315w CMH. They work fine and dandy.

[Guest b33lz33bub]

I've used Dimlux CMH for my last 2 crops. First was alongside my 240v 600w HPS in parabolics, and this time alongside Dimlux 400v 600 HPS. I am very impressed with the results of the mix, very dense cone shaped buds, super frosty and stinky, and the lower buds are smaller but still very dense, so good light penetration.

The lights are pricey, but they're well made and the light spread from the shade seems very even. I've got the controller which allows you to dim the lights down to 50%, which is useful earlier on in the cycle of if the plants show signs of stress, and it has auto-dim and light shutdown if the temps rise above a set temp.

I'm just cropping now so will see what the gpw turns out as.

[Stoned Whale]

Still putting off buying these due to price mostly.

I have no doubts after all the reports and research they'll perform fantastically with a great spectrum.

Threads like this pushing me towards it quicker, was hoping prices would be dropping by now. £350 for the maxibright at cheapest option still pricey.

Still gonna add one of these before I think about upgrading to 400v ballasts.

[Guest]

Well expensive for what they are when you look at a 750w gavita for 25 booies more,but I'm putting one between my 2 gravita for the flowering phase.

[Mugwuffin]

Got my 400w CMH today! had it up and running on my Lumatek digi for a few hours now, nothing abnormal looks like a fat sodium bulb imo

[lazi]

Nice one Mugwuffin, GE must be better at making a non vibrating bulb than Philips.

Have been thinking about the 315w Maxibrights. The reflector seems to be designed to light up a square grow but good as they are, 315w in 4 foot by 4 seems a big ask. The long American threads have repeated comments about one bulb being ideal for 3 foot by 3. Good news for those with only enough room for a 1 metre square tent.

I've been a 4 by 4 or 4 by 8 grower. Need a rethink if I get Maxibright 315s. 3 x 6 or 6 by 6 maybe.

[Stoned Whale]

There anyone on here using the 630w dual bulb units?

Just been pointed out their available at about 710 Eur for the dimlux unit which seems a good deal compared to most.

Wonder what sort of footprint it can cover...

[Sapo]

Didn't someone mention here 315W for 350? I think you could cover more ground with 2x315W compared to one dualbulb unit .

[Stoned Whale]

Didn't someone mention here 315W for 350? I think you could cover more ground with 2x315W compared to one dualbulb unit .

Yeah I had always been planning on supplementing 600w/1000w bulbs with the 315ws for spectrum etc.

But the 630w unit at about £520 from Europe for the dimlux aswell against the 315w maxibright kit at £350 in the UK still has me considering the dual bulb unit.

Although I do prefer the seperate ballast design of the maxibright, not a fan of the all in one reflector units.

Would do a canopy itself vs just supplementing. Or I could use it in my veg space as an only light, hmm.

Cmon some other manufacturer. Get a 315w set out at £250 and ill buy two straight away

E2a; Dimlux do make those fancy controllers aswell for their ballast. More expense but could always add way down the line. Hmmm some more

Edited January 6, 2016 by Stoned Whale

[Sapo]

Yeah mate makes sense. Didn't know you are planning on supplementing your HPS.

I was thinking 2x 315W would be nice to light 120x240cm, not so sure if that would be the best idea with only one fixture/point of origin for the light.

I'd say it would be overkill for veg, but I don't know how large your veg area is .

Edited January 6, 2016 by Sapo

[Indicaderek]

ANSI codes folks, 'American National Standards Institute', Why?

They have created codes and standards for lamp requirements and ballasts for compatibility purposes, this info can be hard to find as my Lumii Digita ballast does not have any ANSI code info available though it does run regular MH lamps just fine so the following GE brand cmh lamps will work fine at the right wattage, am also running a regular MH lamp atm so I will just have to pester Lumii for more info and cross reference with the lamp manufacturers ANSI codes which are usually in a pdf or product catalogue. Such pdf's should also state if a lamp needs an enclosure or if it can be operated on a regular reflector and the required operating orientation, if unsure bang it in an enclosure as exploding lamps aren't nice!

