2 400 watts or 1 900 watt in a 3x3?

[Napalm]

Hello all.What do you guys think would provide better coverage in a 3x3, 2 400 watt mars2's or 1 900 watt mars2? I know theres more light choices out there that may be better, but for the price and the grow journals ive seen with them it fits my budget right now and they should perform well.
I figured 2 lights would spread out better for 2 or 3 plants and worst case scenario in case one light fails at least theres one to keep them alive.
Thanks in advance!

 

[dutch69lover]

Get ya a 1000 watt digital ballast that is dimmable then you could always run it at 50% power early on and increase it's output as plants grow. I prefer full spectrum mh such as eye hortilux blue daylight mh bulbs over the led for better spectrum

 

[Napalm]

Thanks Dutch69lover, I think I'm gonna pass on the junk mars lights and do what you said but maybe with a 600.
My biggest problem was power consumption. .i can't afford to throw up ANY red flags with the power company and I can't really afford a substantial spike in my electric bill..between the whole set up fans, lights etc...i don't want my electric bill to rise higher than $50 a month max..
I know I may be asking for too much but this is all for my head, not selling a drop.
I'd like to get 4 or 5 ozs every 12-13 weeks. That would last me 3 months for sure, esp these rp sour kush and gh sup lemon haze beans I'm waiting to plant :)
I also read that dimming a 1k or 600 hps will take away from the proper light spectrum. I'm so torn!! Lol but seriously it's driving me mad.

 

[dutch69lover]

A 600 watt with your fans won't raise yer bill much..... Besides pay your power on time and you won't have a problem as they are happy to sell you more power lol. The guys that steal electric service and power 16k flower rooms are the ones that get caught as far as electric company snooping that is. You can dim the light early on and increase later. I veg under t5 lights and after my cuttings are rooted they stay there for a week or two before they go under my big light at half power for a few days before I up it to 3/4 for a few then finally full power.... This helps so they don't get shocked from flourish to high intensity light all at once

 

[Napalm]

Ahh it's all coming together now.Thanks man! It all just kinda clicked in my head.
I could pick up a good t5 to put in the tent to veg ( they should also work well to germ and sprout my seeds from soil ). And then when flower time comes I'll turn off the t5's and fire up the hps in increments like you were saying and which makes total sense. Then in last the last 2 to the 3 weeks of flower turn the t5s back on to add to bud size and potency, well that's what the dude at the local hydro shop said but he was also referring to doing that method along with induction lights, which he was trying hard to sell me me on.
Thanks again. I'm starting to feel better already :)

 

[Napalm]

Ahh it's all coming together now.Thanks man! It all just kinda clicked in my head.
I could pick up a good t5 to put in the tent to veg ( they should also work well to germ and sprout my seeds from soil ). And then when flower time comes I'll turn off the t5's and fire up the hps in increments like you were saying and which makes total sense. Then in last the last 2 to the 3 weeks of flower turn the t5s back on to add to bud size and potency, well that's what the dude at the local hydro shop said but he was also referring to doing that method along with induction lights, which he was trying hard to sell me me on.
Thanks again. I'm starting to feel better already :)

I meant kick in the hps in veg in the increments you stated.turning off t5 in veg

 

[SpiderK]

go with 400's and drop um down 10 inches or so above the plants .....

 

[Napalm]

Have you had success with the mars lights spiderK? I went to check through your threads first to see before asking but wasn't able to.

 

[SpiderK]

ya i used the cheap'o 400 u see above.

i could put the light ten inches above the humidity screen ( 3mil plastic above plants ) in a 5 x 5 tent. i ran mapito also ...., but the point is the limited heat allows good lumen coverage at close range. i used many of his ideas and they all work really well. if u use a humidity screen over the plants in the two week veg, 80% humidity,the roots explode in beds after u pull it as the clones start flowering .... ( the plants still in veg the first ten days or so of 12/12 ....)

his room above is really one big bed with 1,000 clones using milk crates.not one inch between them ... flood and drain once every three days for five minutes.

he does not show the humidity screen but he uses them.

 

[dutch69lover]

I use regular household t8 type fluorescents to sprout seeds... Seedlings and for my cuttings until they get rooted good the I put em under my t5........ You could raise the t5 up higher for sprouting seeds and such as I feel they are a little bright for seedlings and fresh clones

 

[Napalm]

Just thought I would stop back to say I held out and researched a bit more and the cxa3070 is the way to go.
More efficient for less watts.The grows speak for themselves.I just cant wait to see whats next.

 

[Darth Fader]

600w quantum + digilux bulbs (mh/hps) work very well in 3x3.