1000w Hortilux Super HPS bulb life?

[biggun4me]

So for how long do these bulbs last? Can I expect 2 or 3 grows, maybe 4? I am using Nextgen digital ballast.... Peace

 

[jimmyhoffa59]

I am pretty sure they got like a 24000 hour life, I would change way before that just because the output starts to suck after like 4-6 cycles. But that is just what peeps do who want to keep output at a maximum.

 

[ibTheMan]

well a 60 day cycle at 12/12 is 720 hours and there peak for about 15000 hours so thats 20.83 cycles just at 15000 hours, minus 24 full veg time, so you get at least 15 real good veg/bud cycles even at 70 day cycles.

The bulbs last longer and stay brighter for longer with the digital ballast also.

 

[wideplank]

What is the best way to tell if a bulb is still optimal? I know that they say a life of a Hortilux 1000WHPS bulb is 24,000 hours but most people are telling me 3 grow cycles and then they are not worth using. I have seen light meters but which one measures what a grower needs to know? I am guessing that they turn into "street lights" after a period of time, basically that they produce light but not quality light after......?

 

[Legion]

Here is the thing with bulbs. They give you a burn hours to failure or when it might fail. We don't want to wait for that. Our crops are worth way too much to be at anything less then 90 percent or so. Most people will change out their bulbs every year if it's a full time bloom area. Put it this way. How much loss in production would cover the cost of a bulb? 7 grams? Out of your average yield how much in % is 7 grams? That is going to tell you how much loss in bulb out put you can handle before it starts to cut into your yield.

 

[Legion]

What is the best way to tell if a bulb is still optimal? I know that they say a life of a Hortilux 1000WHPS bulb is 24,000 hours but most people are telling me 3 grow cycles and then they are not worth using. I have seen light meters but which one measures what a grower needs to know? I am guessing that they turn into "street lights" after a period of time, basically that they produce light but not quality light after......?

To me the meters are only helpful if you had it when you got a new bulb.

Let's say you got a new bulb and new meter. I put in the new bulb and set the hood at a level and note it's position. I then put the meter center under the hood and mark it's position too. Turn on the system and let it get nice and warm. Then take a reading. Write down that number. That's where you started. Then run the light like you usually do. Later when you want to take another reading you'd put the hood back at the same position and the meter at the same position also and take another reading. Do some math and figure out the difference.

The distance between the bulb and the meter is key when taking readings and unless you know where you started out at it's really hard to figure out how much is missing. You can guess by using the bulbs initial lumen output listing as a starting point but..

Good luck,

Legion