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MXNR
Did the Mushroom choose you?


Registered: 07/20/04
Posts: 406
Loc: MARS
Last seen: 3 years, 4 months
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The BareBones of my new Hydro Grow. Suggestions?
#5917574 - 07/31/06 02:10 AM (17 years, 6 months ago) |
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Hey All,
I loves me tomatoes. Num Num.
So anyway, I was thinking of starting a budget indoor garden. This is the light I was looking at:
http://www.bghydro.com/BGH/customkititems.asp?kc=HLCSHPS04V&eq=
It's a 400 watter. 58,000 lums. A compact system, good for my closet.
An here's the hydro kit I was thinking about:
http://www.bghydro.com/BGH/Itemdesc.asp?ic=HGS6&eq=&Tp=
So, anyone kind enough to leave a comment or some advice? I figured these two would be good for a small six plant grow. Although, I wonder if the included nutrients will be adequate...
Thanks in advance!
-------------------- Master: Everyday change your clothes and eat your food and you will become enlightened. Pupil: Master, I do not understand... Master: If you don't understand, eat your food and change your clothes.
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royer
±±±±±±±±±±

Registered: 05/15/06
Posts: 4,801
Loc: anywhere but here
Last seen: 4 years, 10 months
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Re: The BareBones of my new Hydro Grow. Suggestions? [Re: MXNR]
#5917728 - 07/31/06 04:36 AM (17 years, 6 months ago) |
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i got an indoor garden for the winter to and i went with an electronic ballast and it came to 328 dollars for the ballest,hood.all wired, 400 watt hps light, mh light . it takes both light because of the ballast.speeds up veg time and flowering time.it is well worth it because of the ballest ,the power bill is cut by like 50% and it puts out like 500 watts because of the ballast has more output and it doesnt get as hot . it is well worth it.
-------------------- ================================================= if you have any questions please feel free to pm me , thx :-)
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MXNR
Did the Mushroom choose you?


Registered: 07/20/04
Posts: 406
Loc: MARS
Last seen: 3 years, 4 months
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Re: The BareBones of my new Hydro Grow. Suggestions? [Re: royer]
#5918048 - 07/31/06 09:26 AM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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So, you really think the Metal Halide lamp is vital? I thought it would be ok to grow from seed to harvest with a 400w HPS system. It may be OPTIMAL with the MH...I'm considering it.
Thanks royer!
-------------------- Master: Everyday change your clothes and eat your food and you will become enlightened. Pupil: Master, I do not understand... Master: If you don't understand, eat your food and change your clothes.
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Delta9Hippie
Traveler


Registered: 04/27/06
Posts: 363
Loc: Spaceship Earth
Last seen: 2 years, 1 month
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Re: The BareBones of my new Hydro Grow. Suggestions? [Re: MXNR]
#5920179 - 07/31/06 10:09 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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check out ebay while you're at it, they have amazing deals. HighTechGarden on there has a good assortment of lights and setups. 400w MH/HPS bulb/ballast/reflector/timer for under 200, or about 200 with shipping. high quality stuff too. worth a look.
-------------------- "During evolutionary time, the avenues of possible progress have become progressively restricted, until today only one remains...Man...has been suddenly appointed managing director of the biggest business of all, the business of evolution." Life begins the day you start a garden. Check out my trade list in My Journal...
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kayaman9
enthusiast
Registered: 06/08/01
Posts: 391
Loc: windy city
Last seen: 12 years, 3 months
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Re: The BareBones of my new Hydro Grow. Suggestions? [Re: Delta9Hippie]
#5920223 - 07/31/06 10:21 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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yeah check ebay for the best prices,.they have conversion bulbs for everything now, check out sunmasters for MH and hortilux for HPS, I've always had better overall growth yeild and success withjust using HPS and this has been tried and tested using 400, 600, and1000 watt HPS. they were all PL lamps though which are the best and most expensive but it's all about the specialty bulbs now. hope it helps cause these really aren't opinions.
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coda
Banjo Goiter


