good purchase?

miketaco

Well-Known Member
If you have $50 you can buy a CMH All Start bulb. You run it on the ballast's MH setting. A local hydro store has the Sun Systems LEC 315 and it runs noticeably cooler. It's a $500 system using the Agro Elite bulb which requires a special ballast. The All Start bulb works with magnetic ballasts. I assume it runs as cool. I haven't used one. There are people in the indoor forum who use it and say it's the best choice short of spending a lot of money on efficient LED.
ill look into this the 400 cfm duct can fan is just 27$ shipped but i dunno if thats going to solve my problem ty for input good to know options

also i dunno about the mh setting? just got one dial with 400-600-1000w & super lumen setting i dont think anything else to select im new to this if u cant tell ^.^

91 degrees all new low temp :D
 

az2000

Well-Known Member
My mistake. The ad says says it automatically detects/switches HPS/MH. (Not sure how that works. But, that's why you don't see a switch.).

I don't see how 400 cfm wouldn't be enough. That's a lot of air. If you were in a hot climate, you might have to use a cool tube to contain the heat and extract it more specifically. (Or, better, yet, do the CMH and reduce the heat.).
 

miketaco

Well-Known Member
My mistake. The ad says says it automatically detects/switches HPS/MH. (Not sure how that works. But, that's why you don't see a switch.).

I don't see how 400 cfm wouldn't be enough. That's a lot of air. If you were in a hot climate, you might have to use a cool tube to contain the heat and extract it more specifically. (Or, better, yet, do the CMH and reduce the heat.).
might just have to go with your idea then u think that bulb will work with my auto hps/mh ballast?
 

az2000

Well-Known Member
All I know is the Agro Elite CMH bulbs require a special digital ballast. The All Start is made for old-school magnetic ballasts, but only an MH ballast. (There is also a Retro CMH bulb for use in HPS ballasts.). If your ballast switches to MH as the advertisement says it does, then the All Start I linked to should work. The sockets are the same. I don't know if the All Start runs as cool as the Elite. I've only felt the heat from the Elite at the hydro store and it was remarkably cooler than HPS. I haven't felt the All Start.

If you're considering the bulb instead of the fan, I can't say whether your existing fan is enough to extract the heat from a CMH bulb. It's possible your fan is undersized for that too.

All I know is 400cfm is a lot of air. In my 4x4x7 tent, I turn my 6" fan down low, even in summer (I'm in the desert). I move about 70cfm when the house is 82F (and the tent is 84F). (I know how much I move because I put a 30-40 gal trash bag on the end of the tube and time how long it takes to fill up. :) ).
 

miketaco

Well-Known Member
All I know is the Agro Elite CMH bulbs require a special digital ballast. The All Start is made for old-school magnetic ballasts, but only an MH ballast. (There is also a Retro CMH bulb for use in HPS ballasts.). If your ballast switches to MH as the advertisement says it does, then the All Start I linked to should work. The sockets are the same. I don't know if the All Start runs as cool as the Elite. I've only felt the heat from the Elite at the hydro store and it was remarkably cooler than HPS. I haven't felt the All Start.

If you're considering the bulb instead of the fan, I can't say whether your existing fan is enough to extract the heat from a CMH bulb. It's possible your fan is undersized for that too.

All I know is 400cfm is a lot of air. In my 4x4x7 tent, I turn my 6" fan down low, even in summer (I'm in the desert). I move about 70cfm when the house is 82F (and the tent is 84F). (I know how much I move because I put a 30-40 gal trash bag on the end of the tube and time how long it takes to fill up. :) ).
thank you so much for input helps alot the both bulbs sounds like i could use em i might give it a try and test it before just plug in play

also its state its 4000k kelvin shouldent it be around 2700k kelvin for flowering?

also they have cheaper 240 cfm fan for like 22$?

i made a ghetto rig cool like tube lets see if i can beat my record of 91 degrees..

