Mh Grow Reflector
Basic Indoor hydroponics Gardening Guide – Indoor Grow Lights Fluorescent tubes, Hps and MH
Fluorescent Grow Light
Inexpensive and readily available in hardware stores and be utilized with regular light sockets. Producing less heat or none at all compared to full-size fluorescent grow lights.
Not just because of its small size and low heat output; compact fluorescent lights also produce the widest range of color spectrums to any type of lighting. It is ideal for shelf gardening due to their low heat output making the use of multiple shelves on top of each other possible. Compact fluorescent lights can be used with seedlings and small plants in a well designed hydroponic system indoor garden.
Common Problems with Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
Problems with compact fluorescent light bulbs like inefficiency and poor light penetration are common. Several compact fluorescent bulbs maybe used and consume energy as that of one HPS bulb, but do not produce the same useable light for the hydroponic indoor garden.
Optimizing Fluorescent Grow Lights
With the disadvantages of comparative inefficiency compared to HID lights, several things maybe done to counteract this.
Properly matching lights to the corresponding growth cycle.
Increasing Watt ratings increases light penetration
One cheap and easy way to maximize energy consumption is by the use of reflectors. Compact fluorescent lights have a 360 degree of distribution but only 90 degrees of it can be practically used. Reflectors direct the light to corners in order to maximize the light produced.
High Intensity Discharge Lighting
HID light bulbs are the most after lighting system by both hobbyist and professional growers. It has made possible all-year, all-season planting for thousands of indoor gardeners and industrial nursery growers. Due to their efficiency ( 10x more light produced than conventional incandescent bulbs) and color spectrums ideal for plants have resulted to better yields and plant quality all year round. Metal Halide (MH) light bulbs mainly produce blue lights, making them ideal for plants undergoing the vegetative phase of development.
Industrial cultivators the world over are the main users of HID grow lights. HID lamps provide numerous advantages that conventional Fluorescent and incandescent lights lack. Monetary benefits abound, it boosts overall plant production giving better harvests, and environmental factors are eliminated allowing all year-round production. HID lights operate stock 110 to 220 volts AC home currents and have a standard three prong adapter to link up. HID grow lights mostly come with a ballast resistor and reflective hood.
Photosynshesis in plants allows plants them to produce their own energy. Chlorophyll in plants enables plants to convert CO2, water and energy from light to nutrients and sugars. When all this elements like CO2 and nutrients are readily and plenty in a desired surrounding, the potential for growth is bound only to the amount and quality of light available.
High Pressure Sodium (HPS) light bulbs produce reddish light, it is ideal during the fruit phase of the plant cycle. Cooler (blue) and Warmer (orange) color spectrums raise chlorophyll production and fruit energy. The sun produces cooler lights when it is higher in the skyline, seen in the summer calendar months. It is essential for plant growth shape and keep it tight. Warmer light, experienced when the sun is lower in relative position to the skyline is important for blooming plants and during the fruit phase.
Choice of lights can also depend on the type of plants grown. Metal Halide growth lights are ideal for bushy harvests such as cabbage and vegetating herbaceous plants. Blossoming plants on the other hand is better suited by high pressure sodium growth lights. Conversion light bulbs are also available for different organizations. More expensive than other lights, conversion lamps give that extra advantage of starting your plants with a metal halide growth light giving taut, small development and being replaced by high pressure sodium light bulbs when the fruit stage of the plant is reached. Recent developments have introduced convertible ballast resistors for regular metal halide growth lights and high pressure sodium light bulbs.
HID grow lights main advantage is that it eliminates such factors as climate, temperature and time of day. Season dependent plants can be grown throughout the year; they provide an alternative to solar light. For those who are garden and flower hobbyists, this would be a plus.
Hydroponic growth lights also gives you control over light exposure. Allowing us to hasten a plants growth or that flower to bloom. Ideal light color, duration and concentration are the key factors in growing those choice plants.
High Pressure Sodium Bulbs
A clear ceramic arc tube suspended inside a glass bulb characterizes High Pressure Sodium Bulbs. Xenon gas is the main component inside the inner tube which is then ignited to produce an arc of light. Sizes range fro 35 watts up to 1000 watts. The most popular of which are the 250 watts, 400 watts and 1000 watts.
