Are 315 CMH lights worth it?

VACAVILLE,CA.GROWER

Well-Known Member
Hello happy holidays everyone.
Just seeking advice on new lights.
I was just curious on your thoughts about a 315 CMH light.
I grow autos and maybe a 2 photos at a time, I grow just for a hobby.
Are these lights worth it?

TopoGrow 315W Watt CMH Grow Light Kit W/3100K Bulb 120V/240V Ballast Replace LED
 

raratt

Well-Known Member
Hello happy holidays everyone.
Just seeking advice on new lights.
I was just curious on your thoughts about a 315 CMH light.
I grow autos and maybe a 2 photos at a time, I grow just for a hobby.
Are these lights worth it?

TopoGrow 315W Watt CMH Grow Light Kit W/3100K Bulb 120V/240V Ballast Replace LED
I'm a Nor Cal grower also. The light fixture I found on Amazon didn't have away to get the heat out of it, which would be a concern IMO. I'm in the valley so it gets a lot hotter here than in cow town, but I would think it would be better to have a light that can be vented. I have never used one, so I have no experience on the results from one.
 

Ryante55

Well-Known Member
Hello happy holidays everyone.
Just seeking advice on new lights.
I was just curious on your thoughts about a 315 CMH light.
I grow autos and maybe a 2 photos at a time, I grow just for a hobby.
Are these lights worth it?

TopoGrow 315W Watt CMH Grow Light Kit W/3100K Bulb 120V/240V Ballast Replace LED
You are going to have to define "worth it" haha. Would I buy one? Probably not but I would still say it's worth it I guess
 

Hugo Phurst

Well-Known Member
I presently have two 315w CMH, and I'm getting another 2 over the next couple of months to replace my 400&600w lamps.
Better spectrum, more light, less heat and less power than a 400w MH or HPS
 

quirk

Well-Known Member
Hello happy holidays everyone.
Just seeking advice on new lights.
I was just curious on your thoughts about a 315 CMH light.
I grow autos and maybe a 2 photos at a time, I grow just for a hobby.
Are these lights worth it?

TopoGrow 315W Watt CMH Grow Light Kit W/3100K Bulb 120V/240V Ballast Replace LED
Yes. Use Phillips bulbs.
 

Hot Diggity Sog

Well-Known Member
@Thundercat - Thanks :)

This is 1st time using either CMH or QB so my opinions are really only based on my observations so far:

- No significant differences in flower appearance

The thing that really stands out is how much more coverage you get with the Quantum Boards. I started out running these 288 V2's at around 115 watts each but have since dimmed them down to 60 watts. The fact that they can be dimmed is a huge plus.

@ 60 watts per board, we can say 5 of these quantum boards would equal 1 CMH 315W. Now it's pretty easy to compare: How much of my plant gets illuminated with 5 boards vs one CMH? Well, maybe I'll go and find out tonight! Without doing this test, I already know the answer - just not by how much. The 5 quantum boards will likely crush the cmh. What I can try and do is measure sq/ft at a specific lumen measuring from the center of the focus.
 

BurnzyBurnz

Well-Known Member
Yeah QB all the way! Heres some QB porn haha this is day 33 of flower. Vacaville gets pretty hot during the summer so led might be a better bet if you are willing to spend the money on good ones.
What is that strain your growing ? Love it ! I also am a QB grower... Just ordered my first kit can't wait til it arrives !
 

Hot Diggity Sog

Well-Known Member
What is that strain your growing ? Love it ! I also am a QB grower... Just ordered my first kit can't wait til it arrives !
It is a White OG from Karma Genetics. A little disappointed to be honest. Yeah it looks good and all but the buds are among the smallest from all of my grows. It's a 9 to 11 week strain so it's a rather late finisher too. That said, I still have 2 weeks to go so maybe she'll surprise me.
 

Thundercat

Well-Known Member
It is a White OG from Karma Genetics. A little disappointed to be honest. Yeah it looks good and all but the buds are among the smallest from all of my grows. It's a 9 to 11 week strain so it's a rather late finisher too. That said, I still have 2 weeks to go so maybe she'll surprise me.

Sure looks dank, maybe the buds are smaller because you have so many. With all that side lighting I bet there isn't tons of larfy lower crap buds.
 

Hot Diggity Sog

Well-Known Member
Hello happy holidays everyone.
Just seeking advice on new lights.
I was just curious on your thoughts about a 315 CMH light.
I grow autos and maybe a 2 photos at a time, I grow just for a hobby.
Are these lights worth it?

TopoGrow 315W Watt CMH Grow Light Kit W/3100K Bulb 120V/240V Ballast Replace LED
At the end of the day, here is what I think you need to consider:

How much will you be able to illuminate with a CMH and how does that compare to quantum boards?
Next, how do the price points compare?

Some pros with the CMH is that you can use the same reflectors you already have (don't listen to the folks who say you MUST have a reflector that positions the bulb vertically).
Hanging a reflector is pretty simple.

The cons with a CMH are the same cons with all HID's - distribution of the light. The center is great and the edges suck.

The pros with the QB's is that they are small. If you get dimmable ballasts, they are dimmable.
You can position them very precisely to avoid hot spots and get really great even coverage. But this comes with downsides as well. They are a bit cumbersome to hang and since you will need more of them, that problem really becomes an issue. That is why you see people building the really cool frames. Is that something you want to do?
 

rob333

Well-Known Member
Hello happy holidays everyone.
Just seeking advice on new lights.
I was just curious on your thoughts about a 315 CMH light.
I grow autos and maybe a 2 photos at a time, I grow just for a hobby.
Are these lights worth it?

TopoGrow 315W Watt CMH Grow Light Kit W/3100K Bulb 120V/240V Ballast Replace LED
yes cmh lecs are worth every bit of money
 
Top