Trouble reading today's article? Click here: Issue #162 - Sunday, May 24, 2015 Dear Fellow
Grower, In today's issue... - HPS lights are still our top pick when you're going for all around quality and high
yields! Read below to see why!
- For those who want a bit more info on HPS lights and which one is right you, we've got you covered!
- LEDs strike back! Believe me, this is a top-notch trophy picture section you definitely should not miss!
Nebula Haze & Sirius Fourside (founders of
GrowWeedEasy.com)
"Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains to bring it to light."
~George Washington
5 Reasons HPS Lights Still Dominate! by Sirius Fourside |
High pressure sodium grow lights - frequently referred to as ‘HPS’ grow lights - were invented in the 1960s as an alternative to the then-popular low pressure sodium streetlight.
Not too long after the
invention of HPS lights, some crafty individuals realized that these lights work great for growing cannabis. From that point on, HPS lights have been the dominant force when it comes to lighting for growing cannabis indoors.
Fast-forward to the present day and HPS lights have been in existence for almost 50 years. High pressure sodium lights are still in heavy use in grow rooms and commercial grow operations, but now there are quite a
few alternatives available to grow cannabis besides HPS lights, such as LEDs, CFLs, T5s, CEDs, plasma, and magnetic induction grow lights to name just a few.
We answer quite a few questions from growers who are looking to replace their HPS with the next big thing... but I say, hold on to your HPS! It’s still amazing at what it does!
Believe it or not, HPS lights still
have a lot to offer despite their seemingly old-fashioned technology! In fact, their old-fashioned technology is part of what makes them such great lights! For example, it makes them much more...
Cheap!
|
|
|
High Pressure Sodium grow lights are dirt cheap! Even a higher end HPS system with a name-brand ballast will cost considerably less than an LED grow light of equivalent wattage. Additionally, HPS systems are modular, so if any one part in the system fails (like a bulb) you can replace it without having to pay for a completely new lighting system.
As consumers we’ve all
learned that the cheapness of something can sometimes be an indicator of its low quality, but HPS’ are actually cheap for a pretty good reason. HPS lights have been used heavily in the US as streetlights since the 70s, and the technology used in the streetlights is pretty much identical to the technology contained in HPS grow lights.
So as growers living now, we get to benefit from decades of
refinement in the technology of the actual lights as well as the processes to make them. In short, people (not just growers) have been refining HPS lights for so long that they’ve become extremely cheap to produce by even small companies. More competition and a lower barrier of entry for production means we see lower cost across the board!
Effective at Fast Growth & Big Yields One of the most powerful aspects of the HPS light is how great they are at...well...working! HPS grow lights produce fast growth, fat dense buds and consistently big yields. They efficiently turn electricity into light, and they give off a type/color of light that promotes better flowering. Despite all the newer
types of lights, HPS lights are still easily the most common type of grow light used today, and the majority of commercial grow operations use HPS grow lights for good reason. In fact, HPS lights have such a solid reputation at producing great yields that I can stop pushing the point right now because...
No One Disputes the Effectiveness of HPS Lights High pressure sodium lights are good for growing cannabis. Period.
You’ll find growers
on both sides of the fence when it comes to the performance of LEDs or magnetic induction grow lights. You’ll find growers who think the CFLs aren’t worth the trouble and that the T5 makes them obsolete...or vice versa. You’ll find growers who think that anything but the sun is a joke.
But what you won’t find is a grower who thinks that HPS lights don’t grow great cannabis. A grower might say that
HPS lights run hot, are inefficient or cumbersome, but pretty much everyone agrees that they do a great job and produce great yields.
And consider that this isn’t about some particular company that has mastered the art of making HPS lights. HPS lights have been refined for so long that the technology itself is solid and easy to reproduce no matter who makes the lights.
Scalable Did you know that you can get a 150W HPS? Despite how many grows you’re likely to see utilizing a 1000W HPS light, 1000W is actually way too much for most people! 1000W HPS lights are used so commonly that many growers will start out with them not
realizing how much overkill such a large light can be. In fact, I was considering using 1000W for my first HPS until a helpful person at hydro shop talked me out of it.
Now that I’ve been using 600W HPS light for a number of years, I’ve realized that even this light consistently grows much more bud than Nebula or I can use...all while paying for 60% of the electricity I would have needed for
a 1000W light, and producing 60% of the heat.
Straightforward & Predictable Straightforward and predictable...kinda sounds the same, doesn’t it? Are there grow lights that are complicated and
unpredictable?
Well, yeah! HPS lights are straightforward in that they don’t require extra investigation to find their true wattage; one 600 watt HPS light uses about the same electricity as all other 600 watt HPS lights.
CFLs and LEDs in particular tend to use ‘equivalent wattage’ ratings.
Basically, that means that the wattage advertised is usually not the actual wattage used by the light. Rather, they’re saying that the light is strong as (or equivalent to) a light with the advertised wattage...despite not having that wattage.
