1000 watt system. You can run them at 600 watts for economy but boost it for the last couple/few weeks of flower when needed.

I'd use the 600 in the veg and the 1000 for flower.

 

[tastyness]

Really sucks you can't access the cheap lamps. We can get them for $35-$45 in the US so we change our lamps 2-3 times a year.

I would be more inclined to get a new digi 1000 watt system. You can run them at 600 watts for economy but boost it for the last couple/few weeks of flower when needed.

I'd use the 600 in the veg and the 1000 for flower.

Yep- that's a fact it does stink! A new digi 1000w setup is closer to 1200! And of course it will need pricey lamps in the future. The Lumatek ballast alone is 635.00 and they don't have a kit that includes it. There is a cheap 1000w kit with a remote ballast for 670.00 and a mail order special- but I prefer in person with cash for my purchases.
Thanks for the input though- much appreciated

 

[Old_SSSC_Guy]

Damn, that really sucks. And there I was complaining that I couldn't get a 220volt 'Kill-a-Watt- meter in the US; because the meter costs $25 and Amazon wants about $35 to ship it from the UK to the US.

Are you taklking in dollars or euros? Either way - it sucks.

 

[tastyness]

Good news- turns out 1000bulbs.com uses a special international shipper.
I can buy bulbs from them and still get them for less than I buy local. Yipee!!!

Now- for those of you that use them - do you buy the cheapest bulbs?
I'll need 1000W and 600W HPS.
I've never used MH and though I think one of my ballasts can handle that- I don't see the need. My plants seem super bushy in veg under the HPS.
Plus someone encouraged me to keep things simple

 

[ozzydiodude]

I buy the cheap bulbs and just change them out every 6 months

 

[tastyness]

Ozzie- that's great to know. Sure beats the heck out of 155.00 a bulb!
Anyone got a coupon code?
Also I notice that they have different moguls (I'm thinking this is the end part that screws into my socket)- does that make any difference?
How do I tell what kind I have now.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Great news on the bulb. I would hate to have to pay that much for a 1000W bulb. I, like Ozzy buy inexpensive bulbs and replace them every 4 grows or so. Generally lights come with a standard socket or a mogul socket.

 

[Dan K. Liberty]

Good news, tasty :icon_smile: now that you can get em, check out your equipment and get the right ones you need . . . pretty sure the shiny new purple ballast one is gonna have a E39 mogul, it may be marked as such . . . but you've said the 1k is older and there's no tellin what might be in it, so try and see if the 600 bulb fits in the 1000 socket, it may likely be a E39 mogul base also

Some sockets have two little grooves or slots where you turn the bulb in . . . so some bulbs hafta have the two little pins sticking out of the neck that fit into the grooves . . . this type of bulbs should be marked as POMB (pin oriented mogul base), so see if you need those

There may also be markings on the ballasts that you can match up to the bulb descriptions . . . a 1k HPS runs on a S52 ballast, a 600 HPS runs on a S106 ballast . . . i dunno, check out the ID plate on your ballasts, look for the letters ANSI . . . thats where it would be . . . think you said the purple one is an e-ballast, so look for that in the bulb descriptions too

jm2c :48: