Dual Areoponic Cabinet, Ceramic Metal Halide

[cutman]

o heres an observation sence iv been running bot lights side by side the growth under the mh light is slower than the hps. the plants under the hps are bigger and busheyer lol . I started moving them over now to let the other catch up . thats on the haw... its only been what two weeks so as time goes on will see

 

[cutman]

i posted a couple pic

 

[cruzer101]

i posted a couple pic

Yea, I checked them out. B&W photos huh?
Cool. Didnt see a pic of a 4 foot reflector though.

 

[phreakygoat]

OK its been nine weeks now. Last grow I flushed at this point...

This journal was to compare Ceramic metal halide to a HPS. Problem is I messed up and built that reflector. It really does reflect well. maybe too good as I have stressed the plants. These girls have that dam mildew and dont feel it is a fair comparison.

So what now, I think these girls would pack on more weight if I went another week or so. I know, I am getting greedy here but last time they had a nice growth spirt in the end and these are just not doing it yet. Maybe the reflector, the mildew, I just dont know. Sorry I messed this up. The way to do it right would be to grow under both lights in different cabs, at the same time, using the same res and the same clones.

With that being said, I will still post my opinion of the different bulbs after harvest but keep in mind conditions were not the same.

​

lol, we forgive you. but seriously, I think its a great idea to run it a bit longer, the kush is just gonna get more purple, ya know? has the PM gotten to the top leaves? I like the dual-cab comparison idea.

 

[cruzer101]

I got the sheets of aluminum today. Only took a couple days.
There are four 2x4 foot sheets.

They came UPS
Turns out they were here yesterday and this was the second attempt at delivery.

Each sheet has a protective coating.

So for about $150 I got enough material to reflect every bit of light that is possible.
Not sure if I want to go curved or just a straight angle for the wings of the reflector. I figure I can do part of the inside walls too.​

 

[cruzer101]

lol, we forgive you. but seriously, I think its a great idea to run it a bit longer, the kush is just gonna get more purple, ya know? has the PM gotten to the top leaves? I like the dual-cab comparison idea.

Yea the PM is getting to the top leaf on a few, I just hosed them off again tonight. They are not covered, its just not going away.

The PK is purp around the edges of the upper leaf and buds, the trichs are cloudy now but a couple weeks sure couldnt hurt. I didnt get as much stretching as I planned so again, the lower buds are shaded.

 

[NewGrowth]

Nice man, that aluminum is tits

 

[DoeEyed]

Cool, can't wait to see what you make out of it - loved your last DIY reflector.

 

[cutman]

4 foot reflector ? no its a 6" refector has the same reflector mateirals as you bought there. same texster that is

 

[cutman]

were you get 4 footer at bro

 

[cruzer101]

Nice man, that aluminum is tits

Yea I figured for the price of one reflector I could have as much material as I need. The size is perfect for the cab and i can always cut it up and make several reflectors if I want to.

Cool, can't wait to see what you make out of it - loved your last DIY reflector.

Well for now this is what I had in mind, straight edge reflector and using the walls to reflect back. If the center grows to tall I plan on using some kind of light disfuser directly under the cool tube to try and elminate that hot spot.

I need vents at the top of reflector to draw air through the canopy.
My fan is right above it. I have been thinking about cutting a big ole hole in the top of the cab and mounting the fan housing outside the cab. I would pick up another 4 to 5 inches but I would see and hear the fan...

were you get 4 footer at bro

I couldnt find one either man.
Thats why I wanted to see where you found one, get ideas on how to build one. I looked at adjust-a-wing but they were only like 27" max wide and I wanna go like 40" I like there design, similar to what I built but one piece. No airflow.

 

[cruzer101]

I got the wings done today.

Took one sheet, cut it in half. Then folded over 1/4 on the ends to make it ridged and a little safer. Measured and trimmed them to fit almost flush to the front and back of the cab. Once I folded the ends they fit just right flush on the braces so I left the sheet metal on for now.

See the difference between sheet metal and the panel on the right? Much better reflection.

I slid the panels right in there and the edge of the sheet metal holds them in.

I got ventlation, I still have a V to make for that section.

Ta Daa!
A two by four foot reflector.

I can tell the light is spread out much better by how bright it it when I open the doors.
Here a shot from the plants point of view.

​

 

[DoeEyed]

Awesome! You're pretty clever, cruz.

 

[cruzer101]

Awesome! You're pretty clever, cruz.

Thanks Doe,
I figured I would use what I had, why try and re invent the wheel right?

 

[DoeEyed]

lol...Can't argue that.

 

[cutman]

is that what burned your plants

 

[cruzer101]

Yea man, torched the shit out of them.
But you know me, I gotta see it for myself.


I still think sheet metal would work fine with a 250w though.

 

[DoeEyed]

I burned a couple of my younger buds tonight, widow I think - but hey! What would a grow be, without a crispy bud or two? lol

 

[SomeGuy]

Looks damn good man. I have a question...

Your light is not seperately cooled from the cabinet correct? I mean... There is only one fan but all the exhaust air gets sucked through the cool tube before exiting the cab?

 

[cruzer101]

I burned a couple of my younger buds tonight, widow I think - but hey! What would a grow be, without a crispy bud or two? lol

Yea, well in the end they are all gonna get burned right?

Looks damn good man. I have a question...

Your light is not seperately cooled from the cabinet correct? I mean... There is only one fan but all the exhaust air gets sucked through the cool tube before exiting the cab?

I have a duct fan mounted inline between the glass tube and the rectangle aluminum ducting that exhausts out the upper left side into a window box.
When I rase or lower the light I pull it out of the hole, adjust it and put it back in. Thats like 110 cfm and is really just for the light.

Above the reflector is a panasonic wispier fan. low profile 80 cfm. (bathroom fan) it's not inline its a squirrel cage design. It moves more air then an inline but not very far. I was able to go lower cfm and much less noise. That is controlled by a thermostat for the environment and is also exhausted out the window box.

Unfortunately without the end of the cooltube plummed to the lower part of the cab I draw air from the canopy and thats not what I had in mind when I started this but once I moved the light sideways I never finished the ducting...
Guess I ought to do that.