Phlips MasterColor Ceramic Metal Halide ~ CMH ~ HPS-Retro White
OK..techies...what does everyone think about this bulb?
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Phlips MasterColor Ceramic Metal Halide ~ CMH ~ HPS-Retro White
OK..techies...what does everyone think about this bulb?
Not a huge fan of any conversion bulb, as the cost of use after a single replacement would generally cover the ballast that you're not buying.
I'm not familiar w/ this bulb in vivo, so I can't be more specific. (What's up with the spike @520-530 nm? Lot of power at not-so-great wavelengths...)
Well..I am a big fan of hortilux bulbs. I have a 400 HPS Hortilux that did very well for me. But on my next grow, I was thinking about a conversion bulb....:silly:
The spectrum wavelengths on this bulb appear to be superior to both Hortilux or Son Gro. This is just a "thinking" exercise on my part, getting ready for my next grow. I will stick with my 400HPS ballast, no matter what. I'm just on the lookout for the BEST bulb on the market. Price is no object, but $53+tax seems a bargain.
I've paid a LOT more for things in my life, and gotten a LOT less, if you know what I mean...:thumbsup: Just looking for the most bang for the buck...:pimp:
What's not to like?...comparison wise?
CMH vs. standard HPS vs. Son Agro 430 vs. Hortilux MH conversion bulbs.
Again- I'm not familiar w/ this bulb in practice- I'm working from the spec graphs, and my experiance w/ conversion bulbs. For all I know it's a winner.
Most of the conversion bulbs that I've been around lost brilliance fairly quickly, and were relatively expensive. ($53 is a VERY good price for a 400w conversion- I'd def give one a shot.)
Replacing bulbs annually, if yer burning a good ag bulb, should run you about $100 per annum. If this conversion only lasts 6 months, it's gonna cost you $106+tax per annum. 400w conversions are often $100+, which puts cost per annum ( replacing every six months) up over two hundred bucks- prohibitive, to me.
In terms of the bulb, that spec graph looks to me like it's tossing a lot of energy in the 530-540nm range.
If you want the best, in my opinion that'd be the Hortilux Blue- but that's gonna require a MH compatible ballast. This may be a workable option.
I appreciate your input rhizome...:thumbsup:
I was wondering about that spike at 520-530 nm too...it must useful for something...tanning maybe?...:D
Some dude at ICMag put me on this...claims to have used it for years. I asked about that spike...waiting on his answer.
Bottom line: I think I will get one. Nothing ventured, nothing gained...:stoned:
One update on these Ceramic Metal Halide bulbs...they are NOT to be used with Digital Ballasts!
Not from personal experiance, I hope...
...no ...it's just the techie rap...from some dude at ICMag that has been using them. I have a heavy duty 400 HPS magnetic ballast. The check is in the mail...so to speak. Will let y'all know how it works...in a few months.....:weedpoke:Quote:
Originally Posted by rhizome
Well, it's clearly designed for industrial lighting, not horticulture use, and that large spike in the middle of the green spectrum will probably be wasted. It looks like a HPS/MH combo light, which could be great for vegging. The life is only 20,000 hours which is similar to typical MH bulb life. When it says the lumen maintenance is 85%, that probably means you'll get 85% of your initial lumens at half the bulb's rated life. I've seen other representations of lumen maintenance, but the % of initial lumens at 50% life is the most common. Also, lumens are about the same as a typical MH non-conversion bulb, so that's pretty good.
If you're familiar with regular MH bulbs, this looks like it'd work a lot like they do, but with a broader spectrum and in a HPS ballast. And because it's designed for industrial use, the low price probably has more to do with economy of scale than quality. Go for it! :)