Club 315w lec

A guy

Active Member
1. Yes
2. 8x12x7 offset 2.5' from center (6'3 glass to floor height). Sealed/co2
3. If you can fit 4, go for it. Imo 3 would be good or overkill for a 5x5. Not a whole lot of room in a 5x5.
Thanks man. Yes, that's a next level setup you've got there. It makes sense that you're using AC with a sealed room, do you think you'd be able to get away with only ventilation (both input and exhaust) if you weren't doing co2? Smell isn't an issue, I don't use scrubbers.

I'm just looking to have excellent light over the entire 5x5 footprint. It's either 4 of these or COBs, I figure.
 
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A guy

Active Member
I have to say I really didn't like the 2 bulb 630 set ups. Seems more single point 315's would be better in most situations.

But in yours with a 5x5 tent. I wonder if the air cooled 630 reflectors would be perfect for that footprint?
I'm sure it'd work well but I'd rather do two separate 315s than one hood with 2 bulbs. I think it'd get better coverage. Either way, I'm looking for ideal light over the entire 5x5 canopy which is not something that 2 lights with a 3x3 "quality" footprint can accomplish...considering basic geometry.

I already have a decent setup, I'm just looking to make it excellent. I don't want my next upgrade to leave me wanting for light.
 

gr865

Well-Known Member
I'm sure it'd work well but I'd rather do two separate 315s than one hood with 2 bulbs. I think it'd get better coverage. Either way, I'm looking for ideal light over the entire 5x5 canopy which is not something that 2 lights with a 3x3 "quality" footprint can accomplish...considering basic geometry.

I already have a decent setup, I'm just looking to make it excellent. I don't want my next upgrade to leave me wanting for light.

Have you considered vertical growing?

GR
 

A guy

Active Member
Have you considered vertical growing?

GR
Not since I started looking into growing, early on. I'm intrigued by the idea, seems like there are a number of ways to do it. Might be a bit too high maintenance for my tastes but I'm open to learning more about it. I love how effectively it uses a bulb.
 

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
Not since I started looking into growing, early on. I'm intrigued by the idea, seems like there are a number of ways to do it. Might be a bit too high maintenance for my tastes but I'm open to learning more about it. I love how effectively it uses a bulb.
Pretty damn effectively and in my experience vertical grows are LESS maintenance per ounce of finished product.
 

A guy

Active Member
I read some more about vertical grows last night. I'd want to stick with soil and so far the "donut SOG" where there are multiple levels of small plants surrounding a couple of vert lights seem most interesting to me. I'd have to change up my routine to include a reliable clone process which might mean I'd have to stick with a few varieties instead of rotating through different strains, as I do now. Watering would be a bit of a bitch but I guess I could set up drip systems (long story short...last time I did that the timer failed and I flooded my tent, with heater electrocuting myself and the plants causing them to flower within days). Definitely pros and cons.

That WOW grow is interesting but I think I'd shy away from the long veg that it seems to require. I'm starting to grow meds for folks so I kinda want to keep harvests coming in sooner than later.

Right now my maintenance is so minimal with my 4 plant "no-till" soil grow that it's hard to imagine anything being less maintenance but I'm going to keep looking into this.

Thanks
 

gr865

Well-Known Member
I read some more about vertical grows last night. I'd want to stick with soil and so far the "donut SOG" where there are multiple levels of small plants surrounding a couple of vert lights seem most interesting to me. I'd have to change up my routine to include a reliable clone process which might mean I'd have to stick with a few varieties instead of rotating through different strains, as I do now. Watering would be a bit of a bitch but I guess I could set up drip systems (long story short...last time I did that the timer failed and I flooded my tent, with heater electrocuting myself and the plants causing them to flower within days). Definitely pros and cons.

That WOW grow is interesting but I think I'd shy away from the long veg that it seems to require. I'm starting to grow meds for folks so I kinda want to keep harvests coming in sooner than later.

Right now my maintenance is so minimal with my 4 plant "no-till" soil grow that it's hard to imagine anything being less maintenance but I'm going to keep looking into this.

