315Watt CMH Lighting: Specs, Coverage, Pics

[Vadim]

I have been running Nanolux 315 CMH for a few years now, both Vertical and Horizontal. Consistently good results.

5 plant Vertical setup. Two Nanolux 315 CMH bare bulb.

Top view

Plants on the Screens not long before harvest.

24 plant SOG, two 315 CMH hung horizontal.

Week shy of harvest.

Current grow, Horizontal, 4 plant not really a SCrog. Rotating Screen and plants on a Lazy Susan. Can rotate about 300 degrees and pull forward about 2 feet. This sure makes it easy on this old back of mine.

Three days after starting flower.

Four days prior to harvest of the Wedding Cake.

Will harvest this last plant, Mimosa EVO in a week to 10 days. This is after spreading the Mimosa over the screen.

Love my 315's, whichever method I use to grow in my 4x4 I get 23.5 to 29.5 zips per grow.

Awesome grow, the vertical grow method looks interesting. I've only ever done some SCROG'ing but then let the colas grow upwards once recovered from SCROG. I do sometimes put another layer in for cola support but couldn't be bothered on this grow.

Cheers

 

[Curbcalamity]

Now theres no point looking at lights and not knowing the spectrum right?
I mean, you want to know how much bang you get for your buck....
In another thread it was discussed the importance of green light and that part of the spectrum....

Here is a 600w Dual Spectrum HPS bulb spectrum specs.....

600w Dual Spectrum HPS output

• Lowrider72
• May 2, 2019

Here is the 315w CMH bulb spectrum specs.....

315w 3200K globe output

• Lowrider72
• May 2, 2019

Notice the massive holes in the HPS spectrum, that will be mostly true with MH as well...this is why CMH pump plants.
You need close to the full spectrum to mimic nature, otherwise they are never truely happy.

That shows the gap full spectrum lights fill. And at half the wattage of the 600w hps, covering the same area, for better quality.

These are the globes I use at the moment but after they are ready to go, will change out for the Philips Version.

315w CMH specs

• Lowrider72
• May 2, 2019

Note the small size of the globe compared to 600w HPS...

315w CMH Globe

• Lowrider72
• May 2, 2019

There is usually a glass shroud on globe, this one broke, lock ring was siezed. Just to show internals.

Off for Joint.

Lowrider72

you do realize if you look closely onto the bulbs, the 4200K Phillips bulbs the spectrum graph is scaled at half that of the 3100K. 3100K 1=1.3 the other one 1=0.8 meaning the relative intensities are correct but they don't put out anywhere the same par levels as the 3100Ks
ima go run and grab the boxes and upload a photo
they also max DE 1000W cmh lights now aswell

 

[Curbcalamity]

But Re you comparing actual power drawn? Cos a CMH 315w draws 343W from the source fyi

 

[Curbcalamity]

Not trying to playing devils advocate here- I want CMH to be good, so I can go buy some. This is just something I keep bumping into.
For example-

“CMH bulbs are very good at flowering, especially those with a warmer color spectrum (around 3000K), like the Philips 3100K bulb we recommend. That said, HPS bulbs are better, since they contain even more red spectrum light.Apr 1, 2019”

The current Wikipedia entry for CMH.

Sources? Most people say CMH are feast for veg but not flower. But yeah you'll yield higher running his for 6 weeks then swapping. But who can be bothered with thatoh if I could afford I'd I'd so plus run 4 fluence Spyder 2's but probably the P since I can't CO2 enrich but the setup costs is insane and the fact that after 20,000 I just simply replace a bulb. And presto

 

[Weaselcracker]

Sources?

Not sure what you’re asking here. You want me to provide sources for that Wikipedia entry I posted a year and a half ago, while you’re agreeing with it? That same basic info was in most articles I could find on CMH at the time.

I’ll probably just have to pick one up as a tester. Seems like the best way to find out.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

FWIW I am disappointed with my Sun System LEC, twice this week alone I've opened the door to a dark room. I've emailed them and got no reply.

Shut the switch off and wait 10 minutes.

 

[gr865]

FWIW I am disappointed with my Sun System LEC, twice this week alone I've opened the door to a dark room. I've emailed them and got no reply.

Shut the switch off and wait 10 minutes.

I have had some issues, lost a ballast but they replaced fairly quickly. That ballast had starting issues from day one, it would take up to 1 minute after the ballast received power to strike.
One thing have noticed is the heat emitted, my hydro guy that owns the store gave me a loner to use while we waited for mine to be replaced. The heat of that unit, I believe it was the Phantom would run at around 170F, the original ballast ran at 140F and the new one runs at just over 100F. I don't run my ballast inside the tent but my tent is in a closet and the inside temps of the tent drops about 8 degrees after changing the ballast.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

I have had some issues, lost a ballast but they replaced fairly quickly. That ballast had starting issues from day one, it would take up to 1 minute after the ballast received power to strike.
One thing have noticed is the heat emitted, my hydro guy that owns the store gave me a loner to use while we waited for mine to be replaced. The heat of that unit, I believe it was the Phantom would run at around 170F, the original ballast ran at 140F and the new one runs at just over 100F. I don't run my ballast inside the tent but my tent is in a closet and the inside temps of the tent drops about 8 degrees after changing the ballast.

It's good to hear that they helped you out... so there really is someone there lol.

I've not taken mine apart I assume that's how you accessed the ballast. I also assume you needed a cord to run the ballast outside the room?
I don't have any heat issues so I'm not really concerned just curious. I will check the general temp of the hood when I go back down in a hour or so.