i might just have to make the investment in both so will have to wait and see the ghetto failed

cool tube might be the way to go found some cheapys 55$ and under....ghetto has failed meh 89 degrees
 
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verticalgrow

Well-Known Member
thank you so much for input helps alot the both bulbs sounds like i could use em i might give it a try and test it before just plug in play

also its state its 4000k kelvin shouldent it be around 2700k kelvin for flowering?

also they have cheaper 240 cfm fan for like 22$?

i made a ghetto rig cool like tube lets see if i can beat my record of 91 degrees..

i might just have to make the investment in both so will have to wait and see the ghetto failed

cool tube might be the way to go found some cheapys 55$ and under....ghetto has failed meh 89 degrees
yes Mike, 2700k = flower & get a fan with Low noise (30-40db) :weed::leaf:
 

miketaco

Well-Known Member
yes Mike, 2700k = flower & get a fan with Low noise (30-40db) :weed::leaf:
well i cant find his type of bulb in 2700k ...so i found some ebay cool tubes from 39$-55$ maby that and my current duct fan might work if not i could get the 240cfm ....

would i still have to exhaust the air in the tent still to keep the plants getting fresh air ?
might get both cool tube and another can fan

noise aint really a problem were its at for me ^.^ ty for input
 

miketaco

Well-Known Member
2100k that's good, do u have any 6500k CFL's?
6" cooltube will work great
no i had x6 23w 6500k before and a 250 watt 2700k but now going broke upgrade to all flower bulbs ....

i saw a 125w 6400k bulb 25$ ebay that fits my current 250w socket think that be good?

also that 6in cool tube and can fan came out to like 60$ compare to that bulb not bad?

also the cool tube is rated 400watt u think it still be ok for 600+
with the 240cfm can fan

or would i have to buy the 55$ plus can
 

CanBud

Well-Known Member
Thats pretty cheap no doubt, I grabbed a 1000w digital ballast (switchable and dim), cool tube with Hortilux HPS and wing deflector for 150 Canadian...or in conversion 22USD. We don't get new deals in my neck of the woods like that so used is first choice.
 

az2000

Well-Known Member
@verticalgrow @az2000 the gift keeps on giving check out what i read on the side of the box... wtf is a hybrid bulb..is this worth it?
I suspect that's Chinese for "ballast does both, automatically detects."

The Dual-Arc bulb is interesting. It runs in an HPS ballast (even though it contains a MH.). If it were me, I would get the Phillips All-Start CMH just because I've heard a lot of good things about it running cooler than MH or HPS. It requires an MH ballast. Since yours automatically detects, it should detect it like it would the Dual-Arc (as an HPS bulb).
 

CanBud

Well-Known Member
I suspect that's Chinese for "ballast does both, automatically detects."

The Dual-Arc bulb is interesting. It runs in an HPS ballast (even though it contains a MH.). If it were me, I would get the Phillips All-Start CMH just because I've heard a lot of good things about it running cooler than MH or HPS. It requires an MH ballast. Since yours automatically detects, it should detect it like it would the Dual-Arc (as an HPS bulb).
I watched a comparison on several name brand bulbs and the dual arc finished last in the comparison.
 

CanBud

Well-Known Member
And 1st was?

Mike, lets see a picture of your ghetto cool tube
Actually the Hortilux took first but there was little difference from the next 2 brands, can't recall brand but they're the usual suspects mentioned. But I do remember the dual being significantly lower on the par rating.
 

Igotthe6

Well-Known Member

az2000

Well-Known Member
I was just looking at cmh bulbs at phillips. They say you can't use in dig. ballast.
I didn't know that (and/or didn't realize mike got a digital at that price. I thought they were expensive). The Philips Agro Elite works in a digital ballast. But, I don't know if it has to be a special digital (it probably does).

There is also a Philips ColorMaster CMH "Retro" bulb for use in HPS. Not sure if it has a similar limitation (only magnetic ballast, not digital?).

There was a discussion about these bulbs here, if anyone wants to pursue the question further.
 
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