My Idea for grow lights...

[murihikukid]

Hi....Today I purchased 4 x HPS lights complete with ballasts and housings so I have lights everywhere ...but they were all bought at a price that could be more than recovered at any time ...I also have at least another ten (12V rail 47A ) PSU's that I can buy?? I wonder if they could be valuable to me for LED's later ?

Cheers Ron

[murihikukid]

Hi..I am back and think I have had some luck buying some lights which could be very useful in next seasons Greenhouse
I bought a 4 light fitting for a few dollars and I have posted photos of my 4 x HPS Lights (only one bulb that looks as if it may go ) but in beautifully made stainless steel housings..and I presume the ballast is in the housing beside the bulb housing...I was told and I believe they are worth a lot of money but I think I got them very cheaply so I am happy....
I have attached photos..of course they will all be cleaned and sterilized before I decide what to do with them....
I am of course very interested in any opinion and advice with these...EG Do I buy special grow light bulbs....

Thanks Ron NZ

[Worth1]

A lot of people use High Pressure Sodium alone.
The SHP threw me off for a bit.

Worth

[Cole_Robbie]

Yeah, that's confusing. UHP is ultra high pressure. They are mercury vapor. From what I am reading, there are also mercury vapor bulbs labelled SHP, for super high pressure. However, this particular product does look to be HPS.

Here is an example of a bulb that would fit in it and is made for growing plants:
http://www.luxlight.de/en/sylvania-s...0w-grolux.html

[murihikukid]

Worth1...Hi...You are apparantly a man of infinate wisdom...so I hope you do not mind me asking a question ...To create heat in the bottom of my "Freezer" plant cubicles I have 4 light sockets for Ceramic heat bulbs although I think 2 bulbs will be sufficient....I am wondering if I should have these directed at say Alloy trays/plate ...My thinking for this is that the heat bulb would spread the heat across the bottom of the freezer more evenly via the heating of the alloy plate and not directly at my plant pots which would be on a rack just above the alloy plate..The heat will be controled by thermostat ...
Cole Robbie..Thankyou for your reply....Again I have a question ...I see that the bulbs are 250W..is this a fixed wattage or can one use a higher wattage bulb or is this determined by the ballast ....So much to learn??... Regards Ron

[Cole_Robbie]

Wattage is normally determined by ballast. There are some new grow light ballasts that allow you to run both HPS and Halide, or even use different wattage bulbs, but those are specialty products.

[murihikukid]

Hi..Thanks..Thats a real nuisance ..I unscrewed the top off the bulb housing to take photos and noted that the bulbs were 250W ...I then checked HPS lights on Google and found a range of watts available and then I realised I had never even thought about the ballast being limited..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-cvjyaYSfs

On checking Google I came across a YouTube video where a 600W @ 500W is setup using two 250W Ballasts??

Anyway I see the SHP=TS 250W Grolux produces a lot of Low Kelvin so I presume one could use my 4 units with these bulbs ?? (have not found a price yet ) and supplement with some mid and high K CFL or LED bulbs..
Cheers Ron

[Worth1]

I am a little lost on the freezer plant cubicle and heat.
Worth

[murihikukid]

Hi Don't worry I will post a picture tomorrow .....Cheers Ron

[murihikukid]

Hi...I have been studying the HPS lights,their cost and where the bulbs can be purchased ... on Ebay...The USA growbulbs are not expensive til one sees the shipping which can be 10 times the bulb cost making them well out of my price range so its back to China/Hong Kong bulbs probably not as good but at least they have Free Shipping...

I only have 4 of the housings with ballasts and it would seem they would not provide enough illumination (1000W) for a 4 x 5 metre greenhouse....although I understand they will give me red light (2100K) and I could boost the overall light by using some mid K and blue light...

I presume I just try it out and hope for the best ...I still have several months before my greenhouse gets replanted and I may find more .....plus maybe the sun will shine next season..Regards Ron

[murihikukid]

Hi..I have used an electric Blanket but do not know where to put the thermometer??Cheers

[Cole_Robbie]

Put it as close as you can to the plants, I would guess.

You've got the right idea using wire nuts to connect those wires. But you should really wrap the connections in black vinyl electrical tape, on top of the wire nuts. That keeps the nut from falling off if it comes loose. It also helps to not catch on you as you move around it, and it protects against moisture, too.

[Worth1]

And by all means make sure the lights are grounded you dont want to turn a hobby into an electrocution.

Worth

[loulac]

If you use an electric blanket (heating mat) you obviously need a thermostat, see WH 7016 series on ebay. You bury the temperature sensor in the seedling mix.
As for air temperature, any thermometer will be OK, you will have to lift the lights or add a fan if it's too hot.

[murihikukid]

Thanks everybody....I took all my plastic plant trays out (and the plants ) and put an electric blanket across the rails that go side to side to support my plants I then put polystyrene boxes on the electric blanket (to lift the Plant trays closer to the lights ) and put my trays and plants back in ....I then hung ordinary blankets round the freezer shell ..I have now got the air temp up to 60 F ...its still not high enough but I could try moving the electric blanket to on top of the polystyrene boxes which means my plastic trays holding my planter pots would be sitting directly on the electric blanket .Goodness knows what the temperature was before I did this..and that is why no doubt my plants were not showing much growth in the last 2 weeks....

Now I am cold !!!! cause the lights were keeping the house warm and now the heat is being trapped but of course my tomatoes come first...

Now I do not know the rules very well ....I could attach photos but these photos are already up on another forum and I do not want to be a problem...So I will give the link and if anybody wants to see what I am up to ..its all there....including my latest larger freezer ...which is for the plants now growing to be transplanted to in far larger pots..

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...978#post562978

It started with my joining and seeking advice on growing laterals???and then moved on??

If anybody does go to the page above I would be grateful knowing if i have hung the temperature guage in the right place....Its circled in one of the photos ....

My latest freezer will have 2 x 100w ceramic heat bulbs wired via a STC-1000 Thermostat (very similar to a WH 7016 ) and I will ensure they are in a position not too affect the freezer lining.....I am hoping two will be good enough to supply warmth in the bottom of the freezer and whether a good idea or not I am seriously thinking of putting an alloy/plastic composite cover on the freezer top ....it will have holes cut out to enable each of my stainless steel planter "pots" to drop through individual holes and rest on the rails.....My reason for this is to keep most of the warmth in the freezer round the planter drums (which by the way have small holes in their sides because they are washing machine drums) so the warmth will get right in where the roots are ....and hopefully will use less electricity with a cover....

Neighbours and Gardening centres think I am crazy but I welcome any criticism or ideas that may help me move onwards...and yes my HPS lights etc will be used if I get bulbs...along with a lot of CFL bulbs..

Regards Ron NZ..