HPS Lights

[murihikukid]

OK...Thanks for the info on HPS lights but I am nearly at the stage of Putting up my 250W HPS light fittings in my "living room" greenhouse.....Obviously I cannot raise or lower these and I wonder if being in an enclosure is good for the bulb life....
I wonder how much it would cost just to make the enclosure and I have four? and two 400 lights???

I presume I put them at a height and let them shine down on my plants..... I am sure you will agree It was my lucky day getting these even if they had no bulbs in them although I have only opened one unit to inspect...

I wonder if a slightly better reflector would improve these??

Cheers Ron

[Cole_Robbie]

I would run the light without the glass enclosure around the bulb. The enclosure looks to be weather-proofing, which you don't need indoors. It will be brighter, and it will run a lot cooler.

[dmforcier]

I was just going to write that, but you beat me to it.

[murihikukid]

Yes ..Exactly as I was thinking but being old and dottery its best to make sure ...If I can recall I paid $60 for the four of them ....???? Thanks Ron...

[murihikukid]

Hi..I have a steel Frame now over my Tomatoes for the 250W HPS lights To be hung from...which I hope to put up tomorrow BUT these lights have really big wires coming from them...and I am intending to buy short 10A extension chords ...cutting them in half and wiring the male and female halves into the lights so that they can be disconnected (plugged into each other).....so 4 X lights on the one circuit.... Am I in danger here??
Regards Ron

[Cole_Robbie]

100 watts is roughly 1 amp, so you would be using a 10 amp cord to run 10 amps. It should be ok. Circuits here in the US tend to be 15 amps. I don't know how your house is wired, but I can't imagine a circuit less than 10 amps. Look at the circuit breaker for your house for that room. It probably has a 15 on it, which means you are ok, provided that there are not a lot of other things plugged in to that circuit.

[Worth1]

Is this power 120 or 240?
Never mind I looked it up you guys run 230-240 50Hz.
If that is the case both wires share the load not one so you can get away with smaller wire.
What is the gauge of the wire.?


Worth

[Worth1]

I just did the calculations and each bulb is drawing about 1 amp at 240 volts single phase.
If you guys are on 3 phase it is a little over 1/2 amp.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...pTRuEx4ERdbLqA

[Cole_Robbie]

Listen to Worth. I only understand wiring as it is done here in the US.

[murihikukid]

Hi ..Once again thanks for your wonderful replies...Last night I cleaned the four HPS 250W housings ...I found only two with bulbs ...one bulb that looks alright and another that the E40 turns and white powder is escaping so I presume it has had it...I have already imported 4 New bulbs .....So these will be wired later today and put up ......I was doing some reading also last night and I wonder if I can get my "growroom" more light efficient..

I have 2 x 400W fittings which I understand are for Metal Halide bulbs and I have a lot of fittings/enclosures and the bulbs for 80W Mercury Vapour lights......The HPS at 2100K I know will help my tomatoes Ripen but I feel I might require some bright light IE round 6500K and am wondering if either the Metal Halide and Mercury vapour lights would be any good for this......

I also have a number of ordinary Flouro 5 foot tubes PLUS I have some LED five foot tubes and I have a 6 plus 1 E27 bulb fitting on its way from Newfrog?? so I could put up to 7 CFL bulbs in it .. I have tried to cover my bases for light but of course do not have the required knowledge on how best to employ these....I do understand the kelvin temperature I think?? My plants are now producing very small tomatoes So thats a relief.....Hopefully I am going to get a few years of enjoyment and all year round tomatoes for my effort....Yes it has cost money but at my age achievement is more important...Regards Ron

[Worth1]

One thing the 65k are full spectrum lights on their own and tomatoes dont need light to get ripe.

Worth

[murihikukid]

So they get ripe in the dark?.....Ron..

[murihikukid]

Hi...I have had an accident here and wonder if anybody can advise me on this ...I lost control trying to lift my lights and broke the plastic on what I think is the igniter ...I wonder if I can get away with wrapping some plastic tape round it or something...do they heat up ? if they do plastic tape would not be a good idea ..Thanks Ron

[Worth1]

Yes a tomato will get ripe in the dark.
A lot of these people selling all of these different lights for plants are just how can we say it, (blowing smoke)

I have no idea about the igniter.

But they sell something called high temperature fiber glass tape they use it on stove wiring.


Worth

[dmforcier]

Agreed. Ripening is a chemical process; light has nothing to do with it once it starts. The rest of the plant, OTOH, would like a little food from time to time.


Have you tried lighting these on the ground first? It would be a shame to hang them and then have to take them down again...