It doesn’t mean these products don’t work - I’ve used many CFLs and quite a few LEDs - but at the very least it’s suspicion-inducing. On the plus side, there are more and more honest companies who don’t bother with equivalent wattage and only advertise actual wattage. So how are HPS lights predictable?
First, they’ve been used for so long that they’re a well documented
piece of technology. People have been writing about how to use them for years, and that information hasn't changed.
Secondly, HPS grow lights make light and heat in a predictable fashion which makes them much more intuitive to use than some other lights.
This means that the experience that growers
have with one 400W HPS light will transfer to a different 400W HPS light since they’re essentially the same device. However, a 400W LED from one company can behave very differently from a 400W LED from a different company; a safe distance for one LED panel could toast your leaves with a different panel of equal or even less wattage. There are no standard directions for LEDs. Note: This has a great deal to due with the configuration of the lamp, the size of LED bulbs, as well as the number and
type of lenses used in the LED panel, though these customizations to LED panels can actually be some of their biggest strengths when used properly.
But HPS Lights Still Have Weaknesses… I know I’ve championed HPS grow lights as the
best thing since sliced bread, but we really do feel that they do a phenomenal job at growing cannabis easily, and produce great yields and fat buds. But that doesn’t mean they’re without their faults. Here are of the big problems with using HPS lights:
Needs A Tent Using a tent with your HPS isn’t mandatory, but it will
definitely make for a less frustrating job. Even small HPS lights need a tent or specialized grow space, which isn't a problem for smaller CFLs and LEDs which can fit in more places. If you’re looking for something super stealthy that can be hidden away, HPS lights probably won’t be the answer.
Makes Heat
This one is a bit tricky. HPS lights have a reputation for generating tons of heat that needs to be dealt with. I agree that this is true; HPS lights do make quite a bit of heat which make an exhaust system necessary for
anything over 250w...but it’s not for the reason most people think!
HPS lights aren’t significantly more hot than LEDs or even CFLs by nature; the problem is that most HPS lights use a high amount of wattage. For example, if you set up 400 watts for CFLs in an enclosed space, the temperature will end end up around the same as if you used a 400 watt HPS.
HPS lights are mostly sold in 3 sizes: 400w, 600w, and 1000w; there are lights smaller than these, but they can sometimes be tricky to find. This means that even the smaller end HPS (400 watts) is still producing the same amount of heat as if a growers was using 23 small CFLs(26w), or 4-5 UFO type LED panels.
So in
short, the amount of heat produced per watt used is about the same, but the lower availability of lower wattage HPS lights means growers end up getting bigger lights and thus, more heat.
Tell-Tale Yellow Light The color of light from an HPS is perfect for promoting flowering, but the color is also unmistakable, and that
might be its greatest weakness.
From the outside, a room flooded in CFL light looks a little odd, but it could just be that the person in the room likes a brightly lit environment.
LED light is a bit more suspicious, but not enough to raise an alarm. From the outside, it looks like a
someone is having a little too much fun with a black light. However, HPS light doesn’t leave room for second guessing. When HPS light bleeds out of someone's window, from the outside it looks like the person inside is...growing cannabis! If people can see this light coming from a room, you are
putting yourself at great risk of becoming a target for nosy neighbors or thieves. So when using HPS grow lights, it's important to make a stealthy exhaust so no one outside your home is the wiser.
All that
said, each type of light has its pros and cons, and it’s hard to say that any one type of grow light is definitively better except in the eyes of the person using them. Of course, these are our opinions but we don’t have any objections to be convinced otherwise. Let us know what you think!
Get the Right MH/HPS Grow Light! |
|
So you’re ready to get a HPS grow light? Perhaps you want to add an HPS light to your existing setup, or maybe this is your very first grow light for growing cannabis.
Either way, HPS is a great choice for growing cannabis! These have been considered the “golden standard” for indoor cannabis growing for years, and there’s an abundance of information, guidance and help for MH/HPS growers.
|
|
"Just wanted to give my thanks to where it's due. Your site as been very helpful and informative. I've been doing this for a month now and every bit of info I need I look to your site. Well structured and easy to understand. Love the pictures too. Keep up the good work and here's to a bountiful harvest."
~ S.
Fisher |
Trophy Pictures of the Week! |
"This was my first grow, and I will start off saying I never could have pulled this off without growweedeasy.com and the invaluable information I learned from Miss Haze. Thank you!
This sole surviving [ Heavy Weight ] Massive Midget (AUTO FLOWER) ended up yielding OVER A
POUND of dry bud! (about 19 ozs.)
Four of five seeds germinated, and three were removed because they were showing male traits. I can't comment on the genetics as this was my first grow, and I made PLENTY of mistakes - too numerous to mention LOL. LST was used.
