100W HPS cabinet

Check out my setup, cost just under $200 for everything including NL seeds from Nirvana, 100W HPS, 60W CFL, 135 CFM 110V AC fan. I'll update progress weekly. Here's some pics from 7/21 to 7/26:

cabinet dimensions are 24" long by 14" deep by 36" high (locking DVD cabinet),
my wife thinks it's ugly.

How'd all those lights & fan cost under $200? Looks good so far.

I wouldn't expect much from 100 watts, but good luck .... hope I'm wrong ... :smokin:

oh haha, i read it wrong. i thought it said 1000 watts. ok yea, that makes mores sense. but yea i agree with image reaper, will probably need some more wattage especially when they get in to flowering stage... maybe pick up some CFL's.

I kept costs cheap by buying a floor model light and a new bulb at the local hydro shop for $90, and a closeout cabinet at Office Depot for $30, and spent only $30 on seeds from Nirvana. The exhaust fan was $25 (radio shack), the timer was $9, bulbs were $7 apiece, paint, soil and perlite and nutes and pots and duct tape made up the rest (lowe's and wal-mart). Maybe not under $200 but definitely under $210

I hear what you're saying about 100W HPS not being enough light to produce much bud. So I worked it out: I have 2.53 sqft. of grow space (14" by 24"), and the 100W HPS output is 9500 initial lumens, giving me 3800 lumens/sqft (adequate, probably more than what a lot of growers use). A fringe benefit is that the 100W runs cooler, so I can get away with running one fan, for less noise and more stealth. Basically, I'm not worried about 100W being insufficient. I'm more worried about my germination and female to male ratios from these Northern Lights seeds :)

Day 5 to Day 10, 7-26 to 7-31, missed a couple of days. 4th node is showing on plant 1, but no germination on seed 2. I doubt it will pop but I squeezed the seed today and it's still firm. I have seen seeds take longer so I will leave it be.

--Day 11, Day 12, Day 13--

we are on an 18/6 photoperiod, using 60W of daylight CFL, eating ~100ml of 10/10/10 food at half-strength once per day.

On day 11 when the bottom leaf pair was completely shaded by the 2nd leaf pair, we pruned the bottom leaf pair, then you don't see much new growth on day 12 because the sissy plant is like "fucking ow, bitch!", then on day 13 new growth is visible again because the plant is all pissed and learning karate.

I intend to transplant, top, and LST on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Flowering will start next week, because this is my only plant and I want to see the sex, and because my cabinet is so small.

How have you handled light Leaks? Did you Duct tape up all the cracks or was there somthing else that you tried. It looks like a steller cabinet. On Paper you light should give you nuff bud, 3000lummes Sq foot? Maybe im wrong though.

I am currently setting up a cab around the same dimensions, right now im trying to figure out a good way to stop light leaks. Without using duct tape becasue Im afarid I will have to keep reappliying the duct tape as I have noticed duct tape to wear out over time espically with heat involved.

kd_special

kdspecial--yes I used 3-5 layers of duct tape around the doors on the hinge sides. For the top and bottom of the door opening I cut heavy cardboard to length and duct taped it to the door, with some overlap so it would make a flange and seal the top and bottom perfectly when shut. Then I put a couple layers of duct tape over the flanges, so it seals tighter. You may want to just try using weatherstripping material from lowe's, now that I think about it... it took me a couple hours to do the whole thing and it cost me $2. Eventually it will wear out, but for now that sucker is light-tight. The 100WHPS doesn't hardly get hot enough to hurt duct tape anyway.

Thanks for the comment, best of luck getting your own cabinet set up. I think my setup should produce enough for my personal use, and plus it's a stealthy little midget. The proof will be in the buddha!

Nice lil setup. Simple yet efficient. Dont knock a lil light, look at my grow and ive got a 150. I'm tremendiously satisfied with my results. Cab paid for itself 10 fold already and its got alot of life left in it. GL gro'in.

Good start man - hope thats a female ya got there!

My first cab was a dual spectrum 150HPS/70MH and about the same size as yours. No heat problems at all with a 135cfm fart fan cut into the side wall.

Good luck and keep us posted!

