DIY Adding an HPS,possible cab changes?

[MrMcbud]

Hi All
Looking at finally beefing up my cfl/fluoro grow with some HID,debating 2X150w or 1X250 or 1X400w
flowering section is 50X50X145,i have a 250mm ceiling extractor to use as exhaust.(as for veg cab)
intake is yet undecided,i may add one or two low and mid level 120mm pc fans as i have in the other sections
total is 50X100X145,but that is currently used partially by the seedling/clone and the veg sections.
There is currently a rolled up emergency blanket in the door of the flower section for light proofing.(closes like a curtain)

I am looking to grow 4 plants,in maximum of 15l buckets(i measured,they fit )
In soil with a drip watering system and possible removable drip tray(Props to Wiggles)
My greatest concern is heat from the 400 or lack of penetration from the 250w and 150's.not sure as to space.
dont want to buy a 400w and have to struggle with heat stress as its in too small an area.
How do the 70w and 150w HPS work,ballast as per usual?
Any advice or criticism is welcome.

only the base measurements(50X100X145) of the cab is cast in stone,walls are only sisalation internally as it was built with reconfiguration in mind.
Have been considering adding a vacuum chamber at the top with a 250mm fan on each side,but hell,windtunnel indeed!
plus stealth goes to sh!t

Primary light (no natural light) coverages for the different grow light wattages are as follows.
100 watt lights: 1.5FT x 1.5FT growing area
150/175 watt lights: 2FT x 2FT growing area
250 watt lights: 3FT x 3FT growing area
400 watt lights: 5FT x 5FT growing area
600 watt lights: 6FT x 6FT growing area
1000 watt lights: 8FT x 8FT growing area

My cab is 50X145 =7250 cm² = 7.80383 ft²
can that be right or has my doctor slipped an halucinogen in with my bronchitis meds?
according to this 250w is a bit much?


McB

 

[namvet25]

If you can get a enclosed hps 400 watt with intak and exhaust and a strong fan go with that,if not I would stick with the 250 watt but you will still need fresh intake air and a good exhaust fan.

 

[Mr Piggy]

I don't know where you got those coverage numbers, but they're wrong.
150- 1.5 x 1.5
250 2x2 - 2.5 x2.5 pushing it
400 - 3 x 3
600 - 4x4
1000 5x5 6x6 pushing it.

A single 150 would do the job and a 250 would be optimal. Trying to bang a 400 in there would be cramming ten pounds of shit into a five pound sack. Not that it can't be done, but IMHO it would be a waste of power and a struggle the whole time. What brand of fans are you using for extraction and what are their cfm? If you've got the budget I'd try and get a blackstar 240 uv LED pannel. It will cover the square footprint wonderfully and has great penetration. The MI5 I just grew with one had solid buds from the top of the plant to within an inch of the soil. The LED unit also consumes much less power and creates much less heat so you can use quieter fans to ventilate your cab.

 

[MrMcbud]

Mr Piggy
those were fun on a local hydro site,they may well be incorrect.
Extraction is managed mt 2 X 250 mm 360cfm at the top of each cab above light level.
Intakes on the veg cab are 2 direct from ambient 120mm pc fans pulling in at various levels of foliage.
And fresh air intake comes from a shared 200cfm 150mm extractor(reversed as intake) blowing in at pot rim level.
i cannot for any money find a 150w anywhere and the cost of the ballast here kills the cost saving.
250's are no easier to find,however i can pick up the 400w on the way home from work!
As mentioned,cab internals can change,for example,i have considered removing the vertical wall midway up and have a 2 level flower section,being the left and the top half of the current veg section

 

[Mr Piggy]

Can you not order a 250 online? Honestly that's your best option. With airflow like that you could bare bulb that light in there no problem. I still think the 400 is a bit much for that space, divider shifted or no. Just remember when you cut corners for convenience now you cause yourself threefold work down the road.
Here's a link to the blackstar I was talking about. I know 300 seems like a large chunk of cash, but what it saves you in power bills and bulbs is crazy. You never have to replace a bulb and it runs on 140 or so watts for five years before it starts loosing power.
http://www.gothamhydroponics.com/fe...e-hydro-blackstar-240w-led-grow-light-uv.html

One last note, I'd stop using that local site of yours. Sounds like they don't have a damn clue as to what they are talking about. Light coverage is a well known thing, and a hydro site should damn well know better.

 

[AutoMan]

Any HPS is gonna need a lot of ventilation because of heat...possibly a cool tube...120mm fans will do nothing more than stir a lil...gonna need some centri fans I would think...I run a 400 cool tube in a small tent adn still have to pipe in (and out) some massive air...good luck...

