My fictitious character Jiggz-mon just wrapped up his first grow with a standard 400w HPS for veg and flower. After implementing a few 40w T12 fluoro's for his clones he was able to pick up some 400w pulse start MH fixtures for a steal, and plans on running a clear PSMH with a high color temp, for vegging. This leaves Jiggz-mon with three to four of these PSMH fixtures and about 15 sq feet of unused space dedicated for an (hopefully) aero diy flowering space. So my question is this: Where can I get a Cermaic Disharge MH bulb that will run on a pulse start core and coil ballasts? The few I've found listed say they run on an M175 (I think, though I know it was not the ballast numbers listed on mine) and these ballasts are listed as M135/M155. Anyone run a CMH on a similar ballast? Thanks in advance.

BTW, O.C.V on these babies is 265volts, and if the ignitor is an issue, I could possibly provide a higher starting voltage though I can't imagine it would need much more (PSMH Generally have 4kv ignitors, if I recall). I think I'm going to check the nameplate again, right after this smoke.

Sorry I Can't Help You Find A Bulb, Have You Googled It??,,I Have Heard Good Things On The Ceramic MH Bulb You Are After.

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Yeah, I've googled them, and this question. The high bay fixtures I have are in good but previously owned condition. They were removed to install energy efficient t5 high bays at their original location after almost two years use, infants as far as these fixtures are concerned. I'm just concerned about open circuit voltage requirements and can't find those specs. As I stated my ballasts provide approx. 265 volts o.c. and the bulbs I found (a phillips mastercolor) were designed to run on a ballast w/ designation m175. I was just hoping there was a lighting expert that might have that answer, though I could probably keep digging and come up with the proper deduction. It might be as simple as finding a spec sheet on that particular ballast designation, I'm going to go check for that now... right after this smoke.

Actually, the lamps I've found myself drooling over are ANSI designation 172 Phillips Mastercolors. I'm going to keep searching, because those operating voltages seem outside the recommended 10% fluctuation when my operating voltage is considered. I really really want to run cmh, though. Seems a sight better than traditional halides.

Ya There Are Some Light Savvy People Here, Maybe They Will Show Up Soon, But Ya I Would Go To The Ballast Web Site & See What You Can Find???

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Just a bump to see if there is anyone who knows if there is a CDMH lamp out there for my 400w ballast.

Here are the links to pdf files on two Philips Mastercolor Pulse Start Ceramic Metal Halide lamps. I haven't priced them as of yet but a simple Google search for the product code will surely turn up myriad options. So I'm going to attempt to post the links here, and I'll reference the product key in case I encounter a difficulty (bear with me, I'm a little rusty with the tech edge). Either will run on an ANSI designated ballast of 155, and the ed-28 bulb (I think I recall) will run on the M135 as well. For those less experienced who are attempting to use a high bay fixture for the purpose the ANSI designation is on the label affixed to the ballast (that solid thing that heats up and has some wires poking out of copper coils in various locations) and NOT the label as attached to the housing. That label reflects the range of applications, or other types of ballast assemblies, it is designed to support safely. If there is not a label affixed to your ballast, STOP. If you had a lamp type that was working with it before continue to use that, and only that type of lamp. Unless you are experienced enough to reverse engineer the ballast type from the lamp operated (not always 100% possible) you may be entering dangerous territory given the relatively less stable nature of MH arc tubes. To note, CMH are reportedly less unstable, and definitely less catastrophically so, given their solid ceramic core restrained under winding. Also, to note, Do not use CMH lamps in electronic ballasts. Doing so may destroy the lamp and functionality at or near initiation. That all being said, as for my application necessitating a vertical position bulb, both links provided are for vertically oriented use only. The little "V" in the product code indicates this. an "U" would designate a universal burning position while an "h" would designate a horizontal orientation for burning. Hope I've answered my own question, Jiggz-mon will probably be ordering one or two of these puppies. He'll let you know how they do.

http://www.lighting.philips.com/us_e...oad/145986.pdf
http://www.lighting.philips.com/us_e...oad/132902.pdf


Philips Mastercolor CDM/V/O/PS/4K/ED28/ALTO
Philips Mastercolor CDM/V/O/PS/4k/ALTO

