Quote:
Originally Posted by Racefan
Dump the conversion bulb. You don't need it. Any difference it might make would be so little that I doubt you would be able to tell the difference. Most of us old timers use HPS all the way through. Except one guy i know...he thinks HPS's are only good for door stops and that MH are the better bulb so he uses them all the way through. lol That might help you get your filter faster. And by the way...I've had vegging plants smell just as much as any flowering plant.lol Strain plays a huge part in odors.
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Just my opinion, but if that HPS bulb does not include some of the color spectrums that are beneficial in vegetative growth (like say a Son Agro or Planta T) then I cannot totally discount the benefit of MH lighting.
But I have looked at prices for MH coversion bulbs sold from hydroponics retailers and I have to wonder how much the OP paid just for that bulb and if it would be enough to purchase a small MH setup from a vendor that is in the lighting business. If so, the OP could then use it as a supplement to his/her HPS instead of being faced with having to use one or the other.
A MH in the range of 250 watts (or even 175 watts) would make an excellent supplement to the 600 watt HPS and give noticeable results.
Not to mention that a 250 watt MH on its own could well be adequate as a vegetative light on its own at least for early vegging. That would save 6.3 kilowatt-hours a day (if using an 18/6 schedule - 24/0 would mean higher savings) AND produce less heat which would mean additional savings if it meant less use of an air-conditioner.
BtW, I don't know how long you plan on vegging but if you with the above scenario, the savings (not counting any a/c differences) for 30 days of 18/6 with the smaller light based on an electrical rate of 13 cents/kwh would be $24.57. Doesn't sound like much but if you run four cycles a year it's almost $100.
And you could use it while your HPS was flowering the girls to keep a mother or to veg clones for your next flowering cycle (in another area).
Just something to think about.