Can you use an HPS bulb in a MH ballast

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dimebag

Active Member
Hello was reading that you could use a MH bulb in HPS ballast or vice versa long as they are same wattage is this true....thanks.....Dimebag
 
bigbudeddie

bigbudeddie

Well-Known Member
yes actually it is true. You just have to make sure the MH Bulb is compatible with the HPS ballast. Best to take your ballast model number into the store and ask. Peace
 
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Seedlessone

Well-Known Member
yeah they make bulbs to fire on different ballasts. They are called conversion bulbs. they are a little more expensive though. I bought a MH conversion bulb for my 400w HPS ballast not to long ago. I was a hortilux bulb (best) and it cost me $100 at a local hydroshop. Hope this helps.
 
fat sam

fat sam

Well-Known Member
only if the ballast is made to run both types of lamps, not all digi ballasts will run both types of lamp, a conversion bulb is the same, a hps to halide conversion must be run in a hps ballast
 
kingofqueen

kingofqueen

Well-Known Member
I dont think he meant conversion bulbs .One ballast will light both. if just use the same brand replacement ballasts meant for commercial hid lighting . THis means one 70 dollar ballast if u got the skills to wire it will light either bulb . Conversion bulbs are hella exspensive !
 
kingofqueen

kingofqueen

Well-Known Member
Okay i tested this out . Went and bought my hps bulb and it wouldnt light . Went and bought a 250 hps replacement ballast $89 dollars and i,m in business.Must be that a sodium ballast will light a mh bulb. I,ll try it out after this grow is over and update.Note the sodium ballast was noticably larger in size than the mh .
 
kingofqueen

kingofqueen

Well-Known Member
ON another note for u guys recomending conversion bulbs they cost more than the ballast .not cost effective ! I dont believe in conversion bulbs they are exspensive and not as effective as an tru mh or hps bulb.Most of us here are on a budget. 89 ballast 20 dollar bulb .versus a 120 dollar conversion bulb not to mention i,m running 250 watts and there is no conversion bulb in this wattage.
 
DubsFan

DubsFan

Well-Known Member
You can put a MH in an HPS ballast with no problem. I don't know about the other way though. I also run 600's in 1000w ballasts. Just like in my car audio days, your amp or ballast in this situation is not always peforming at it's rated output. Amps and probably ballasts are usually determined on very consistent dumby loads that don't truly take into account a growing environment.
 
racerboy71

racerboy71

bud bootlegger
they do make a conversion bulb for a 250 watt.. i bought one about a year or so ago.. its an eye hurtilux brand, and i think it ran me around one hundred bucks for it.. you are right though, not many companies make conversion bulbs for the 250 watt, i really had to scour the net to find the one that i bought.. most companies only go as low as maybe six or four hundred watt bulbs in the conversion style, but eye hurliux makes the conversion bulb for the 250 for hps for an mh ballast..
 
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sappytreetree

New Member
NO NO NO you cant run a hps in a metal h .... heres what up The real deffernce between a hps ballast and a Metal hylide Is the igniter hps ballast have a igniter MH ballast do not have a igniter you can buy a igniter for like 20-40 buck and instale it your self... The make convertable ballast that have a switch to turn the igiter on and off depening on what you want to run
heres a web site that tell you how to build your own http://www.onlinepot.org/grow/wiringlights.htm
 
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Wessie4life

Active Member
This is true, I am doing it atm on my 600w setup. The Mh is abit louder on start up and can be scary at first but it's perfectly fine. While we're on this note, my Mh bulb seemed to blow the usep in the ballast plug were as the HPS didnt so you might have to change the fuse to a higher amp if this happens. Your ballast has an internal fuse anyway so dont worry.
 
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enix420

Member
Let me clarify you can run a MH bulb in an HPS ballast (same wattage of course) But not the other way around. A HPS bulb will NOT fire in a MH ballast.
-HPS bulbs use an igniter to light whereas MH bulbs dont. HPS ballasts are built with the igniter & MH ballasts are not. HPS bulbs wont fire in an MH ballast because it has no ignoter. Conversion bulbs are necessary for the MH ballasts to run HPS bulbs. Hope this helps guys lmk if u have questions. I have worked at a hydro shop for over 7 years & know this because of experience.
 
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