Advice needed on lighting

[JonathonStrange]

Newbe grower setting up a closet grow (please also see thread advice on setting up closet) demensions are 24d27w63h. I was thinking of going with a 400hps but would it be better to get a dimmable 600hps. Also if anyone has an opinion on brands and reflecters. All responces are greatly apreciated. Please swing by my other posts because well I could sure use the help.
Thanks gang:character0095:

 

[sedate]

Um. I don't think it would really be necessary to run a 600 in a 2x2 - and you'll probably have trouble cooling it anyway.

Honestly I'd probably get a digital 250w for that space considering cooling issues in closets - and 4sq/ft isn't going to use much more. Maybe 4 small plants in 3-gallon planters.

Be a decent personal grow anyway.

 

[JonathonStrange]

I think that is probley the smartest way to go, but you see all those pretty pictures in the magazines lol

 

[sedate]

Yea man - even a 400 is going to be warm for that space -

Here - grab this:



And upgrade the hood to something with some glass between the bulb and the plants at least -

I'd go with the "easy cool 6" half-way down the menu list - it'll be perfect for that space.

 

[JonathonStrange]

Is there any diffrance in performance between a 250digital with a 6' hood with glass and a 250 cfl (the multibulb one that screws in and a bat wing hood.

Thanks for ur help sedate it is realy honest and realy appreciated
J.S.

 

[smokinrav]

Is there any diffrance in performance between a 250digital with a 6' hood with glass and a 250 cfl (the multibulb one that screws in and a bat wing hood.

Well, you'll yield way more with the HPS. That's a big difference.

Is that a 250 watt equivalent CFL?

 

[sedate]

Is there any diffrance in performance between a 250digital with a 6' hood with glass and a 250 cfl (the multibulb one that screws in and a bat wing hood.

Um. CFL's don't really grow bud - it doesn't matter how many or what the wattage/spectrum is - the light seriously lacks the intensity needed to properly flower the plants.

I'm sure it seems pricey - but that 250w HPS/hood combo would rock that space like nobody's business - the CFL's - not so much.

Don't waste money trying to save money. CFL's are seriously weak sauce.

 

[hazeway]

First off Welcome! I'd go with sedate on this one man. 400 is way too much for 2x2. As for all the nice pics in the magazines, trust me you pop that 250 watter in there and flower her out nice and you will see the swell as long as you don't chop too early. Anything above 250 you running into heat issues and everything that comes from it as a result. Your plants will be stressed, buds all airy n shit. Not what you are looking for. Those multi coiled cfl things are actually awesome...... for VEG. They will give the plant an awesome structure during the veg stage, but for flower there is no shortcut, HPS all the way! And for those who have the space crank that 1000 watter! Gl on your first grow man, for the space you have try and keep it on the indica side, you throw in a haze or something along that lines you will run into height issues. 5.25ft isn't alot to work with, and after you add the light, maybe a air cooled hood, carbon filter and give the plants at min 12 inches from the bulb plus the pot size your not left with much.... veg em short and do some research into the strain you want to run, generally indicas with stretch half their size when switched to flowering, so you flip them a foot in, the flower at bout 1.5 ft. You work all these kinks out and theres no doubt in my mind you'll be a happy farmer!

 

[hazeway]

And with the 250 watt cfl vs the 250 hps. The Hps will rock the cfl any day of the week. CFL`s lack the red and blue spectrum the plants require in flower, for veg you can get by, at a fraction of the cost. A 400 metal halide can produce the same structure you want as a 250 cfl respectively. I mean, technically they aren`t the same, but the cfl will do you more justice. For flowering you absolutely need a HPS. Sure I`ve heard of guys flowering with MH and CFL`s its all been done. By time and time again, if you want the best personal smoke, HPS conquers all! If you run into any snags along the way, post it up here, you`ll be sure to get a reply. Stick with sedate, I`ve read many of his threads and posts. A shout out to him as well, that dynamat on the cannon fan thread is stellar! Gonna hook that up next run because for me noise is always an issue hahaha! Haven`t done it yet, but am expecting to be very pleased since last time I put my cannon fan in the sub floor to drown out the noise so the ppl living upstairs couldn`t hear LOL fack em!

 

[JonathonStrange]

Well...looks like a 250hps with a six inch hood and glass it will be lol. Thank everyone who took their valuble time to respond. Once again thank you

 

[jakesterjammin]

Yea man - even a 400 is going to be warm for that space -

Here - grab this:



And upgrade the hood to something with some glass between the bulb and the plants at least -

I'd go with the "easy cool 6" half-way down the menu list - it'll be perfect for that space.

Shoot, HTG is WAY high on prices!!!

I always have used The Hydro Source (www.thehydrosource.com), great prices and outstanding customer service!

You can get a 250w - HPS - Hydrolux 6" Cool Tube with a Lumatek ballast for $205!!

Personally I have always suggested getting a good name brand ballast over the ElCheapo ballasts...
In the long run you'll be MUCH better off...

Just my opinion anyway...

 

[JonathonStrange]

Other than running the 250hps. Is there anymost have products I should be using to optimize growth? I was also thinking is makeing it two sections so I can clone/veg then move it up to flower. I don't mind spending the money ( I doubt a space this size will be a fortune). So please shhot me some ideas. I know I was Gina use SOG pots to maximize space and was told supplement with co2 ( the water activated on that tapes to wall would be of little benifit.
I was thinking of growing wembly from pyramid seeds and jillybean by tga and would consider LSD from barneys so strain imput would be great.
If u need more info just let me know.
A big shout out to sedate and everyone else who took the time to share their excperiance THANKS J.S.