Thanks
Well for me this is for my meds only, but I can get the quantity I need, by growing vertical, to make the CO I require for pain management, not to supply numbers of folks.
Where are you growing, I am in a 4x4 tent so instead of 16 sq ft of foot print. With my screens I get approx. 30 sq ft. So that allows me to do only one or two grows a year.
GR

In the process now of getting everything set up for my new grow. Will post info on it when I finish.
 

MichiganMedGrower

Well-Known Member
Trellised vertical grows may increase perceived square footage in an area but I say perceived because my plants grow under horizontal lamps but are thickly budded from top to bottom almost to the soil.

That gives me almost 2 feet or more of flowers under the canopy footprint.

All the guides and explanations show only a thin wall of buds weaved through the rack. Maybe a few inches thick against the wall.

So if you were to cross section the 2' into the thickness of the buds in the rack the supposedly greater yield evens out with the "flatlander" grow.

And I can veg much shorter time rather than trying to stretch up 6' of branching. I actually joined here to learn about vertical set ups.

But it's actually way more work and I would need multiple racks to keep a perpetual going.

And I can move my plants around and grow any strains I want any time. And harvest a plant per week of variety.

ymmv
 

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
I read some more about vertical grows last night. I'd want to stick with soil and so far the "donut SOG" where there are multiple levels of small plants surrounding a couple of vert lights seem most interesting to me. I'd have to change up my routine to include a reliable clone process which might mean I'd have to stick with a few varieties instead of rotating through different strains, as I do now. Watering would be a bit of a bitch but I guess I could set up drip systems (long story short...last time I did that the timer failed and I flooded my tent, with heater electrocuting myself and the plants causing them to flower within days). Definitely pros and cons.

That WOW grow is interesting but I think I'd shy away from the long veg that it seems to require. I'm starting to grow meds for folks so I kinda want to keep harvests coming in sooner than later.

Right now my maintenance is so minimal with my 4 plant "no-till" soil grow that it's hard to imagine anything being less maintenance but I'm going to keep looking into this.

Thanks
It's easy to give plants a longer veg time; staging.
 

A guy

Active Member
Well for me this is for my meds only, but I can get the quantity I need, by growing vertical, to make the CO I require for pain management, not to supply numbers of folks.
Where are you growing, I am in a 4x4 tent so instead of 16 sq ft of foot print. With my screens I get approx. 30 sq ft. So that allows me to do only one or two grows a year.
GR

In the process now of getting everything set up for my new grow. Will post info on it when I finish.
I flower in a 5x5 tent. I want to upgrade my lighting because I know I could do better that what I'm doing now and part of that is more consistent coverage across the SCROG. A new patient wants 2-3 oz per month and I have others interested so my current plan with my two tents is to veg as long as whatever is in the flower tent takes to flower, and so on. I'm not in a hurry to change things up but I'll definitely consider new grow structures along with new lighting.
 

A guy

Active Member

woodsyn2o

Well-Known Member
Pretty cheap. Hard to pull the trigger without hearing folks' experience with that particular knock off. After $36 shipping it's about what the one I'm looking at costs (if you add $80 for a bulb on your's).
http://growershouse.com/ceramic-mh-315w-wing-reflector-package
nice thanks i have seen prices from 169 to 400 so i was just wondering i am only grownig for my self using t8ho and i can get great results with little money spent on electric but i am looking into making anther room with this type of light to see what happens
 

gr865

Well-Known Member
Trellised vertical grows may increase perceived square footage in an area but I say perceived because my plants grow under horizontal lamps but are thickly budded from top to bottom almost to the soil.

That gives me almost 2 feet or more of flowers under the canopy footprint.

All the guides and explanations show only a thin wall of buds weaved through the rack. Maybe a few inches thick against the wall.

So if you were to cross section the 2' into the thickness of the buds in the rack the supposedly greater yield evens out with the "flatlander" grow.

And I can veg much shorter time rather than trying to stretch up 6' of branching. I actually joined here to learn about vertical set ups.

But it's actually way more work and I would need multiple racks to keep a perpetual going.

