Anyone Tried The New Ceramic Lights?

[DC105]

The ceramic tube allows the bulbs to burn at a higher temp, which is a lot closer to the suns light than hps or MH bulbs. Being able to operate at a higher temp means a boost in performance, quality of light, color shift, and spreadability.
Without going into too much science, the sun has a CRI (color rendering index) of 100.
LECs have a CRI of 80-96 with 80 being considered excellent! Hps around 22 and MH around 65-70.
While we see brightness in lumens, plants on the other hand see it in the amount energy based on a specific wavelength.
The wavelength is important because different wavelengths carry different amounts of energy. Shorter wavelengths (blues) carry more energy while longer wavelengths (reds) carry less.
That's what's cool about the ceramics is one bulb can be used for entire grow cycle and only needs changed once every 2 yrs.
The LECs use a more efficient square wavelength, allowing for a smoother firing rate. You can see the difference when you take a pic. The more lines you see in the pic the smoother and slower the firing rate.

 

[labud]

I have the 315s ...I think you were following my thread....

I use em in veg. But people are using them in for flowering as well

 

[fishwhistle]

I have a lec i just got yesterday to try in veg but lots of others are using them in veg and flower,I heard people flowering under them are getting faster finish times but i cant verify that.

 

[DC105]

I have the 315s ...I think you were following my thread....

I use em in veg. But people are using them in for flowering as well

Yeah I was @labud That was a rediculous grow. I need to get back on it and check it out. I couldn't believe you took up such a task. My buddy is using them thru both cycles. I may have to pick me up a couple. He almost had me talked in to it.
@fishwhistle yes sir! Pretty impressive. I haven't really followed my buddies grow real close. I drop in on an occasional weekend to kick it for a sesh and a few beers. I may have to watch closer. Especially if harvesting faster and double the life span of previous HIDs. Thanks for stopping in. I'm always up for others input as well. Peace!

 

[fishwhistle]

I think its @homebrew420 thats using them in some big rooms in colorado,Grobals if i remember right.There are a few brands besides the LECs,

https://www.facebook.com/GrobalDistributors

 

[lollipopman]

I have the 315s ...I think you were following my thread....

I use em in veg. But people are using them in for flowering as well

Those 315's cover how much room 3x3 or 4x4?

 

[labud]

In veg. 4x4 , in flowering 3x3

I have 8 in my veg room. ..

 

[Billyboat]

I have a bunch of them in my pre veg rooms, the Phillips Dpap 315 and the SS LEC 315.
So far I like the Dpap as it throws a wide spread.

But in my main veg, I veg under 1000w MH as the 315's don't seem to penetrate into the canopy as far.

 

[lollipopman]

I'm using a 600mh but would love to cut down on power usage...

 

[homebrew420]

We actually use a different brand. Grobal are the competing lamp. Pm if you want more info on that. One can easily pull .9-1 lb off each of these fixtures. Adding more does/will increase yield in the same space.
@Billyboat i have to disagree with amount of penetration. We have them 2 feet or more and the ants still grow faster than t5s and nearly as good as the vented 1000w horti blue at the same distance. No weak growth either. This is the next gen in lighting tech folks.
We switched the entire grow as we were limited in power now we are good.

Peace

 

[labud]

Scv hydro will beat any price on em, just tell them the gavita guy recommended them

 

[UCMETOO]

We actually use a different brand. Grobal are the competing lamp. Pm if you want more info on that. One can easily pull .9-1 lb off each of these fixtures. Adding more does/will increase yield in the same space.
@Billyboat i have to disagree with amount of penetration. We have them 2 feet or more and the ants still grow faster than t5s and nearly as good as the vented 1000w horti blue at the same distance. No weak growth either. This is the next gen in lighting tech folks.
We switched the entire grow as we were limited in power now we are good.

Peace

Really hoping i can become the poster boy for this strategy,........and increase my return while dropping my wattage use while dropping my temps w/o cooling too! BLI tech FTW!
The horizon looks like BLI lights and 14ers Genetics and i can barley see through it!!!!

 

[greengost420]

looking at a 630 fixture, should i just get 2 315s?

 

[DC105]

I think where you can get good light penetration is being able to run them closer to ur plants. MH do have high CRI, so in veg may be a hard shot to call. Thanks for that info @labud. Im looking right now for em!

 

[CannaTech]

The penetration is Irellivent. CMH provide a more red spectrum than a original MH. Yes blue light carries more energy than red light but red light is used more eficiently than blue light. You could say blue light is more powerfull but in reality the plant cannot use it to the same efficency for specific production. Its great for vegatative growth but not for flowering. There for it is not more efficent than a stright hps for flowering.