GE also sometimes list ballast requirements on the lamp packaging. GE lamps from their PDF:

CMH250/U/830/R (Ansi Codes S50/M168 which are standard HPS and MH codes with a lamp ignitor/starter in the ballast iirc)

CMH400/U/830/R (Ansi codes S51/M169 As above just 400w ballast)

High Pressure Sodium
S76 - 35 watt standard HPS
S104 - 50 watt White SON
S68 - 50 watt standard HPS
S62 - 70 watt standard HPS
S105 - 100 watt White SON
S54 - 100 watt standard HPS
S55 - 150 watt (55 volt) standard HPS
S56 - 150 watt (100 volt) standard HPS (European SON/HPS lamps)
S66 - 200 watt standard HPS
S50 - 250 watt standard HPS (some metal halide*)
S51 - 400 watt standard HPS (some metal halide and European metal halide*)
SON AGRO - 430 watt SON
S106 - 600 watt standard HPS
S111 - 750 watt standard HPS
S52 - 1000 watt standard HPS


Metal Halide
M130 - 35/39 watt MH
M110 - 50 watt MH (standard and pulse start)
M85 - 70 watt MH (double-ended and BiPin lamps)
M98 - 70 watt MH (standard, pulse start, and operates some double - ended and BiPin lamps)
M139 - 70 watt MH (ceramic metal halide, some double - ended, and some BiPin lamps)
M90 - 100 watt MH (standard, pulse start, and operates some double - ended lamps)
M91 - 100 watt MH (double-ended and BiPin lamps)
M140 - 100 watt MH (ceramic metal halide, some double - ended, and some BiPin lamps)
M81 - 150 watt MH (double - ended and BiPin lamps)
M102 - 150 watt MH (standard, pulse start, and operates some double - ended and BiPin lamps)
M142 - 150 watt MH (ceramic metal halide, some double - ended, and some BiPin lamps)
M107 - 150 watt MH (energy saving probe start / Replaces 175 watt probe start lamps)
M137 - 175 watt MH (pulse start and some European lamps*)
M57 - 175 watt MH (standard probe start and some high pressure sodium lamps*)
M58 - 250 watt MH (standard probe start and some high pressure sodium lamps*)
M80 - 250 watt MH (double-ended and some European lamps*)
M138 - 250 watt MH (pulse start and some European bulbs*)
M59 - 400 watt MH (standard probe start and some high pressure sodium lamps*)
M135 - 400 watt MH (pulse start and some European lamps*)
M128 - 400 watt MH (pulse start lamps)
M47 - 1000 watt MH (standard probe start and some high pressure sodium lamps*)
M141 - 1000 watt MH (pulse start, double ended, and operates some European lamps)
M48 - 1500 watt MH (probe start lamps)
M133 - 1500 watt MH (pulse start, double-ended and some European lamps)
M134 - 2000 watt MH (pulse start - double-ended lamps)
*Note: Conversion bulbs

Also note there is a new designation which is missing from this list so instead of M141 for a MH lamp you may see C141 for a CMH lamp, seems this has been a standard for CMH lamps since around 2012, I cannot however be certain if the 'M and C' prefix is interchangeable. Sorry about the coloured text but its a copy paste and am too lazy to mess around with it.

In short if the ballast and lamp codes match there should not be any issues and my own experiences bear this out regards regular MH lamps, the hard bit is finding the darn codes for a given lamp and ballast.

E2a: @@LovinTheBeans I got that ballast, though I can't find the ansi code for that lamp or our ballast, you will need an enclosure to run that lamp, from the lamp manufacturers PDF:

Information on luminaire design Ballasts ConstantColor™ CMH lamps in this datasheet are designed to operate from the same ballast impedance as conventional High Pressure Sodium systems. The use of thermal protection or ballast protection is good practice for these lamps. This safety device will protect the circuit at end of lamp life should partial rectification occur due to electrode imbalance or arc tube failure. This requirement applies to both ceramic and quartz arc tube metal halide lamps as well as high performance High Pressure Sodium Lamps.