[SIZE="2"]Interesting stuff this CMH. The bulbs are oriented as seen below and the color spectrum is to die for.
These bulbs can be used in BOTH vegetative and bloom cycles - no more changing lamps during your grow. NO DIGITAL BALLASTS - you will destroy the bulb. ONLY use a standard coil and core HPS ballast (dont let the name confuse you). CMH bulbs cannot handle the frequencies of digital ballasts. Of course there are exceptions to this rule as there is at least one digital ballast that is designed to work with CMH lamps. They are fairly expensive and unless you know you have one of these you don't so don't try. The Ceramic Metal Halide bulbs are positional. This means that they are designed to be EITHER horizontal or vertical (they cannot be used universally) but not both. Placing the bulb in the wrong position will cause it to fail early. A tip to success is that most gardeners are reporting better success with the use of supplemental silica. Since these bulbs will make your plants grow fast, silica is helpful. Silica is involved in cell division and overall plant strength.

Benefits:
There are many benefits to these lamps. The main reason for even considering these lamps is the fantastic spectrum of light they produce. Check out the chart below to compare to output of a CMH to a HPS lamp./SIZE]

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I've heard of silica (coarse) being used as a medium, but it hadn't been until recently that I learned it works as a supplement (I'm assuming it's a water soluble form and can be added to the res). Is there anything I should know about it's tendencies, I would also assume it is ph neutral, or any other tips to avoid disaster? Who makes markets the stuff, or do you have experience with any specific manufacturers silica that you have found beneficial? Thanks for the post.

Silica is most commonly used in the form of D.E. There are several commercial versions available and below is one of the popular ones. You can use it as a dressing or a amendment.



Diamtomite (Diatomaceous Earth or "DE") is a sedimentary rock primarily composed of the fossilized remains of unicellular fresh water plants known as Diatoms. Over the millennia the diatoms have been compressed to create one of the most effective growing mediums available. Diatomite consists of approximately 90 % silicon dioxide, with the remainder of its contents being elemental minerals, which are essential for plant growth. All of these unique factors make Diatomite the premium horticultural grade medium for all growing applications.
All Diatomite is not created equal. You may be familiar with diatomaceous earth that is used in filters and as an insect and slug repellant. These types of products are not suitable for horticulture because the diatoms are of salt-water origin, leaving them with a high salinity level that is no suitable for plants.
Our diatomite is Maidenwell(TM) Diamtomite and comes from an Australian mine that has a fresh water origin. Maidenwell(TM) is a natural, non-toxic, with minimal contaminants and salts that make most other sources unsuitable for horticulture.

WHY USE DIAMTOMITE?
Diatomite is High in Silica, Absorbent,Porous, Long Lasting, Environmentally Friendly, pH Neutral, Sterilized, Natural and Reusable, all factors necessary for healthy plants while still being cost effective for the grower.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING DIATIMITE?
Silica is essential for healthy plants and roots. While Diatomite is approximately 85% insoluble Silica, it contains a small but significant portion that is SOLUBLE SILICA. Silica is essential for healthy plant and roots. Your plants will receive from Diatomite a slow release of silica resulting in healthier, more robust plants. Plants available silica has been shown in studies to stimulate SYSTEMIC ACQUIRED RESISTANCE (SAR) in plants, which increases their resistance to disease.
Diatomite is naturally very porous, and can hold 150% of its weight in water. The Silica Content, natural Absorbency, and Porous qualities result in a slow release of water and nutrients to your plants, contributing to higher yields and less watering.
The porosity of the Diatomite contributes to its ability to draw water, while moving water and nutrients laterally throughout the medium, making Diatomite ideal for HYDROPONICS!
Diamtomite is multifaceted and varies in size. Because each rock is unique in shape it does not compact while in the pot. This leaves pockets, allowing air to penetrate and circulate to the root zone.

Thank you so much. That is very concise information and budget permitting, Jiggz-mon will probably incorporate it in a subsequent grow to check for observable benefits. For now Jiggz will probably continue with the hydroton as planned, effectively setting up a (rather unscientific, I admit) control from which to base some findings. That'll probably be a few grows in, as he'd want to tweak out any other variables to maintain a minimal level of consistency. Much appreciated.