Time for a light upgrade .. CMH or LED or stay with HPS

[skratch22]

Hi Travis,

 

Your setup sounds quite interesting, I am a sucker for anything a bit different.

 

I am currently running a CMH 315w.  I think it is more comparable to a 400w hps than 600w. 

 

It does run much cooler than the hps. I have it in a cooltube at the moment and the footprint is very small compared to the 400w hps also in a cooltube.  However, as SPH mentioned, with the right reflector this may be improved. 

 

While I do not regret buying the CMH as it allowed me to grow through an extreme summer, I am not yet convinced it is better or on par with hps.  I found the buds grown under the cmh took longer to finish than the ones under the hps and were not as dense as the hps grown buds.  But again that may have been due to the extreme heat through summer.

You mention that you have the 315w globe in a cooltube at the mo. I take it your cooltube has a glass cover?

 

I heard that UV-B rays can get blocked by glass and needs a direct path from bulb to plant. I'd imagine that would be the primary reason why your buds didn't quite finish up as you would have liked them.

Edited March 14, 2017 by skratch22

[pedro de pacas]

Thanks ford, as with most thing that seem to good to be true, might do a bit better without the cool tube?, have never run one, have never had a problem growing in summer, the only thing I do different in summer is no co2 burner for a few weeks, its all about timing your grows , a proper sized and built grow room helps as well

For the price HPS kills everything hands down, and no having to change globes, just grow and head using the same light

[Ford Fairlane]

You mention that you have the 315w globe in a cooltube at the mo. I take it your cooltube has a glass cover?

 

I heard that UV-B rays can get blocked by glass and needs a direct path from bulb to plant. I'd imagine that would be the primary reason why your buds didn't quite finish up as you would have liked them.

 

 

Thanks ford, as with most thing that seem to good to be true, might do a bit better without the cool tube?, have never run one, have never had a problem growing in summer, the only thing I do different in summer is no co2 burner for a few weeks, its all about timing your grows , a proper sized and built grow room helps as well

For the price HPS kills everything hands down, and no having to change globes, just grow and head using the same light

 

Thanks fellas.  I have a batwing I planned on switching to when things cool down a bit.. so I hope you are right. 

[hydrochronic]

I'm in the COB LED camp myself and currently going to be sourcing ~10 COBs for my new 4x4 area. Yes they are bit more expensive than HPS but tdepending on how many runs you do a year, the power and heat savings will be worth it for me and will pay for itself with the first few oz and long term grams/watt/kwH will make it much more profitable/efficient. Non direct benefit is drawing less power is less suspicious to power companies, and less heat is better for the plants and easier to hide from the cops/crims with heat guns looking to bust or rip off your grow. Sure every year there will be a new 'best' LED out getting a bit better or a bit more efficient, but guys are already pulling 1.5grams/watt with current tech which would be a great result for most people. 

[Gazza2001au]

Ok just ran a search on Ali Express seems the Chinese are coming down a shit load in price on the CREE CXB3590 ;lights using the same chips as i am in my diary

 

check them out

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20170313220711&SearchText=cxb3590

[hydrochronic]

Ok just ran a search on Ali Express seems the Chinese are coming down a shit load in price on the CREE CXB3590 ;lights using the same chips as i am in my diary

 

check them out

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20170313220711&SearchText=cxb3590

nice fine. one thing to consider though is that there are many levels of binning on these chips, the ones from cutter or rapid led would only be the highest bins, the ones from ali express might be the ones that don't even make it onto the binning lists. I'd pay the premium to know I'm getting the highest binned chips for maximum efficiency and performance. 

[Traviss]

I'm in the COB LED camp myself and currently going to be sourcing ~10 COBs for my new 4x4 area. Yes they are bit more expensive than HPS but tdepending on how many runs you do a year, the power and heat savings will be worth it for me and will pay for itself with the first few oz and long term grams/watt/kwH will make it much more profitable/efficient. Non direct benefit is drawing less power is less suspicious to power companies, and less heat is better for the plants and easier to hide from the cops/crims with heat guns looking to bust or rip off your grow. Sure every year there will be a new 'best' LED out getting a bit better or a bit more efficient, but guys are already pulling 1.5grams/watt with current tech which would be a great result for most people. 

I think power companies are happy for you to use the power as long as its payed for , you only get busted when they detect power loses from theft and track you down. 

I spoke to a mate today about the options I have and what he suggested .. His knowledgeable opinion was CMH or HPS over LED , I agree with him that LED and LED COB are not their yet and waiting a few more years will be worth it . He has changed back to CMH from LED.. To quote him "Same amount of work and time put into a grow with COB for way less return in the same area that produces triple the amount under a HPS so once you add up the extra grows to meet the same yields ,you have spent more on Nutrient, and nearly the same in power to get similar total yields.. The maths didnt add up for Led and with that in mind it looked like the saving dont exist either. 

I would rather do 2 grows a year under CMH than 4 grows a year under COB ..When its closer and cheaper I will be interested... For the amount i need to spend on a quality fast outdated COB set up I would be better off spending that money on 300 watts of solar panels ;-) 

Still I have more research to do while Im still doing the Maintenance.. Fuck I hate Painting turps based paint , its not a nice high ..

[hydrochronic]

I think power companies are happy for you to use the power as long as its payed for , you only get busted when they detect power loses from theft and track you down. 

I spoke to a mate today about the options I have and what he suggested .. His knowledgeable opinion was CMH or HPS over LED , I agree with him that LED and LED COB are not their yet and waiting a few more years will be worth it . He has changed back to CMH from LED.. To quote him "Same amount of work and time put into a grow with COB for way less return in the same area that produces triple the amount under a HPS so once you add up the extra grows to meet the same yields ,you have spent more on Nutrient, and nearly the same in power to get similar total yields.. The maths didnt add up for Led and with that in mind it looked like the saving dont exist either. 

I would rather do 2 grows a year under CMH than 4 grows a year under COB ..When its closer and cheaper I will be interested... For the amount i need to spend on a quality fast outdated COB set up I would be better off spending that money on 300 watts of solar panels ;-) 

Still I have more research to do while Im still doing the Maintenance.. Fuck I hate Painting turps based paint , its not a nice high ..

 

check out some info on youtube, might change your mind. LED is def not for everyone but the results some guys are getting far surpass HPS for me. I could link you 10 videos on youtube now but instead will give you one quality video to peruse when time permits. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwt3FL7NYPU

not trying to convince you either way, just sharing some of what has led me to try LEDs over HPS, I'm in a small 4x4 tent so heat is also more of an issue for me and wouldn't he keen to jam a 1000w HPS in there haha, but I would stick 10 COB LEDs in there and possibly get more light/better spread/higher yield and use about 60% of the power. 

Edited March 14, 2017 by hydrochronic

[Gazza2001au]

Nice 3 pound from the led COB's

[pedro de pacas]

No way that was 3 pounds, I call bullshit