Configuring your high pressure sodium lighting kit

i grow hydro — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:16:35 +0000

One of the coolest features of igrowhydro.com is configuring a high pressure sodium lighting kit. We really spent some time thinking about how you want to put together your grow lights. I mean, the grow light is the core component around so many other indoor grow room decisions are made. At igrowhydro.com, we borrowed a concept from a computer company and essentially let you configure just about every aspect of your grow light package.

Take the Adjust a wing with 600w high pressure sodium kit for example. This Grow Light Package includes Ballast, Bulb, Reflector, Socket, Cords – It is ready to plug in and go.

About the Adjust-A-Wing Reflector

Adjust-A-Wings are 97% reflective, GLASS COATED aluminum wings. They are THE MOST efficient reflector available, as they allow you to truly control the light spread of the plants

The light spread can be taken from broad, even light patterns for maximum area coverage and deep foilage penetration. To uniform concentrated light patterns for use at greater distances above plants. Vertical adjustments to the lampholder provide a method for fine correction.

Increase the available growing Area .
Increase Yield per Lamp. Reduce heat, Save power

Available with your Choice of 600 watt High Pressure Sodium Ballast

With this grow light you choose the grow light ballast that will best suit your needs. You can choose between the XtraSun, the PowerHouse or a digital Lumatek ballast. The XtraSun & PowerHouse are available in Convertible (HPS/MH) models.

About the XtraSun Ballast

Xtrasun ballasts are engineered to provide reliable service at value prices. Designed in America and employing features and materials normally found on higher priced units, these have become the most popular value priced grow light ballasts on the market. Their unique patented aluminum housing with convection cooling runs so cool that HydroFarm offers a 5 year warranty – the longest in its class. 5 3/4″H x 7 3/4″W x 13″L

About the PowerHouse Ballast

The Powerhouse is packed with features which make it the most advanced HID ballast enclosure on the market. With its durable all-aluminum exterior construction and its offset high/low component orientation, it runs quieter and cooler than any other ballast. Cool components mean higher performance and longer life, which is guaranteed with an 8 year warranty – the longest in the industry. 11 1/2″H x 7 1/2″W x 8 1/2″L (13 1/2″H with handle)

About the Lumatek E-Ballast

The Lumatek line is the premier electronic ballast on the market because it delivers on promises of energy efficiency, higher lumen output, lighter weight and reliability. The output is generally the highest in its class, and the reliability of these ballasts has been unsurpassed. It can run HPS AND MH bulbs.

Available in 120V and 240V
Ballast Weight: under 10 lbs
Completely prewired
Runs HPS AND MH bulbs

600 watt High Pressure Sodium Bulb Included

Choose between a standard HPS bulb or an upgraded version with a better spectrum and more lumens. All bulbs come with a manufacturer’s one year warranty.

Optional Super Spreader Heat Shield

The OPTIONAL Adjust-A-Wing Super Spreader creates a wider, more even light spread that eliminates Hot Spots and shady edges. It allows the plant to be positioned much closer to the light.

Grow Lights – Getting Started with indoor plant lighting

i grow hydro — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:00:35 +0000

High Intensity Discharge (HID) lights are the main source of grow lights in any serious indoor garden. With the application of a grow light, indoor gardeners are no longer limited by the number of lumens in the growing environment. HID lighting is also the most efficient source of indoor plant lighting available today. These high pressure sodium lights and metal halide lights produce 4-6 times as many lumens per watt compared to any incandescent light of the same wattage and will last much longer.

How does a plant light work?

An HID lamp operates with a properly matched transformer, capacitator and lamp bulb which consists of an inner tube filled with a chemical mixture. To simplify, it is a metal ballast with a cord that goes to the wall outlet and a cord that goes to the socket powering the bulb. A reflective hood sits around the plant light bulb and reflects light onto plants that would otherwise be lost. Reflectors are painted white inside or else will be plated with a highly reflective aluminum or brilliant chrome. Some reflectors are built to allow for air cooling which exhausts hot air out from the bulb and out of the room.

Are there any drawbacks to plant lights?

The two main drawbacks are 1) the intense heat put out, which subsequently causes plants to dry out faster 2) they are incapable of providing the entire natural spectrum. Grow lights come as close to natural light as human technology can take us, but natural sunlight is still more full and vibrant.

You mentioned High Pressure Sodium lights and Metal Halide lights, what is the difference?

There are two types of plant lamps to be aware of, Metal Halide lights and High Pressure Sodium lights. Although high pressure sodium indoor grow lights and metal halide plant grow lights are both types of indoor grow lights, they emit different color spectrums. High pressure sodium light bulbs emit very bright light that is concentrated in the red to yellow side of the spectrum and weak in the blue-violet end. Metal halide grow light bulbs, by contrast, emit a very balanced light, which contains all the energy peaks of the visible spectrum. Both types of lighting have their place in an indoor grow room environment.

Another difference is the lumens per watt of both bulbs. High pressure sodium lights produce between 97 and 150 lumens per watt and Metal Halide lights produce 65-115 lumens per watt. An easy way to tell difference between the two grow lights is by appearance. High Pressure Sodium bulbs appear very yellow-orange; metal halide bulbs appear more blue-white.

What is the difference between lumens and wattage?

Lumens is the measurement for the efficiency of the bulb or how much light you’re producing for the amount of electricity you’re using and refers to the total number of light particles coming from the bulb. Wattage refers to the amount of electric power, expressed in watts or kilowatts which a bulb uses. In other words, lumens describe bulb brightness while wattage describes the power usage.

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