Alright so I found this guy selling some lighting fixtures but theyre not typical grow lights, theyre called high bay lights or high bay light fixtures or whatever. Similar to the ones in this link: HERE And I was wondering if they would/could be good to grow with. The reason I ask is because the guy is selling them relatively cheap and I could use a real lighting source. Thanks for any responses!
High Bay lights will work if you have the height in your grow space. They do hang down further than a remote ballast system. The other issue I have found is that the reflectors concentrate heat a little more than the horticulture hoods, so make sure you have adequate space between the reflector and the canopy. We used to use them a lot back in the day, there were a lot fewer hydro/indoor garden shops. Good luck!!
Yeah I don't know about any hydro stores around me so I'm looking at pretty much all industrial stuff to work with. Thanks for the info.
Height is the biggest problem. Typically the high-bay lights are 24+ inches top to bottom. Add in the 12" to keep the light from the canopy and you have 36" already. Add another 12 for dirt below the plant and you have burnt through 4' of height. Now if you only have 7.5' of height to work with overall and you are growing something sativa dominant then you had better be doing some LST ;-) Also, they generally have magnetic ballasts in them and are fairly noisy (think of that "whine" from the lights in the old HS gym). Also beware that sometimes they will want 220 not 110, google the make/model so you know what you are getting into. Often they will not come with a plug on the end so be prepared to buy one from you local hardware store and install it. If you can deal with the height and the sound and can pick them up used then they can be an incredibly cheap alternative to a high-dollar light setup from ( I got 3 400w HPS, and 3 400w MH for $110). I'd suggest getting an extra or two so you have spares if an old bulb or ballast goes.
Yeah, they did look pretty tall in the pics but I have an old house with 9 foot ceilings all around, including the closet so I'm not too worried about height, and like you said, if I do run out of room, i could always just do LST. Also, luckily they come with 110 plugs on them already with a 6 foot cord! (how handy) but I never thought of them being noisy... that could end up being a problem. Does the noise go away after they warm up and have been on for a few hours or does it just make noise all the time? I'm still probably going to buy them though, it's definately a good deal.
They make it all the time they are on, though it does die down a good bit once it gets going. The loudest thing in the room is the oscillating fan, not the lights, so mine aren't terribly loud. Definitely hang them from a cable though, or if you hard mount them make it to a rubber mount of some sort so the vibrations don't resonate through the walls.
if you are planning on a stadium grow, they are the only way to go. u can find em on craigslist for as low as 10 bucks/fixture. all mine are wired to accept 120/206/240/277. i wire everything up 240 on a water heater timer for the best efficiency, and lowest amp draw per wire. 4 1000K's can run on 12/2 wire on a 20amp breaker at 240.
I just picked these up a few hours ago and ill post pics later tonight, they came with a glass shiled for the 16 inch or so hood on them, should I use this? it seems like a good idea so nothing can touch the bulb, kind of like a safety issue
My reflectors have a large vent where they mount to the ballast, but mine doesn't have any glass. Even if it did I'm not sure I'd want to block the end off so my fan couldn't move air around the bulb anymore. Maybe if I cut a hole in the reflector for a vent to pump cool air into, but otherwise I'd be worried about the heat buildup in the lamp. On the other hand, if they designed them with the glass then presumably it is made to survive? I'm not sure if the girls like UVB or not, but I do know that your average SolarMax MH bulb does in fact produce it and your glass might have been intentioned to filter it.
I actually think the glass was optional, its made to just easily attach on to the basic hood for the unit. I looked them up online and they normally dont sell them with the glass so I'll probably try it with and without the glass to see which works out better.
is high bay lighting good for your lawn? Thinking to install one for lawn.. Gonna contact my electrician in Melbourne for that.