The lumii Digita ballast does have a few caveats listed in your manual inside the front cover 'Rectification - A Warning' with regards to end of lamp life and warranty etc.

Check those PDF's gents.

Edited January 26, 2016 by distracted

[Mugwuffin]

@@Mugwuffin I have a 600W Lumii Digita Ballast which is switchable from 400W / 400W + boost / 600W / 600W + boost.... Is this the same ballast as you? What CMH bulb specifically could I attach to this?

@@LovinTheBeans na Lumatek are a different brand, but I don't see why not, that's the exact bulb I have I posted the PDF data sheet on it on page 1.

Edited January 26, 2016 by distracted

[GSZZ]

Nice one Mugwuffin, GE must be better at making a non vibrating bulb than Philips.

Have been thinking about the 315w Maxibrights. The reflector seems to be designed to light up a square grow but good as they are, 315w in 4 foot by 4 seems a big ask. The long American threads have repeated comments about one bulb being ideal for 3 foot by 3. Good news for those with only enough room for a 1 metre square tent.

I've been a 4 by 4 or 4 by 8 grower. Need a rethink if I get Maxibright 315s. 3 x 6 or 6 by 6 maybe.

I'm running 4 in a 1.2 x 2.4 and it just about works, however the .2m around the edges it really shows, the reflectors are bottlenecking the whole light IMO. If you're handy I would just rewire the socket onto a better reflector - I feel If I was using 4 hortilux luminaires I wouldn't be having the same problem as I am having now with the maxibrights - thats my only gripe so far though, I haven't been disappointed with growth/buds/yields and certainly not the quality.

Well expensive for what they are when you look at a 750w gavita for 25 booies more,but I'm putting one between my 2 gravita for the flowering phase.

They are dear mate but the difference between supplemented weed/all full spectrum weed and just HPS weed is quite significant imo, plus I'd have it on all the way through veg as the plants grow a bit different with some 'sunlight' in there, I prefer it as the grow more like bushes rather than the typical christmas tree shape.

e2a

There anyone on here using the 630w dual bulb units?

Just been pointed out their available at about 710 Eur for the dimlux unit which seems a good deal compared to most.

Wonder what sort of footprint it can cover...

e2a

The maxibright twin unit they say covers 1.5 x 1.5 which fucks me off, the single reflector should've just been one of the doubles but without two sockets on it!!

Edited January 6, 2016 by Golden Syrup

[wotnwhy]

I'm running my Dimlux 630 in a 2x1m space. Covers it perfectly. When opened out to 2.8x1.5m you could see it wasn't lighting up the edges too well. Amazingly though, it covered the space BETTER than my two 80cm parabolics (4&600w).

I think yield is up, too. But I run perpetual and have so many variables it would be impossible to tell for sure.

I got mine for £500 from a German site. Roughly same price as the 315 is in the UK. Relative bargain!

[Sapo]

I thought I've lost all of my older tech CMH pics since I've lost pretty much all pics two years ago, but I've stumbled upon some .

So here's some proof pudding. Shopping mall lights work . Even 100% Sativas like them.

[lazi]

I'm running 4 in a 1.2 x 2.4 and it just about works, however the .2m around the edges it really shows, the reflectors are bottlenecking the whole light IMO. If you're handy I would just rewire the socket onto a better reflector - I feel If I was using 4 hortilux luminaires I wouldn't be having the same problem as I am having now with the maxibrights - thats my only gripe so far though, I haven't been disappointed with growth/buds/yields and certainly not the quality.

GS, in your experience with the Maxibright single bulb reflector, is it good to cover 3 foot by 3?