LEDs?

[Cleptow]

Lumens are a mesurment of light for the human eye. The LED "grow lights" don't give off as much "lumenecent light" because plants don't need that type of light. New LEDs are being geared more towards the red/blue ends of the spectrum. Light that we mostly can't see, but that plants use... Just something I read someplace.

[67Special]

Sorry if I'm dragging this off the topic, but what do you guys/gals know about Ceramic Metal Halide lamps?

 

I read that they're a better spectrum for the full growing cycle(ie. veg&flower) than MH or HPS and radiate much less heat, so can be placed much closer to the plants without bleaching. Some of them run straight off a standard HPS ballast, which would make them an easy&cheap conversion too.

 

I've searched here at OS and most of the Aussie online hydro shops and found virtually no mention of them

 

are the seppos keeping this little secret to themselves or are they not as good as I've been led to believe?

 

:D

[Al B. Fuct]

67S, CMH really DOES look like the next big thing. New product at the moment, available in 100, 150, 250 & 400W tubes at present, many run in HPS ballasts. When they introduce a 1000, I'll be buying a couple. Not so sure about the radiant heat difference between CMH and other HID bottles but I'd be willing to have a go.

[67Special]

Do you know of anyone selling them in Oz Al?

 

There's a 40+ page-long thread on IC about them and a lot of the guys trying the CMH claim to be getting their 400's down to about 6" of the tops without a cooltube, no problems!

 

600 & 1000w CMH were due for release in the US about now, according to one bloke at IC, he's a retailer and seems to know his shit Simba I think it was.

 

I'm finally moving inside to get away from the ticks & snakes, but I'm only after a 250.

 

I suppose I can just go with HPS for now and upgrade to a CMH lamp when someone starts importing them.

 

 

[Al B. Fuct]

67S, I'm keeping my ear to the ground for avails, but this much I can tell you, your local hydro shop is unlikely to stock CMH unless you ask for them. I hate to suggest stuff to my whse unless I can promise them some stock will move. At least with Fytocell, I was able to buy out their first order of the stuff. I only use one 400 and a pair of 1000s, so I can't make the same commitment if I ask they stock 400CMHs.

 

Micro & closet growers should be paying very close attention to the 100W CMH. Any micro flowering application where you might think about using LEDs or CFLs, that little CMH looks like a very good fit- with MUCH greater luminous intensity than the non-HID alternatives at a roughly equivalent power consumption rate.