# how do you build a small hps lite



## mcfly (Oct 16, 2009)

i cant find a hps lite without the store people telling me that i cant have that lite inside.so i can i get or build a hps lite.im only growing one or two plants.


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## 4u2sm0ke (Oct 16, 2009)

look  for  *potbelly*....he  has  a  diy  70watt  HPS  ..I  dont  care  for  the  search  engine  here....and find  that  if  ya  look  at  bottom  of  page..it  has  some  simmular  threads  that  sometimes  help...and  dont  listen  to  store  people  when it  comes  to  growing  MJ..:rofl:

Hope  this  helps..take  care  and  be safe




found  link  to  his  thread..im  looking  for  the  how  to  for  yo:aok:

http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23329


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## eastla_kushsmoka (Oct 16, 2009)

good little light.. or go on ebay you'll find something you like for a good price

hxxp://4hydroponics.com/lighting/sunSystemHPS150.asp[/URL]


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## Kim Jong ILL (Oct 16, 2009)

Also, if you are looking for CHEAP and I mean CHEAP magnetic ballasts..check out 1000bulbs.com (70W ballast is $21.95 USD there, 400W HPS is like $70US). 


There are threads around (not sure if they are here too) to convert small security lights from hardware stores to grow lights.


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## 4u2sm0ke (Oct 16, 2009)

yes  *Kim  *im  looking  for  that  one..i  cant  seem to  find  was  made  into  cool  tube  as  well...I  know  its in PotBelly  thread..maybe  he  says in there...Happy  reading:ciao:


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## mcfly (Oct 21, 2009)

if im only growing one or two bagseed plants will i need a hps lite.rite now i have them under 100watt cfl/1400lumens lights


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## The Hemp Goddess (Oct 22, 2009)

mcfly said:
			
		

> if im only growing one or two bagseed plants will i need a hps lite.rite now i have them under 100watt cfl/1400lumens lights



You will either need a HPS or a whole bunch more CFLs--I would go with a small HPS.  Why are you telling the sales people that you are going to use the light inside?  They don't need to know anything.  How big is your space?  That determines the size of light you need.

I made a respectable cool tube setup with 2 150W HPS yard lights I got at a yard sale.


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## mcfly (Oct 26, 2009)

The Hemp Goddess said:
			
		

> You will either need a HPS or a whole bunch more CFLs--I would go with a small HPS. Why are you telling the sales people that you are going to use the light inside? They don't need to know anything. How big is your space? That determines the size of light you need.
> 
> I made a respectable cool tube setup with 2 150W HPS yard lights I got at a yard sale.


 

AH wen i ask for that lite they tell me i will need an electric guy cum an hook up the wires.im new 2 this an never heard of that lite


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## DonJones (Oct 27, 2009)

mcfly,

Without a basic electrical and metal working knowledge and experience you have NO business trying to DIY any light system.  It just isn't worth the risk.

Secondly, ask experienced people to help you like here.  There are a couple of threads here in the DIY forum to read before you start anything.  Most of them can be adapted up or down in size.  I build a couple of reflectors for use with my commercial 400 MHs that I also remote ballasted.  I used Taters thread basically but surprisingly enough I found out that my commercial vertical square reflectors were more efficient and were cooler under neath where the plants are than the horizontal cool tube style but I haven't figured out how to cool them.   I think I'm going to just go back to the commercial style and worry about keeping the room cool instead of trying to cool the room and lights separately.


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## PUFF MONKEY (Oct 27, 2009)

your best bet for 2 plants is a cheap 400w switching ballast...usually found online very cheap


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## The Hemp Goddess (Oct 27, 2009)

mcfly said:
			
		

> AH wen i ask for that lite they tell me i will need an electric guy cum an hook up the wires.im new 2 this an never heard of that lite



These type of lights do not have cords as they are generally hard wired in.  If you are not capable of attaching a cord to a light, you should buy a "plug and go" light--a system that has everything all inclusive and all you need to do is to plug it into a wall outlet.  You will most likely need to go to a hyudro place or buy on line.

It can be hard to set up a grow if you do not some basic DIY skills and basic tools.  You are going to need ventilation, which will require drilling or cutting fairly large holes.  Many fans come without wall outlets like the yard lights we were talking about.  What are your plans for taking care of things like this?


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## DonJones (Oct 28, 2009)

mcfly,
First a late WELCOME TO THE FORUM, better late than never.  Now on to my advice for your situation.

Check The Hemp Goddess's post in this section entitled My DIY 150 watt cool tubes ( the link is on her signature and see what it tells you.

Like she said, it is real difficult to grow without a certain amount of do it yourself skills, especially hooking up electrical system unless you want to pay through the nose at the hydro shop, and fabricating grow rooms or controlling the temp, humidity and air flow in your grow area.  Even if you can control the temp and humidity internally, yo are still going to need a lot fresh air in and stale air out to have good results growing.

