250w HPS questions

[rc51sport]

right now im looking for a 250w HPS light to light up a 3x2x7' area.

until recently i thought any 250w HPS was the same as the other 250w HPS. now i see i am wrong!

i know almost nothing about HID lighting but i would like to get the best bang for my watt.

i was wondering what type of ballast i should go with, im assuming digital? in case i decide to upgrade my bloom light and use that for veg? any other reasons? anything i should watch out for?

and i see many different bulbs, im using this light only to flower. lighting a 3x2 area. how many plants can i flower in this area under a 250w HPS and how far from the plants should i keep the light? what type of bulbs would be best for me?

do i have many options for a reflector? should i get the $60 95% reflective aluminum one with glass and a 6" duct collar or the $200 95% reflective aluminum one with glass and a 6" duct collar?

im just a little confused here and dont want to blow what little money i do have on the wrong thing for me.

thanks for the help!

 

[Setting Sun]

I like my Lumatek and Galaxy digital ballasts. They run both HPS and MH, so you have a ton of choices as far as bulbs.

Get a reflector that is large enough to give you a good spread of light, but that still leaves a couple of inches or so of clearance around the edges for air circulation.

Whether you need an air-cooled hood or not depends on how much ambient heat you're dealing with.

if you can post some pics or links to some pics of the reflectors you're thinking of getting and we'll have better idea of what might work best.

There are so many different HPS and MH bulbs these days that it's confusing.

I think it's worth paying more for the horticultural bulbs, but the regular ones work too.

For MH, the Hortilux Blue seems to get great reports.

The Hortilux HPS bulbs also get good reports, but there's are lots of good choices.

I won't pay more than about $50-60 or so for a bulb.

You can grow 2-4 plants in there depending on strain and style of grow. If you did a 12/12 grow with the right strain, you could pack more in there. You've got a lot of height in your space, but a 250w HID won't penetrate too far, so it would be better to grow short strains and/or use topping or LST to control height.

I've been growing with a 250w Lumatek digital ballast and a simple 22" x 22" hood, and I'm very happy with that combo.

Hood choice is really important because you want to make the most of that 250w. I usually keep my hood at 12" or so off the canopy, and down a bit lower in late bloom watching for signs of burn. Get one that gives you the best spread and still fits well.

 

[rc51sport]

im wanting to fit 2-4 4gal hempy buckets or 2-4 3gal soil pots in this area.

about the bulbs. like i said im looking strictly best flowering performance. i see the hortilux bulbs use more blue, probally good for veg+bloom under 1 HPS? i saw a brand "soalrmax" that claims to have more red for better flowering, but i cant find any 250w hps solarmax bulbs, only 400w+. are there other brands with more red? or more lumens? any personal experience or rumors about which ones work better? or are they all about the same? are the name brand ones better than the cheap HD or generic hydro shop bulbs?

ambient temps prob in the mid 70s, so i should prob get a reflector with a sealed glass plate and exhaust duct?

reflectors:
-EconoWing
Suncoast Hydroponics

-Super Sun 2
- Suncoast Hydroponics

-Yield Master II 4"
- Suncoast Hydroponics

and which are better? lumatek or galaxy? both are same price?

 

[Setting Sun]

If you want a bulb on the red end of the spectrum, I'd just use generic HPS bulbs. They work just fine.

you may be able to get away with just good ventilation and have you ambient temps at 85 or so, but if it gets hotter than 75, you might be too high and need a sealed hood.

the Yieldmaster II 4" looks like a good option because you could try it open first and then if things get too hot, you could buy the glass and ductwork for it. Make sure it fits first though, it looks big.

 

[PlanetJ]

I grow in a 2x2 and use a 250W Lumatek lamp, with a cool-hood to get that heat out of that small room. I have a variable ballast (250-660) also from Lumatek. I used to grow in a 4x4.

I have my light about 1.3ft above the canopy, in your case I would probably go 2ft, it highly depends on the reflector you are using tho.

The number of plants depends on many factors. I would put 2 in there and ScrOG them. I'm lazy.

 

[NOOOBIENOT]

Hello , get a good quality led and you wont have to worry about the heat , hid lights in that small of area can be problem some , been there got the t-shirt

 

[PlanetJ]

Hello , get a good quality led and you wont have to worry about the heat , hid lights in that small of area can be problem some , been there got the t-shirt

My 200W LED puts out a boatload of heat too. And with a coolinghood, a 250W HPS gives me a cooler tent than my 200W LED without coolinghood.

 

[Phytoplankton]

I have my light about 1.3ft above the canopy, in your case I would probably go 2ft, it highly depends on the reflector you are using tho.

The number of plants depends on many factors. I would put 2 in there and ScrOG them. I'm lazy.

You do realize this thread is 12 years old.

 

[PlanetJ]

You do realize this thread is 12 years old.

I do now.

I'm blaming the similar posts function

 

[Phytoplankton]

No problem, been there, done that!