 

[UCMETOO]

to be honest i was where you are before i looked into an actual real world test case,......Look at the information offered by @homebrew420 these are only built here in BOULDER,....they are patented by BLI (Boulder lighting Inc.) they built a specific low freq. ballast to keep the highest, and longest output with out drop off with the best spectrum i've ever seen (anywhere) just go and look at the web site at BLI, look at the spectrum it crushes MH and HPS, produces more light than heat and the bulbs last at 97%+ of original out put for 3 years!

Believe me i was a nay sayer too,...then i did the research, and watched @homebrew420 DOUBLE HIS PRODUCTION in a commercial grow, increase the quality, and double the production all while replacing 2000 watts of HPS with 1575 watts of CHM. This is NEW TECH, IMPROVED over other CHM ballasts with best spectrum. After this test they went to all 315 CHM for production and are laughing all the way to the bank, while laughing harder still at the reduced cost of operation when the bills are due - and those fixtures are 2 to 3 feet, YES FEET, above the tops of the flowering plants.[/QUOTE]

 

[UCMETOO]

Oh, yes just had to add that here in Colorado, EXCEL energy is offering us a 60% rebate on your bill for running these specific BLI CHM lights, so add that to the pile of bills you will not be paying out too,.........makes paying for the upgrade pretty damn quick!

 

[UCMETOO]

Scv hydro will beat any price on em, just tell them the gavita guy recommended them

I do not believe this is true,.....Who is the ballast mfg. of these? yes they are all the same bulb but that is the end of the commonality.

 

[CannaTech]

to be honest i was where you are before i looked into an actual real world test case,......Look at the information offered by @homebrew420 these are only built here in BOULDER,....they are patented by BLI (Boulder lighting Inc.) they built a specific low freq. ballast to keep the highest, and longest output with out drop off with the best spectrum i've ever seen (anywhere) just go and look at the web site at BLI, look at the spectrum it crushes MH and HPS, produces more light than heat and the bulbs last at 97%+ of original out put for 3 years!

Believe me i was a nay sayer too,...then i did the research, and watched @homebrew420 DOUBLE HIS PRODUCTION in a commercial grow, increase the quality, and double the production all while replacing 2000 watts of HPS with 1575 watts of CHM. This is NEW TECH, IMPROVED over other CHM ballasts with best spectrum. After this test they went to all 315 CHM for production and are laughing all the way to the bank, while laughing harder still at the reduced cost of operation when the bills are due - and those fixtures are 2 to 3 feet, YES FEET, above the tops of the flowering plants.

[/QUOTE]
Interesting, I will take a look.
I have seen and used CMH bulbs although its been 5 years or so.

 

[MGRox]

Some useless info here: To compare HID styles most closely;

LOW PRESSURE HID's:
-Mecury Vapor = Quartz "packet" ,Mercury metal, Noble gas.
-Low pressure Sodium = Quartz packet, Mercury metal, Sodium, Noble gas.
-Metal Halide = Quartz packet, Mercury metal, ( Thallium, Cerium, Calcium and Sodium) Iodides, Noble gas.

HIGH PRESSURE HID's:
-High pressure sodium = Alumina Packet, Mecury metal, Sodium, Noble gas.
-Ceramic Metal Hailde = Alumina Packet, Mercury metal, ( Thallium, Cerium, Calcium and Sodium) Iodides, Noble gas.

In all these HID's Mercury is the supporting amalgam. Cerium Iodide helps to stabilize the arc and provides a low ionization potential thereby reducing secondary ionization of other metals. Sodium lowers the color temperature and increases efficacy (also allows more rare earth metals). Calcium iodide helps broaden the spectrum and has little risk of ionization. Combinations of these halides / metals also reduces color shift with age via reducing secondary ionization of the rare earths.

Peak nm's:
Mercury = 360 - 420 nm
Cerium = 820 nm Infra-red
Sodium = 590 nm
Calcium = 435 nm
Ca / Na = 620, 650 nm

**note the metals / halides used in MH and CMH are the same. The higher efficacy and CRI come soley from the higher arc temp allowed with the alumina packet. Metal halide and low pressure sodium have short life, poor color stability and poor efficacy as a result of the Quartz packet and sodium leaking out.

UV in all HID's comes from the Mercury and is either "allowed or not" via the outer glass casing material. If a bulb is intended for horticulture or an enclosed fixture; Mfg's are allowed to run the cheaper outer case that does not stop UV. If the bulb is intended for general lighting or non-enclosed fixutres; then Mfg's are Required to use UV absorbing material in the outer glass.

I guess HPS and CMH are a more "apples to apples" comparison, since they both are utilizing similar packets that allows higher temps / pressures.