Of all the receipts I have that would be the one I can not find... so I don't bother pushing the issue any further and just live with it.
When it does cut out it's always at lights on so I catch that pretty quick, or if you bump it... or open the door lol.

 

[Weaselcracker]

That sounds annoying. I would have to return that one Bob. But I’m not home every day to baby a light that doesn’t come on. The ballasts I’ve had which occasionally didn’t switch on - eventually reached a day where the problem became permanent.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Shop's shut down lost the receipt such is my luck. I could try contact them again.

 

[gr865]

It's good to hear that they helped you out... so there really is someone there lol.

I've not taken mine apart I assume that's how you accessed the ballast. I also assume you needed a cord to run the ballast outside the room?
I don't have any heat issues so I'm not really concerned just curious. I will check the general temp of the hood when I go back down in a hour or so.

Of all the receipts I have that would be the one I can not find... so I don't bother pushing the issue any further and just live with it.
When it does cut out it's always at lights on so I catch that pretty quick, or if you bump it... or open the door lol.

I run the Nanolux 315W NA and the ballast separates from the lamp very easily.

 

[Scottxb73]

Hey Weazlecracker,
Thanks for joining in.
I know what you mean mate. I grew under MH-HPS for years...maybe 15+.
They were the Bom.
My favourite is 600w Son T Pia globes.. Kick arse!
In my signiture is a link to my grow, Im half way thru flower.

I bet not only will I blitz the lazy 0.8g per watt I used to get under a 600w hps, I will do it with almost 50% less power.
The plants are happier, less problems all round. Its the Spectrum.
Put a 630w CMH over a 600w HPS covered area would be like 1200w HPS in comparison, and heaps less heat.
I run my fan at 1/4 speed if that...its pathetic.... Lol.

I find my 315 CMH runs at 6-7 degrees Celsius above ambient intake temperature and I live in a hot environment so CMH is a no go in summer, although I use it as a finisher with UV bulb but only in the cooler months. I have to use a cool tube and a decent fan then the hps 400 will run at 3 degrees Celsius above ambient intake temperature, I have a 320 w led that runs at approximately 4 degrees above, at times the air temperature can be over 30 and this will trigger a shut down at 33c .
The hps or led turned right down is the only way, the CMH 315 is to hot so 630 that would be 10 degrees or more above ambient intake temperature and I run a huge centrifugal fan on the exhaust plus a smaller one on the intake so I have very good cooling and draw from outside.. I guess my point is CMH runs hot

 

[Scottxb73]

If I run my cheep shit CMH external ballast with my nanolux cord will that help with RF? Shielded cord, but what about the other side that goes to the cheepo lamp shade with adaptor, at times I can hear noise from the light bulb like a high pitch frequency. I'll grab a descent ballast one day the lumitek look ok

 

[Scottxb73]

i looked at cmh
heat and size were main factors steered me away actually
probably a little cheaper to setup than the qbs i got, but there is literally so little heat from the qbs, which in a loft space willbe great in summer, and also they are so shallow, i have massive height troubles so the big chuncky cmh took too much away.
they look real nice though i must say, but id have needed 2 minimum in my flower tent plus another for veg.

Heat is a massive problem if U in a hot area, eg in my 4x4 with 2 huge centrifugal fan's in and out.. 1 CMH 315 with external ballast runs 7c above ambient intake temperature whereas my 400w hps runs at 3 C and a 320 w led 4-5c
HPS is the winner but must be in a cool tube and on an isolated duct and fan system separately from the grow space

 

[bluter]

Heat is a massive problem if U in a hot area, eg in my 4x4 with 2 huge centrifugal fan's in and out.. 1 CMH 315 with external ballast runs 7c above ambient intake temperature whereas my 400w hps runs at 3 C and a 320 w led 4-5c
HPS is the winner but must be in a cool tube and on an isolated duct and fan system separately from the grow space

most of the tech covered here has been superseded a few times over since these posts. not much of the older stuff you are quoting has relevance any longer in relation to the newer gear. if you run the old stuff only then it does have some.

most new folk start from scratch and it is never a consideration worth a pile of thought.

led in near any form now is going to win on all fronts. it's what the large commercial guys use. that dictates the industry direction on whole.

 

[Scottxb73]

most of the tech covered here has been superseded a few times over since these posts. not much of the older stuff you are quoting has relevance any longer in relation to the newer gear. if you run the old stuff only then it does have some.

most new folk start from scratch and it is never a consideration worth a pile of thought.

led in near any form now is going to win on all fronts. it's what the large commercial guys use. that dictates the industry direction on whole.

No wonder I can sell it all my 315 crap

 

[Scottxb73]

Just look at viparspectra ks 3000 look good had removable driver

 

[bluter]

Just look at viparspectra ks 3000 look good had removable driver

not sure of your space or use, but there are some things that carry over from hid to led. one is power. i always shovel the most wattage and power i can in to the space i have. the same as you would do in hid.

one thing you always want with led is dimming.

over power your space and run the rig with a dimmer for maximum effect. you will use less power even if the watt rating is the same between hid and led in the same space. as long as you know how to use the led with dimming.

you can run a led with more wattage and use less over all than an hid with less pull in the same space. it's about the dimmer and using it right.

i've never run a led rig flat out and don't recommend it. you can increase the lifespan of the rig 100% simply by not exceeding 90 - 95%. always have a reserve and your drivers will treat you well.