4x4 1000w SCROG 4xWW DWC w/ Sunpulse 3k Digital Bulb

How do you feel about Sunpulse's Full Spectrum Lamp Set? (3, 4 ,6.4 & 10 Kalvin)

  • I love it! I think it's the best thing to mimic real light, and i'd use all 4!

    Votes: 2 25.0%
  • I like the idea of a 3k MH bulb, but the others seem a little gimmicky

    Votes: 1 12.5%
  • I'm old school. Give me ole' 60hz and a super hortilux, and it's as good as it gets

    Votes: 2 25.0%
  • I'm not exactly sure what all this is about! lmgtfy.com :)

    Votes: 3 37.5%

  • Total voters
    8
  • Poll closed .

ultrasonic

Well-Known Member
Hello Community!

I would like to introduce my buddy and myself as first time growers as well as first time journal posters here at 420 mag. I've said it before, the community here is just great - so friendly.

Now I'd like to clear something up - Initially, I had come on here talking about how I was going to be doing a pure fog grow. Unfortunately, I had I put that project aside for 2 reasons a) I need a crop ASAP b) I also need a chiller which I cannot afford. Everything was working great with this project, but temps just got stupidly high. So I understand any -rep, and I will be sure to modify my signature ;)


So let me get started! We've decided to go "simple" for our first grow, choosing Nirvana's White Widow. We used a great site to purchase the seeds, but i'm not sure about what the posting rule are at the moment regarding other sites like that, so I'll just edit this post at a later date. I'll say though that I'm in Canada, and this site allows single seed purchases. We ordered 3 feminized seeds, planted 2, picked the strongest one (big difference) and have been maintaining that as a mother for the last couple months while collecting the rest of the necessary equipment.

So we had some clones taken in a aero setup, but didn't treat them well regarding humidity, so they were rough to start, but the roots exploded forth pretty soon. The roots looked brown and spotty in a couple areas near the center though, so we made the HARD decision to throw them in the garbage, and start anew in a nice warm humidity dome.

Well you've read enough! Let me just get right to the pictures:

below are a couple shots of my clones, only 5 hours after cutting, so a little wilty, but better
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This is a general shot of the growing containers. The extra bulbs are there for added heat...
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My carbon scrubber and room controller... No co2 yet though! (hopefully sleeping in the same room will have to do :p)
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Now i've never seen anyone talk about using these... I've got them glued down with aquarium sealant, and they really pump out the bubbles. They're connected to a 4-port Piston pump and is noisy as hell but does the job like a trooper. I -LOATHE- diaphragm pumps. I use one on my mother plant only out of necessity....
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And here is my chromed out reflector: I love this thing. Not sure how efficiently it reflects light, but from what info I can find about it, chrome is supposed to be up there which is good enough for me... it -will- be under 1000w :p
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Well I hope you enjoyed :) Let me get a little more listy now, and i'll pump through all of the details:

-I plan on vegging for approx. 2 weeks, starting when it moves into the system
-plan on harvesting 40/60 cloudy amber. I know white widow is very stony, but i'd prefer something that can be smoked in the day without dire consequences! :smokin:
-they're gonna be DWC using the Lucas formula, top off method, with RO water
-my bulb/ballast will be a 1000w lumatek ballast with a 1000w Sunpulse digital 3k bulb. The 3ks are rated for "entire grows" and I plan on finishing off with the 10k. 1000w of 10k will just PUSH them trichromes out.
-using a 6inch vortex on a short run sucking cool air to cool off the light, getting it nice and close, I hope!
-4 plants, and i'm hoping for a hefty yeild of around 2lbs.

I'll be back with some more photographs when more stuff arrives! I'm waiting on another vortex, 1000w lumatek ballast, 1kw sunpulse 3k bulb, etc. I know some many not find it interesting, but I'll be sure to post pics since there seem to be so few of the ballast/bulb i'll be using. Ballast is expected to be the newer dimmable model, though I won't use this feature. So i've rambled enough, judge me all! :p:cool:

-ultrasonic
 
Hey all, just back with a couple pics of my setup....
The clones are looking great, but i'll give it a couple more days before I post any more pics of them. I'm just keeping them humid with ph 5.6 water right now, hoping they won't yellow like they did before. They are standing up nicer now though!

This is everything with water in it, etc. I'm using a magnetic drive piston pump, and it's responsible for all the bubbles...
"they're not my bubbles... they're the pipes!"

