help me spend my money

[headshake]

as some of you might know i am in the design phase of my new setup build. a lot of the components are coming along nicely, while others aren't.

so i was wondering everyone's personal preference for lamps/bulbs?

for reference sake, i'll be running a 600w HPS with lumatek ballast. (but as far as it's concerned, what is everyones choice for digital ballast too?!)

has anyone used the bulbs with the built in reflectors? something such as this.

it says it has 95,000 lumens and says it's 95% efficient.

i was thinking about going with the sunmaster.

if anyone has any other input for any other products that they think shouldn't be left out of a grow room, please let me know.

it will either be DWC or ebb & flow. still researching. i would like to have several stains going, not necessarily on the same harvest cycle, but im not against the possibility. i hear the sea of green method is kinda a pain in the butt due to the large number of plants going. input.

basically i want to harvest every 2 weeks to a month, and would like to yield 1/4 to 1/2 pound, respectively. the more the better, obviously.

ok, so this turned more into a collective effort, complete build thread. sorry. i promise it started as a bulb question. but isn't if fun helping me to spend my money? there will be plenty of eye candy along the way. i know everyone likes pics. i update my current log regularly. check it out. thanks for all the input.

-shake

headshake Reviewed by headshake on 11-23-2008. help me spend my money as some of you might know i am in the design phase of my new setup build. a lot of the components are coming along nicely, while others aren't. so i was wondering everyone's personal preference for lamps/bulbs? for reference sake, i'll be running a 600w HPS with lumatek ballast. (but as far as it's concerned, what is everyones choice for digital ballast too?!) has anyone used the bulbs with the built in reflectors? something such as this. it says it has 95,000 lumens and says Rating: 5

[disrupt86]

as far as reflectors go i have a sun master yield master xl and its great,spreads the light really evenly and wide,its perfect for a 4x4 room with out having to worry about not getting enough coverage. mine is also used with a 60o setup but not digital.

[IAmKowalski]

Shake, That avatar of yours is mildly disturbing at times - I swear I keep hearing Bob Ross's voice when I read your posts. Actually, when I get stoned enough I think he starts actually gesticulating like a picture hanging in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Weedery or something.

Anyway I'm interested in seeing what recommendations you get regarding bulbs - Stinky declared one her hands down favorite in a thread somewhere - or at least I thought she did, but I'll be damned if I can find it now. I'm still running a hardware store bulb, 400 watt, off of an old magnetic ballast - I plan to upgrade the bulb as soon as I'm able and after I take care of any more pressing issues.

My first grow was ebb and flow, with my final system (evolution engineering at work) having the nutrient tank below the grow room's floor level so that it could gravity drain once the pump shut off. The pump filled a "leveling bucket" - a plastic mop-bucket with a large drain hose fitted into the side to set the fill point. From the bottom of this bucket, 1/2" tubing connected to the bottom of the plant containers. Each time the pump ran, the 2 1/2 qt paint containers would fill to the same level as the leveling bucket. The bucket would stay filled to the level of the large drain in the side while the pump continued to run. Once the pump shut off, they would drain through the 1/2" return line back down to the tank. Anyway, dead simple and reliable.

The containers were filled with pea gravel, and the clones were started in peat-pucks and then planted into the pea gravel. If you want to get fancy I suppose you could upgrade to clay-balls here instead of gravel, but you get the point.

Anyway, if you are looking for a DIY route, the daisy-chained multi-flow home depot system is pretty damn bullet-proof and a lot more flexible and easy to work with than a flood tray. You can simply unplug the hose from an individual plant and move it out of the way when it is ready to harvest, replacing it with another. The only problem is when it comes time to start flushing an individual plant in the system - you are stuck either running a second tank and having two sets of lines running, or just hand watering plants while flushing them, having disconnected them from the system.

[LolaGal]

Hey Shake, I gotta agree with Kowalski, that Bob Ross freaks me out too. I never knew he was a stoner!!! Gotta tell us about that avatar!!! Who, what, when, where, why & how!

How I'd spend your money, Well I've seen that cardboard box you've got! First I'd buy/rent you a house with a basement. You said your lease is up in few months move. Then hire electrician to install hookup in basement. After he's gone and you have 3 times more electrical outlets than you think you'll need... Then you'll need a mother room and a flower room. I'd spend alot of money on MH/HPS switchable ballast lighting. Say 4 for each room. Then gotta buy you some bulbs. U should get either veg or flower bulb with setup , should include reflectors of some sort. If you got lots of lights, reflectors not so important. Then you're either broke or it's time to start buying equipment and plants.

Had fun setting you up in new house and grow rooms...good luck.

[headshake]

as far as reflectors go i have a sun master yield master xl and its great,spreads the light really evenly and wide,its perfect for a 4x4 room with out having to worry about not getting enough coverage. mine is also used with a 60o setup but not digital.

thanks disrupt. i'll check it out.

Shake, That avatar of yours is mildly disturbing at times - I swear I keep hearing Bob Ross's voice when I read your posts. Actually, when I get stoned enough I think he starts actually gesticulating like a picture hanging in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Weedery or something.

lmao! holy hell that's funny! i appreciate the info about the setup. i am trying to grow a couple of different strains at a time, is that feasible with the setup of which you speak? i guess only if they are compatible huh?

Hey Shake, I gotta agree with Kowalski, that Bob Ross freaks me out too. I never knew he was a stoner!!! Gotta tell us about that avatar!!! Who, what, when, where, why & how!

How I'd spend your money, Well I've seen that cardboard box you've got! First I'd buy/rent you a house with a basement. You said your lease is up in few months move. Then hire electrician to install hookup in basement. After he's gone and you have 3 times more electrical outlets than you think you'll need... Then you'll need a mother room and a flower room. I'd spend alot of money on MH/HPS switchable ballast lighting. Say 4 for each room. Then gotta buy you some bulbs. U should get either veg or flower bulb with setup , should include reflectors of some sort. If you got lots of lights, reflectors not so important. Then you're either broke or it's time to start buying equipment and plants.

Had fun setting you up in new house and grow rooms...good luck.

thanks. i don't think i'm going quite that big...yet! and i'm not sure i'm gonna be able to get a house when it's time for me to move. i do appreciate the feedback though.

as far as the avatar, i met bob once while he was filming one of his show for public broadcasting television and in between takes he invites me over to his trailer and smokes some of the stickiest funkiness that he claims was from mars (come one, i've heard some far out shit, but mars, WTF!?, but it was funky!) he then proceeded to paint that picture for me a i snapped a shot of him in front of it real quick.

i'm just kidding. i found it with google. sorry. i couldn't resist. thanks again.

keep the good info coming.
-shake

[LolaGal]

Shake you had me going. I was reading with my mouth hanging down...... got me good. LOL