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Need some help with 400W systems

R

roadhouse

So I am thinking ahead to the winter already, and well maybe even sooner, but I've been looking around for 400W switchable MH/HPS systems. I found this one on Amazon for $177 with shipping:

http://www.amazon.com/Electronic-Sw...YO2002/dp/B002J7PYSU/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Seems like a hell of a deal, though obviously everything isn't of the best quality. The reviews seem to indicate that it produces a lot of heat, which seems like it would be a good thing for me growing in my cool basement. As of right now I have to have a space heater set up under my grow table with fluoros above it to keep the soil warm enough. What do you guys think?

More importantly, I was really just wondering how much area one of these lights with reflector can actually cover effectively, or I guess how many fully grown plants in 5 gallon containers can it cover?
 
A little more info is needed. Is your basement wide open, a single room (dimensions needed), or are you going to use a grow closet? I personally left HPS and MH lights 2 or 3 years ago. I switched to T5's and I've been very pleased. Nearly no heat and less power usage
 
The biggest concern with using a HID fixture is air exchange. I can only use my light in the winter because of the excess heat it produces but I have no heat mats and my room stays a constant 80F, perfect for germination. I have never grown a pepper to maturity with the light and only use it in MH mode on young pepper starts which they love. I also plan on overwintering a few choice plants next year and will chop and regrow instead of bringing in full size plants. I would think only one or maybe two full size plants, or 80 solo cups with seedlings. I use a 400 watt sylvania bulb bought at lowes for 20 dollar several years ago, as long as it runs.;)
 
You don't want to rely on heat from the ballast as heat for your plants- that heat means the ballast is inefficient and is producing heat instead of light. Use a heater to produce heat. A quality efficient ballast will not be hot, and will transmit more electricity into light. Just because a light is advertised as using 400W doesn't mean it puts out as much light as a high quality 400W light does.

Me personally I'd save my money, or rather figure out how much money I could afford to spend, and spend that much money on a quality light, and base my grow on that. John is correct- you can grow just fine under T5 fluros and they are super cheap, especially if you build them yourself.
 
First off you might want to check out High tech garden supply. They have a really good ballast setup that is pretty solid and is a bit cheaper then the one you have found.
Here is a link to their 400w offerings: http://www.htgsupply.com/growlights.asp?categoryID=1&subcategoryID=155&typeID=55

I think the 4' x 3' coverage area is a good estimate, now of course you can get by with less. My current grow area is about 10'x9', it is being serviced by 3 400w fixtures, and I have close to 100 plants under them. At the beginning of winter, I overwintered some seedlings that I started late summer, probably about 40 plants, these all grew and have been thriving under just 2 fixtures. Of course I started more seeds and was soon running out of light, the plants on the outskirts were surviving, but not growing as quickly. That is when I picked up another MH fixture from HTG Supply, and it really helped to increase the light coverage for my plants. Ideally I think 4 fixtures would be perfect for the size area I have. Keep in mind that my plants have only been grown under the metal halides, they still have been flowering and producing chilies all through out the winter, so the HPS may not be necessary to accomplish your goals. The only ones that haven't been producing pods have been the Habaneros, plenty of flowers just no pods.

For next year I'll probably keep any overwintered plants under 1-2 fixtures, and after I start the rest of my plants add the additional fixtures as required. for a total of 3-4 fixtures as spring plant out draws closer.
 
Matt,

That's the same light I have but I didn't get the MH bulb with it. Once I sell some plants, I want to pick up one, though.