If you live in an area where growing is illegal or the risk of thieves is high, then you are especially going to need to be able to do these things for yourself.

Good luck and don't hesitate to ask for advice here on the forums.


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## mcfly (Nov 3, 2009)

The Hemp Goddess said:
			
		

> These type of lights do not have cords as they are generally hard wired in. If you are not capable of attaching a cord to a light, you should buy a "plug and go" light--a system that has everything all inclusive and all you need to do is to plug it into a wall outlet. You will most likely need to go to a hyudro place or buy on line.
> 
> It can be hard to set up a grow if you do not some basic DIY skills and basic tools. You are going to need ventilation, which will require drilling or cutting fairly large holes. Many fans come without wall outlets like the yard lights we were talking about. What are your plans for taking care of things like this?


 
thk you.im very new to this and i keep hearing diff. ways to grow so right now im very confuse.will i really need a hps lite if its only two plants im growing.i only ask cause i was told you wont need it for a small plant amount.same as i heard i wont need a vent.cause its only two plants.please help.


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## mcfly (Nov 5, 2009)

The Hemp Goddess said:
			
		

> These type of lights do not have cords as they are generally hard wired in. If you are not capable of attaching a cord to a light, you should buy a "plug and go" light--a system that has everything all inclusive and all you need to do is to plug it into a wall outlet. You will most likely need to go to a hyudro place or buy on line.
> 
> It can be hard to set up a grow if you do not some basic DIY skills and basic tools. You are going to need ventilation, which will require drilling or cutting fairly large holes. Many fans come without wall outlets like the yard lights we were talking about. What are your plans for taking care of things like this?


 
i was told i didnt need a ventilation cause im growing a very small amount.i do have a fan blowing on dem now:watchplant:


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## DonJones (Nov 5, 2009)

mcfly,

The number of plants makes NO difference on what type of light you need.  What determines that is what kind of yield and quality do you want.  To maximize either, much less both you are going to need a lot of light and in both the cool white spectrum for vegging and in the warm white spectrum for flowering.You can spend a lot on special grow spectrum flour lights, either T5s or CFLs in both of the spectrums or you can get a small switchable HID ballast and use a metal halide to veg and a high pressure sodium to flower.

On the issue of ventilation, the main factor is hot hot it gets in your area, not how many plants you have.  Even with just one plant you have to ventilate enough to keep fresh CO2 rich air on the plant and to get rid of the stale O2 rich air.  Plants are just the opposite from us, they breathe in CO2 and breathe out O2.

Do you understand or did I just confuse you more.


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## smokingjoe (Nov 5, 2009)

McFly,

As a side not to all of the great advice above/below, consider hunting around for second hand hydro gear.  It is practically worthless once used.  Just be sure to clean everything thoroughly.


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## DonJones (Nov 6, 2009)

Since smokingjoe brought up the subject of hydro, if you only want to grow a couple of plants, you might want to consider either Irish's 5 gallon DWC  or my 5 gallon WaterFarm system, both of which are posted in this DIY forum.  They are simple, inexpensive and fairly compact.  As inexpensive and as easy as they are to build, I wouldn't mess around with used stuff, especially if you are only interested in a couple of plants.  How ever for a larger setup, going with used is a good option, but remember there is a reason why it isn't being used anymore and you may spend more time and money trouble shooting it than it is worth.

If anyone is interested, I can show you how to build a simple, inexpensive bed in just a couple of hours and you can run almost any kind of hydro -- DWC, Ebb & Flo, Drip ring, aeroponics, etc -- that you want with it. 

Getting back to the light issue, you are still going ot need the proper lighting to get the best results.  My son and I are running nearly identical operations only he has a mixture of MH & HPS lighting in the flower room and he consistently gets between 5 and 15% better yield and better potency than I get with my MH only.  We use clones of of the same mothers, the same nutes, the same soil and the same feed schedule with lighting being the only difference and he always out performs me.

Good smoking! Just keep on keeping on and you will be there.


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## mcfly (Nov 6, 2009)

DonJones said:
			
		

> Since smokingjoe brought up the subject of hydro, if you only want to grow a couple of plants, you might want to consider either Irish's 5 gallon DWC or my 5 gallon WaterFarm system, both of which are posted in this DIY forum. They are simple, inexpensive and fairly compact. As inexpensive and as easy as they are to build, I wouldn't mess around with used stuff, especially if you are only interested in a couple of plants. How ever for a larger setup, going with used is a good option, but remember there is a reason why it isn't being used anymore and you may spend more time and money trouble shooting it than it is worth.
> 
> If anyone is interested, I can show you how to build a simple, inexpensive bed in just a couple of hours and you can run almost any kind of hydro -- DWC, Ebb & Flo, Drip ring, aeroponics, etc -- that you want with it.
> 
> ...


THK YOU soooooo much i understand wat your saying.can you help me with myother issues


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## DonJones (Nov 6, 2009)

mcfly,

I'll try but what other issues are you talking about?


