Questions about Brand/Price Comparison on Ballasts - Effect on Final Med weight?

[Fryboy]

I am humbly in search of some input concerning a medical garden that I run. I have only 6 years of growing experience and am having some difficulty hitting a weight mark that I used to easily in another garden previously.

I am using HPS lights for the bloom phase and have flowered 3 different 8 week strains in a bi-weekly perpetual harvest structure, over the last 7 months. In the entire time I have not exceeded more than a 1/2 lb grade A per 1000 watt light with their being about 3 or 4 ounces of trim. In the past I have grown about 1lb to 1.25 lb of grade A per 1000 watt light. One of the three strains I am currently growing was the one that I did it with.

The only difference in the two garden situations is lighting equipment-

1) In the heavier yield situation I used sunsystem Magnum xxxl reflectors($215.00ea), lumatek digital ballasts($350ea), and a lumatek brand HPS digital bulb($85).

2) In the current situation I inherited already installed equipment. A Parlux(?) reflective hood ($100) a Parlux(?) magnetic ballast ($100), and a brand unknown 1000 watt Hps bulb that my partner gets for $35 ea.

The parlux hoods are only about 2.5 ft x 2.5 ft square where the Magnums XXXL's were a little over 3 ft x 3 ft square, so that should be having some impact on canopy strength, but half the amount?

Is this a situation where you get what you pay for?

Any input would be appreciated. I'm photographing the space currently and will be posting it to a grow journal. Everything looks healthy and beautiful, well manicured, no bugs or mildew...

 

[Steviodaddio]

Is this a situation where you get what you pay for?

Seems like that's a pretty logical answer in my book! If you've succeeded in 1lb+/1k for years and the only thing that has changed outside of strains is your equipment I'd take a pretty educated guess that it is. I have no experience with magnetic ballasts but from reading and listening, digital ballasts are the way to go by far in comparison. I can't solely see a hood or single bulb entirely changing a +/- half pound situation unless it's not penetrating your canopy for shit. Realistically I have a hard time believing any one piece of equipment would cut your crops by 50% or more, but all 3 as a whole seems more probable. Unless, there's other factors we are unaware of currently. If I may ask, how come you went from higher end stuff to acquiring pre-installed equipment?

 

[Fryboy]

Thank you for responding!

"If I may ask, how come you went from higher end stuff to acquiring pre-installed equipment?"

My two grow situations have so far been done with partners who provided the equipment and financing. The first endeavor/location I was in control of what lighting equipment was purchased and left it there when I moved on. In the second (current) situation/location I "inherited" the hoods and ballasts and my partner purchased the bulbs from the same supplier. All the cheapest import options, I think he has a connection that brings the crap into the country under his own brand name, Parlux. Purchased 12 wall fans from same supplier, 6 have stopped working inside of less than half a year so I'm starting to suspect the lighting equipment may not be much better...

I dont want to think that the equipment has such an impact- I've read/heard the a 1000 watt bulb is a 1000 watt bulb and if all the basic factors are dialed in the yield should be within the same totals. But in 6 months of harvesting I'm running out of things that I think it could be.

I will take some time this weekend to get some photos and other information up so this can be troubleshot a bit further.

Thanks for your time!

 

[Steviodaddio]

Like I said I don't think it's a single unit that's solely affecting your grow, I think it's all three as a whole that you're losing say 5-15% individually and it's totaling up to your loss. Bulbs do have different intensities even when rated at the same, just like ballasts and hoods of the same dimensions/specs. It's just part of mass produced products of supply and demand with cheap and expensive versions. Growershouse, I believe, does a ballast, bulb and hood comparison (2012/2013, not necessarily up to date) but it gives you a good idea what I'm talking about in general! Hopefully if you tried a new setup you'd be back to ship shape. Curious to see some pics though.