Registered: 03/20/01
Posts: 8,750
Last seen: 10 months, 3 days
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Re: The BareBones of my new Hydro Grow. Suggestions? [Re: royer]
#5920250 - 07/31/06 10:28 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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First of all, a ballast can not output more power then what it's designed for. A 400 watt ballast will not output 500 watts of light, this is especially true because the bulbs you are using are designed to be used at a certain output.
Im not to sure on power consumption, but i do know having a switchable ballast will still use the same amount of power as a regular ballast of the same output. The big saving in a switchable ballast comes in not having to buy a seperate ballast for your metal halide bulb.
MXNR, you can do your grow just fine using your HPS. The MH puts off a slightly better spectrum for vegging then the HPS does, but your HPS will do just a fine job. However looking into a switchable ballast isn't a bad idea. It'll save ya a few hundred bucks if you want to use different lights for the veg and flower cycle.,
-------------------- To get really high is to forget yourself. And to forget yourself is to see everything else. And to see everything else is to become an understanding molecule in evolution, a conscious tool of the universe. And I think every human being should be a conscious tool of the universe. . . . -JG i really am glad you came back to us instead of taking the other path. *hug* -A_S (RIP your final words to me will never be forgotten)
 Don't fuck with the laughing jesus.
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Legoulash
Stranger

Registered: 09/07/02
Posts: 4,347
Last seen: 12 years, 7 months
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Re: The BareBones of my new Hydro Grow. Suggestions? [Re: coda]
#5920457 - 07/31/06 11:25 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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From what iv read digital ballests will technicly give you more light because of the fact that light bulbs flicker. But when they designe a digital ballest they make the flicker stay bright longer than it is dark so then you get more light(Not watts tho) But after testing was done this didnt make a huge differnce in harvests. Digital also means it doesnt need to be switchable, you can just screw in a MH bulb into a digital HPS and it works fine.
Digital ballests are much much cooler, cool enough to touch anyway. So you save alot of money on power. Cheap ballests www.hidhut.com Cheap hydro http://growfaq.marijuana.com/index.php?action=artikel&cat=17&id=165&artlang=en
Or
http://hg420.com/showthread.php?t=3072
I also wouldnt bother with a MH. Realisticly HPS has more usable lights for plants than MH does, so they should be fine unde HPS.. If you want some Blue light then add soem floros
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TODAY
Battletoad


Registered: 09/25/03
Posts: 10,218
Loc: Metropolis City, USA
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Re: The BareBones of my new Hydro Grow. Suggestions? [Re: MXNR]
#5920482 - 07/31/06 11:31 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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Don't buy that light from the first link!!
See how the ballast is attatched to the light? Those things put off a ton of heat, which you don't want anywhere near your tomater tops. I'd recommend a 'remote' ballast. Remote meaning it isn't attatched to the hood, there is usually a 10 foot or so power cord from the ballast to the lamp so you can put the ballast as far from the plants as possible.
--------------------
ca'rouse (k-rouz) intr.v. To engage in boisterous, drunken merrymaking.
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kayaman9
enthusiast
Registered: 06/08/01
Posts: 391
Loc: windy city
Last seen: 12 years, 3 months
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Re: The BareBones of my new Hydro Grow. Suggestions? [Re: TODAY]
#5920622 - 08/01/06 12:14 AM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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if you know how to wire a 240 outlet it only takes like 3 amps to power a 1000 watt light which is less power than a 400 watt wired to a 120 volt outlet, thats why the new ballasts are swithable from 120 volts to 240. this has saved my friend so much power, it's sick how much wattage you can really use without noticing that much
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coda
Banjo Goiter


