wannaknow033
Member
ok online i found a hps 400w for cheap, i am growing in a very tight area, do i really need everything else for the bulb or would it be alright to plug right into a light socket
ok i need a litttle help here
- Thread starter wannaknow033
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RezzinTehSeahorse
Well-Known Member
you cannot screw a 400watt hps bulb into a regular socket, wont fit. also- you need the ballast and bulb socket for an HPS bulb. if you are growing in a very tight area- a 400watt bulb might be overkill, and will pose heat issues. fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent lights work great for small spaces, plus they are fairly cheap and are available almost anywhere, just make sure your go with a good balanced spectrum like 6500K and 2700K color temps
kaptainkris19
Active Member
UHHHHHH YEA!!! you need the ballast to power the bulb. Do a little research on the subject before you buy anything...
1) HPS bulbs are best used during the flowering stage, you can use either a MH or HPS bulb throughout your entire grow but you will see much better results if you use the MH for vegative stage and the HPS for your flowering stage.
2) look into a ballas. YOU NEED THIS!!! its necesary to converth the electricity to power your bulb, look into a switchable ballast, that way you can run a MH and a HPS bulb and you only need one set up (hood, ballast, etc.)
3) the downfall to #2 is that your grows will be alot longer because you will only be able o grow 1 crop at a time, but if your a noob like myself it may be a great idea till you gain a litle experience.
GOOD LUCK!! and happy growing
1) HPS bulbs are best used during the flowering stage, you can use either a MH or HPS bulb throughout your entire grow but you will see much better results if you use the MH for vegative stage and the HPS for your flowering stage.
2) look into a ballas. YOU NEED THIS!!! its necesary to converth the electricity to power your bulb, look into a switchable ballast, that way you can run a MH and a HPS bulb and you only need one set up (hood, ballast, etc.)
3) the downfall to #2 is that your grows will be alot longer because you will only be able o grow 1 crop at a time, but if your a noob like myself it may be a great idea till you gain a litle experience.
GOOD LUCK!! and happy growing
tkufoS
Well-Known Member
gotdammit..bman..please tell me i haven't given out bad advice..but i thought or thought i read ..that you can run a lower wattage bulb..than the actual ballast say's ...for example..400w switchable ballast can use ..400w bulb 250w,150 etc..just nothin larger ..am i wrong ? please help me..
kaptainkris19
Active Member
your wrong... switchable ballast means that you can run both MH and HPS bulbs of the wattage of your ballast. (400watt ballast will run a 400watt MH or 400wattHPS).
Iron Lungz23
Well-Known Member
Mate, thats one fully technical ballast! Switching between 400w to 250w to 150w? Where did u read that?gotdammit..bman..please tell me i haven't given out bad advice..but i thought or thought i read ..that you can run a lower wattage bulb..than the actual ballast say's ...for example..400w switchable ballast can use ..400w bulb 250w,150 etc..just nothin larger ..am i wrong ? please help me..
U can only get switchable ballasts that use the same wattage, but are adaptable to both MH & HPS!
tkufoS
Well-Known Member
Mate, thats one fully technical ballast! Switching between 400w to 250w to 150w? Where did u read that?
U can only get switchable ballasts that use the same wattage, but are adaptable to both MH & HPS!
right here on riu ........
Quote:
Originally Posted by undertow
Wow, I had this same question, got here thru Google (not RIU, even tho I'm a member), I can't believe the endless parade of people who tell the OP to "read the post," even though EVERYONE who attempted to answer the question didn't "read the question!"
There should NOT be 3 pages of posts here, without ONE valid answer. Somebody out here has to understand the intricacies of ballast power supplies, no? Is a 600W ballast capable of putting out 100-600W or ONLY 600w?
I mean, I have a couple lamps here in my house, and they don't really care what bulbs I put in them... in that scenario, it's up to the BULB whether to spread 40W or 100W -- are ballasts the exact opposite?
thanks for understanding what i had to go thru,to try and get a strate answer.i was sick of this thread.so i did it anyway.i now have a 400mh bulb in my 600 maxibrite ballast.it work no problim.but no differnce to electric.
its not funny,i'm not dead,and i didnt get any help from this thread.so,thank u for the 3 pages of usless posts.i'll keep u post if the house burns down
tkufoS
Well-Known Member
tkufoS
Well-Known Member
i have the same type of ballast ..maybe not brand ..but type..and max on mine is 400w ...hps or mh ..dont matter (it's switchable) even ..voltage 110-220v .
..so i thought i could use .any BULB that is lower wattage ? NOT HIGHER..than what my ballast will produce..