THats awsome would you be able to post a pic of you doors on the cabinet just so I can have a better look please? I would really appreciate it. I also wouldn't mind seeing another picture of how you did the light blocker on the back of the cab. where the fan hole is. I also need to think of somthing for the back of my cab. the light leacks out my fan intake and outtake.

I would just love to see the doors where the hinges are so I can get a better idea of how you worked that cardboard into the cab.

Any help is greatly appreciated. ill post some of mine later tonight. Ill be taping tonight Id imagine.

kd_special

I'll get you a pic where you can see the doors better. I used duct tape only for the hinge sides, and cardboard pieces + duct tape for the tops, bottoms, and latch sides. A couple spare screw went through the cardboard to hold it down better in places, you will see in the pic. If you have been taping already, you see it takes a lot to cover up every light leak.

The light trap on the back is a plastic paint tray ($0.96 at Wal-Mart) with one side cut out. It is clad in duct tape armor and fastened to the back of the cabinet with duct tape so that the open side faces downward. Some light gets out but hardly any gets in. I have since added another vent done the same way in the upper left part of the grow space, here I mounted the fan using nuts and bolts so the old vent is now passive intake. I also sealed the doors more completely with duct tape to make them airtight. The temp is 10 degrees cooler even though the HPS is running now (started 12/12 on 8/6).

Here's a picture from 8/6 (you can see I transplanted and pruned one pair of leaves). Since then I have pruned two more pairs of branches, and growth is back up to speed plus all those inner branches and leaves are getting gnarly. I think tomorrow I can top, and that should be all thr pruning until it is a lot bigger. LST will occur after she shows sex.

nice grow :)

dont ever let anyone tell you 100watts isnt enough to grow ive seen 100watt complete grows and although they dont produce ton of herb he ended up with 1.5oz so good luck

I ahve started taping up the Cabinet and it has worked well so Far I will get some picts when IU am done the whole setup its about half way there. I build back light traps similar to yours.( Thanks for the pictures) I used Ceral boxes and Duct tape and I was quite proud of what i came out with they work perfect. Well Im pretty sure no light gets in I definitly dont see much light come out.

Ill get you some picts soon...

kd_special

thanks for all the help

What type of soil mix are you using you just said you repotted your plant? I am getting ready to do another grow and I want to get a soild soil mix.

Thanks

kd_Sepcial

Dude I very impreddes with your cab I was wondering how you put your fan in and it can stilll be light proof? How do you do that?

Its been awhile has everything worked out? Im also interested in a light similiar to that.

The northern light twins at week 11 (day 36 of flower). I have made a lot of mistakes but marijuana is tough to kill. To prevent some of the slow growth and leaf necrosis that occurred around week 8, next time I will add perlite and lime to the soil before starting, and use purified water throughout, and use 10 inch instead of 8 inch pots for finishing, and add epsom salts once when I switch to 12-12.

Updated stats:
temp=80-85F day to 76F night
lighting=100W HPS and 2x26W CFL
lumens=13000
cabinet dimension=24"wx14"dx36"h
ventilation=80mm 120V fan (32CFM)
fertilizer=scotts 20-20-20 and green light super bloom 12-55-6
water=deer park purified water (reverse osmosis treated)

take it easy, smoke it greasy:rasta: :rasta: :rasta:

nice log, one hit. Still has time.....

OneHitter, What are you expecting for yield?

Dry weight will be under 1 oz. The skinny bush is maturing faster than the thick bush, so that estimate could go up or down in the next week. Enough to manage my glaucoma for the whole winter though :thumbsup::smokin:

Dood your grow has inspired me so hardcore. i am gonna buidling a replica of your grow box becuase it is simple and very stealty. what was the oder like in that box. i have a small town home that i own but i dont want the neighbors on each sides to smell anything. but very damn good job for such a small great little box. i gotta go smoke a bowl after looking at your nuggets on the trees

damn nm edit

some pics from day 44
smells so stinky :D

Props, man. Very nice box and nice reults on the flowering so far. Anytime now, eh? Keep us abreast. :D

Buds make me happy....:yippee:

Be cool.

:rasta: RastafarI

TGF

Check out my thread...JOURNAL OF A MADMAN

how those babys coming along?

That is truly awesome for 100w hps.

Nice plants, requesting current pic.