Right now i have a 600w digital hid conversion system (takes both mh and hps bulbs). ive been using this for my personal needs but i decided i'd like to get another system i can use strictly for vegetative purposes. i wanna dedicate my 600w system strictly to flowering only. My plan is to get either a 150w or 250 hid system for veg. i wanted to know which would be best for me considering i wanna use said system to continuously veg plants in "party" cups. plan is to veg anywhere from 6-12 (18oz party cups) of them under 1 of these lights... which would be more appropriate considering id veg them all to about 1ft tall before sending them under my 600w for flowering (in a larger pot obviously). which do you suggest? 150w or 250 and why? keep in mind the area i'll be using the 150 or 250 watter is going to be a confined space that can get hot quickly (thats why im shying away from a large system that emits lots of heat) any/all help appreciated. thank you.
If you're concerned about temp issues its perfectly fine to veg under CFLs. CFLs don't get nearly as hot as HPS lights and cost less to run 24/0. Just my opinion though.
I'd go with the 250w. Depending on how many plants you plan on running at a time. the 250 will grow them better. If you've got the dough, why skimp? No point in going mediocre if you can afford to go primo. The 250 will cover those 6-12 plants much better than the 150. Especially if they're all at 12" Also a 250 will not be that hard to keep cool. A couple pc fans in this space would probably work just fine. What are the dimensions of the space? Do you have pictures of it. It is easier to make recommendations with a clear visual of what you're working with.
He's wanting to run 6-12 1-foot tall plants. He would spend more on the cfls than the 150w. Possibly the 250 too. You'll need a bunch of cfls for those plants to veg properly. Going from HID to HID is better than going from CFL to HID any day.
i would go cfls if i was talking 2-3 plants...but for up to 12 at a time using cfls seems like a lost cause...especially to grow them 1ft tall...id have to use a bunch of cfls and it would just get messy...and expensive (hid lights are about twice as efficient in terms of lumen to watt ratio) so in other words 150w hid > 150w cfl 150w hid > 200w of cfl and so on. yeah its not a big deal i honestly afford to get a 600 watter but it would be WAY to hot unless i only used it in the winter... i was just asking to know what is necessary for what i wanna use it for. i didnt wanna get a 250 when i could get away with a 150w or get a 150w and it not be strong enough, etc the dimensions of the whole room are small...roughly 8ft long and 2-3ft deep. I intend on building a box thats 2ft x 2ft x 2ft (if i buy a 250w as they cover a 2ft x 2ft area correct?)...its not going to be a "stealth" box as i dont need to hide it on my own property. i wont have pics until i build it but it will be a very basic design.
hey thanks a lot. im gonna go out and get one. im thinking an "all in one" unit where the bulb and ballast are housed together... this way i can eliminate some cords cluttering things up. probably go wit htg supply as ive had good luck with them in the past...
from what i seen majority do have built in fans for the ballast inside... id probably get one of those clip on fans that i can clip to the reflector to cool the bulb from a close distance...