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## The Hemp Goddess (Nov 6, 2009)

DonJones said:
			
		

> Getting back to the light issue, you are still going ot need the proper lighting to get the best results.  My son and I are running nearly identical operations only he has a mixture of MH & HPS lighting in the flower room and he consistently gets between 5 and 15% better yield and better potency than I get with my MH only.  We use clones of of the same mothers, the same nutes, the same soil and the same feed schedule with lighting being the only difference and he always out performs me.
> 
> Good smoking! Just keep on keeping on and you will be there.



It gets down to lumens--MH do not put out nearly as many lumens as a HPS of equal wattage.  For instance, a 1000W MH puts out about 85,000 lumens, a 1000W HPS puts out about 140000 lumens.


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## mcfly (Nov 6, 2009)

DonJones said:
			
		

> mcfly,
> 
> I'll try but what other issues are you talking about?


i have 3 plants my plants r a month now an im noticing alot of my tips on the plants r turning brown.an my plant is not dark green its light green.i put my nutrients in yest.im wondering why this is happening


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## DonJones (Nov 6, 2009)

THG,

I though it was both the difference in light spectrums in addition to the lumens (brightness).


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## DonJones (Nov 6, 2009)

mcfly,

It would be very helpful if you could post some pictures so we could see what you are talking about.  

How far are the tops of your plants from the light?  If they are too close  they will burn.  The general rule of thumb is you should be able to put your hand on the top of the plant and hold it there without your hand getting uncomfortably hot.

As to the pale/light green color, I know Nitrogen starvation will cause that and I think not enough light contributes to it too.  Go to the Cultivation>sick plants>troubleshooting links and check that out.  If you don't find any help there,I think I have some articles/charts on what diferent things are caused by that I could PM to you.

It will also help if you tell us what nutes you are using, how much, how often, what medium are you growing it, what variety/strain of plants you have, what is your light cycle and the temps in your grow area.

Good smoking.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Nov 6, 2009)

DonJones said:
			
		

> THG,
> 
> I though it was both the difference in light spectrums in addition to the lumens (brightness).



Probably, but I have seen some grows done entirely with MH that resulted in little stretch and incredibly dense tight nuggy buds.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Nov 6, 2009)

Have you checked your pH?


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## mcfly (Nov 6, 2009)

The Hemp Goddess said:
			
		

> Have you checked your pH?


 
yes i did it reads alil over 7.but i thks it broken.i have the moist/ph/light reader an it reads 7 for everythg.going to buy a soil test kit 2morrow.


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## mcfly (Nov 6, 2009)

DonJones said:
			
		

> mcfly,
> 
> It would be very helpful if you could post some pictures so we could see what you are talking about.
> 
> ...


 
i have one lite about 1.5in away, an i have 2 lites about 2in away on another plant thats alil bigger than the one with one lite. The lites i used are 100watts=1400lumens cfls.i noticed it for about a wek already.one plant is one month,and the other one is just a week under a month.im using fafard soil.an my nut.is vigoro all purpose plant food24-8-16.i just put nut.in this week for the first time.i have them in a 10gallon tote bin with a fan blowing on top.i water dem twice a week.the temps stay around 75-68.i dont have alot of room that why i choose a tote bin.im still trying to figure out how to get fresh air on dem,because of the limited of space.my light are on 18/6 cyclethe seeds i use is bagseeds an i dont have access to a web cam or camera at all.
hope i ans.sum of the quest.


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## DonJones (Nov 7, 2009)

mcfly,

Do you have any drain holes in the bottom of the tote bin so it can let water out or does it just sit there and stagnate?  If not, then get some drain holes in it so that you can get the excess water out of the soil and oxygen it.  Over watering or stagnate soil is more of a problem than letting them dry out too much.

I don't know what fafard soil is and I don't know anyone using vigro nutes so I can't help you there. 

Check out the Sick plants section, but my first guess is light starvation.  The standard regardless of the source of light is 5000 per square foot.  Using that standard, all three of your lights put together are even enough for one square foot.  I'm sure that your 2 plants each are bigger than 1 square foot.  You definitely need more light.  Check the LIGHTS forum to see what people who are using CFL's are doing.  If you post your last post under either SICK PLANTS or LIGHTS forums, you will probably get better results.  Most of the people on this forum are looking at the various ways to Do It Yourself so if they aren't interested in trying to build a small HPS they will not even read this thread.

Hopefully this will get you some better information and advice.


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## Growdude (Nov 7, 2009)

:yeahthat:


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## mcfly (Nov 7, 2009)

DonJones said:
			
		

> mcfly,
> 
> Do you have any drain holes in the bottom of the tote bin so it can let water out or does it just sit there and stagnate? If not, then get some drain holes in it so that you can get the excess water out of the soil and oxygen it. Over watering or stagnate soil is more of a problem than letting them dry out too much.
> 
> ...


 
Thk you very much.and yes i have holes that do drain at the bottom


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