the right light

[ktm250]

MYgrowbox is 6ft x 3ft x 3ft.Is this the right type of light kit i need?250watt MH kit with a chinamans hat shade.And for flowering should i swap the 250w for a 400w?Or just continue to use the 250w for less hours?

[Al B. Fuct]

China hats are very inefficient (almost all light reaching the plants is reflected instead of direct from the tube) and tend to concentrate heat on the tube socket, shortening their life. Go for a horizontal batwing shade. Much, much more efficient and significantly cooler running tubes.

 

You can veg either with a MH or an HPS. MH -> HPS retrofit lights for 400HPS control gear don't quite make 400W, usually about 360W. You'll definitely want HPS for flowering. If you can have only one light, get a 400HPS.

[SukonmiSkunk]

I think youll find a parabolic shade is better in a square area... a batwing shade is made for illuminating a rectangular area...

 

sure the batwing will concentrate more light in the center.. but a parabolic shade will spread the lumins evenly over a square area.. where as a batwing shade will drop lumins dramatically end to end.. as they spread 75% of the light side to side...

 

with all that said... 3x3 area isnt really all that big... and you might have trouble fitting a 3' parabolic shade in there... ofc you can cut it down??

 

so for a 3x3 area.. id go for a 400watter in a parabolic shade... providing it will fit in... id be trying to fit it in... or make the room 4x4.. and go for a 600watter with a 3' shade... like my room...

 

if this is out of the question.. then youll have to make the compromise and go for the batwing shade... it will still work well... and really.. a 400 with any sort of shade in there will get fantasic results at almost 40watts perfoot...

 

seeing as you will be flowering for a lot longer than you will be vegging.. id opt for a HPS globe... as i see bud production more important... ofc if you can afford both MH and HPS.. then get them...