HID Tips & Advice

If you spend time on grow forums or FB groups, you will come across the acronym CMH. And you'll see growers rave about these lights, saying nothing else comes close. Naturally, you will also see the exact opposite. That's how it always is on those forums. Or on forums about any topic you can imagine. People love to disagree with other people. The truth is, CMH … [Read more...] about What Is CMH Light? (+Why It Is Our 2nd Favorite Type)

We've all been there. We wanted to save some money, so we bought cheap Chinese made HPS bulbs. Then when you get them, half of the bulbs don't even turn on. The other half turn on, but are they actually any good? Look, buying Chinese products is a good way to save money. But you have to know how to determine if a product is any good, since they tend to have high … [Read more...] about How To Tell If A High Pressure Sodium Bulb Is Bad

There are two reasons you might find yourself here. One: you have questions about metal halide grow lights. If that is the case, read on. Everything will be answered. Two: you are looking to buy metal halide grow lights. If that is the case, you won't find help in this article. But you will find it elsewhere on this site, namely: If you are interested in a full … [Read more...] about Metal Halide Grow Lights (Everything You Need To Know)

Do people still use high pressure sodium grow lights, given all the hype around LEDs Yes. Definitely. HPS lamps have driven the indoor cannabis cultivation industry for decades. They work and they work very well. While the top quality LED lights now surpass even the best HPS grow light, many long-time marijuana growers still prefer the traditional lighting … [Read more...] about High Pressure Sodium Grow Lights (Best Value Brands)

Why make a dimmable ballast if not to dim it? True, but it depends on how you use the dimming function. Using it to dim down a bulb, for example to run a 1000w watt bulb at 600w, is not ideal. We delve into why that is below. The better use is to dim the ballast down to 600w and then use it to run an actual 600w bulb. That is the big advantage of a dimmable … [Read more...] about Should I Dim My Ballast? (Learn What Dimming Does To Bulbs)

Most grow lights need a ballast. With fluorescent lights the ballast is built-in and LED lights don't need one. But if you're thinking of going with HID plant lights, you'll have to buy the ballast separately. The best way to do this is to get an HID grow light kit that includes everything you need (MH bulb, HPS bulb, ballast, reflector, hangers and timer), but if you … [Read more...] about What Does A Grow Light Ballast Do?

It can be really confusing. HID, HPS, MH, wtf? So many acronyms and even if you know what they all mean, you then need to figure out which one you want. So I'm going to make your life a little easier by explaining the difference between HID, MH and HPS and helping you decide which one you want. If you're just looking for a quick answer: you want all 3. But that's … [Read more...] about Metal Halide Vs HPS Grow Light Bulbs