Well the question is in the title of the thread. I currently have a small 4x1.5x5ft closet I'm currently flowering 7 plants in.. I have a 270watt sonagro hps, and if you look in the picture it's really not covering everything so I've added 2 mega 85watt 4,200 lumen cfls, and have about 4 other 35 watters 1,750 lumen for suplemental lighting. My buddy has a 400 hps system with conversion mh, and he only wants $85 for the whole thing.. I'm thinking with the 400watt I'd have to lift up quite a bit, and this will cover my grow space a bit better. How hot is a 400?? Those with experiance you think I could throw one up in that closet in the picture without much trouble? I have that big 20 inch box fan blowing on the plants in the closet, and the closet is open with a 12 inch fan blowing in during the day. Do you think the gain will be sizable enough to warrent me spending $85 when I have the lighting I do already? My grow http://forum.grasscity.com/showthread.php?t=98645
from your pictures I don't think the 250w is helping all that much because it looks like it is too far from the plants. with a 400hps you need to keep it about 12 inches from the plants, so with a 250 I'd think you'd probably need it to be about 7 inches from the plants for it to really be effective. the 400w will cover the area better... I think it would help. it doesn't get that hot, but you may need to put another fan on the wall aimed at the bulb. I have my fan at bulb height blowing the hot air away from the bulb/reflector... and the wind is still blowing the tops of the plants around a bit. I think that would help more than how you have your box fan blowing directly on the plants
Actually that picture was taken the day I was repotting so I did pull the hood up 6 inches is or so before that picture. When I took it they were not in the larger pots yet. The 270 watt is currently sitting 6 inches from the highest bud site, and covering every bud site that's worth it within 12 inches, so it may not be in the picture, but I keep that fixture as close as possible without coming to find the tops of my ladies on fire. Right now the plants that are getting the least of the 270 are the two in the auto pots which have two 4,200 lumen cfls at less then 2 inches away, and they sem to be growing fastest . I'm thinking if I can keep a 400 at 12 inches I'll get quite a larger spread over my canopy. It's just the heat that I'm worried about.. It definitly would not be worth it if I had to keep the 400 3 feet away to control my temps. The box fan inside the closet is used to a few reasons.. To keep the humidity down, dry out my pots faster, and of course to get rid of heat which it does a great job of, but the fan outside the closet is what I have blowing across my canopy, and hps bulb to cool it a bit.
Dude a switchable MH/HPS for $85!?!? You better jump on that man. You won't regret it. If you could use the 400 watter and your 270 watter that would be even better. Your fans sound like they should be able to keep the temps down as well.