Questions about useing Gavitas in tent....

[FamMan]

Whattup RUI!!! I have a couple questions concerning my first grow that i will be ordering equipment for in the next couple weeks and starting soon there after. I will be using a 5x9 Gorilla tent and I am seriously leaning towards using 2 600/750 DE Gavitas. I have done some research on using these in tents and from what I have read it is possible. However being that these are open air reflectors i know that i have to to change my design around some. I know that i will have to vent the whole tent to keep the heat in check however im not 100% sure on how to do that. I will be growing in my basement (7.9 foot ceilings) that has two sub-level windows. My questions are:

How do i vent a open reflector tent?
Where would my my carbon filter fit into this setup (im guessing before the exhaust fan but not sure if that would be correct in a setup like this)
How large of an intake and exhaust fans would i need to properly vent a tent that size considering those lights are gonna get hot in there?
Do i only need two fans(exhaust and intake)?
Im assuming I will need AC(most likely portable unfortunately cuz i live in a rental) at least during the hot months(I live in southeast CO). Will i need AC all the time or will the fans keep it cool enough when its not 60+ degrees outside?
Im sure I have a few more questions but cant remember them ATM. As always thank you for ur time, advice, and any criticisms. Peace.

 

[FamMan]

One question i forgot....i know there is the Solis Tek DE MH 1000w bulb. Is there a 600w? or at least one that can fit in the 600/750?

 

[jijiandfarmgang]

According to Gavitas room calcuation sheet, which gives a very general estimate,

You should use 4 - 600 watt fixtures or 3 1000s and 12,000 btu's of AC.

I doubt you want to go this route because of height/heat/cost.

Also, I don't know, but I assume these calculations are only based on sq ft of your room size, the smaller the room, the less options you have for ideal light footprint layout.

I would only use gavita/phillips bulbs in their lights.

- Jiji

 

[jcommerce]

I don't know a ton about Gavita other than what I've read (no personal experience), but you would think they'd have remote ballast (so you could keep ballast out of tent or room) and reflector cooling options by now. People sure seem to like them, but I see them more as industrial/commercial grow options with massive amounts of cooling and ventilation. I, personally, wouldn't gamble a whole tent setup just to find that I'm battling heat after spending all that money on their gear, and AC unit and expense to boot. Just my opinion...

 

[WeedFreak78]

I looked into them, they are designed more for large/commercial type grows. They are designed to be used in banks of multiple lights in high head applications(8'+ceilings). You'd be better off with a single 600 or 1000 and a cool tube/ AC hood in a small tent.

Gavita does have a remote ballast option, i believe it's only the 1000's, though i could be wrong.

 

[DirtyMcCurdy]

I think there are better and cheaper options out there for growing in a tent IMO. Gavitas look awesome but they would be hell to cool in a tent

 

[FamMan]

Thanx for all the responses everyone. Really appreciate it. I guess I will hold off on the gavitas and go with some air cooled fixtures. Anyone have any expierence with Solis tek DE or power box ballast?

 

[Sativied]

My questions are:

See this post for answers to some of your questions: http://rollitup.org/t/12-step-program-for-closet-virgins.860295/

Gavitas work fine in tents for thousands of growers, they are often sold as part of a complete tent set here, i.e.


1k watt for 5x5, 600 for nearly 4x4. 4x4 can however use a little more than 600, making the 750 such a nice addition. They don't include cooling fans for the simple reason it doesn't need it. Just make sure you have a good matching exhaust at the proper location. Intake is optional.

I do know a grower who got heat problems, he used 2x 1kW in a 4x8tent, but 5x9 is nearly a perfect fit for 2x 600/750 DE Gavitas. Run them on 600 during hot months. Unless your (intake) temps far exceed the ideal temps in the tent you don't need an AC for just a 2-bulb tent.

 

[FamMan]

Wow thanx sativied! Definitely goin to read that thread. I'm sure I will have more questions then. Thanx for taking the time out to help a noob like me...... Happy growing peeps!!!

 

[jcommerce]

Also, keep in mind that Gavitas are designed for 220+ volts AND, if you want to run the Gavita or Phillips bulb, you'll need a 400V compatible ballast as these DE lamps are 400V. If you're in the USA, you'd better already have 220/240 wired or be prepared to pay an electrician some healthy coin to get you there.