Because of it's large size and being
on the end, I moved it to the center of my grow area, but by cutting my scrog net, the plant almost immediately went crazy into a bush. I then decided to give it ALL 720 (output) watts of my LED's to try and increase yield. I had to angle the side lights because I now had lots of side colas. I even added a few cfls to hit lower buds. Apparently all this worked, but at a high GPW.
I
can't comment on the quality yet, as it is curing, but it has a nice mild citric fruity smell. Also would be a good candidate for stealth, as it has fairly low odor.
My hydro system is: - Three -3 1/2gal pots in a 15 gal. recirculating system (water chilled 62-64 deg. F.)
- Three- Ares 51 W-100's (5 watt Cree XTE Warm White 3750k)
- Three- China broad spectrum UFOs ( 140 output watts each)
Although the performance of both lights are good, I prefer the A-51's as they run cooler, quieter, and are much easier to manipulate.
I will also add that LED's are NOT cool when using multiple lights resulting in high output wattage ( 600 "output" watts of LED,s will give off the same amt. of heat as a 600 watt MH bulb). I continually battled high heat almost the entire grow.
I used GH trio fertilizer along with liquid Karma and hydro guard.
Not sure if hydro guard would have been necessary since my water was chilled.
I used grow stones for medium (liked, and will use again).
Comments: - No one has an ( Auto flower) feeding schedule for circulating hydro systems? I was
continually needing to remove excess nutes from the system, resulting in a lot of waste.
- LED lighting hotter than expected.
- Will not let rapid rooters stay as wet next grow, as I think I water logged the seeds. I will also start the (autos) in the final pots as they shock too easy when transplanting.
- As you stated in a previous article, Autos are more stressful
to grow. But, for me it is worth it, as I ended up doing an open grow due to my high temp. issues. And, I didn't have to ever change my 18/6 timer, or worry about light leakage etc."
-Aticgrow |
We encourage you to forward this email to a friend in need!
Who Runs This
Newsletter? |
Nebula Haze:
Medical cannabis is important to me personally, and I'm dedicated to showing others how easy it is to grow their own supply of
cannabis at home.
It is my mission to educate and build growing resources to help both new and advanced growers get bigger, better yields with less time and money. |
|
Learn which seed sources are personally recommended by Nebula Haze |
Sirius Fourside:
Sirius Fourside is a hobbyist grower who has gained the bulk of his experience growing in water as a medium(deep water culture,
bubbleponics).
"Growing cannabis is a relaxing hobby in and of itself, but it also saves you money and keeps you from having to deal with shady characters. Cannabis is much
easier to grow than people give it credit for, and growing in water doesn't increase the difficulty much, if any. But whether you want to grow in water, coco, or a different medium, we'll show you how easy it can be!"
|
|
GrowWeedEasy.com has put together a hand-picked list of all the available SEED BANKS including what type of payment they
accept and where they ship in the world!
View complete list of trusted seed sources:
http://www.growweedeasy.com/seeds
Why not start your grow with quality genetics from an award-winning
strain? Or choose a strain that suits your growing style and personal needs. Still not sure? We recommend Nirvana. They've been breeding award-winning strains for decades
and offer some of the most reliable stealth shipping in the industry. In our complete seed sources list you'll discover... - Which Seed Sources are Fast, Safe and Reliable (list is updated regularly)
- Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Check Money Order, Paypal & even more secure payment options!
- Connoisseur, High-CBD & Medical Grade Strains Available
- Find Out Which Seed Sources Deliver to YOU!
Get Seeds!
|
Copyright (c) 2015 GrowWeedEasy.com NOTE: If links aren't working or if pictures are not showing up properly, please view the full newsletter here: http://archive.aweber.com/gwe-updates
Disclaimer: Grow Weed Easy only recommends products that we've either personally checked out ourselves, or that come from people we know
and trust. For doing so, we may receive a commission.
Nothing in this e-mail should be considered personalized Financial, Legal, Medical or any other kind of Advice. The contributors to this magazine grow legally under their local laws. If you cannot legally grow where you live, we DO NOT recommend that you start growing marijuana, as you can be arrested, put in prison, or
worse! Any decision to grow marijuana should only be made after consulting with an experienced lawyer or other legal adviser. Although our employees may answer your general customer service questions, they are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular
investment or legal situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized Financial or Legal Advice. Any investments and steps recommended in this letter should be made only after consulting with your lawyer or other legal or investment adviser. Nothing in this e-mail should be considered personalized
Health Care or Medical Advice. Although our employees may answer your general customer service questions, they are not licensed health care professionals. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized Health Care Advice. Any Health Care recommended in this letter should be made only after consulting with your Doctor and licensed Health Care Adviser. How Did I Sign Up For This Newsletter?
Our records indicate that requested to be added to the GrowWeedEasy.com weekly newsletter at .
Date:
To unsubscribe: |
|
