timmmy2021
Well-Known Member
well thats encouraging... thanks!
Yup those need the fixture that has the ballast. I got 65w at lowes, after the cord $30 bulb included I will mount so it is fixed and horizontal with mylar on top of box. thinking of using for veg.I don't think those bulbs have a ballast in them. Read the box carefully. I believe they need to be installed in a fixture that has it's own ballast. In my experience, if it has a mogul base chances are good it is not a self-ballasted lamp.
FWIW, here is the ballast inside of a 105w CFL that I have (regular, not mogul socket). It's an identical bulb to the 105watter that ebay guy also sells (got mine from 1000bulbs though).
I experimented with various CFL's for a while. Eventually I decided they are fools gold for my circumstances. Sometimes I wish I could get my money back from the CFL's that I now have laying around.
Your 65w fixture has a 65w ballast. The socket size doesn't necessarily mean anything. You want a 100w ballast for a 100w bulb. They may light up being driven off a 65w ballast but who knows what intensity or spectrum of light you'd end up with.i had them from my 65w lights same socket
1000 watt equivalent light, 100 watts of power usage. a smaller ballast might light the bulb, but it will under-power it and not give you all the light it would normally give off. burning out the ballast is also another possibility.i looked at the ballast form mine and the 100w lights they where the same . i got mine out of 65w spot light. theirs also a 45? or 47w fluorex light but i think it has a smaller socket?? the one hundred watt bulbs said they where 1000w....and i have two of them
thanks well explained thats exactly why i went and got an 400 watt hps..figure you gonna do it dont take half stepsthe hole using cfl's was a waste of money. I have 420 actual watts in flower box, and if it was full could use more. spent over $100 and could have a 400w hps for less. Switching soon just trying to figure how to cool the bulb for less than a cool tube and extra blower.42 watters are fairly hot too. the built in ballast is probably hotter than the bulb. Pic of the 65 watt light.
I've thought about getting a cheap hps like this just to get started, but the little lumens for the price, doesn't really seem worth it. how many plants do you think can be grown under a 150 hps? maybe 2 or 3?get a 150 hps for 69.99 that will be better than a 1000 watt cfl
light, unless you don't plug it inwhat will i get with my cfl???
I doubt a 150 watt hps would have much of a heat problem. could be less heat then your cfl'si would have to buy new ballaster first but hps sound like they work alot better. but heat is alot more with hps so not sure