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! :)
Iā??m glad you mentioned this Dutch, as today is the day I go HPS, and I was really wondering about conversion bulbs. I hope my local hydro shop carries something similar to these; it does not seem to be a bad idea to get the most bang out of your ballast buck. :)
Go for the switchable, if you haven't already purchased.Quote:
Originally Posted by Skrappie
I agree.Quote:
Originally Posted by rhizome
Thanks for the input...everyone.....:thumbsup:
I just ordered two EYE 400-watt MH Conversion lamps (4500 K, 37,500 initial lumens), for $35 a pop from '1000 Bulbs' ... as you know, they are made to ignite with a HPS ballast ... but, one thing I couldn't find in my research, should I expect it to burn much hotter than the present regular Sodiums ? ... :smokin:
Clearly, it is one of the best 400 watt bulbs on the market for vegging a plant. It is even better then the eye blue which I have. And with that wide of a spectrum, it is a great bulb to flower a plant as well. And the price and lumen maintenance can not be beat! So if you have a 400 watt hps ballast then this bulb is the ticket all the way through the first 3 weeks of flower. And if you are tight on funds then flowering with this bulb will work great as well. I have one now, and it will replace my eye blue for my next grow.
53 bucks! I'm going to buy even more before they catch on and start marketing as a grow bulb which will inturn double the price.
Will veg 4 seedlings with the 400CMH...starting in a few days.
Day #1 CMH bulb. 4 White Widow seedlings, one week old. Temp?...about the same as the 400HPS Hortilux...or 1-2 degrees lower....:greenthumb:
End of week #2. 3 WW seedlings. They have been under the CMH bulb for 1 week, so far, so good. No stretch, less heat than the HPS hortilux.
I'm watching this one. I'm very interested in these CMH bulbs as well. Got any pics Dutch? How do they seem to be comparing to your other grows so far?
Coming up on the end of week #3. Three WW seedlings.Quote:
Originally Posted by MaryLane
Sorry about no pics. No camera. ...I will try to explain..if this CMH 400 bulb is better than a 400 HPS Hortilux bulb. That will take a lot of doing...because the Hortilux bulb is great.
The plants are doing great...10 inches tall...and a mind of their own...the little shits....:wtf:
I understand! :)
I guess you haven't got enough time on the CMH to really compare it to the Hortilux.
Whaddya mean 'a mind of their own'? :jointsmile:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dutch Pimp
...you know how it is...the shortest plant wants to leaf burn...the tallest plant wants to nute burn...the middle plant likes everything just the way it is.....:)Quote:
Originally Posted by MaryLane
3 WW plants at the end of week #3. All three plants were 98% root bound in 6 inch pots, so I transplanted them into 10 inch pots, Friday. About 10-12 inches tall, I sniped the top off the tallest one to get them even.
Will start flowering cycle, next Friday. So far, I can tell that the CMH bulb, does NOT throw the heat down, like an HPS bulb does. I can get it much closer to plants; with out leaf burn, IF you wait until week #2 or 3.....enjoy.
Nice update. How is the node spacing?
The real test will come during flowering!
Get a camera ya noob! :D
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dutch Pimp
No need to wait any longer. One of the plants has already shown it's female pre-flower, 27 days veg from seed sprout! Very bushy, 13 inches tall. Nodes?..if you count them like I do..8-9.Quote:
Originally Posted by MaryLane
So, 12/12 starts today.
I don't know yet how it will do for flowering...but it's a killer bulb for veg, if you have a 400 HPS magnetic ballast.
I don't usually hand out recommendations, unless I have tried it...at $53 + $10 for shipping...it's a bargain.
Nice, I think, by your posts, you are the same person in the ICMag thread about CMH bulbs. :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dutch Pimp
You guessed it...I grow like Clark Kent......:greenthumb:Quote:
Originally Posted by MaryLane
Overgrow the government! You rock my friend, keep growing!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dutch Pimp
End of week #1 flowering. 3 WW plants, 2 female, 1 male. All are about 2 feet tall and looking good. (I have 2 bag seed plants trailing along behind; 3rd week of veg for them). It's only been 1 week of flowering; so still too early to compare 400CMH bulb to 400HPS Hortilux for flowering, but I think I can say; no major difference, yet. And I consider that a Good thing....:)
Now, for the hijack question?...for anybody cruising though.
