I'm considering using a ceramic metal halide light in my upcoming microgrow box, but despite all the reading I've done on various websites I can't seem to find any information pertaining to how far CMH lights need to be away from the plant, what wattage/plant is necessary, and how to choose a ballast for them. So, how far do CMH lights need to be from the plant? Is wattage per plant the same no matter what light (CFL, HPS, or CMH)? About 100w/plant? How do I choose a ballast for CMH lights (or any light in general)?
I have a 400w mh/hps set up and i had it 2 feet from the tops of the plants..... it really is alot of heat. yeah pretty much what matters is the light spectrum of the lights mh for veg and hps flower. buy a kit. mine was 200 shipped mh/hps both bulbs and a mh/hps ballast edit: got high and only read alf the post
Thanks, Jewish, but I'm talking about CMH lights, not MH or HPS. Check this thread out to see what I'm talking about: Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH) - International Cannagraphic Magazine Forums They're supposed to put off significantly less heat than HPS or MH (although I understand CMH bulbs work in HPS ballasts), but have a much higher usable spectrum than CFL. As for watts/plant, I was asking to know how powerful a bulb/bulbs I would need. For example, you wouldn't use 1000w of HPS to grow a ONE plant. And asking about ballasts was an attempt to understand what kind of ballast I need to pair with the bulb/bulbs I need. For example, if I have two 200w bulbs, what kind of ballasts would I need? What if I have a single 100w bulb?
Wow, learn something new daily thanks for the post Umm, watts per plant.... yea the 100w per plan 50 after the first works..but i really say max potential 100w per plant my roomate and i did a grow together of bagseed 4 females scrog and we got 10 oz. for our first grow in a 4X4 tent. The ballast just needs to reach the max wattage of your bulb. So if you have a 200w bulb get a 210 watt ballast or even a 200 works. My ballast is 440w and i have 400w bulbs. Dosent seems to hurt them... Maybe they will die off quicker cause is 400 but by my firs harest i can afford new ones.
I just switched out my 400w hps bulb for a 400w CMH conversion bulb. The light is so much brighter and cleaner. No more dingy haze. It does seem to put off less heat. Will know how the plants like it in a couple weeks.
CMH Bulbs (are made to) work ONLY in Non-Digital/Non-Electronic HPS Ballasts and "CMH Ballasts" of the corresponding wattage. The "OLD, TIRED, OUTDATED, USELESS" MAGNETIC HPS ballasts work great. 400 Watt is the biggest I can find and best made by Phillips and GE. MasterColor Ceramic Metal Halide - 400 Watt Horizontal Spectrum is exceptional. As for heat you can easily check with your hand at canopy level, if your hand gets hot, so will your plants PS: If anyone has any of those "old useless and tired" magnetic 400 watt HPS ballasts they would like to donate to a Legal California Collective, please PM me. Cheers
Ive heard a lot of good but nothing bad about CMH. I currently a have 1000watt switchable mh/hps and I want to know how it compares. The pros and cons are hard to consider. light spectrum, par, energy efficiency, upfront cost and BULBS which is huge! 1000watt mh/hp can't be compared to a 400 watt cmh so how many 400's do i need to cover same as 1000. does 2-400watt CMH outplay 1-1000watt HPS/MH?