CDL Lighting

http://www.boulderlamp.com/specs/BLI Grow Light 4 page brochure 6_14_12.pdf

Has anyone used this type of lighting? The Phillips bulb is a ceramic element with a special low frequency ballast. Sounds too good to be true.

It's a nice brochure, and the technology is sound. Would love to know what they charge for those. I just bought a similar setup, although Sun Systems doesn't call it CDL, they call it straight-up CMH which is really what it is it uses the Philips ballast, works on 120v, the Philips Elite Agro 930 bulb shown in the BLI brochure, draws 315W. Apparently they claim that this 315W can easily replace A 600W HPS, some claim even a 1000W, I'll be happy if it performs like a 600 hps. Here's a link to the one I'll be running in my next round, in fact I'll be flipping those to 12/12 with this light on Sunday and likely journal it the following week when I'm back from a mini vacation. Not a lot of real-life references on these fixtures/bulbs,m but the specs on those Philips Agro bulbs are nothing short of amazing, better efficiency than most LED's (some current Cree COB's can match it), incredible charts/colour for flowering, and great bulb life. The Sun Systems LEC 315W cost me $500 incl. shipping, they're not cheap, would imagine that BLI fixture/lamp combo will be in that range or more. But when you consider their efficiency and operational savings, it's a no brainer if it performs as they claim.

Would love to hear from someone more familiar with these BLI fixtures. They look similar to the LEC Sun Systems.

I spoke with Jake Elliott at BoulderLamp, Inc. He says the CDL fixtures (bulb, ballast, and sealed hood) typically cost $649. However, he's running a promo now for the foreseeable future which prices the units at $499 + shipping. That actually sounds like a pretty good deal. The bulbs are rated at over 20,000 hours, which should easily be able to last 4 years of 12/12.

It would be a big cut on wattage to go from my current 600W HPS to this 315W unit. Anyone have any experience with these?

Schmarmpit said:

I spoke with Jake Elliott at BoulderLamp, Inc. He says the CDL fixtures (bulb, ballast, and sealed hood) typically cost $649. However, he's running a promo now for the foreseeable future which prices the units at $499 + shipping. That actually sounds like a pretty good deal. The bulbs are rated at over 20,000 hours, which should easily be able to last 4 years of 12/12.

It would be a big cut on wattage to go from my current 600W HPS to this 315W unit. Anyone have any experience with these?

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Check out the run I have going in my sig, looking to pull 12-14 oz dry with one light in a 3x3 footprint, just hit the 4 week mark, I'd say that competes with 600 hps... at 1/2 the draw.

BTW: I bought a second Sun System after an initial test run, that one was $449 on sale at growershouse.com...

I have a 600w apollo horticulture hps/mh, can i purchase a cmh bulb to replace both my hps and mh with my current setup? Without having to replace the ballast or anyting just swap bulbs and be good to go?

Jussblaz3420 said:

I have a 600w apollo horticulture hps/mh, can i purchase a cmh bulb to replace both my hps and mh with my current setup? Without having to replace the ballast or anyting just swap bulbs and be good to go?

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Running those specific (super-efficient, long-life) Philips 315W Elite Agro bulbs, no. Right now, they're basically only supported by Philips ballasts and Ceramatek ballasts. That doesn't mean they won't run on other ballasts but the life, efficiency will suffer or potentially even burn out altogether if it's a low-end ballast off e-bay or the like. To get the benefits, low power, low heat, long life and incredible spectrum they provide you're better to stick to the Philips or Ceramatek ballasts. They're not cheap, but consider the draw (including ballast) of approx. 335w @220v, or 380w @120v with a step-down transformer, giving you the yield of a 600 hps, they pay back pretty quick in power usage, and/or yield. There are some folks using the alternative 330w Philips all start bulbs that are supported on more ballasts, but they're not the same, close but not the same.