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peace :Rasta:
 
Hay ultrasonic, You have a nice clean setup started. Looks like you have it all well planed out and can not wait to see it all up and running, I feel you on the fogger, I also tried and found out very quickly that res temps where going to be a huge issue. I also scraped the idea for now, but soon will be up a running again with a chiller for the res and cooler temps outside will make the grow a lot more successful. I think anyway. Good luck and + reps on you new grow.
 
My lighting dilemma:

Well, everything is on it's way to me now! Well, except the most important part, the ballast. Turns out the ebay seller I purchased it from suddenly has none in stock! So i'm going with the same phone order company a couple provinces over that I used to purchase my Sunpulse bulb. While the first one arrived shattered, the customer service was AWESOME when it come to having them send a replacement. It'll only take a couple days and I don't even have a ballast yet so whatever :p

Now i've been reading alot about Lumatek ballasts, and just digital ballasts in general, and I wanted to get a couple things out there for possible debate:

1. I've heard reports of the 120v 1000w's melting because of the large amperage draw. Is this specific only to the "fuse" models, not the "reset button" models? Apparently, it has something to do with how the socket was placed in the body of the ballast, which they now have a cord hanging out of, resolving the issue. I'm wondering if the reset button/cord models are exclusive to the dimmable models? I actually plan on using this on a circuit that is completely unused, so I may have the full 20 amps or whatever exclusively for the ballast, which I think will help out ALOT

2. People knock electronic/digital ballasts because they have a lower lumen output, and really I agree. I wouldn't use a regular bulb in a digital ballast for fear it would blow, and they really just don't work as effectively in SOME ways. This is why I chose the Sunpulse line of bulbs. They resist light loss over time, and are MH bulbs. The may appear dimmer, but they do produce more usable light for the plants. Most people note a reduced stretch during initial flowering, which is indicative of stress. Bigger tighter colas?

3. They offer 3k,4k,6.4k, & 10k bulbs for a full spectrum from seedlings to final week of flowering. The 10k is the same light produced by those 10k reptile bulbs, just more intense. I look forward to 1000w of 10k light. and the fat crystaly buds :)

So what does everyone or anyone think of this? Any similar stories or issues? Feel free to share!

Ultrasonic

ps- I will be adding some more pics in about a week + a couple days when my clones are all ready. So far i've been taking care of my mother plant for about 3-4 months, practicing cloning and general care. I've got 1 run in rockwool, and tongight took another round in my aero cloner. Never did the rockwool before ('cept with the mum from seed) and the aero clones turned out before, they were just too early, and I didn't treat them very well humidity wise so the older growth looked crappy... I wanted to do better!


enough! 'nite all!
 
You have a very clean setup bro. I dont use digital balasts myself, I use the traditional units. I use Hortilux 1000w HPS lamps and change them every 2 grows(I grow non stop). My balasts are very heavy, hot and virtually silent. I wall mount them and they just plain work.
 
You have a very clean setup bro. I dont use digital balasts myself, I use the traditional units. I use Hortilux 1000w HPS lamps and change them every 2 grows(I grow non stop). My balasts are very heavy, hot and virtually silent. I wall mount them and they just plain work.

Interesting.....my local pro-growers told me to stay away from digital and get regular ballasts as well.

Those who know tend to sound alike....
 
My lighting dilemma:

Well, everything is on it's way to me now! Well, except the most important part, the ballast. Turns out the ebay seller I purchased it from suddenly has none in stock! So i'm going with the same phone order company a couple provinces over that I used to purchase my Sunpulse bulb. While the first one arrived shattered, the customer service was AWESOME when it come to having them send a replacement. It'll only take a couple days and I don't even have a ballast yet so whatever :p

Now i've been reading alot about Lumatek ballasts, and just digital ballasts in general, and I wanted to get a couple things out there for possible debate:

1. I've heard reports of the 120v 1000w's melting because of the large amperage draw. Is this specific only to the "fuse" models, not the "reset button" models? Apparently, it has something to do with how the socket was placed in the body of the ballast, which they now have a cord hanging out of, resolving the issue. I'm wondering if the reset button/cord models are exclusive to the dimmable models? I actually plan on using this on a circuit that is completely unused, so I may have the full 20 amps or whatever exclusively for the ballast, which I think will help out ALOT

2. People knock electronic/digital ballasts because they have a lower lumen output, and really I agree. I wouldn't use a regular bulb in a digital ballast for fear it would blow, and they really just don't work as effectively in SOME ways. This is why I chose the Sunpulse line of bulbs. They resist light loss over time, and are MH bulbs. The may appear dimmer, but they do produce more usable light for the plants. Most people note a reduced stretch during initial flowering, which is indicative of stress. Bigger tighter colas?

