400w Highbay Mercury Vapour for Flowering - Yes/No

[Dark1]

I scored a couple of 400w Highbay mercury vapour lights for free (Manufactured date 2007) thinking that I might find a use for them.

(Here's the manufactures spec sheet http://www.sla.net.au/sites/default/files/Eco%20Indy.pdf )

 

They don't look like highbay's anymore as I've modified them to have remote ballasts and square hoods instead of the highbay reflectors. 

 

Veg - I'm using one of the 400w MV in my veg room - it's replaced a 250w MH with digi ballast - there's a lot more light in there now and it appears the plants like it.

 

Flower - I thought that I might be able to just buy a HPS bulb for the other one and use it for additional flowering lights however from the research I have done it appears that just replacing the MV bulb with a HPS bulb will not work due to different starting parameters/requirements.

 

My current flowering light is one 600w HPS (digi ballast) and now I've got this spare 400w MV so I figured I might as well use it for flowering ....

 

Now I appreciate that they are an older design and that in the order of lighting Mercury Vapour was replaced by Metal Halide but has anyone used a 400w MV light for flowering or have any other comments?

[pisspotgrower]

mh is great for veg as promots tighter internodes or so im told but not so good for flowering......what will be a winner is if u use the mh and the hps for flower for a dual spectrum grow

[MongyMan]

I found MV grew stretched lanky plants.Stick to MH and/or HPS imo.

 

MongyMan

[Vape]

I had never heard much about these lights so i went hunting for info.. this is a table which backs mongys post.. I never had any doubt Mongy .

http://growhousebuilders.com/indoor-marijuana-grow-lights/ ( cut and paste from there)

Approximate light production:

Incandescents: 17 lumens/watt

Mercury vapor: 45-50 lumens/watt

Fluorescents: 60-70 lumens/watt

Metal halide: 90 lumens/watt

High pressure sodium: 107 lumens/watt

 

so you need two MV lights for every one MH..    

 

hope this helps, cause its always nice to learn.

[iTiC]

Give that MH sucker a go for sure.

Would it be possible to put a china hat shade on that; get a wider area of light coverage? if needed. ...

[MongyMan]

Give that MH sucker a go for sure.

 

It's a MV (mercury vapor) lamp iTiC, not a MH (metal halide)

 

MongyMan

[Dark1]

Thanks for the help and input MongyMan, sirvapealot, pisspotgrower and iTiC

 

@ sirvapealot - excellent info which shows how inefficient mercury vapour light production is compared to metal halide and high pressure sodium.

 

Clearly not worth my using a 400w MV for anything other than veg if that - might even revert to my 250w MH with digi ballast - in any case I wont be using the 400w MV to flower.

 

After learning about what a crappy light the 400w MV actually is I bit the bullet and went and purchased a new 1000w Gavita Pro HPS to complement my existing 600w HPS in the flowering room.

 

That should do the job :-)

 

Thanks again for the info and advice.

Love this growing - might have to start a diary :-)