And I can move my plants around and grow any strains I want any time. And harvest a plant per week of variety.

ymmv

Can you point me to your journal or post that show your grow, I am interested in your theory and methods?

GR
 

MichiganMedGrower

Well-Known Member
Can you point me to your journal or post that show your grow, I am interested in your theory and methods?

GR
Thank you. I don't have a dedicated journal but I have posted many pics and info about my Grow for the last 4 months in this thread.

My method is simple. I plant and harvest a seed or clone almost every week perpetually. I do this to stay in Michigan plant count and meds on hand (not reasonable).

I use ocean forest with 20% large perlite added from start to finish.

I transplant up from 16 oz cups to 1 gallon to final 3 gallon over 5-7 weeks while watering only with un phed well water. Mine is decent with only .3 ec from calcium. It low on mag and it's ph is 8.0. But it is not alkaline enough to change the soil ph.

I veg to maturity. Better plants. Less stretch and higher and more complex potency. Takes 6 weeks or more usually from seed.

In flower when the soil is depleted I start with 5 ml pure blend pro grow. And taper it up to 10-15 ml during peak flowering and then taper back down the concentration to the end when I end up back at 5-10 ml.

I mix a seperate gallon of nutes for each individual plant as they are all different strains and crosses and at different growth stages.

And I only water when pots are dry 3/4 the way down. Alarmingly light to pick up.

I also bend plants to promote branching and to keep them ideally at 30" x 30" in mature size.

Once nutes are needed. I feed with every watering these low doses.

And I cut when the plants are truly finished and at peak potency.

I have a room with 2 veg tents and a spare bedroom turned 3 light flower room.

Here are some pics from last night.

3x2 propogator tent. 5 2' t-5 tubes 6500k stock.
IMG_5616.JPG

3x3 veg tent. 10 2' t-5 tubes 6500k stock.

Sometimes I need to bend them in veg.
IMG_5617.JPG

Flower Room overlap side. 315 LEC Phillips 3100k and 1 600w Hortilux Super HPS.
IMG_5620.JPG

Flower Room HPS side. Other 600w Super HPS
IMG_5621.JPG

I was using a Hortilux Blue Mh in the left air cooled hood but I have gone back to hps here.

Too much blue spectrum has cost me 20% yield and bids are way too light and fluffy compared to the Super hps grown.

I finish under the 315. It adds more frost and seems to help with a shorter finish.

If I start them under the 315 they remain more compact through stretch.

I am yielding from 16 oz dry to my current record of 24 oz. per month.

That's about it :-)

Blue Lemon Thai from feminized seed.
IMG_5633.JPG
 

MichiganMedGrower

Well-Known Member
Low frequency ballasts will drive the lamp, but it takes low frequency SQUARE WAVE ballasts to actually get the full benefits of performance and efficiency from them.

The cheap knockoffs aren't square wave.
This info you keep repeating is false. Only a square wave ballast will light a new base style 315 ceramic metal halide lamp.

They are all low frequency square wave ballasts. Can't vouch for quality.

As far as performance. The Phillips bulbs are 15% or more higher in usable light than all the rest according to growers house testing.

The ballast all tested the same no growers house branded a Chinese knock off. It was used for the test.

If I am wrong. Please post proof.
 

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
This info you keep repeating is false. Only a square wave ballast will light a new base style 315 ceramic metal halide lamp.

They are all low frequency square wave ballasts. Can't vouch for quality.

As far as performance. The Phillips bulbs are 15% or more higher in usable light than all the rest according to growers house testing.

The ballast all tested the same no growers house branded a Chinese knock off. It was used for the test.

If I am wrong. Please post proof.
As usual, you're full of shit. Low frequency ballasts will strike and run CDM/CMH/LEC lamps just fine, otherwise why would my MAGNETIC ballasts work?

Low frequency ballasts are cheap to make, square wave units are more expensive. Any electronics tech will confirm this.

The cheap knockoff makers are counting on people making assumptions like you just did.

Be certain you get a square wave ballast to ensure best performance with these lamps. I've personally seen knockoffs that aren't.
 
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