3. They offer 3k,4k,6.4k, & 10k bulbs for a full spectrum from seedlings to final week of flowering. The 10k is the same light produced by those 10k reptile bulbs, just more intense. I look forward to 1000w of 10k light. and the fat crystaly buds :)

So what does everyone or anyone think of this? Any similar stories or issues? Feel free to share!

Ultrasonic

ps- I will be adding some more pics in about a week + a couple days when my clones are all ready. So far i've been taking care of my mother plant for about 3-4 months, practicing cloning and general care. I've got 1 run in rockwool, and tongight took another round in my aero cloner. Never did the rockwool before ('cept with the mum from seed) and the aero clones turned out before, they were just too early, and I didn't treat them very well humidity wise so the older growth looked crappy... I wanted to do better!


enough! 'nite all!

Wowz im floored, ok im very much still a novice, however as an owner of a digital ballast, i feel bamboozled. I bought my digital ballast ffrom HTG and they swore up n down it produces more lumens.. and i was actually considering upgrading to a lumatek digital for my next grow.. but comin across your thread really caught me by surprise..

so a magnetic ballast is actually better than electrical/digi ballast?
 
I recently bought 2 Galaxy Digital 600's. The digitals are supposedly 10-15% more efficient than the magnetics. Galaxy is a Sun System product who also makes magnetic balasts. Thei claim is the digitals produce more light and use less energy.
 
Wowz im floored, ok im very much still a novice, however as an owner of a digital ballast, i feel bamboozled. I bought my digital ballast ffrom HTG and they swore up n down it produces more lumens.. and i was actually considering upgrading to a lumatek digital for my next grow.. but comin across your thread really caught me by surprise..

so a magnetic ballast is actually better than electrical/digi ballast?

Well i'm not exactly saying that. I mean, i'm going with a digital ballast myself. I just think the kinks haven't been completely worked out.
Basically the eballasts run at a much higher hz than regular ballasts. In terms of electrical power, hz is the frequency of how many times the power comes across the line, in pulses. Regular bulbs are designed for hz while digital ballasts run at tens or a hundred+ Khz, MUCH MUCH faster. People reported that 60hz bulbs (the type of power that comes over North American power lines) were vibrating so fast that they exploded or even emitted sound in the form of a high pitch squeal.

Sunpulse bulbs are MADE for digital ballasts, and designed to vibrate that fast without failing. So id only use a digital ballast with a bulb like that.

People report using those fancy expensive (but not as expensive as my sunpulse :p) Super Hortilux hps work in digital ballasts, but I mostly hear that in recent reports regarding the 600w or lower models. I think there was a time that those bulbs were not a "tough", and several returns were made, which prompted Hortilux to release a news article about how digital ballasts are inferror.

I'd say if you use a regular bulb in a digital ballast, expect to get decent results, but expect the bulb to blow. if you use a sunpulse bulb, expect lower lumens, but MORE USABLE LIGHT, with a reduced stretch because of the fuller spectrum (hps 2.2K, sunpulse 3k)

Lumen output is a measurement of VISIBLE human light. Plants only see certain colors of light (mostly bluish and reddish, measured in Kalvin. Higher is bluer, lower is redder. Highest that we don't see is Blue UV light, lowest that don't see if infrared (which in reality is heat). Sunpulse produce more usable light, which more or less are types of light that aren't particularly bright to humans, so they don't use lumens as a unit of measurment

Also, at the same time: a higher hz is supposed to be better, because on a level we cannot see, the lamp is flickering at 60hz, leaving plants in darkness for alot of the time.

So I guess the best explanation, is the technology is not as "tried and tested" as standard ballasts. id still use one with a proper bulb though....
 
\2. People knock electronic/digital ballasts because they have a lower lumen output, and really I agree. I wouldn't use a regular bulb in a digital ballast for fear it would blow, and they really just don't work as effectively in SOME ways.


I've never heard anyone on any forum knock electronic ballasts for having lower lumen output, and I get around.

In fact, electronic ballasts *increase* your lumens. The manufacturer's claim up to 20-30%.

When I switched from my older coil ballasts to electronic, I noticed an increase in lumens, and so did my plants ;).

Most of them, including my two Galaxy and one Lumatek, also switch automatically from HPS to MH, which is very cool.

They soft-start when they fire up bulbs, and drive the bulbs at much higher, more stable frequencies, so your bulbs last a long longer also.

They're *completely silent* , which is very important to me.

They don't get as hot as coil ballasts.

They eliminate flicker.

They're lighter and smaller.