 

[Gandolph420]

Wherever you can grab a 400w Ballast, you should be able to pick up a 250w. They are pretty much just as common due to so many people doing stealth grows like yourself, If your using a local hydroponics store inquire about lower watt ballasts. If you dont mind using the internet then there is a wide array of online hydroponics stores all over the world that sell literally anything you want.

There is an Equipment Review section on this forum that may come in handy and help greatly!

Goodluck!

P.s That stealth cab look awesome! Did you build that yourself?

 

[Mr Piggy]

Any HPS is gonna need a lot of ventilation because of heat...possibly a cool tube...120mm fans will do nothing more than stir a lil...gonna need some centri fans I would think...I run a 400 cool tube in a small tent adn still have to pipe in (and out) some massive air...good luck...

Go back and read his entire second post again. He has way more air movement than that.

 

[MrMcbud]

I wish MR P
with the current exchange rate that comes to R2400 ZAR.($289) and this before any import duties apply
to put that in perspective,i can get a 400w ballast,lamp and reflector for R600.($70.70)
the reason i have waited so long to finialize the flower section was deciding between LED and HPS.
Will be sure to avoid that local hydro site,literally copied that link from another post,so the misinformation is spreading

I simply cannot afford the iitial outlay of that kinda cash importing one,and ocally available LEDS are terrible.
The 400w ballast is second hand from a grower who recently stopped growing,she has 10 X 400w ballasts and 2 600 digi ballasts.
Nowhere in this town is local purchase possible without at least a 3 week ordering period.
I will keep looking for the 250.im just concerned 250 will be insufficient for 4 plants and the 400w,with a little extra affort will yield rock solid,dense buds from better light penetration.
My intention was to run the 250w with about 100-150w additional cfl lighting for lower branches,so ventilation plans should not change to majorly
The 400w is simply too good a deal to pass up.
I do have a local supplier that supplies HPS's but we have been experiencing MAJOR service and delivery delays.talking thousands of bucks woth of non delivered lights.
New a 250w ballast,lamp and reflector will set me back R850 ($100) and a 400w new R1250 ($147),so $70 for a 400W,with no wait time and guaranteed delivery isnt bad at all

The cab was built from scratch,frame first ,the sisalation and finally wood panelling.has taken about 3 months to get it to this point and tinkering happens daily,have just been waiting for that definitive south african LED sucess story to decide between led/hps...well,it hasnt arrived
Also i am reaching winter and i can no longer veg indoors,flower outdoors as i have been doing,so its now or never.

Do u think i could grow,say 4 durrty dragons to full potential with a 250?
My gut says 250,my wallet says 400w.
SA sites say go for it,AFN say rather not...McBud's got a LOT of reading to do

Thanks for the advice thusfar guys,much appreciated

 

[MrMcbud]

well,i know it will be an HPS,so i continued regardless of wattage

Some work done this evening
Overview after installing the Fan in flowering section

In a moment of inspiration i found this on a decorative lamp,its about 3mm,hope it will withstand the heat...will google(i doubt it tho?)
It is about 4cm longer than seen,i knew i left vents in those sides for a reason

Simple and effective,R20 for pare of those black folding windows shades,fold em up as designed and they fit perfectly into the ducting

Intake is yet to be installed,or even devised for that matter,i do think the 200cfm intake is overkill for the veg cab only,i am considering sharing it between the veg and flower.
Seedling clone section only has 2 120mm pc fans,1 intake,1 circulation,the lights dont really generate suffucient heat to warrant 220v
considering a 2 plant scrog as a test run,i currently have 2 clones that were cut in early flower,they have taken there time and have decided to explode.
I have planted the scrog'd THe Pure in the same pots i did my AK's in(7.5 - 10l?) and will move the AK into one as soon as i harvest the lower buds and free up some pots.
They will make thier way into the flower cab once the light is installed.
I have a net to use for the scrog,total flat surface area should be around 50X50,but if i leave it at 80cm as is i add 15cm of vscrog space to work with too
As u can see i have taken a few cuttings of the pure clone i got from a fellow grower a few months back
I will be taking another 4 of the ak before flowering commences.
I would essentially like to have 4 plants in each section at all times,including drying and curing
But wont be able to contain these ladies in there without scrog
I can always steal the 4.4cm of the support beams by simply moving the sisalation to the other side,as is there is a gap around my veg lightshield.
Well,thats my building for the night,my early AK/Thai harvest iso hash buzz is wearing thin

McB