i'm running 250 actual watts of cfl's now for vegging and mothers and clones, would i really benefit from switching to a 250 watt mh enough to warrant buying one? currently using shelves but with an hid i could put it all on the floor giving me more overall space,but more cooling problems. also i am about to grab a 600 watt for flowering and retire the 400 watter,i could use that for veg,just get a mh bulb,but that seems like too much for my needs and i want to minimize my power consumption if possible.should i be looking at a 250 or stick with the cfls or get a mh bulb for the 400?thanks,hygrade
I'm thinking the MH would be the best bet. Although it doesn't put out as much as an HPS, you may just go ahead and check lumens to compare. If you have good spectrum CFL's and the lumens are pretty similar I wouldn't mess with the MH but if you feel the difference warrants getting the MH go for it. That probably really didn't help ya much
How big you vegging to? If you dont need loads of penetration id just leave the floros and save on the heat issue.
How about a 200watt CFL (the ones that require a ballast) Its like a giant CFL (household bulb) I picked up a couple at my grow shop for 80 bucks and that included a reflector, ballast and bulb... Oh yeah I can take pictures so here it is (anyone have any idea what the lumens are on these?)
i think i'd get less coverage with that than with what i have,the dog seems pleased about though,lol.
I got some big CFLs and I they produce nice tight nods, but the penetration isn't that good. I have a 115W Envirolite and one 200W nLite with build in ballasts. The*200W bulb covers a 3 X 3 foot area just fine, as long as the plants are short...but by the time they are a foot, they'll be beging for something more powerfull.
I would stick with the setup you have for vegging if it is working well for you why change it, less heat issues and you will still get a lot of growth when you start flowering.
for some reason i missed all these responses except mk guys.the reason i want to change it up is i would be able to just use the floor space and with better penetration i wouldn't have to constantly adjust the lights(mounted to a board) as they get taller,which is a pain in the ass,or it would be less of a pain.but it does work fine like it is.i guess i'm just looking for some insight before i make a serious decision and fix what ain't broke
Id go MH but get some of those YO-YO light adjusters it willhelp out alot i think they run about 15 bucks
Ooops, sorry didnt fully understand your reasoning. In that case I would definately upgrade. We use a 250 MH here in Tronville for vegging and are very happy with it. They are not bad, heat wise, if exhausted. If heat is a concern though, you may want to consider something like this http://newearth.com/store/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=NEIG&Category_Code=NWT5 have heard nothing but good things concerning the T5's. And the 24 inch system is reasonably priced. Hope this helps.
