I was wondering if an experienced grower could tell me if if a 1000 watt hps system will produce the same or close to the same as a 400 watt mh system?
HPS puts off more useable light, or more lumens per watt, than MH... watt for watt, HPS is a more powerful light source. 150w incandescent = 2,550 lumens or only 17 lumens per watt 150w halogen = 3000 lumens or 20 lumens per watt 150w of Fluorescents = 9,000 lumens or 60 lumens per watt 150w of Compact Fluorescents = 10,500 lumens or 70 lumens per watt 150w Metal Halide = 13,500 lumens or 90 lumens per watt 150w High Pressure Sodium = 16,000 lumens or 107 lumens per watt This is why (when people aren't using both MH & HPS for the added spectrum) you'll find more growers using HPS alone, with enhanced spectrum bulbs, than you'll find using MH alone, although the latter growers certainly do exist. Anyhow, a 400watt MH will not even come close to the production power of a 1000watt HPS. As far as spacing goes, in a small room or a bedroom, with low/average ceilings, you're sometimes better off with 3 x 600watt HPS than 2 x 1000watt HPS..... I don't use any fancy cooling besides a small a/c, but I still run either two, or three 1,000watt HPS myself, depending on the time of year and my temperature-situation.... ie. just 2 x 1,000w HPS in the summer bloom room, and sometimes I'll toss the extra 1,000w balast in the veg chamber, and then in the winter I'll use all 3 x 1,000 in the bloom room, with my usual 430watt HPS on its own in the veg chamber. Hope this helps!
Awesome and a prompt answer!! Rep to you my friend!! I am a new grower and have a plant in its 3rd week of flower. I am using an mh bulb, should I go to my hps bulb instead?
For flowering? There is absolutely no contest. HPS is the better light for flowering, and you have 2.5 times the wattage of that superior lighting. Let's put it this way: a 400w HPS would be better than a 400w MH for flowering, so imagine how much more it wins when you're pumping tons more watts and lumens as well. I assume you have a grow large enough to warrant a 1k HPS? Not really a point in using that on only 1-2 plants (unless it's in a 10+ gal pot and you LST'd it through a 2+ month veg).
Good catch toasty!! I wrote that wrong. And thanks for the input on the 1000 watt issue. I believe 600 will be plenty for me and maybe even 400. I will only have 4-6 plants under this light at a time but keep hearing different thing. All I want to do is be able to grow 6 healthy plants if I want to. But another issue, with 2 set ups, and lets say 1200watts being used with everything running, how much it will affect my electric bill?