If I were you, I'd go with two, in-line, air cooled 600W hoods. Depending on the air temp of your intake, even that may be challenging in 45 square feet. Another thing to keep in mind is the amperage available to the room where you'll have the tent. 2 X 600W is really more than 1200W with the ballast, etc. Then, if you'll have a veg area in the same room, you'll have more lights, fans, etc. If your room is on the same circuit as, say, the bathroom next door, get ready to be blowing fuses every time the wifey turns on her hair dryer, curling iron, etc. If your room is only on a 20AMP fuse, be ready for problems unless the room is truly dedicated, even then....in this case, then I'd run a single 750W in a large footprint AC reflector and give yourself some room to walk around the plants (i.e. you won't use all 45 sq. feet, more like 35. The bonus is that you'll have one less ballast and reflector to buy and less heat. You'd be surprised what a 750W can produce in a 45sf tent if you do it correctly. If you want the ability to have more light, just get a 1000W dimmable ballast and run it at 750W on hotter days or when temps are spiking and at 1000W when the tent can handle the heat.

Lastly, that's great that Gavita's ballasts run cool. But so do many others in today's e-ballast world...mine are cool/warm to the touch. Nevertheless, the Gavita's are still using single or double ended HPS lamps. That's where the real heat comes from...and it's not just from the lamp's surface heat. rather, it's the energy that the lamp is putting out which is absorbed by every single thing in the tent. Even air cooled reflectors can only help to a certain extent. The ambient air in the tent, even with an AC reflector may be 76F, but put a laser thermometer on your buckets, totes, the floor, the walls, the cords, the fans, and you're more likely to see 80s - 90s.

As always, just my opinion.

 

[FamMan]

Im working on the electrician. Had one lined up but he fell through. I knew I definitely would need one.
Sounds like I need to do some more research on this. This would be an expensive investment and I need to be sure I'm not setting myself up for failure.
The temps get pretty hot during the summer. Not like Cali or Florida but it gets hot. Thank you for all the useful info Jcommerce! If u had to recommend an air cooled setup what ballast would you go with?

 

[jcommerce]

Thank you for all the useful info Jcommerce! If u had to recommend an air cooled setup what ballast would you go with?

No problem. If you've already bought the 9' x 5' tent, cool. But if you're still in the market, I'd go for a square tent. 5' will be pretty narrow once your canopy spreads out. I've had numerous tents and my latest is a Gorilla 8' x 8'. I went with this for numerous reasons, not the least of which is the ability to move around the sides of the canopy. Sure, they have back doors and what not, but the back side of mine is against a wall, so the doors have no use until the day I put it in a larger room. Gorillas are more expensive, for certain, but they are much stronger than a lot of others out there, the poles and the material itself. They also come with a height extension kit for if and when you have a taller room.

Back to your question about a ballast, I'd certainly get one that doesn't have an internal cooling fan. Not only is it the most likely part to fail, but it also allows dust to enter the unit (just like a CPU tower). You will also want dimmable option...I like to ease my plants in from their pre-veg room with a day or two at 600, a few days at 750, and 1000 with the switch to 12/12. Another thing to factor is if it's 120/240 compatible, can fire MH & HPS, and has dual outlets for different plug types. I personally like the Phantom series (the new version 2 look really nice and have some upgrades) and they are among the most reliable. I have a Phantom 1 and it's been great...I was pretty bummed when the 2s came out not long after I got my 1 series. They are dimmable and have dual fuse resets, no fans, and they have dual sockets for the different brand plugs. Lumateks are nice and pretty reliable, but I've heard bad things about their customer service. SolisTek are apparently quite reliable as well. The older Galaxy models were nice (no fan), but the new switchable's do have fans, but if I had to get one with a fan, it would be a Galaxy. The Hortiliux series, I'm sure, are very nice, but damn expensive and I don't believe they are dimmable. Powerbox has a new line of ballasts that run 120/240, and can fire MH, HPS, and DE lamps...and they are a great company (I've used their control boxes and everything is top of the line). I can't speak to the Gavitas, but their Digistars do look nice.

If I had to combine value, quality, and reliability, I'd probably go: 1) Phantom II, 2) Lumatek, 3) Powerbox, 4) SolisTek 5) Galaxy fanless, 6) Quantum (has fan). I'd stay away from ExtraSun, Digilume, and NanoLux based on reading about them and hearing from many a different shop owner...even the ones that carry them.

