cmh overhead, but what supplimental lighting? (2ft x 5.67ft x 7 ft tall)

Discussion in 'Lighting' started by Hammertimeout, Oct 12, 2018.

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  1. Im starting up a closet space soon, dimensions in title (2x5.6x7), and I'm very interesting in the many lighting techs out there. Im budget limited(lets say not more than 400$ total on lights, and that would probably be split into 2 200$ purchases), but I do have overhead room and could beef up an exhaust for heat if needed..my ?? is Does anyone have a bit of experience with cmh(lec) lights and supplimenting those with red/blue leds or intrecanopy light bars or hanging cfls or even supping with small hps lights could be an option..My goal is to keep it cheep, but i need good flowering, quality matters more than yield but not by a huge margin.. which is why i was interested in cmh as overhead or main lighting, but i feel i may need more to address bud size and density..idk and experience would be helpful, as well as any tips on where to find an effective but affordable supplimental lighting that i could use to keep the cost down
     
  2. #2 trojangrower, Oct 12, 2018
    Last edited: Oct 12, 2018
    Hi Hammertimeout,
    first off, welcome to GC!
    I've been involved in these discussions for a long time. At the current moment, many will suggest getting PCB lighting and to forget about CMH, especially considering your grow area.
    In a 2x6 space, you can get several boards that use 288/302 diodes and a driver. You can also choose to buy some light modules (see H influx for example) as these use authentic Samsung diodes, some of which were just released (ie. new technology!). The PCB lights have much higher efficiency and way less heat than MH/HPS combos.
    I suggest you watch this video for some more information.
    I will be glad to help you further if you need.

    edited; noticed you said 2x6, not 2x2. Also here is a short list of PCB suppliers; many more exist. Horticulture Lighting Group
    Shenzhen Meiju Lighting Co.
    Shenzhen Hansion Technologies
    Shenzhen R2T Electronic
     
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  3. Thank you for your fast reply and help, Ive actually studied the various lights and seen that very video as well. My first and initial choice(was between diy cobs or boards) The reason I was curious about lec was the low cost(ebay has 315w for like 180$, thats alot different than the initial cost of pcb boards as a main lighting source) HLG has kits for 260w(for around 330$ and 320w kits for over 400$ and they are all out of my range for price. NOT KNOCKING THEM! they are great boards and I wish I could just afford to grab the 320w xl kit and then add some cobs but that would be way to expensive. They reason I am considering the cmh is that it has a very broad spectral range. It has alot of uv(both b and a) and plenty of infrared. I want this in my grow as I need the medical benefits(oils production) so even if i were to go with led as main overhead light then I would still require a bump in uv and infra. Anyway I would likely be using 2 315w as overhead(shoulda mentioned that) if i went that route i would probably get supp lighting that is meant to influence spectra not add intensity. Here is where i get lost tho lol...i could use 1 cmh overhead hung up a little high to get more spread, then use led(cheapos like mars, or hlg board) for my main light use..or i could use 2 cmh's as overhead main lighting, get all my intensity and coverage from them, then add something light hlg's qb11 led strips. one set blue and one set red to use as a spectrum tweak. SOOO MANY OPTIONS ARE KILLING ME lol
     
  4. I kinda got distracted in that response, but im curious what you meant when you said "forget about CMH, especially considering your grow area." What that about coverage? Or are there other reasons you were considering? I havent been able to find alot of info on cmh, so I've seen plenty of stuff about the pro's, but not as much on the cons. Would love to hear from anyone that have experience in both led growing and lec.
     
  5. I originally read 2x2 tent. They will run hot... so. But your area is 2x6, so it could handle it.

    The other approach is to build you own. Light modules of 1' or 2' built to span the length of your tent is a good way to go. Its not much work to piece them together, just stringing wire to a driver is all. The L09 strips are about 20$ a piece, and those contain 96 LM301B diodes (good!). Compare that to HLG96 at $100. I went this way for some supplementary lighting; 16' of those modules with the drivers (2x 240W) cost me less than $400 CAD. Those strips average 8500 lumens a piece, so 136,000 lumens, which is what Samsung reports (don't PPFD me!).

    I'm in the process of grabbing some heat sinks for the lights I bought. About $30 for a 2' heatsink that I can cut into 4 pieces for each strip... I will need 2 of them.

    Anyhow, here's a link to H influx strips. Just select the color temp you want and the length/width. Make sure to compare the 'Manufacturer Part Number' using octopart.com.
     
  6. I have 2 sunsystem 150w hps in a similar room. Each one cost me $110. They work out great for me.
     

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