Buying a CMH, anything I should aim for before making the purchase??

[NugHeuser]

I've been looking into cmh for a bit now. There are SE vs DE, I know DE is better for standard hid, I'm assuming the same for cmh? Also I'm seeing 3100k bulbs, 4500k bulbs ect. I know for cobs 3000k 90 cri is a great color, I would assume the same for cmh.. also I though I was reading cmh are/can be full spectrum, does this mean that I need to look into a full spectrum bulb instead of ones with specific numbers? Ex: 3100k.

Any advice is greatly appreciated, I'm wanting to make the buy tonight. Just looking for decent efficiency and a bulb that will not loose a bunch of output after 3 months.

Thanks in advance!!

 

[NugHeuser]

Like honestly is there anything wrong with the ipower cmh and just use their DE bulb for the 630 water? They are about the cheapest, you get what you pay for but won't it all be about the same?

 

[ismann]

I'm a fan of the iPower fans and filters, but their lights seem iffy. Quite a few reviews of the lights not breaking fuses and almost burning houses down. I wouldn't skimp on a quality ballast, fixture and bulb.

 

[Dynamo626]

If its your only light get the 3100 lamp
I veg under a 315 4200k and flower under 630 de 3kr-red. If your in ohio hydro gardens and lights has the cheepest cmh lighting around. 315S start at 240 including lamp and 630s start at 499

 

[mauricem00]

I've been looking into cmh for a bit now. There are SE vs DE, I know DE is better for standard hid, I'm assuming the same for cmh? Also I'm seeing 3100k bulbs, 4500k bulbs ect. I know for cobs 3000k 90 cri is a great color, I would assume the same for cmh.. also I though I was reading cmh are/can be full spectrum, does this mean that I need to look into a full spectrum bulb instead of ones with specific numbers? Ex: 3100k.

Any advice is greatly appreciated, I'm wanting to make the buy tonight. Just looking for decent efficiency and a bulb that will not loose a bunch of output after 3 months.

Thanks in advance!!

all CMH bulbs are full spectrum including UV and IR. the warmer ones (3000k) have more red light and the cooler ones (4500k) have more blue and violet light. they will both veg and flower. you can find 315 watt lights on e Bay for under $200 http://www.ebay.com/itm/315W-CMH-Grow-Light-Kit-Reflector-WIDER-Range-W-Bulb-120-240V/272655806270?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649 these bulbs have a much fuller spectrum than white LEDs and work very well for growing plants. many commercial growers use them and some claim that a 630 DE can replace a 1000 watt HPS.due to the better spectrum. all HID bulbs show rapid lumen depreciation and should be replace (just the bulb, not the whole fixture ) once a year

 

[Dynamo626]

all CMH bulbs are full spectrum including UV and IR. the warmer ones (3000k) have more red light and the cooler ones (4500k) have more blue and violet light. they will both veg and flower. you can find 315 watt lights on e Bay for under $200 http://www.ebay.com/itm/315W-CMH-Grow-Light-Kit-Reflector-WIDER-Range-W-Bulb-120-240V/272655806270?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649 these bulbs have a much fuller spectrum than white LEDs and work very well for growing plants. many commercial growers use them and some claim that a 630 DE can replace a 1000 watt HPS.due to the better spectrum. all HID bulbs show rapid lumen depreciation and should be replace (just the bulb, not the whole fixture ) once a year

Everything here is right. I hate ebay though and if you have questions ebay dosnt have answers and if there is a problem you send off your light and wait for it to be replaced. Buy from a hydro store and something goes wrong just take it back and swap it out. The only thing not correct is cmh lamps last much longer than hps or mh lamps. Phillips se 315 is rated at 30000 hours which is like 4 yoear run at 24 hours a day. Its suggested to swap it out after 3 years at 18/6

 

[cookie master]

I heard a de cmh is fake and has a quartz thing in it instead of ceramic?

