400 watt HPS prices/efficiency comparaison

[Adamas]

Good day

I'm about to start a grow and I'm doing some shopping.

I was looking at the specs via the price of USHIO 400w Hilux Gro Opti Red and Phillips Ceramalux C400S51 ALTO. Huge differences in prices!!! USHIO around 60$ where Phillips is 15$.

Ushio initial lumens is rated at 56,000 where the Philips is 50,000

Obviously there are many other brands but the main question is: Is it worth the 45$ extra?

Any comments.............thanks in advance

 

[Adamas]

I just found this article from Liquid Bud (USHIO - Just like Sun Light but Better
Friday, August 19, 2011 1043 AM America/New_York) in WebHydro's web site

"Choosing the Right HID Grow Lights is Essential for Success in Indoor Gardening..................Choosing the right grow lights for your garden is not rocket science. This process can be boiled down to a few key factors: 1) Reliability 2) Optimal PAR and 3) Intensity measured in lumens. In a market with so many options it is easy to be enticed by ultra-cheap no-name/Chinese-made grow lights; but always remember that cheap can end up being more expensive. These bargain HID bulbs are typically unreliable, with inaccurate PAR information and usually no warranty."

Does this answer my question?

 

[Icemud]

I would recommend getting a phillips ceramic metal halide or CMH. They are metal halide bulbs that run on magnetic HPS ballasts and put out a better red spectrum than HPS bulbs as well as a very very strong blue end so there a perfect bulb for both veg and flower cycles if using just one bulb.

 

[Adamas]

I would recommend getting a phillips ceramic metal halide or CMH. They are metal halide bulbs that run on magnetic HPS ballasts and put out a better red spectrum than HPS bulbs as well as a very very strong blue end so there a perfect bulb for both veg and flower cycles if using just one bulb.

Thanks for your reply Icemud. I didn't know that such MH bulb existed!!!
I didn't indicate it but I'm using an electronic Ballast (Lumatek 400......it's already purchased......I got an excellent deal on it) and yes I will be using only one bulb in the flowering tent (3 x 3 x 7).

 

[Icemud]

Thanks for your reply Icemud. I didn't know that such MH bulb existed!!!
I didn't indicate it but I'm using an electronic Ballast (Lumatek 400......it's already purchased......I got an excellent deal on it) and yes I will be using only one bulb in the flowering tent (3 x 3 x 7).

Oh, yeah digital ballasts will not work with a CMH... in that case ushio makes some killer bulbs. I use there 600w optired in my digital and wow its bright.... Here is the color rendering of the Ushio 600w..

Ushio 600w HPS output in my 600w lumatec digital

Ushio 400w MH conversion bulb output (not sure if you can use in digital ballast, mine is in a 400w HPS magnetic ballast)

 

[Adamas]

Nice pics! Beautiful colours
Considerably more of the blue spectrum with MH conversion USHIO bulb!

I'm aware that certain bulbs work only with magnetic ballast and NOT with electronic.
Unfortunately bulb manufacturer don't always indicate that information .
Electronic ballast are still considered relatively new in the hydro industry. Anyway we are going off the subject.

To get back to my original point I presume that you have tried different brands of bulbs and now you are sticking with what works!
But at what price? and other brands might work also?

When I purchased the Lumatek ballast the saler gave me a used EYE Hortilux Super 400 watt HPS good for an other 2 grows (LU400S/HTL/EN). This is a very popular and expensive brand of bulb in the hydro world (the 1000 watt is anyway!) but the price MSRP 95$.

Have you tried this brand in the past?