I have no experience with anything on that level... but I KNOW that it is not considered an appropriate beginner set-up. I do respect your ambition and thirst for knowledge. It is great when you see other people take the same initiative and learn stuff on there own. :thumbsup:

3k watts is pretty heavy. I'm also not even sure if this is above and beyond the scope that this site would like people talking about?

I will say that ALL the research in the world is not going to actually grow and maintain anything for you. It's like, you can play a zombie first person shooter video game... but if you actually woke up to a room full of zombies you'd probably shit yourself and pass out :jointsmile:

and unfortunately, you have ALREADY made one of the WORST mistakes that a beginner can do
Quote Originally Posted by Testament
(local outdoor growers) have cautioned me greatly about the risks of electricity.......[EDIT]......they seem to believe that running 3 1000w lamps might not be a good idea ;-)
....... IGNORING THE ADVICE OF EXPERIENCED GROWERS :wtf:

but in all seriousness...
Quote Originally Posted by Testament
Maybe its my paranoia.....but I see a lot of downfalls to this, and I have a lot to lose. It could cost me my education, if I were to be caught.
Play it safe on the first go around. Check out CFL's (edit: just saw you said you ruled CFL's out, but when done right you can get awesome results)... and keep reading. :hippy: Sometimes paranoia is the one element that keeps you from getting busted-