Mike
 
i would recommend away from that light. there is no way to cool it, and no matter what the say it is not heavy enough for those yoyo thingies.
the 400w lights from htg do not have any disconnections from ballast to wall plug to socket. so i would also stay away from them. how do i know? i have one of the htg 400w hps wanted something cheap, ended up spending more money correcting my mistake.

if you're only going for the MH side of things and not really touching the HPS ... i would say ok maybe it's a good idea get a cool tube since you can take that socket out, that reflector is crap imo. in your basement you might not need cooling for it, but it's cheap to get a cool tube, and makes it so much easier if you do need cooling.

now if you're also going to use the hps.. before you go out and get 3 like matt(not that you don't need a lot of lights 100 plants :D ), why not get one hps that isn't inadequate to when the plants get larger and require more light to flower. i've got a digital ballast that is a 400w mh and a 600w hps. the 400 mh is deeeeefinatly enough for the seedlings to teenagers even to largish plants. but the 600w makes such a difference once they want to throw flowers out there.

just my 2cents.
 
I don't have a clue where you are coming from! I have the ballast setting on the floor, the light is two feet in width and five feet in height away and I have no problems. The heat is not a factor - I have chains that hold the light up laying on the reflector and I can grab them without getting burned. It's also quite powerful enough to produce fruit.

YMMV and apparently does!

Mike
 
well i usually grow in smaller places so cooling is needed, not the light getting hot just ambient temps. not too sure about the distance factor, b ut if that's in reference to what i said about the htg light i meant the htg one : ).
 
I don't think it really is a big deal that there are no disconnects separating the ballast from the socket, ect, I personally don't have the desire or need to be constantly connecting / disconnecting those components. Just plug it into the wall and go. I do agree that the included hood isn't the greatest, but it does get the job done. Now if you wanted something you can attach fans to, to exhaust the heat, well then the included reflector won't fit the bill. The nice thing is you can upgrade the hood if you want, but it isn't necessary. The important thing is look at what you are getting for the money, a complete system for $120.

As for hanging the light, I just went to home depot and picked up some chain and those quick links, it works out well.

The reason I expanded to the 3 MH lights over just 2, was to provide better coverage to the plants that were on the outskirts of the grow areas. Under just 2 lights I have experienced good growth, plenty of flowering and many chili harvests through out the winter. Now that there is only a month prior to plant out I wanted to increase the light intensity to better prepare them for the transition to outdoor living. I had thought about getting a HPS light to supplement the MH, but with the good growth and chili harvests I had, I decided it wasn't completely necessary. That doesn't mean that I won't be picking one up in the future.
 
I have a sun system switchable 400 and love it. I picked it up used from the FBI after a drug raid so I only paid $20.00 for it. I had a good hood before, but went with a cool tube instead so I can avoid a lot of the heat problems on the plants. I can now get the light withing 6" of the plant without feeling any heat and I don't have a fan hooked up to the tube. If I had a fan I could imagine I would be able to get the light as close as 3" if I wanted to. If you looking to over winter ONLY then don't get a 400 watt MH just get a couple of 100 watt CFL bulbs and and save your money. If your looking to keep them plants fruiting all winter then pickup a 400 or 1000 HPS. I can get 2 BIG plants fruiting with the 400 HPS all winter or 6 in a 1000 HPS, but I didn't bother because I got more than enough pods during the season.
 
yea,

matt: i was a little tired writing that lol, i meant to say that a lot of people get a low watt light, then expand and get another or two later because it doesn't meet the needs they have, but with 100 plants i bet your coverage is a problem.

my problem is with the HTG light not having disconnect not the originally posted one. is that you would have a hard time getting it through areas like a growtent if you want the ballast outside of the tent, or whatever have you. and yea the HTG light is less than 130, but the one posted is 177 and it seems kind of expensive to me for what comes with it seeing as it is bassically the same as the HTG.


all i wanted to do was instill the idea of spending a little more now can possibly keep you from spending a lot more later. sorry if it all didn't make sense but if you bring it to my attention i can try and make sense of it.

and the only reason i mention that those yoyo things will not work with that hood is because it comes with the yoyo things from the amazon source. so you're paying ~20 bucks for something that you will not use.

edit: ok i just looked at my htg light and sorry for misinformation it looks like you can take the socket out but it's a different design than most other sockets i've seen so i don't know about compatibility with most mainstream hoods. so sorry for confusion i might have started :).
 
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