Whats the all around best HPS bulb for a 600w? and the best MH conversion bulb?

Hey all,
I got a nice 600w light off of ebay that came with some no name HPS and MH conversion bulbs. They are both new bulbs but how big of a difference is there between a no name bulb and a brand named bulb? If there is a big difference than im going to have to buy new bulbs. Any recomendatoins? I tried researeching this but the damn light color graphs all seem damn near the same to me.
Please help me if you can.
Thanks
BigBudE

Get a hortilux if you can afford it.

ive used the hortilux eye and sylvsnias dual spectrum grolux and found the less expensive grolux to do a much better job . the grolux wss the first bulb designed from the ground up for growing . Ive used it from veg 2 flower with a 3/4 inch internode spacing .. and in that case eliminating all need for mh all together . however i did use 125 w cfl for the fist 2 weeks from bean ,or up untill the second group of alternating fan leaves . IM now week 2 flower with aproxx 10 diff setsof alternating nodes compacted into 24 inches of plant .the hortilux are good but the gtowlux of tje same watt have higher PAR rating and lumens w/ more of the blues . just my 2 cents

Hortilux...$105 for a 600w but 600 doesn't come in MH

OZUT said:

Hortilux...$105 for a 600w but 600 doesn't come in MH

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Do you mean hortilux does not have a 600MH? I have some no name brand 600w MH conversion bulb, but I dont know how good it really is since it and a 600w hps both came with the light/ballast/air cooled hood that i got off of ebay for $250.
Is there a big difference between hortilux and grolux beside brand name?
Thanks for the input guys
BigBudE

Hortilux doesn't have a 600 MH, just HPS. Depending on your set up and how long you plan to veg, you might consider going with a HPS through the entire cycle.

khm916 said:

Get a hortilux if you can afford it.

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yup Hortilux is the way to.. but expensive

Digilux has 600watt in metal halide sold by DiscountHydroponics.com. They are made for digital ballast though

You need a 600w Hortilux and a Sunmaster 600w cool deluxe conversion bulb. Those are the best.

I can only speak for myself but my 600W agro sun red sodium bulb has produced exceptionally well for me in the past year. I also use the dimmable lumetek ballast and it was ussualy set at 660W (or super lumen), no problems with either......shredder

e bulbs that are made in the U.S.A are the best. If there made in tawain or china there junk, just like everything else.

I have been using 3 600w Solarmax HPs bulbs the last year or so and they seem fine. I would like to try the Hortilux someday though. Anybody have experience with a 600W Solarmax HPS compared to the Hortilux?

Smokej9009 said:

I have been using 3 600w Solarmax HPs bulbs the last year or so and they seem fine. I would like to try the Hortilux someday though. Anybody have experience with a 600W Solarmax HPS compared to the Hortilux?

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How much of a difference on your electrical bill using 3 600watts instead of 1 600watt??

BigBudE,

I don't know really. I went from an apartment having only 1 to a large house and immediately started using 3, with A/C as well and upgraded a 4 bulb t5 to an 8, and added a few more fans etc.
So I pretty much have no way of knowing exactly what the difference would be for just the bulbs.
New house has three times the square footage as the old apartment.

Sorry I can't really answer your question.

You're charged something like $.08-.11 cents for every kw used per hour depending on where you live. So if you have (3) 600's, that's 1.8kw per hour. If you're flowering then it's (1.8kw X 12 hours = 21.6 kw) multiply that by the $.08 cents per hour which comes to $1.72 for the day....multiply that by 60 days in your billing cycle and it comes to $103.68 for (3) 600's....Remember this is if you're flowering for the full 60 days and only calculating 12 hour light cycle. Obviously if you're vegging with 18 or 24 light cycle you change your calculation.

For something more accurate, Add up all the watts used when your lights are on then plug in the numbers and you'll get a dead on accurate amount of what your bill will be. If you're only interested in the difference between 1 and (3) 600's and assuming everything else in your set up is the same, then you're using an extra 1,200 watts an hour which is 1.2kw per hour so that's 1.2 kw x 12 hours x $.08 = 1.15 for the day and $69.12 for your billing cycle of 60 days. Again, I assum you're in flower and the lights are on for only 12 hours a day for 60 days.

i use a eye hortilux 250w hps

and a cmh by philips 250w much better then mh and runs in a hps ballest

i run them at the same time and throw in a uvb for flower

do that
1Luv

Jcickcil said:

You need a 600w Hortilux and a Sunmaster 600w cool deluxe conversion bulb. Those are the best.

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thats what I got. I was a little uneasy buying the sunmaster mh but after I plugged it in all was good.

SKUNKWORKS said:

thats what I got. I was a little uneasy buying the sunmaster mh but after I plugged it in all was good.

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I third this notion!!!!!! Quality grow lights, very relieble.

go with a eye hortilux hps and philips ceramic metal hilide or cmh

Jcickcil said:

You need a 600w Hortilux and a Sunmaster 600w cool deluxe conversion bulb. Those are the best.

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600 mh exists its a conversion bulb. i run the hort eye hps and used to do sunmaster. i have actually found a better mh than sunmaster. it has higher par rating and slightly less lumans. lumans are for humans par is for plants. tried the switch and they love the par light. made by solar max