Need help switching to CMH please.

I run a CMH in a 4x4 tent - the ballast is outside of the tent. Temps are usually ~5 degrees above outside the tent with my 4" ac infinity fan at setting 4 or 5 out of 8. For me thats usually high 70s in the tent, so very manageable. First run with this set up has gone very smoothly aside from one issue I had with an oscillating fan that was too intense and caused wind burn. I think if I did LEDs I would have to have a small heater to keep the tent in the ideal ~80 degree range.
Outside the tent??? I'm listening...
 

Gentlemancorpse

Cannabis Chaotician
Staff member
Moderator
Ceramic MH 315w Low Profile Stealth Package is what I have. The ballast is connected to the fixture /hood with a long cable so I keep it outside the tent to help with temps :)
Damn, that looks exactly like my sun system but with the ballast separated. Wonder if they learned a lesson from my design lol. Either way, I wish I had that one instead!

Outside the tent??? I'm listening...

I'm fairly certain you can separate the ballast from the hood and socket on the ones we have as well, but the cords aren't very long. I've considered moving the ballast out of the tent as well. It throws as much heat as the bulb itself.
 

Gentlemancorpse

Cannabis Chaotician
Staff member
Moderator
I run a CMH in a 4x4 tent - the ballast is outside of the tent. Temps are usually ~5 degrees above outside the tent with my 4" ac infinity fan at setting 4 or 5 out of 8. For me thats usually high 70s in the tent, so very manageable. First run with this set up has gone very smoothly aside from one issue I had with an oscillating fan that was too intense and caused wind burn. I think if I did LEDs I would have to have a small heater to keep the tent in the ideal ~80 degree range.
And that's the problem I have with the LEDs. Our winters are so cold I struggle to keep the canopy tents high enough under just QBs without the space heater
 

thenotsoesoteric

American Ninja
This information would have been useful to me last year. I thought it was good to be under 80. Weed was shit lol
I feel you man. I had bad luck with my leds last year when I ran them with ac on. This year I said fuck the ac and let's see what they do. Plants didn't bat an eye at temps over 90f in flower.

The cmh will give you great results so you'll be all good now!
 
I feel you man. I had bad luck with my leds last year when I ran them with ac on. This year I said fuck the ac and let's see what they do. Plants didn't bat an eye at temps over 90f in flower.

The cmh will give you great results so you'll be all good now!
The thing is the flowers looked healthy but they took a nose dive in the potency category. I was using a fsgtek 1500w super cheapo. I'll save it now for male plants when I want them. Also the 2×3 tent.
 

Ramblinrose

In Bloom
And that's the problem I have with the LEDs. Our winters are so cold I struggle to keep the canopy tents high enough under just QBs without the space heater
Yup, even in the summer my basement is low 70s. Tent with cmh is like 78 max. Leds are doing a lot of good stuff, but the cmh is so simple to work with and seems to do really well. I considered supplementing the sides with led bars, but for now am very satisfied with the one 315 in the 4x4.
 

JL2G

Jesse Loves 2 Grow
Staff member
Moderator
Q-36 Space Modulator
HIGHly recommend the CMH, has that nice warm glow the girlies seem to love. Seems to add a degree of extra frostieness imho.
20200428_200124.jpg
I'm pretty sure I have the same 315 sunsystem CMH that @Gentlemancorpse has. I run mine between a 480 watt qb light, and a 260 watt qb on the other side, currently covering a 4 x 6 area in a 4x8.5 room.
Does pretty dang well for me, I keep em about 2 ft or a bit more off canopy, and the room runs about 90 during the summer days.
This is an older pic where I had a 480 watt cob light in there too.
20200711_153244.jpg
Rooms been changed up since then, but the CMH is still kept center of room so everyone gets some of that warm happy glow. ???
 
HIGHly recommend the CMH, has that nice warm glow the girlies seem to love. Seems to add a degree of extra frostieness imho.
View attachment 81594
I'm pretty sure I have the same 315 sunsystem CMH that @Gentlemancorpse has. I run mine between a 480 watt qb light, and a 260 watt qb on the other side, currently covering a 4 x 6 area in a 4x8.5 room.
Does pretty dang well for me, I keep em about 2 ft or a bit more off canopy, and the room runs about 90 during the summer days.
This is an older pic where I had a 480 watt cob light in there too.
View attachment 81593
Rooms been changed up since then, but the CMH is still kept center of room so everyone gets some of that warm happy glow. ???
Good to hear from you again. I got an off-brand 315w but it's going to be the best I've used. The Phillip's bulb alone is worth more than what I spend on an led fixture lol. Also it's encouraging to know I can keep the plants at 80-90° without needing to stress about it.
 

JL2G

Jesse Loves 2 Grow
Staff member
Moderator
Q-36 Space Modulator
Good to hear from you again. I got an off-brand 315w but it's going to be the best I've used. The Phillip's bulb alone is worth more than what I spend on an led fixture lol. Also it's encouraging to know I can keep the plants at 80-90° without needing to stress about it.
Been a busy summer here, taking advantage of all the outdoorsy stuff to do. Loving all this nice weather, and enjoying life. Plants are doing the same only indoors. Lol.
Phillips is hands down the best bulb imho.
I've had plenty of days this summer that the room would get into the mid to high 90's. Long as I kept em watered they didn't seem to mind it at all.
 
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