Grow Tip for January 2017 - by Ben Horner

     Lighting Systems

     This month we decided to compare and contrast two double-ended (DE) high pressure sodium (HPS) 1000 watt lighting systems: Phantom vs. Vanquish.

     DE lights produce higher lumens then a traditional singles and last much longer. Traditional bulbs should be replace 2-4 times a year, whereas DE bulbs last almost a year before needing to be replaced.

     Using a lumen tester we compared the Vanquish Lighting digital ballast and hood against the Phantom digital ballast and hood. Booth hoods used where enclosed and both systems used a generic double ended bulb. Using a Victor digital lex meter we measured the lumen of both systems and a standard HPS single lamp.

Comparison of different 1000 watt Grow lights.

     Lumen is just one aspect of measuring light. The spectrum of light is also very important. Unfortunately we were unable to get a PAR meter that shows peaks in the spectrum for best plant growth.

     When using DE bulbs more blue light from a T5 or metal halide should be used to supplement your grow. Also, DE put out more heat then single HPS, so they need to be air cooled or raised higher over a plants canopy.