Advantages of High Pressure Sodium Bulbs
Efficiency is one of its advantages; they provide the best light penetration and have strong light spectrums necessary for plant growth. Mainly producing red and yellow lights or little or no blue lights, they mimic the autumn sun. Popularity for HPS lights are mainly attributed to their low energy to light ratio and is the most economical and efficient than any other type of lighting system. HPS lights work best during the flowering or fruit stage of the plant growth cycle.
Disadvantages of HPS High Pressure Sodium Bulbs
High Pressure Sodium Bulbs produce great amounts of heat. Proper ventilation and good garden construction and planning help to offset this negative effect. Like all HID growth light systems price is the main drawback compared to fluorescent lights. HPS lights are currently more cost effective compared to other HID growth light systems.
High Pressure Sodium Light bulbs are replaced after 24 months to ensure their and your gardens efficiency.
Metal Halide Bulbs
Metal Halide bulbs are constructed by placing an inner arc tube inside vacuum-sealed glass tubing. Electric currents passed through the inner arc which in turn ignites mercury and iodide materials in the tube.
Advantages of Metal Halide Bulbs
Metal Halide Bulbs mimic sunlight during summertime. Producing a blue spectrum of light most ideal for plants in their vegetative growth phase. They are also a good choice for indoor hydroponic garden systems because of their efficiency in producing light.
Other Metal Halide Bulb Information
Available from 70 to 1500 watts, Metal Halide bulbs present a wide variety of choices. Most popular and commonly used are the 250, 400 and 1000 watts metal halide bulbs. Ballast specifically tailored for each bulb is also essential. Mounting positions depend on its specific bulb type (marks or guides are usually provided). HOR bulbs are mounted horizontally, BU/BD is vertically mounted and U (universal) bulbs could be mounted either way. The vertical position is the most ideal and provides utmost efficiency.
About the Author
My name is guy. I am the founder and owner of the urbangardenershop.com.au . I fell in love with hydroponics gardening. As time went by I gathered a vast knowledge base and 2 years ago I decided to find a way to make hydroponics gardening a hobby that anyone can peruse. I added a hydroponic gardening information center to our hydroponic supplies site that offers a large range of hydroponics articles. Thank you for your interest and feel free to ask questions on hydroponics gardening in our site
http://www.urbangardenershop.com.au/
http://www.urbangardenershop.com.au/page/hydroponicsystems/default.asp
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600 W 400 W 250 W Digital Dimmable Ballast Grow Light HPS MH YOYO Reflector $169.95 |
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Genesis Grow Light 1000/600/400 watt Digital Ballast KIT w/lamp and reflector $336.89 |
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Genesis Grow Light 1000/600/400 watt Digital Ballast KIT w/lamp and reflector $397.49 |
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Genesis Grow Light 1000/600/400 watt Digital Ballast KIT w/lamp and reflector $458.09 |
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Genesis Grow Light 1000/600/400 watt Digital Ballast KIT w/lamp and reflector $463.14 |
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Genesis Grow Light 1000/600/400 watt Digital Ballast KIT w/lamp and reflector $523.74 |
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Genesis Grow Light 1000/600/400 watt Digital Ballast KIT w/lamp and reflector $538.89 |
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Genesis Grow Light 1000/600/400 watt Digital Ballast KIT w/lamp and reflector $387.39 |
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Genesis Grow Light 1000/600/400 watt Digital Ballast KIT w/lamp and reflector $447.99 |
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Genesis Grow Light 1000/600/400 watt Digital Ballast KIT w/lamp and reflector $508.59 |
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Genesis Grow Light 1000/600/400 watt Digital Ballast KIT w/lamp and reflector $513.64 |
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Genesis Grow Light 1000/600/400 watt Digital Ballast KIT w/lamp and reflector $574.24 |
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Genesis Grow Light 1000/600/400 watt Digital Ballast KIT w/lamp and reflector $589.39 |
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Genesis Grow Light 1000/600/400 watt Digital Ballast KIT w/lamp and reflector $362.14 |
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Genesis Grow Light 1000/600/400 watt Digital Ballast KIT w/lamp and reflector $422.74 |
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Genesis Grow Light 1000/600/400 watt Digital Ballast KIT w/lamp and reflector $483.34 |
