Questions about useing Gavitas in tent....

Sativied

Well-Known Member
and at 24 inches can 1000 watts be fully used?
That seemed to be the case in that example but no generally that would be a good reason to dim it. I don't want to downplay the heat issue, just saying it's workable. Best (for a typical 5x5 surface) is roughly 90cm / 36" or a little more.

and some one was telling me at running even less then a 1000 watts he was seeing better lighting then his previous 1000 watt set ups. would you say that is true. sometimes its hard to believe gardeners around my area. every one seems to shoot their mouth off about this and that.
As I mentioned in another thread, the local forums here are full with myths and parroting so I get the shooting their mouth off, but it's a classic, and it being so consistent (people noticing significant improvements) is why it's so popular. Usually not for beginners cause it's pricey, but once you grow for money... It would certainly not surprise me if 825w gavita >= 1000watt average hps setup. It's a few years old, from a test from 2011, but the data showed clearly that after a year use a gavita and philips DE 1kW still outperform a new average cheapo hps.[/QUOTE]
 
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Sativied

Well-Known Member
thats fucking boss dude. thanks for that. have you seen one in action? and that can handle lets say a 4 burner or 8 burner? wow man. thats fucking cool. and here i bought a 3 ton split system. going to google the price now on those.
Not in real life, I've seen them at growshops and in the local forums. 4x600watt used to be the safe max here to remain stealth, so the growers that do post online are usually the smaller ones who don't need it. Yet is has been mentioned 2170 times at the local grow forums according to google. That's how popular it is. They also tested several models, many growshops offer test gear to review online. I've done root riot plugs once - lucky me... I've never seen another A/C being use though, not irl, not online, not in growshops.

A common one is the 3500 serie, which is for 6x600 watt or 3x900.

The 6000 is for 10x600watt so 6x1000watt too.Probably around $4K.
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Like the gavita setups, not a toy, professional horticulture equipment.

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a mongo frog

Well-Known Member
i wonder how much water it uses and how much one needs to due away with. too much water usage here id have someone knocking on my door. not sure if they've even lifted water restrictions here or not.
 

jcommerce

Well-Known Member
Like I said with my pics of those inline fans, there are exceptions. That 710cfm version of the hyper fan from Phresh (I use their filters) is 1200m3h and could be a very nice fit for a 1kW hps.
This is exactly what I'm using and I'm running the Hyper at around 40% in winter and 45% in Summer. At 100%, it's ridiculous.
 

Sativied

Well-Known Member
i wonder how much water it uses and how much one needs to due away with. too much water usage here id have someone knocking on my door. not sure if they've even lifted water restrictions here or not.
Good question... ideally you got a pool or w/e outside and use a pump to recirculate.

A quick check shows the 6000 (for 6x 1kw) uses 2-4L per min... roughly a gallon on the high end. They say: "on a normal tapwater connection you can attach 45-60kW in units (so for up to 60x 1kW bulbs...) and double the amount if you run 12/12.

I'm not sure what the common method here is for smaller growers who do use it. It's doable to suck in air at room temp most of the year so usually a good exhaust does most. We all go that problem of someone possibly knocking on the door though but haven't heard of raids because high water bills yet. Stealth is one of the reasons it's popular, no heat to exhaust out a window allowing easy detection with heath cameras.
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You can hide the bulb enough (with good reflection and walls) but the exhaust needs to go somewhere. Some blow out under the rooftiles to spread it out. We barely get a month snow, but spread out over 3-4 months. Another classic:

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/02/06/dutch-police-reveal-a-simple-way-to-tell-if-your-neighbor-is-illegally-growing-pot/
 
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Sativied

Well-Known Member
LOL, I saw this on Huff Post the other day (the snow-less roof). I was surprised to see it was in the NL of all places.
It's such a cliche really, I had a neighbor nearby who grew in his garage... till some snitching neighbor noticed the missing snow... (lots of anti-grower propaganda, we're firehazards and criminals...) usually people who are blinded by money or got sloppy. But roughly 10% of the estimated amount of grows (50K, I think that number is very naive) is raided per year so for many it's a matter of time. And that's why many including me keep it small so the fine is too.
 

DirtyMcCurdy

Well-Known Member
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.
I think you'd be better off buying something more budget friendly, unless thats not a concern. Gavita's are made for Professional greenhouses. Buying a Gavaita would only marginally help your yeild, if at all, compared to a more economical ligh setup. Don't think just cause they are top quality that it will be that much of a difference.
 

jijiandfarmgang

Well-Known Member
I think you'd be better off buying something more budget friendly, unless thats not a concern. Gavita's are made for Professional greenhouses. Buying a Gavaita would only marginally help your yeild, if at all, compared to a more economical ligh setup. Don't think just cause they are top quality that it will be that much of a difference.
Agreed.

If anyone recommends Gavita, its me. However sometimes I forget peoples goals, and financial/growing stance. Comparing the Gavita to a decent digital ballast and HPS bulb, we are talking maybe %10 difference. To me that’s a lot, in someone else’s shoes it could matter much less.

Most people could probably benefit more from dialling in their growing environment better.

- Jiji
 

FamMan

Well-Known Member
You all are amazing!!!! So informative. This site rocks!!!! BTW thanks Jiji for commenting.
 