I am thinking about putting the male in a separate room, and using the pollen to make seeds (one 1 female), for the future grows. At 2 feet tall and very healthy: what would the minimun light requirements be to keep it growing well enough to make pollen?
All input welcome....:thumbsup:
I guess I would have to go out and buy something; I only have 4 foot floro tubes now...:(...and want to keep it to the minimun possible.
Hey Dutch how much heat is your lamp giving off? Is it aircooled? How far can you keep it from your plants?
1. My setup is in a closet. I pump cool air between the top of the plants and the bottom of the light, 24/7. The air comes from my central heat/ac floor opening, using 6 inch dryer-duct hose. If it gets cold at night, it adds heat. I don't have an exhaust system, it's not nessary in the fall/winter/spring, and I don't try to grow in the summer. The excess heat returns to the H/AC system. I maintain 70-85 degrees and 40-50% humidity.Quote:
Originally Posted by MaryLane
2. The CMH bulb doesn't throw the heat down like the HPS hortilux bulb. So I can get it closer; say 8-10 inches as opposed to 12-15 for the hortilux. If I hooked up an exhaust system to my lamp housing, I could maybe get closer still. It was an option, I didn't get....:(....should have.
This works great for my small personal grows....:D
Ahh cool. Sounds like a nice set up.
I am trying to decide if I want to throw my CMH 400w in a DIY bake a round cooltube or leave it open. I am doing a barrel style vscrog so the distance to the plants is fixed. Right now I am planning on a 20" diameter screen, which puts the radius at 10". I think I amy do the cooltube and reduce the diameter to maybe 18" or so.
What do you think? I will have plenty of ventilation either way, and my ambients never go above 75F, usually staying around 71F.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dutch Pimp
Hi.Quote:
Originally Posted by MaryLane
I'm not a light expert or anything, but these bulbs are rated for open fixtures. They have X-amount of Uv block built into the glass bulb. If you need to use a cool tube, select the proper kind of glass tube or you will block too much of the Uv light; which the plants love.
A fixed light distance; is a over-my-head growing style. I adjust my light distance daily...:D...and scrog is too.:) I just let them puppies grow. I have plenty of height distance to work with.
Bottomline: Everbody's grow room is different, so I usually avoid giving advice, but the key is to test everything in advance, I think. Keep temps between light and top of plants around 75-80 degrees; with good air circulation, that is good common advice....enjoy!
The thread about MH in flowering, reminded me that I am at the end of 4 weeks of flowering with the CMH bulb.
2 female white widows under a 400 CMH bulb. Still don't have a digital camera, but went shopping for one today. Maybe after the weekend, I will have some pics available.
Anyways, their 3 foot tall and doing very well. Which is about a foot shorter than the last grow under a 400 HPS Hortilux, everything else is the same; nutes, etc.
I like this bulb.
I'm really thinking of getting just an HPS ballast with a CMH bulb, if I have any doubt about CMH it's in the flowering stage, so let us know how much you got, peace.
Yea...that's the $63 question. How does it do in flowering? It does great for 4 weeks. The final 4-5 weeks?...we'll see.Quote:
Originally Posted by Indico
Remember...the CMH bulbs are NOT to be used with digital ballasts...magnetic ballasts only.
Exhibit A. 4 1/2 weeks flowering...(I really should finish painting the walls...:stoned:)
i noticed that you are warning the use of e-ballasts, so I have been lookin around and came up on this
http://www.hydro-techn.com/showcandle/newscan.html
I feel that this bulb will produce more yeald per watt, no? Is your progress anything above average?
Exhibit B...end of 7 weeks flowering.
so is this better than a hortilux?