help please! 2 1000 HPS or 2/3 600 HPS

I have a 4x8 table I that I have 36 square buckets with misting sprinklers. I have been using 2 1000 watt HPS lights. I am planning on buying new electronic ballast and am wondering can I get by with 2 600 watt lights? If not instead of buying 1000 watt should I get 3 600 watt lights?

Now lets say I am running two of these tables with a total of 4 1000 watt lights. There is 2 1/2 feet space between the two table, so maintenance can be done to both sides of each table. I have been trying to come up with a way to push both 4X4's together to make better use of the 1000 watt lights while being able to move it back apart to be able to do maintenance and care for that side of the table. Anyway thats another story, if I can work that out where it was 8X8 what would your suggestions be for lighting? One last hiccup is that table 1 is started week 1 and table 2 is started 3 to 4 weeks later. When table 1 is usually empty for week then cleaned and refilled. Then 3 to 4 weeks later next one is done and process repeats.

i'd go with 2 1000 hps

any reason?
Just trying to make sure I make the correct decision.

anyone have any suggestions??

If ur trying to cover a larger area of plants , I would go with more 600W'ers, but if the 2 1000W'ers cover the plants fine, and they are all getting good amount of light, go with the 1000W , imo.

I'll stick my two cents in here. Build or buy a 'batwing reflector' for your 1000watters. Install casters on the bottom of your tables and push them together when you are not tending them, and push them apart when you are tending them. I found the ones that have three small wheels on platform work best, about $8.00 a piece at the big box stores. I cut a piece of plywood the size needed and lagged them to the bottom of the table legs. I have 3' by 3' tables that I can easily move. The reservoir is on the bottom of the table and moves right with it. That way instead of having the isle between your plants with that 'dead space'......... VV

what exactly is the of the size of grow area going to be? if its 4x 8 the 2 1000s is perfect as can be

VictorVIcious said:

I'll stick my two cents in here. Build or buy a 'batwing reflector' for your 1000watters. Install casters on the bottom of your tables and push them together when you are not tending them, and push them apart when you are tending them. I found the ones that have three small wheels on platform work best, about $8.00 a piece at the big box stores. I cut a piece of plywood the size needed and lagged them to the bottom of the table legs. I have 3' by 3' tables that I can easily move. The reservoir is on the bottom of the table and moves right with it. That way instead of having the isle between your plants with that 'dead space'......... VV

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pickleman said:

what exactly is the of the size of grow area going to be? if its 4x 8 the 2 1000s is perfect as can be

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I think the finally size is going to be 8x8 if depending on what we work out of lighting. Currently we have 2 4x8 tables each with 2 1000 watt lights. There is about 2 feet between the tables and the finish about 4 weeks apart. We have thought of using casters but height is an issue for us and if we cut the table height down the reservoirs won't have enough space. But, we are still trying to figure something out. Recently we added panels that hang from the ceiling with mylar that have really increased the fruits by 20% and the lower buds are all much bigger. I have heard and read on a few sites as well that the 600 watt HPS have the highest lumen per watt ratio of any HID bulb. The 600 watt HPS has 150 lumens per watt the 1000 watt is 140 lumens per watt. Which translates to 90,000 lumens for a 600 and 140,000 for the 1000 watt. Solar Max makes 95,000 lumen bulbs for 600 watt and 146,000 lumens for the 1000 watt. So if I were to run 3 600 watt lights it would be 285,000 watts and the 2 1000 watt lights would be 292,000. My thought was that with 3 600 watt lights it would be better coverage and almost the same lumens with 200 less watts. I will have to say the coverage with the mylar panels and 2000 watts over 4x8 isnt lacking awhole lot. Just figured since we are replacing ballasts with new digital ballasts if 600 was a better way to go then now was a good time. Though I personally think alot of the hype I heard was from a couple grow shops and at the time the 1000 watt digital ballasts werent on the market yet.
Anyhow thanks to all who responded and also to those that may.

thanks for the efforts and best of grows to everyone, I will look else where for help with my decision...peace

mobros said:

I think the finally size is going to be 8x8 if depending on what we work out of lighting. Currently we have 2 4x8 tables each with 2 1000 watt lights. There is about 2 feet between the tables and the finish about 4 weeks apart. We have thought of using casters but height is an issue for us and if we cut the table height down the reservoirs won't have enough space. But, we are still trying to figure something out. Recently we added panels that hang from the ceiling with mylar that have really increased the fruits by 20% and the lower buds are all much bigger. I have heard and read on a few sites as well that the 600 watt HPS have the highest lumen per watt ratio of any HID bulb. The 600 watt HPS has 150 lumens per watt the 1000 watt is 140 lumens per watt. Which translates to 90,000 lumens for a 600 and 140,000 for the 1000 watt. Solar Max makes 95,000 lumen bulbs for 600 watt and 146,000 lumens for the 1000 watt. So if I were to run 3 600 watt lights it would be 285,000 watts and the 2 1000 watt lights would be 292,000. My thought was that with 3 600 watt lights it would be better coverage and almost the same lumens with 200 less watts. I will have to say the coverage with the mylar panels and 2000 watts over 4x8 isnt lacking awhole lot. Just figured since we are replacing ballasts with new digital ballasts if 600 was a better way to go then now was a good time. Though I personally think alot of the hype I heard was from a couple grow shops and at the time the 1000 watt digital ballasts werent on the market yet.
Anyhow thanks to all who responded and also to those that may.

Click to expand...

Jorge talked about this in his book, he concluded the 3-600 watt would be better. Under his conditions that might have been accurate. I have a 1000watt air cooled light and I can put it as close to the top of the plants as I could put a 600, that makes the inverse square rule argument he uses to show the advantage invalid and the conclusion may be different. I haven't read it in a while. AL B Fuct and I had a disussion about this before I made the decision. VV