 

[NugHeuser]

Yeah I'm considering two 630 cmh over my 4ishx9 space. At the least a cmh with my 600w hps. Unfortunately I don't live near any hydro stores, not in a legal state

 

[Dynamo626]

I heard a de cmh is fake and has a quartz thing in it instead of ceramic?

bwahahaha heard wrong it definably is ceramic

 

[mauricem00]

Everything here is right. I hate ebay though and if you have questions ebay dosnt have answers and if there is a problem you send off your light and wait for it to be replaced. Buy from a hydro store and something goes wrong just take it back and swap it out. The only thing not correct is cmh lamps last much longer than hps or mh lamps. Phillips se 315 is rated at 30000 hours which is like 4 yoear run at 24 hours a day. Its suggested to swap it out after 3 years at 18/6

good to know they have a longer life expectancy. would you happen to know the L90 life expectancy or mean output

 

[Dynamo626]

Yeah I'm considering two 630 cmh over my 4ishx9 space. At the least a cmh with my 600w hps. Unfortunately I don't live near any hydro stores, not in a legal state

neither am I but hydrogardens is great. indoor gardening is for more than just cannabis

 

[Dynamo626]

good to know they have a longer life expectancy. would you happen to know the L90 life expectancy or mean output

I don't know what l-90 is sry

 

[Dynamo626]

Yeah I'm considering two 630 cmh over my 4ishx9 space. At the least a cmh with my 600w hps. Unfortunately I don't live near any hydro stores, not in a legal state

it wont do a 4x9 sry. made for a 4x4 I have one in a 5x5. I would do a 630 side by side the 600

 

[NugHeuser]

it wont do a 4x9 sry. made for a 4x4 I have one in a 5x5. I would do a 630 side by side the 600

Right, yeah I plan on running either two 630 cmh, one 630 cmh and 600hps, or 630 cmh and 600 watts of vero29 3000k@90cri.
But I'm more on the no side for the cobs. Just don't know for sure yet though because of the price. Seems from what I've gathered it'd be in the 800s

 

[Dynamo626]

hid 1.9 umole per watt
led 2.4 umole per watt
cmh 3.8 umole per watt
cob 4.0 umole per watt
if the cob is really 600w (led companies are notorious for lying abought this) then eventually it should pay for its self over the cmh being a bit more efficient ( not much) but the less heat is less energy used cooling.

 

[NugHeuser]

hid 1.9 umole per watt
led 2.4 umole per watt
cmh 3.8 umole per watt
cob 4.0 umole per watt
if the cob is really 600w (led companies are notorious for lying abought this) then eventually it should pay for its self over the cmh being a bit more efficient ( not much) but the less heat is less energy used cooling.

How's the heat with yours? My basement stays lower 70s to upper 60s around right now but will be around upper 50s this winter. I'm thinking it should offset and work pretty well with cmh heating just a bit. The room is 9x9, I'm growing over a 9x4, heres a couple pics

 

[Dynamo626]

I'm in my bedroom we have central air but no thermostat when the lights off our bedroom is 70-72 when on the bedroom stays around 75 in the tent its guessing 79-83 (6 in vortex s-line fan does a good job of venting) (bedroom heats up because venting tent raises ambient temps) I say guess because I don't use any environmental controls. I go by the rule if I'm comfortable the plant is comfortable.

 

[Dynamo626]

630 in a 4.5x4.5 and a 315 in a 3x3

 

[sallygram]

I had a couple of I-power 1000 watt HPS and they sucked. The dimmers on them did nothing from day one, but the worst problem was they were not properly RF shielded. You could go out to the road in front of my house and figure out I had lights with an AM radio so I got rid of them. They were good for a first grow but I thought they were cheap. I am Quantum Boards and CObs now with the exception of 2 CMH lights that I still like a lot because they finish a little faster and seem denser but put out a lot of heat for my room.

 

[NugHeuser]

Well I'm thinking cmh it is