Did I Really Find CMH for Household Sockets???

16 years ago

Hello to all the lighting experts on this forum!

I have learned so much from you so far - Shrubs & Bulbs, Struwwelpeter, Zink, Lermer, and many more. Even when the discussions get heated and you start disagreeing with each other, itÂ´s valuable to see the different experiences and opinions out there. IÂ´ve certainly learned a TON as IÂ´m sure many other lurkers out there.

I hope you can help me out with this one. I feel pretty comfortable about the differences between fluorescents, HIDs and LEDs. From what I can tell HIDs (HPS and MHs) are in the higher price ranges, requiring special fixtures and reflectors. I just assumed that the CMHs would be as well.

But low and behold, I have come across Ceramic Metal Halide bulbs that screw into regular sockets and seem to be pretty darn cheap and efficient. Initial lumens 5800, 70 watts, 3000K. This seems to be an extremely cheap and efficient (and less hassle) option than other grow lights. Is this too good to be true? Am I missing something here? After budgeting for all the fixtures, et al, required for fluoros and/or HIDs, do I really have this easy as heck option at my disposal for indoor growing? Here is the bulb I am talking about:

http://www.lightbulbmarket.com/product/270641_70-Watt-ED-17-3K-Coated-Philips-MasterColor-Ceramic-Metal-Halide-Lamp

From what I have read CMHs are actually a great grow light as well. AND it screws into my household sockets?? Seems too easy!

Please enlighten me :-)

Thanks in advance,

Indoorgardengal

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

indoorgardengal
Original Author
16 years ago
And now I have found more expensive CMHs, with higher lumens and watts. Do these require special fixtures?

http://www.growlightexpress.com/ceramic-metal-halide-bulbs-9/mastercolor-ceramic-metal-halide-400-watt-79.html

It seems like the cheaper CMH would be a great choice for supplemental lighting and that the more expensive, higher output ones would be a pretty cheap alternative to more expensive grow lights. Again, am I missing something?
penfold2
16 years ago
The 70W bulb you found may screw into a standard medium base socket, but that socket still needs to be wired to a MH ballast. And the 400W bulb requires a 400W HPS ballast as is stated in the description. It also uses a larger mogul socket.

Sorry, but there are no shortcuts to be found here.
Related Professionals
Orlando Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Trenton Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Victoria Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Fergus Falls Landscape Contractors · San Francisco Landscape Contractors · San Jose Landscape Contractors · Pocatello Landscape Contractors · Bend Landscape Contractors · Coos Bay Landscape Contractors · Bronx Landscape Contractors · Morgan City Tile and Stone Contractors · Raleigh Tile and Stone Contractors · Vineland Tile and Stone Contractors · Kingman Tile and Stone Contractors · Evanston Tile and Stone Contractors
zink
16 years ago
indoorgardengal,

That Philips 70w CMH bulb does have a regular-sized medium base, but it must use a high-voltage porcelain(ceramic) socket Â not your normal "house lamp" type. You do also have to use a ballast with the bulb. The bulb specifications call for a ballast that meets either ANSI codes M143/E or M98/E. Both of those codes are for low-frequency electronic (not magnetic) ballasts. Some electronic ballasts you will find meet BOTH of those code numbers. Either number will do.

The 400w Philips MasterColor CMS HPS-Retro bulb requires a larger high-voltage ceramic "mogul" socket. It uses an ANSI code S51 ballast. That ballast is normally for a High Pressure Sodium "pulse-start" bulb, which uses an ignitor to initiate the arc. The S51 ballast is magnetic, not electronic, or digital. This is the same ballast used in 400w HPS street lights. I have several of those ballasts which I salvaged from downed lightpoles.

Several years ago, when the Ceramic Metal Halide bulbs came on the market, we speculated in GardenWeb discussions that this might be an excellent bulb for plants. This was evidently a good choice, as growers who tried them have reported "glowing" results. I have yet to buy one myself, even though I do have ballasts for the 400w HPS Retro ones on hand.

Zink