Comparisons Between Mh Brands/colors

[Jimster]

I have used MH light for many years and have noted quite a difference when using certain brands and/or colors" of MH 1000W bulbs. When I first started this stuff, bulbs were $100/each and were only industrial quality...typically poor color balances and mostly blue.
Sylvania was the 1st to come out with the MS (Multi Spectrum) 1000, which added a notable red end to the light output. Back then, I noticed a difference in the end product when using the MS1000, compared to the original M1000. Nowadays, I see MH lights with spectra as low as the high 2000K to 8000K or more. I currently use a MS1000 and a 1000 HPS for flowering, and a Eye Blue 1000 and a 3000K MH during V growth. Does anyone else still utilize this ancient style of horticulture? How have your results been if you changed from MH/HPS to solid state or between different bulb manufacturers?

 

[PharmHand]

I have used MH light for many years and have noted quite a difference when using certain brands and/or colors" of MH 1000W bulbs. When I first started this stuff, bulbs were $100/each and were only industrial quality...typically poor color balances and mostly blue.
Sylvania was the 1st to come out with the MS (Multi Spectrum) 1000, which added a notable red end to the light output. Back then, I noticed a difference in the end product when using the MS1000, compared to the original M1000. Nowadays, I see MH lights with spectra as low as the high 2000K to 8000K or more. I currently use a MS1000 and a 1000 HPS for flowering, and a Eye Blue 1000 and a 3000K MH during V growth. Does anyone else still utilize this ancient style of horticulture? How have your results been if you changed from MH/HPS to solid state or between different bulb manufacturers?

I used to run halide/sodium 1:1 too back in the day in an 8k setup. It was a big room and the lights were up high so there was a lot of overlap. The ones getting the cross lighting between the bat wing shades I used were always the nicest. Bulbs were hortilux HPS and cheap Philips mh. When I moved my room was smaller so I had less lights and the ceilings were lower so there was really no overlap cross lighting but I still ran the 1:1 ratio. The buds under the mh were dramatically smaller so I switched to just HPS and my yield went way up. Buds under mh always seemed to finish a little sooner and were slightly more frosty and colorful. Not enough to justify their use for anything other than finishing or supplemental to HPS at a lower ratio. Another drawback of standard mh is their short usable bulb life. You’re lucky to get six months of marginally efficient light outta them. The solid state electronic or “digital” ballasts improved efficiency by 20-30 percent compared to the old core and coil going from 1 to 1.3 umol/watt. The double ended design coupled w the higher voltage/ frequency electronic ballasts brought de fixtures to about 2.1 umol/watt. Cmh run about 1.9, coupled with a de HPS like bulb life, have rendered standard mh virtually obsolete for all but finishing. LED is probably the best route for a hobbyist currently

 

[JWM2]

I used to use a conversion HPS bulb that had more blue spectrum in it and it was fantastic vs straight HPS. I never flowered under straight MH so I couldn’t tell you if that was any better or worse but the hybrid between the two worked wonders back in the day. We even had a small group that ran tests to confirm our suspicions and we all had similar results.

 

[Jimster]

I am currently using a HPS conversion as well as a MS-1000 MH, and I have a few identical specimens, so I should be able to see a difference between straight MH, HPS, and the area in between. Previously I started and finished using the MS1000 with good results, but I should be able to tell if there is any difference in the coming months. The main problem now is that my ancient strain is already almost 7 ft after being trained and clipped...its just a monster that is impossible to keep short. I don't know what I'm going to do when things get going...I think I let it go a little too long in VG, but the end will be fun!

 

[Jimster]

I used to run halide/sodium 1:1 too back in the day in an 8k setup. It was a big room and the lights were up high so there was a lot of overlap. The ones getting the cross lighting between the bat wing shades I used were always the nicest. Bulbs were hortilux HPS and cheap Philips mh. When I moved my room was smaller so I had less lights and the ceilings were lower so there was really no overlap cross lighting but I still ran the 1:1 ratio. The buds under the mh were dramatically smaller so I switched to just HPS and my yield went way up. Buds under mh always seemed to finish a little sooner and were slightly more frosty and colorful. Not enough to justify their use for anything other than finishing or supplemental to HPS at a lower ratio. Another drawback of standard mh is their short usable bulb life. You’re lucky to get six months of marginally efficient light outta them. The solid state electronic or “digital” ballasts improved efficiency by 20-30 percent compared to the old core and coil going from 1 to 1.3 umol/watt. The double ended design coupled w the higher voltage/ frequency electronic ballasts brought de fixtures to about 2.1 umol/watt. Cmh run about 1.9, coupled with a de HPS like bulb life, have rendered standard mh virtually obsolete for all but finishing. LED is probably the best route for a hobbyist currently

Thanks for the reply. I'm considering the addition of a few LEDs on one side of my operation that drops off a little at the end. One question I had regarding your mention of digital or electronic ballasts. Are you saying that they give you a better light output or are you saying that it is more efficient in converting the line voltage to usable power (instead of making more light output from the bulb itself)? As I mentioned earlier in the post...the only bulbs available initially were from commercial applications...roadway night projects always had a couple 1000W lights on-site :D. They were pretty lousy for finishing and had a very narrow bluish color...great for VG but lousy for finishing...but still light years better than anything else.

 

[PharmHand]

Thanks for the reply. I'm considering the addition of a few LEDs on one side of my operation that drops off a little at the end. One question I had regarding your mention of digital or electronic ballasts. Are you saying that they give you a better light output or are you saying that it is more efficient in converting the line voltage to usable power (instead of making more light output from the bulb itself)? As I mentioned earlier in the post...the only bulbs available initially were from commercial applications...roadway night projects always had a couple 1000W lights on-site :D. They were pretty lousy for finishing and had a very narrow bluish color...great for VG but lousy for finishing...but still light years better than anything else.

I think you get more light for the same power. And when I mentioned using an mh for finishing I just meant the last two weeks of flower the mh really forces them to ripen nicely all that blue and uv makes em purp up nice too. If your interested in efficiency look up Bruce Bugbee of Utah state uni he’s the foremost expert on horticultural light technology testing lights for these big companies. It’s older but here’s a link to one.... Philips CMH now claim 1.9 umol/j so I guess they’ve improved it some since https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/...om/&httpsredir=1&article=1001&context=cpl_env