Registered: 03/20/01
Posts: 8,750
Last seen: 10 months, 3 days
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Re: The BareBones of my new Hydro Grow. Suggestions? [Re: kayaman9]
#5922099 - 08/01/06 02:51 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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As far as i know a switchable ballast means that it accepts both MH and HPS bulbs. This is something you can't do with a ballast designed to only accept one type of bulb. As rah mentioned it doesnt give you more wattage, rather slightly more lumens (which is actually the part you want increased).
Kaya- no need to go about electrocuting yourself by wiring your own sockets (which, unless you're a trained electrician id highly reccomend against doing), you can buy an adapter to do the same thing.
-------------------- To get really high is to forget yourself. And to forget yourself is to see everything else. And to see everything else is to become an understanding molecule in evolution, a conscious tool of the universe. And I think every human being should be a conscious tool of the universe. . . . -JG i really am glad you came back to us instead of taking the other path. *hug* -A_S (RIP your final words to me will never be forgotten)
 Don't fuck with the laughing jesus.
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TODAY
Battletoad


Registered: 09/25/03
Posts: 10,218
Loc: Metropolis City, USA
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Re: The BareBones of my new Hydro Grow. Suggestions? [Re: kayaman9]
#5922991 - 08/01/06 08:00 PM (17 years, 5 months ago) |
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Watts (power) = volts x amps
1000watts/240 volts = 4.17 amps
1000watts/120 volts = 8.34 amps
Kyaman, I think you have your information a little twisted. The beauty of lights nowadays is that the ballasts transform (via a transformer) 120v input to 240, 270, even 480 volt output. They don't offer more power, they just draw less amps, meaning you can power more lights on the same circuit without blowing the fuse (i think most homes have 20amps per circuit).
--------------------
ca'rouse (k-rouz) intr.v. To engage in boisterous, drunken merrymaking.
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ishii.oren.ishii
Assassin



Registered: 01/20/12
Posts: 1
Last seen: 12 years, 11 days
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Re: The BareBones of my new Hydro Grow. Suggestions? [Re: MXNR]
#15693185 - 01/20/12 02:22 PM (12 years, 11 days ago) |
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Nowadays, there are numerous hydroponic systems and indoor grow lights at our disposal. You just gotta do some searching to find the best prices. It all depends on how much time and effort you are willing to put into research.
While doing my research for hydro stores, I did come across a handy archive for hydroponic growing tips. I wish I spent more time researching because I overpaid for my cheaply made hydro set-up which I won’t name (I don’t want them to be coming after me, LOL ).
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Ieponumos
Mycophile/Phytophile


Registered: 09/02/09
Posts: 4,850
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Re: The BareBones of my new Hydro Grow. Suggestions? [Re: ishii.oren.ishii]
#15693565 - 01/20/12 03:40 PM (12 years, 11 days ago) |
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Quote:
ishii.oren.ishii said: I wish I spent more time researching
 I wish you did, too. This is a 5 year old thread. Didn't it warn out that this "post is over 30 day old"? I call thread necromancy upon thee! 
Nice username though.
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velcroshaman
Fazed and Confused


Registered: 09/07/11
Posts: 176
Last seen: 11 years, 10 months
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Re: The BareBones of my new Hydro Grow. Suggestions? [Re: Ieponumos]
#15693880 - 01/20/12 04:37 PM (12 years, 11 days ago) |
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Heh, not to mention a 5 yr old thread about a non-sponsor vendor's product, the non-sponsor vendor being notorious for being one of the worst and least customer friendly companies in the market.
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Ieponumos
Mycophile/Phytophile


Registered: 09/02/09
Posts: 4,850
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Re: The BareBones of my new Hydro Grow. Suggestions? [Re: velcroshaman]
#15694088 - 01/20/12 05:15 PM (12 years, 11 days ago) |
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Quote:
velcroshaman said: Heh, not to mention a 5 yr old thread about a non-sponsor vendor's product, the non-sponsor vendor being notorious for being one of the worst and least customer friendly companies in the market.
HAR! I was just coming to that realization befor I read your post!!!
Maybe her responding to this was a good thing after all ...
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