Small, stealthy cabinet - fitting parts inside, reflector types

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ActivatedAlmonds52

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So far all I have is a wood cabinet - 23" x 21" x 40" (58 x 52 x 100cm). White interior.

The plan is pretty standard:

- only 1 or 2 plants in fabric pots
- one or two small oscillating fans (6" or 15cm)
- 250W HPS 2100K 32000lm bulb
- 250W dimmable ballast
- air cooled reflector
- exhaust fan (about 200 m3/h or ~120 cfm)
- carbon filter (rating slightly higher than the fan)
- passive intake hole(s) at the bottom of the cabinet
- no outdoor venting if I can avoid it (would be too compromising, couldn't mask it well enough)
- bare minimum ducting

I've done my research, but I still have a few questions:

1) if the cabinet's width is 23", it's a bit too narrow to fit the filter (7"-10" or 18-25cm), the air cooled reflector (17"-21" or 44-52cm) and the exhaust fan in a straight line. Can I just do this?



...which leads me to the next question...

2) should I bother trying to fit it all inside a cabinet of this size *OR* should I get something slightly bigger just to avoid future hassle (plant too close to bulb etc.)? the biggest I can go without attracting attention is about 28" x 28" x 47" (70 x 70 x 120cm).

3) (see pictures below) the first one is $35 and the second one is $90. Is there a noticable difference in efficiency? Again, I'm on a preeeetty tight budget.



4) is the 250W HPS the only bulb I need? I read somewhere that a CFL bulb might be good for germination/sprouting and I'm not sure if it's true.
 
Is the lamp housing airtight(aside from the input and output ducting)? If it is, I don’t see any reason that arrangement wouldn’t work. HPS lamps put out a lot of heat. In a small space, that could be a problem. If you have the option of a bigger grow space, do that. HPS lamps spectrum is for flowering(it is redder). For veg, you want a bluer light source. CMH bulbs(if compatible with your housing) can be used for veg thru harvest. There are also Metal Halide bulbs for those housings that have the right spectrum for veg.
 
Yeah That ^^^^
You don't have enough room to be using HPS brother. The heat is going to fry your plants,, plus they won't have enough headroom at only 40".
Do you live in an apartment or with someone that you're afraid will see your grow or what? I would at least get a tent or grow in a closet.
 
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So, a big cabinet is a must. I see. I guess I can get something significantly bigger after all.


Anyway, can anyone answer question nr.3 about the reflectors?
 
So, a big cabinet is a must. I see. I guess I can get something significantly bigger after all.


Anyway, can anyone answer question nr.3 about the reflectors?
Need more information. Pictures tell a 1000 words but words sometimes tell the whole story… ;)
 
You can use a smaller cabinet but you need to get away from that hps light and go led. Like said you can get a tent kit that gives you a tent, exhaust fan/filter combo and a light some even come with a timer. I myself built most everything I use with upright freezers but I would have been better with a tent. Oh and you want to draw the smell into the filter out the fan and into the cool tube or hood and out the tent, not the way you have it drawn out. Ask and you she'll get all the answers you can ever use.
 
You can use a smaller cabinet but you need to get away from that hps light and go led. Like said you can get a tent kit that gives you a tent, exhaust fan/filter combo and a light some even come with a timer. I myself built most everything I use with upright freezers but I would have been better with a tent. Oh and you want to draw the smell into the filter out the fan and into the cool tube or hood and out the tent, not the way you have it drawn out. Ask and you she'll get all the answers you can ever use.
I have not used cool tubes so I don’t know from experience. Do they cool more efficiently with the exhaust fan blowing thru them as opposed to drawing air thru them? I have always kept my exhaust fan external to my tent to eliminate an additional heat source in the tent. I agree that for a small space, an LED is the way to go. The price point is likely comparable and the LED will use less energy.
 
If you draw your smell through the filter then the cool tube/hood then to the exhaust fan will work but if there are air leaks between it will let the smell get away from you. So blowing through it after the fan will not let unfiltered escape your system. Matter of fact I was invited to see another man's grow, and he filters the air coming into his tent aswell as his exhaust.
 
If you draw your smell through the filter then the cool tube/hood then to the exhaust fan will work but if there are air leaks between it will let the smell get away from you. So blowing through it after the fan will not let unfiltered escape your system. Matter of fact I was invited to see another man's grow, and he filters the air coming into his tent aswell as his exhaust.
Makes sense. Smart ‘trick of the trade for sure. I could see a bit of odor escaping due to a Venturi effect if there are leaks in the cool tube but that is likely negligible. I did battle with odor once. Bought a new carbon filter. Still stunk. Turned out the hose between the filter and the fan had degraded so there were hundreds of tiny holes in the fecking hose. Dumb and expensive mistake on my part…
 
If you draw your smell through the filter then the cool tube/hood then to the exhaust fan will work but if there are air leaks between it will let the smell get away from you. So blowing through it after the fan will not let unfiltered escape your system. Matter of fact I was invited to see another man's grow, and he filters the air coming into his tent aswell as his exhaust.

Filter -> fan -> light -> exhaust. Right?

Another question about the growbox size:

Would 32 x 20 x 71" (80 x 50 x 180cm) be enough for two average sized plants (3-4 feet), side by side? Or is the length (20") pushing it?

From what I understand, I don't want sativas (too big) or autos (could be difficult for a complete rookie).

P.S. I know about specialized tents, but my box is going to SLIGHTLY exposed, so I'd rather use a personally modified cabinet. I really want keep the whole operation 100% secret.
 
I grow in upright freezers and have about 24"x24"x maybe 60" my plants are on the smaller side but bushy. Two will fill my box up pretty good but I can run four but they are bad crowded. That said when crowded your lower bud sites don't get much light. Yes the hosing for your system is filter-fan-light-exit.
 

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