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Genesis Grow Light 1000/600/400 watt Digital Ballast KIT w/lamp and reflector $488.39 |
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Genesis Grow Light 1000/600/400 watt Digital Ballast KIT w/lamp and reflector $548.99 |
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Genesis Grow Light 1000/600/400 watt Digital Ballast KIT w/lamp and reflector $564.14 |
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Genesis Grow Light 1000/600/400 watt Digital Ballast KIT w/lamp and reflector $397.49 |
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Genesis Grow Light 1000/600/400 watt Digital Ballast KIT w/lamp and reflector $458.09 |
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Genesis Grow Light 1000/600/400 watt Digital Ballast KIT w/lamp and reflector $518.69 |
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Genesis Grow Light 1000/600/400 watt Digital Ballast KIT w/lamp and reflector $523.74 |
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Genesis Grow Light 1000/600/400 watt Digital Ballast KIT w/lamp and reflector $584.34 |
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Genesis Grow Light 1000/600/400 watt Digital Ballast KIT w/lamp and reflector $599.49 |
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Hydrofarm SBM175H 175-Watt Mini Sunburst Metal Halide with Lamp $87.67 Plug-and-play: comes with cord and lamp.Highly reflective European specular.Magnetic 175W MH Super quietEasy to hang lightweight and compactIncludes instructions hangers and lighting recommendations… |
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Hydrofarm BUHL1THUVSMG 1000-Watt Agrosun Gold Universal Halides $95.90 This is a 1000 watt Metal Halide replacement lamp to be used with any 1000 MH ballast or light system. Agrosun Halides are spectrally enhanced halides that are the best all-purpose growth and fruiting/flowering light you can use. They contain more red wavelengths of the spectrum than common halides…. |
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Sunmaster 1000 W MH Cool Deluxe $78.00 SunMaster Cool Deluxe has 120,000 initial lumens and a 12,000 hour life-span. For use with 1000W metal halide ballasts only. SunMaster Cool Deluxe Grow Lamps emit balanced light from 5000 to 6500K, making them ideal for strong vegetative plant growth stages. Sunmaster Cool Deluxe Lamps surpass all other HID sources in PAR watts, the most objective measurement of total light energy available for ph… |
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HydroFarm Xtrasun White Air Coolable Grow Light Reflector $90.92 Size:6 The Xtrasun series offers excellent performance at a cost effective price. Solidly built, compatible with all Hydrofarm or Xtrasun ballasts, and priced to fit any budget. Bright & broad light delivery Super air coolable Built in 6 or 8 flanges Low profile design Highly reflective European specular aluminum Built in socket & cord set Completely sealed removable lens system for easy b… |
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HydroFarm SBE400 Sunburst Grow Light Reflector $200.34 Wattage:400w Hydrofarm’s Digital Sunburst Reflector with electronic ballast is the perfect combination: the same compact design as the original Sunburst with the latest silent running efficient digital ballast inside.A third less weight than magnetics!High intensity grow light with built-in digital ballast10% more lumens than magneticVirtually silent operationAutomatically converts from Sodium to … |
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HTGSupply 400 Watt High Pressure Sodium Grow Light
An incredible value, this 400 watt HPS grow light system includes a top quality ballast, super efficient reflector hood and high performance grow light bulb. Lighting Ballast & Housing |
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1000 Watt Warm Deluxe MH Light Bulb $79.99 This is a 1000 watt Metal Halide replacement lamp to be used with any 1000 MH ballast or light system. Sunmaster Warm Deluxe halides are spectrally enhanced halides that are the best all-purpose growth and fruiting/flowering light you can use. They contain more red wavelengths of the spectrum than common halides…. |
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Mylar Reflective White Material 7 Mil 4 feet x 50 feet $52.49 You are looking at one roll of 4′ x 50′ (4 feet by 50 feet) 7 Mill Reflective Mylar and White on the other side Film What would be ”lost” light, now is utilized for maximum efficiency. Attach to any surface for ultimate light uniformity. Get creative: mount to walls, poles, pots. Highly reflective. Use either side: Silver or White. Double the thickness of any other type on the market. 7 Mil thi… |
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Hydroponics & Seed Starting | adminbr August 3, 2004