There's a new bulb in town.

Friendo · Aug 18, 2009

Has anaybody had experience with the PHILLIPS "HPS Retro- white ceramic metal halide" bulb? It has a monstrous spectrum. Here's the link to see the details.

This bulb may replace everything on the market and it's cheap, about $60. I'm just wondering if anybody's had problems. I hear they can be a little hard to start if the lamp chord to the ignitor is too long?? They're used as a replacement bulb in industrial settings to get better quality of light, where the ballast instellation is close by. The highest watt they make is 400w at the moment but considering the spectrum (PAR) you wouldn't anything more. Check it out.

Nts10a · Aug 18, 2009

Good find...this looks like the bee's knees :smiley_joint:

darookie2000 · Aug 19, 2009

I have a similar bulb to that. I had a hard time tracking down the retro white locally, but I managed to find a CMH bulb and I'm running it in my veg area. It keeps pretty cool and my plants seem to like it just fine. I don't think it can replace every bulb until they get higher wattage versions (and probably make them work with digital ballasts).

purpleblockhead · Aug 19, 2009

i got 3 of them going right now, there great!!!!!!!!!!!!! there mh bulbs that fire only on hps ballasts and they put out more light/lumens than a 600, pure mh power out of a 400 hps, theyve been out 4 awhile there was a company called life light technologies that bought them from phillips erased the phillips off the bulb and sold them for 120 a piece as there own bulb, i get them in CA for 50 a piece

purpleblockhead · Aug 19, 2009

o yea i tried 2 fire 1 on a lumatek 400 and the bulb burnt out with in 2 minutes, i got them in extrasun 400hps ballasts now

krunchbubble · Aug 19, 2009

the spectrum is insane on these! they need to come out with a 1000 watt bulb

Cali smoke · Aug 19, 2009

I use a 400 watt for my veg period, great lamp...

ReelBusy1 · Aug 19, 2009

krunchbubble said:
the spectrum is insane on these! they need to come out with a 1000 watt bulb

If the spectrum numbers and lumen output are accurate this is some sick output.

purpleblockhead · Aug 19, 2009

yes sir its nutts it puts out power

girlwondergrows · Aug 19, 2009

I'd like to see a lamp that concentrated the spectrum in the par range. That big flat out put across the spectrum is wasting energy because the plants will not be able to use it. Much better looking for sure but I want grooowwwth...

gwg

convex · Aug 19, 2009

430 watt agro's still put out close to twice the lumens.

bicycle racer · Aug 19, 2009

those bulbs put out low lumens compared to standard hps bulbs. my hortilux puts out 55000 if im not mistaken. besides were not looking for what appeals to our eyes but the spectrum the plant needs and in flower the yellow red spectrum is desirable.

ugmjfarmer · Aug 19, 2009

They don't make them for 1000w's yet, so its pretty useless to me. I much prefer using a dual arc bulb in my 1000w hoods. I'm getting the best and most natural growth ever using those, looks like the outdoor in a sunny field on a nice august evening.

purpleblockhead · Aug 19, 2009

its not a hps bulb its a mh that fires on hps ballasts, ive had great results and rapid growth in my veg room, i like them better the the hortlux that i was using

VirginHarvester · Aug 19, 2009

It looks just like the CMH spectrum, which is certainly very nice. From what I remember the CMH can only be used with analog ballast(not digital) which meant, I believe, people using CMH could not use digital. A point for CMH over traditional MH combo is that it had lower heat than MH, on par with HPS, and I think more efficient/better output.

I would be asking if the WCMH can be used with a digital ballast and what is the heat output vs traditional MH. It looks to me to have a spectrum that could go full cycle so even if you only use it for veg and stretch it makes a great backup bulb to your HPS.

convex · Aug 19, 2009

If I was forced to use CMH I would personally look at something in the actinic spectrum, more usefull to the plants.

Cheers

darookie2000 · Aug 19, 2009

purpleblockhead said:
i got 3 of them going right now, there great!!!!!!!!!!!!! there mh bulbs that fire only on hps ballasts and they put out more light/lumens than a 600, pure mh power out of a 400 hps, theyve been out 4 awhile there was a company called life light technologies that bought them from phillips erased the phillips off the bulb and sold them for 120 a piece as there own bulb, i get them in CA for 50 a piece

I'm not sure they put out more light or lumens than a 600. Certainly not over a distance. I had to move the light closer to the plants with the 400 than I did with a 600 in the same space, but I do agree they are great. I have one of those life lights, didn't realize how they got them though :)

darookie2000 · Aug 19, 2009

Cali smoke said:
I use a 400 watt for my veg period, great lamp...

Yep, that's how I'm using it.

H3AD_CAS3 · Aug 20, 2009

Yeah, there definitely is a new bulb in town... There called plasma bulbs check them out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTGsM9pplUs . Now if we could only convince the manufacturer to make them for a more suitable grow spectrum...Imagine the possibilities :winking0067:

convex · Aug 21, 2009

darookie2000 said:
I'm not sure they put out more light or lumens than a 600. Certainly not over a distance. I had to move the light closer to the plants with the 400 than I did with a 600 in the same space, but I do agree they are great. I have one of those life lights, didn't realize how they got them though :)

The literature pegs the 400 at 28,900 lumens, hardly the 90,000 + of many 600's

There's a new bulb in town.

There's a new bulb in town.

Friendo

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Nts10a

darookie2000

purpleblockhead

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purpleblockhead

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krunchbubble

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Cali smoke

ReelBusy1

purpleblockhead

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girlwondergrows

convex

bicycle racer

ugmjfarmer

purpleblockhead

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VirginHarvester

convex

darookie2000

darookie2000

H3AD_CAS3

convex

There's a new bulb in town.

There's a new bulb in town.

Friendo

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Nts10a

darookie2000

purpleblockhead

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purpleblockhead

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krunchbubble

Premium Member

Cali smoke

ReelBusy1

purpleblockhead

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girlwondergrows

convex

bicycle racer

ugmjfarmer

purpleblockhead

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VirginHarvester

convex

darookie2000

darookie2000

H3AD_CAS3

convex

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