For reflectors, I have the old Raptor 8s and they don't have hinges, which means cleaning the glass, changing bulbs, etc is a bitch, especially if you have ducting (you have to reach in through the duct tube because the glass gasket is not designed to be opened. I also have the Sunlight Supply XXXLs and they do have hinges and safety cables. The new Raptors apparently have hinges and safety cables. These two reflectors have among, if not, the largest light footprints on the market.

For carbon filtration, I would never buy anything other than a Phresh filter. MUCH smaller, lighter, and longer lasting that the competition. Been using them since 2012 and never looked back. Their Hyperfans kick ass too. Super small in size, but very powerful (there are comparison tests on YouTube), and they come with a speed controller so you can slow them down to 35%. I run them around 40 - 45% and it's plenty. I'd used several different brands before and they never cut the muster.

Just so you know I'm not blowing smoke up your ass, I've averaging 2.5 units off of a single 1000W (on a light rail with T5 side lighting) in this 8' x 8'. I made some modifications and I'm hoping for 3 on the next run.

 

[chuck estevez]

I don't know a ton about Gavita other than what I've read (no personal experience), but you would think they'd have remote ballast (so you could keep ballast out of tent or room) and reflector cooling options by now. People sure seem to like them, but I see them more as industrial/commercial grow options with massive amounts of cooling and ventilation. I, personally, wouldn't gamble a whole tent setup just to find that I'm battling heat after spending all that money on their gear, and AC unit and expense to boot. Just my opinion...

 

[chuck estevez]

AND, GAVITA now comes in 120/240 volt options, JUST SAYIN!!!

 

[jcommerce]

^^^ @chuck estevez - I've seen that Monster Garden vid. It's a Sunlight Supply reflector with a Lumatek ballast. Just curious as to what that has to do with Gavita?? Nice to know they're 110/240V compatible though.

Okay, in doing some research, I just found out that, unbeknownst to me, I indeed HAVE HAD PERSONAL experience with Gavita. The Humboldt Lighting Micromole ballasts are just Gavita Digistars, renamed by Humboldt. Gavita was manufacturing them for Humboldt, but then Gavita just took over selling them directly. (I sure thought they looked VERY similar when I saw pictures...LOL). We have 8 of the 1000 watt Micromoles in my 8000 watt room. They are very good, cool running ballasts, but we did have one fail after 7 or 8 runs. We were able to get a replacement from the retailer.

Here they are in our 8000 room.

 

[Curly333]

The sun system AC/DE is sweet hood. It's made in Woodenville, WA. The only thing the hood has to do with Gavita is you can run gavita double ended bulbs in this hood. That's where the DE in the name comes from. The advantage to these hoods in a tent is that they are air cooled. That's the AC part of the name. There aren't many hood available right now that are double ended and air cooled. If temps might be a problem and you want to go double ended look in this hood. I'm running 4 in a 9x9 guerrilla tent. Its specail

 

[jcommerce]

If temps might be a problem and you want to go double ended look in this hood. I'm running 4 in a 9x9 guerrilla tent. Its specail

FOUR of these hoods in a 9' x 9' ??!!?? What wattage and why would you ever need that many hoods in a 9' x 9' ?? Seems like a complete waste of money for equipment and power if you ask me.

 

[WeedFreak78]

Also, keep in mind that Gavitas are designed for 220+ volts AND, if you want to run the Gavita or Phillips bulb, you'll need a 400V compatible ballast as these DE lamps are 400V. If you're in the USA, you'd better already have 220/240 wired or be prepared to pay an electrician some healthy coin to get you there.

From the way I understand it the Gavitas were originally designed for commercial op's, thats why the bulbs are rated at 400V, The ballast takes in 120/240 and outputs it at 400V. Any house in USA has 240V, it's no different than running a 120v line, Won't cost much to run a 240V line, I just did a 30' run myself for under $100.

 

[Cowboy Kahlil]

Monster Gardens had the Gavita rated as best. with Solis Tek and Phantom DE second best. However, one large grower I know is completely sold on Nanolux and likes it better than Gavita.

 

[a senile fungus]

So... If I made up a 5x5 box would I just put the gavita right up on the ceiling? Or can it get closer than that? Let's say the box is 5x5x8.

Or fuck it, let's build a box around the light. What are the ideal specs? I think I might bite the bullet and get one if they're really all that awesome. It'll pay for itself eventually...