Cowboy Kahlil

Well-Known Member
Agreed.

If anyone recommends Gavita, its me. However sometimes I forget peoples goals, and financial/growing stance. Comparing the Gavita to a decent digital ballast and HPS bulb, we are talking maybe %10 difference. To me that’s a lot, in someone else’s shoes it could matter much less.

Most people could probably benefit more from dialling in their growing environment better.

- Jiji

With that in mind, what's the next level? Avoiding ballasts with an inboard fan? Choosing another DE brand?

I figure to be at Gavita soon enough, but for my first run, I was trying to determine what #2 was.
 

Sativied

Well-Known Member
i wonder how much water it uses and how much one needs to due away with. too much water usage here id have someone knocking on my door. not sure if they've even lifted water restrictions here or not.
wateruseopticl.jpg

"opgenomen vermogen" = actually wattage use
"verwarming" = heating

Main reason I'm posting this is the note at the bottom:
"water usage only during cooling. Use depends on the tapwater temp and is based on the Dutch climate."

I can definitely see that could become an issue in warmer climates. It's not THAT cold here though, but also doesn't get very hot except for maybe a month (and like the month of snow spread out over 3-4 months). Not sure how much it really matters with 6x1000 in a closed room.

One guy with the 15000 series uses a "vaporizer cooler" (huge, so is the OC 15000 though).
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The same question, about wateruse has been asked here several times and there's never a simple answer. It depends on several factors. It's also sometimes dismissed as irrelevant because while the water usage can be high people get a lot of stealth in return. It's also illegal to dump warm water... thermic pollution... perhaps aerate and give some to the plants.
 
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jijiandfarmgang

Well-Known Member
With that in mind, what's the next level? Avoiding ballasts with an inboard fan? Choosing another DE brand?

I figure to be at Gavita soon enough, but for my first run, I was trying to determine what #2 was.
This is all opinion. But all the DE stuff is expensive as of now, and it can't be air cooled. Personally I haven't been impressed enough with other DE competitors yet, to purchase their gear.

So second choice would be standard digital ballast, I like the ones that aren't fan cooled, some lumatek, solis tek, etc. With a hortilux or ushio bulb.

People seem to have their favorite ballast but as long as they work I can't tell the difference.

If your in a pinch a cheapo bulb will get you by.

- Jiji

Edit - btw there were a few bad egg digital ballasts when they were first coming out, and some cheapo ones have emf problems.
 
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DirtyMcCurdy

Well-Known Member
With that in mind, what's the next level? Avoiding ballasts with an inboard fan? Choosing another DE brand?

I figure to be at Gavita soon enough, but for my first run, I was trying to determine what #2 was.
So this is your first attempt at growing? If so, anything "high end" should be the last of your concerns. Learn how to grow, detect/correct deficiences and perfect your environment first. Pushing your plants with maximum light while not exctly knowing what your doing will end unsuccessfully.

And I don't know what this whole #1 and #2 stuff is? A lot of things can work. There's a guy on here by the name RM3 that grows killer looking bud using nothing but T5's! Your worried too much about one aspect of your environment. Focus on the whole picture.
 

Cannasutraorganics

Well-Known Member
Get the Boss hood. Same reflector as the AC/DE without the air cooled case. It's square and gives the most even footprint. Get the Digilux DE bulb, it's brighter and cheaper. Use a good digital ballast. Or get the AC/DE. It pulls heat from the reflectors back. Not cooling the light. Don't dim the bulbs unless you have to for heat. Dimming bulbs on DE hoods takes them out of their proper heat range and lowers lumens. Both of these hoods can be recessed in most ceilings between the beams.
 

Cowboy Kahlil

Well-Known Member
This is all opinion.

- Jiji

Edit - btw there were a few bad egg digital ballasts when they were first coming out, and some cheapo ones have emf problems.
I figured I'd look for fan-less ones with a 5 yr guarantee, for my first small grow, then consider ramping up to Gavitas once I have a more suitable grow space. Thanks Jiji.
 

jcommerce

Well-Known Member
This is all opinion. But all the DE stuff is expensive as of now, and it can't be air cooled. Personally I haven't been impressed enough with other DE competitors yet, to purchase their gear.
Edit: I didn't notice canna already addressed the part about the cooling of the AC/DE.

Not debating with Jiji, just putting it out to the world...the AC/DE hood is air cooled, but the air doesn't run across the lamp, just over the reflector insert, so they can be run w/o the glass/lens. But, I agree...overpriced and too much hype around DE right now. While DE grow gear is "new" and the "latest/greatest" to the grow world, they've been around for a long time. I ran DEs on my reef tanks starting well over a decade ago. While they did a good job, I actually preferred the mogul based lamps. Moguls can be directly cooled whereas DEs cannot due to their casings. I also don't like replacing DEs, it can be nerve racking. The ceramic bases can crack (I've had it happen) and the bulbs can shatter...it was very lame seeing all that shit fall into my reef tank and have to go fishing for it. This also forced me to have to buy a new mount for the lamp, which was not easy with the reef MH/T5 reflector I had.
 

CC Dobbs

Well-Known Member
You could keep the gavitas outside the tent and use mirrors to reflect the light into the tent. Heat stays out and the light goes in. I use this technique all the time and get about a pound.
 
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