Hey all, so just a quick question for anyone who may have good advice.
I have 2 hps 600 watt lights on digital ballasts that can be adjusted between 250, 400, 600 and 660 watts.
My question is, at what stage should you bump the wattage up to maximum?
My last grow I spent 2 weeks on 250 watts as they were just babies, bumped up to 400 for 3 more weeks before banging them up to 660 watts for flowering.
Would I be likely to increase my yields by running the watts at maximum from the get go?
Hope that makes sense and any input is greatly appreciated
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My understanding is ( from what a friend of mine who works for a grow light company) you should run 600 watts with 600 watt bulb all the time or 400 with 400 watt bulb . Dimming your bulb changes the spectrum not necessarily for the better. Start further away and move your light closer over time
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Makes sense to be honest, I was in away trying to mimic the outdoor sunlight normally experienced thru springtime to summer, but have started thinking that increased wattage = more light and heat therefore more productive growth from early on.
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@dbrn32 is the so nuff expert on lights. I think he can help a lot. And he should get with u in a little bit. 
that is if he ain’t wrapped up in building his lights lol.
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I would say the way you did it last time is the way i would do it. They don’t need as much light intensity early as the light cycle is longer.
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Are you changing the bulb each time you bump the wattage up? Or are you just using a 600 watt bulb and adjusting the ballast?
I run 1000w MH/HPS. After my seedlings have been in the dome, under a 125w cfl, for 1week, I put them in my hyro system with the ballast turned down to 600
I also use a 1000 watt HID with a digital dimmable ballast.
I run the MH bulb during the vegetative state at 500 watts for 2 weeks, 750 watts for a week, then 1000 watts for the remainder.
When I switch to the HPS bulb during flowering, I run that at 750 watts for a week, then 1000 watts for the remainder.
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No just using a 600w globe and adjusting the ballast
From what i understand,and dont hold me to it but i believe when you just adjust the ballast you are not getting the correct wattage,i just read that on this site someplace,my girls go from a 150 watt hps right under 1000 watts mh, when ready i switch out to 1000 hps bulb,just adjust the height of your light,use the back of your hand to feel the heat at canopy top,if it feels warm,raise it a bit,to high and they stretch for the light,to low,well you cook them
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someone needs to write Shane of Migro and get him to do a PAR test on the dimmed HID bulbs.!
i was always told that dimming any HID bulb was bad for a few reasons, but…
tech has changed and nearly every digital ballast can be dimmed.
that being said…
I would run them at 100% (600w), not 110% (660w), and raise the light accordingly,
but i m old school.!!
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