Live Stoner Chat Kinda new grower......getting back at it

[horton711]

Getting back into growing after a 10+ yr hiatus. Main reason for not growing was moving and illness but now I've got the bug again and really do need the medical benefits of my future crop(s). Things certainly have changed since I last wet my Ph meter and I'm excited to start learning the newer ropes. Autos really caught my interest and I have some WW XXL and King's Kush (both auto and fem) on the way.
Currently I'm scurrying around trying to get all the stuff I need for my grow -- I knew I should have kept some of my supplies but that's water over the dam now.....lol. I look forward to getting advice from this fascinating forum to make sure I have a successful first encounter with the autos.
Available space is limited so I've been trying to figure out what size tent to go with. Right now I'm looking at a 2' x 4' x 5' Apollo tent and I'm wavering on the light source. I really want to go with a 600W MH/HPS rig but I'm concerned about heat. I'll have the tent in a room that has A/C but I can't make any kind of changes to the home or equipment in it since it's rented (like running a duct to the tent). I keep looking at LED's and T5's but my past experience was with MH/HPS and it's hard for me to compare them. Guess I'm hinting that I'm very open to suggestions......
Well, I'm running at the mouth.... wanted to say again that I'm excited to get growing and I hope to meet some new friends here.... Thanks for offering such a nice place to learn and "grow".....

 

[stepside]

Hi there Horton, glad you found us man, alots changed in 10 yrs hasn't it?? Check out the led forum if you think you might be interested.. Does the room have a window you could vent through?? There's all kinds of ways to get rid of heat. Anyways just wanted to say hello and welcome you to AFN.

 

[AKsteel]

Welcome Horton. I have the 2'x4'x5' Apollo tent and it has worked well for shorter plants, but keep in mind you will only have about 3' maximum of head height after lights and pot height are figured in. If you can, look at the gorilla 2'x4'x6'11" tent. It's a bit more money, but if you are only going to buy one tent I would recommend getting something taller. It will give you more flexibility on strains that you can grow. That XXL has the potential to get pretty big. Also, LED technology has come a long way in 10 years. Much more affordable, high quality, and a lot less heat issues. I use Mars-hydro LED's personally and love them. I always have nice frosty and dense flowers.
Look around at some of the journals and check out the equipment folks are using and see what will fit with your style, space, and budget. I have a few links in my signature of grows using the Apollo tent with LED's, check them out if you wish.
Happy growing brother, and

 

[elsamurai]

welcome Horton.LED's are a great option for indoor grows. the tech has greatly improved and with more suppliers the price's have dropped and if you research you can find some top notch LED's for a reasonable price. I am partial to the mars-hydro reflector series lights. reliable and a good bang for the buck

 

[bad dragon bzzz]

hi and welcome,and welcome back to growing.
taller tent,leds to sort out the heat issues and your ready to rock
goodluck

 

[epenguin]

Glad you found us chum. Welcome to the Auto side of life. Here to help and encourage.....eP.

 

[A-Train]

What's up brother. I'm A-Train nice to meet ya pal and glad your here. Your space is enough to pull in a huge haul if manged correctly and with your lighing. LED gets my vote all day. Densest buds I've ever gotten after the switch. I use mars hydro as well and have no complaints up to this point

 

[Grim Reefer]

Hi @horton711
Welcome to the AutoFlower-Network, the best online growing forum with the most friendly people you will ever meet.
IF you are worried about heat when using a HPS just make sure you get the correct size Cooltube ,some ducting and a good fan and that should keep your temperature under control.
Contradictory to what others have said, LED is good and i use them myself but they still doesnt compare to the power of HPS and thats a proven fact.
Anyway if you need any help be sure to hit up any of the High Team members we would be pleased to assist you.
I wish you some happy growing in your near future, its to time to shake the dust off those gardening gloves.

 

[horton711]

Thanks for the warm welcome. I'm going through the forum trying to get reoriented again....and from what I see here I think I'll be back up to speed quickly.
Couple of questions...... is there a tutorial for using the forum? This forum software is new to me and for example, how do I mention a member's name in a post so it shows a live link? I think I have the quote and multi quote figured out but the name thing has eluded me.
The cooltube Grim Reefer mentioned ---- is that what I might call an "air cooled reflector"?
I'm considering starting with HPS and then adding LED lighting. Is that a solid strategy?
So many questions, so little time before I have to get my "babies" into their permanent home (at least for a couple of months....lol)........
Again, my sincere appreciation for making me feel so comfortable here...... Horton711

 

[Grim Reefer]

Hi @horton711
There are some site tutorials around the different sections of the forum but most of them need to be updated since the new software has gone online.
If you wish to tag some just hit the @ Key and then write in the users-name right beside it with no spaces.
Il be sure to mention this to the mods as with all this new software it would be a good idea to have more site tutorials.

You are pretty much right about what i said earlier but there are small differences between a cool tube and an air cooled reflector.
Here is a cool tube they generally are a little smaller and cheaper with barely any reflector:

And here is a hooded air cooled reflector, which has a much bigger reflector and slightly easier to cool as it has more space, a little more expensive:

Also i have to say a mixture of HPS and LED would be a kick ass set up for flowering. This would be ideal as you are pretty much getting every spectrum covered that a plant craves using these two together. Anyway welcome to the site and i hope you have fun here.