At 250 and 400w, if you use Froogle, they cost the same or less than coil ballasts.

I've used all kinds of bulbs in my electronic ballasts and no shrapnel yet, and if this was a widespread issue, we would have heard a lot more about it, certainly on this and the other forums I frequent.


but let me tell you how I really feel about it, lol


Nice setup bro!

Great bubbles!
 
setting sun, maybe because froogle is still beta, but i have definitly not had success shopping thru there, a normal google search has proven to be more efficient.. at least for me lol
 
I've never heard anyone on any forum knock electronic ballasts for having lower lumen output, and I get around.

In fact, electronic ballasts *increase* your lumens. The manufacturer's claim up to 20-30%.

When I switched from my older coil ballasts to electronic, I noticed an increase in lumens, and so did my plants ;).

Most of them, including my two Galaxy and one Lumatek, also switch automatically from HPS to MH, which is very cool.

They soft-start when they fire up bulbs, and drive the bulbs at much higher, more stable frequencies, so your bulbs last a long longer also.

They're *completely silent* , which is very important to me.

They don't get as hot as coil ballasts.

They eliminate flicker.

They're lighter and smaller.

At 250 and 400w, if you use Froogle, they cost the same or less than coil ballasts.

I've used all kinds of bulbs in my electronic ballasts and no shrapnel yet, and if this was a widespread issue, we would have heard a lot more about it, certainly on this and the other forums I frequent.


but let me tell you how I really feel about it, lol


Nice setup bro!

Great bubbles!

You are correct there, I should re-word that. The reduced lumens come from having the lamp wear out from the extreme vibrations of the high frequency, but that only happens over time. Sunpulse bulbs only experience i think a 5% reduction in output at 1/2 of their life, much less than regular bulbs in electronic ballasts

Thanks for the compliments on the bubbles - I certainly pay for it in noise w/ magnetic piston pump :p

Eballasts are great, but not perfect yet, but alot of that has to do with the bulbs available in my opinion. It is certianly easier to repair a magnetic style ballast too. I'm in a situation where i'm paying about 450$CAD to have one shipped from the next province, just so I have a reliable source for a replacement if it goes. In truth, i'd be farked if the ballast blew mid grow, and i've invested way too much to have that happen, but i'm feeling more confident with Sunpulse.
 
I have a 600w quantum digital dimmable, nothing but good things to say. runs cool, quiet, and dimming it down really helps when i want to do some pruning or something. plus. . . where i have it, it's good to be able to turn it down.

gl man.
 
You are correct there, I should re-word that. The reduced lumens come from having the lamp wear out from the extreme vibrations of the high frequency, but that only happens over time. Sunpulse bulbs only experience i think a 5% reduction in output at 1/2 of their life, much less than regular bulbs in electronic ballasts

As far as I know, the "extreme vibration" or much higher frequency, is exactly what makes the bulbs last longer than in magnetic ballasts, besides the soft-start feature.

Thanks for the compliments on the bubbles - I certainly pay for it in noise w/ magnetic piston pump :p

check these out, they are completely submersible, draw air from an external hose, and are quiet.

Ario Aerator

It is certianly easier to repair a magnetic style ballast too. I'm in a situation where i'm paying about 450$CAD to have one shipped from the next province, just so I have a reliable source for a replacement if it goes. In truth, i'd be farked if the ballast blew mid grow, and i've invested way too much to have that happen, but i'm feeling more confident with Sunpulse.

I understand. I also have to work within my circumstances and geography.
 
The words "Sun Pulse" are coming up too often in this thread for my comfort.

Well that - to me - is what digital ballasts are all about. I wouldn't use one otherwise. I have access to Ushio bulbs as well which are supposed to work nicely in digital ballasts as well, but I like the idea of the color adjusted MH bulb.

There is very little info here about them, and everything i've read, people say they're great. There are alot of traditionalists in pot growing i've come to learn, which is fine, but i'd like my thread to be a place for free exchange of information. I'll also be sure to provide as much info about the bulb/ballast combo as possible.

Sorry to make you uncomfortable :ganjamon: lol

I appreciate your input greatly, especially the pump - I have never seen anything like that before - it may be a good solution for my mother plants.

Also about the lamps - the higher frequency is harder on the bulbs, it's been that way for a while from what I understand. Cheaper bulbs are made with cheaper materials that wear out quicker. especially when you dim them. The more anything moves, the faster it'll wear out :surf:

:thanks:
 
in USD they run APPROX $130 for 600w and $170 for a 1000w. I paid about 200usd to have one shipped to me from in Canada.
 
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