 

[TrichromeFan]

I have set up 2x2 closets on a few occasions, and I have done a 250w hps in one, and a 430 hps in another. I had no problems with either and heat. The 250w was run veg & flower, and we got up to 8oz from it. The 430 was an extended spectrum hps that we ran for veg and flower. That closet had an air cooled hood, 4" ducting with a 465cfm squirrel cage fan cooling it. It had a best yield of 12 oz with 9 plants in 4" rockwool cubes on a recirculating drip. Plants were no more than 18" tall at finish. I say your light choice depends on your ability to cool your light hood, and how cool the air coming into the closet will be.

-TF

 

[JonathonStrange]

Cooling it's gonna be a bitch. I live in an apt. If I have to cut the ceiling I will. to the best of my knowledge it leads to a subfloor below the attic where no one lives.

 

[jakesterjammin]

Cooling it's gonna be a bitch. I live in an apt. If I have to cut the ceiling I will. to the best of my knowledge it leads to a subfloor below the attic where no one lives.

Ya, cooling and light containment is both going to be a bitch...
But you do not want to go pumping out smell into the building... One smell from a neighbor and they will come hunting...

Really with the 250w in a 2x2, you're pushing 62.5w per sq ft...
That's little difference than the 3x3 tent with a 600w I'm doing (66.5w per sq), and sometimes I have issues with heat... I also have the light's cooling separated from the chamber's exhausting (so three 6" holes... LOL)...


Find a house to rent... ;)

 

[sedate]

And with the 250 watt cfl vs the 250 hps. The Hps will rock the cfl any day of the week. CFL`s lack the red and blue spectrum the plants require in flower, for veg you can get by, at a fraction of the cost.

Um. Just to quibble - CFL's have good spectral output - and the convenient 3k 5k 6.5k tiers makes setting up spectrally balanced light arrays pretty easy - but like you say this is great for rooting out clones and vegging but - flowering - not so much.

What CFL's lack is light intensity - and once you start stacking them together, they end up hotter and as expensive as a similar wattage HPS.

To the OP:

A 150w CFL (a real 150w CFL, not a 150w incandescent equivalent operating at 42w - like this - () puts down like 8000ish lumens depending on spectrum - maybe 8500 down at 3k.

A 150w HPS puts down nearly 20,000 lumens - at a better spectrum for flowering.

The thing is nearly 2.5x as bright for the same input power and a bit more heat signature.

You can get a 250w - HPS - Hydrolux 6" Cool Tube with a Lumatek ballast for $205!!

Personally I have always suggested getting a good name brand ballast over the ElCheapo ballasts...
In the long run you'll be MUCH better off...

Um. No thank you. I'd take a HTG branded ballast over an overpriced LumaCrap anyday.

Lumatek's are notoriously finicky and I know at least one shop around Denver that doesn't even carry them anymore after so many came back.

Cooling it's gonna be a bitch. I live in an apt. If I have to cut the ceiling I will. to the best of my knowledge it leads to a subfloor below the attic where no one lives.

To many variables to know for sure here - how the airflow will do once it is in . . . . you could probably get away with the single 250 if you leave ur closet door cracked . . . that seems like the easiest solution to me . . . but if you can get good airflow in that space TF is right - a 400 should be workable as well.

Stick with sedate, I`ve read many of his threads and posts. A shout out to him as well, that dynamat on the cannon fan thread is stellar! Gonna hook that up next run because for me noise is always an issue hahaha!

Heh thanks man.

<----- Rep button is here :)

Check out Trichome Fan's thread on a DIY duct muffler - the two upgrades in concert really STFU out of those 'effin fans.

 

[JonathonStrange]

I was wondering if I could crack the door and mount some fans to the wall. How do I get the carbon filter in there. Do they stand upright or mount it to the ceiling? If it's a dumb question I figure ur used to them by now Sedate lol

 

[Og420]

Well...looks like a 250hps with a six inch hood and glass it will be lol. Thank everyone who took their valuble time to respond. Once again thank you

I'm using (or will be when it arrives) a 250w cfl the equvilent is meant to be around 1500w, cant remember off the top of my head, lumin output was aroun 20000 on the 250w if i remember rightly.

ill put in a link when i find it again.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/250w-Blue...edsBulbs_JN&hash=item2c5aae126e#ht_2928wt_951

 

[jakesterjammin]

Um. No thank you. I'd take a HTG branded ballast over an overpriced LumaCrap anyday.

Lumatek's are notoriously finicky and I know at least one shop around Denver that doesn't even carry them anymore after so many came back.

LMFAO.... Really???
I've had the so called "Digital Greenhouse" (HTG Brand) opened up before, it's manufactured in China, imported, and then re-branded!!!

So you would rather spend MORE MONEY getting a CHEAPER MADE ballast and CHEAP hood, over SAVING money on a name brand Lumatek (a USA manufactured product) that comes with a MUCH better hood???


OooooooooooK, cool...

 

[lollipopman]

I have both htg and a lumatek, I'll take the htg over the lumatek any day, my lumateks has gone out 3 times, htg not once.. Costumer service thru htg is topp notch too, the hydrosource has a 30 day then u have to call the manufacture and what a pain that can be..

I thought lumateks was china made, please tell me where they are put together here in the u.s. JJ