Is this what i need?

http://www.businesslights.com/topstar-150w-hps-quad-tap-magnetic-ballast-p-2238.html

Im pretty sure with a socket, lamp, and some wiring and it should be a 150watt hps w/ remote ballast. As this is my first venture into anything other then floros i just wanted to be sure. Thanks

Anyone have any input. I would really like like to build my own light and this seems right just need some clarity. Priced just the transformer (ballast) today at a local electrical supply and it cam in around 70 bucks, so this could save me considerable $. Unfortuantly it also brought up a question, if the ballast is just the transformer when lights are being sold as remote ballast is it implied that a capasitor and and ignitor are included? I am speaking in regards to HPS Thanks

I'd just fork out $150 and get a 400watt HPS that includes everything...

I appreciate your reply but am working with a smaller space, night stand conversion, and am trying to spend as little as I can to keep final cost low. I could poss. go into 250W but am pretty sure heat would lead to a serious issue.
Rucca- Do you or have you ever played requiem?

i have a 150w HPS sun system, comes with a built in ballast, it works hella good. i got it for about $80 from amazon.. you should google it, its worth a look.

I looked and they do seem very promising but it looks to me to be an all in one system? Is that how yours is, if so what kind of heat does it give off with he lamp and ballast so close?

Yeah i guess thats what built in means lol. oops

I don't do micro-grows, but the ones I have read about tend to be floro-- the bulb of an HPS can be the source of much of the heat. I would think the efficiency gains of 150w hps over 150w floro is not that significant-- especially since you can place the floros virtually on top of your plant.

ya its all in one system, i have it in my closet so its not really in much of an enclosed area, ya it puts off a lil heat but with a fan in the room it doesnt seem to rise the temps. how big is youre grow area?

I understand the merits of floros and have them in a pc but I really wanna play with an HPS. Inside I kinda just feel like unless I try one im just playing around. Ive addressed heat issues and spacing already I just need to know if the components in the link are the components in those All-In-One light systems? I will eventually be using my pc as a mother chamber and this new hps chamber a to flower.

P.S I will also be doing led but that's far in the future when i consider my self experienced.

Picture is the night stand before modification, well bare minimum.

Id love to have the vertical height of a closet. lol Well sorry fritz i was posting when you did apparently, you can see my space is much more restricted than yours. Ill be using strong ventilation and a cool tube much like the old NGB style all in one boxes and have gotten most of my inspiration from that style of grow.

View attachment 1007180View attachment 1007177View attachment 1007179if youre growing in a restricted space you should look into "autoflower" strains, they grow small and fast, their alright price, cost me about $25 for a pack of 3 feminized seeds from speeyseedz but well worth, heres a couple pics of one of my autoflowers.

I have looked into them actually and am very interested. Have heard some mixed reviews but mostly all good and when i do order seeds will more then likely be getting them but for now im going to be doing at least a few runs with some bag seed, I mean ive collected so many seeds and have saved them. I just feel a certain obligation to them lol, and id just really hate to make a newb mistake and waste money.

In my spacing ill be using a scrog setup preferably in a DWC, well swc but idk if thats actually a term anymore, but it will more than likly go soil first time threw as I have seeds germ'ed and havnt build my hydro rig yet.