Hey there guys. I'm finally looking into buying an HPS system for my growroom, because the CFL's just aren't cuttin it anymore.
My growroom is your standard household closet. At the moment my ventilation consists of a slightly cracked door and a few fans. I can easily change that, and try drilling some holes for some case fans (and cut/burn off a few fingers in the process, too ). The walls are painted white (although it doesn't look like flat white) and the door is flat white. My dimensions are about 2' x 3' x 5', L x W x H. I'll hopefully post some pictures soon. I finally got a hold of my brothers camera, yay!
So I've searched around, asked for some advice, and came upon 3 different systems, all 400w HPS systems. They seem to have everything I need, minus the mounting mechanism (chains, etc.). But I will include that in the price.
So out of these three, which do you guys think is the best for my setup? I understand that I get what I pay for, but keep in mind that an extra 20$ could mean the difference between some FF nutes and mylar or simply a bare setup. I'm on a pretty tight budget.
First up: http://www.insidesun.com/ecc584ec06d4630abdc6908519b10cb2.item
Without mounting hooks and chains: $100. With: 112.50.
Pros: Adaptable refrelctor could come in handy with such a small room. Mounting system is pretty cheap.
Cons: Refurbished ballast looks relatively cheap. Batwing reflector, while adaptable, also looks very second-rate.
Next:
http://www.htgsupply.com/viewproduct.asp?productID=53168
Price: $96 for a complete (I think?) system.
Pros: Totally enclosed unit makes everything neat and easy for me. A neat grow room is a fantastic one.
Cons: An obviously low-quality product. Integrated ballast could dump a lot of unneccessary heat into the grow room.
And finally:
http://www.htgsupply.com/viewproduct.asp?productID=47929
Price without reflector hangers: 130$ With: 140$.
(I'm not sure what reflector hangers are, would this be a mounting system?)
Pros: Obviously high quality. Ballast looks top notch. The cords are extra long, and will work from my neighbors house. Reflector looks the best of all.
Cons: Pricey. As I said before, this could prevent me from picking up some better nutes, or getting mylar.
So those are the 400w systems I picked up.
Now on to the next question that will probably end up nullifying all the research I just did. Do I really need a 400w HPS for a room of this size? I plan on putting 4-5 plants for their full life in here. I'll start them under CFL's until they're big enough to handle an HPS for veg. I know 400watters suffice for 4' x 4' grow areas, but what about a 250w system? All of the 250w systems I found have been just a few (10-15$) cheaper than the 400w systems, and the consumer inside me tells me to go with the one that puts out double the lumens.
So what are your opinions? 250w? 400w? Which one of the three above is the best? Any other systems out there that I could consider?
Thanks in advance.
My growroom is your standard household closet. At the moment my ventilation consists of a slightly cracked door and a few fans. I can easily change that, and try drilling some holes for some case fans (and cut/burn off a few fingers in the process, too ). The walls are painted white (although it doesn't look like flat white) and the door is flat white. My dimensions are about 2' x 3' x 5', L x W x H. I'll hopefully post some pictures soon. I finally got a hold of my brothers camera, yay!
So I've searched around, asked for some advice, and came upon 3 different systems, all 400w HPS systems. They seem to have everything I need, minus the mounting mechanism (chains, etc.). But I will include that in the price.
So out of these three, which do you guys think is the best for my setup? I understand that I get what I pay for, but keep in mind that an extra 20$ could mean the difference between some FF nutes and mylar or simply a bare setup. I'm on a pretty tight budget.
First up: http://www.insidesun.com/ecc584ec06d4630abdc6908519b10cb2.item
Without mounting hooks and chains: $100. With: 112.50.
Pros: Adaptable refrelctor could come in handy with such a small room. Mounting system is pretty cheap.
Cons: Refurbished ballast looks relatively cheap. Batwing reflector, while adaptable, also looks very second-rate.
Next:
http://www.htgsupply.com/viewproduct.asp?productID=53168
Price: $96 for a complete (I think?) system.
Pros: Totally enclosed unit makes everything neat and easy for me. A neat grow room is a fantastic one.
Cons: An obviously low-quality product. Integrated ballast could dump a lot of unneccessary heat into the grow room.
And finally:
http://www.htgsupply.com/viewproduct.asp?productID=47929
Price without reflector hangers: 130$ With: 140$.
(I'm not sure what reflector hangers are, would this be a mounting system?)
Pros: Obviously high quality. Ballast looks top notch. The cords are extra long, and will work from my neighbors house. Reflector looks the best of all.
Cons: Pricey. As I said before, this could prevent me from picking up some better nutes, or getting mylar.
So those are the 400w systems I picked up.
Now on to the next question that will probably end up nullifying all the research I just did. Do I really need a 400w HPS for a room of this size? I plan on putting 4-5 plants for their full life in here. I'll start them under CFL's until they're big enough to handle an HPS for veg. I know 400watters suffice for 4' x 4' grow areas, but what about a 250w system? All of the 250w systems I found have been just a few (10-15$) cheaper than the 400w systems, and the consumer inside me tells me to go with the one that puts out double the lumens.
So what are your opinions? 250w? 400w? Which one of the three above is the best? Any other systems out there that I could consider?
Thanks in advance.