one ballast, 2 lights?? HELP

holdenman

holdenman

Member
hi i have 1 grow lush 600w hps ballast, 600w hps lamp, 600w mh retro conversion lamp and 2 lights. would i be able to power both lamps of the one ballast?? is this just not a good idea to start with? being the supply less than the demand? any combo suggestions, any other items i should acquire to achieve best results keeping in mind i dont want to bunk up power bill or use another ballast. was thinking maybe a fluoro or something but have had no experience using them. all feedback and suggestions greatly appreciated.
 
er0senin

er0senin

Well-Known Member
you wont be able to lights 2x600w lights with 1x 600w ballast... unless you want your house to burn down go get another ballast or just settle for 600w.
i've heard about making a 1000w ballast run 2x600 but people who pull it of have some serious electricity skills. Also i heard about some cind of device who swaps over the energy from light to light without having the power spike you get when you light your HPS. not sure what it was called tho, and it was only for running 1x light at the time. dont risk your life just to get some extra bud bro. do shit right!
 
vilify

vilify

Well-Known Member
you can run 2x600s from a 1k with a simple splitter. made for use with magnetic ballast and just sunpulse bulbs, but there are plenty of reports of running it on digitals, and without the bulbs. not something i would trust though.
i think what you are referring to is a flipbox.

stick to the 600.
 
mantiszn

mantiszn

Well-Known Member
It's questions like this that make me fear for people's safety. I mean natural selection is fine but there maybe innocent bystanders..
 
holdenman

holdenman

Member
yes thankyou, i am told there is no such thing as a dumb question but when i think about it there is. ill just stick to what iv got and forget about the extra reflector
 
InsaneMJ

InsaneMJ

Well-Known Member
They have what's called a splitter for 1000w ballast to convert it to 2x600's. It's around 30$ at just about any hydro store an maybe cheaper on eBay. Or you can run a flip box, it'll run 12 hours on one lamp then flip to the other lamp 12 hours later.
 
InsaneMJ

InsaneMJ

Well-Known Member
The ballast normally only has enough power for the one lamp it's running. When it comes to electrical stuff don't be too cheap, otherwise you'll watch your stuff melt, catch on fire or shock the shit out of yourself. I wouldn't try to alter the ballast much unless your switching it to 240 or unless your a licensed tech. Be safe not sorry.
 
T

tibberous

Well-Known Member
It seem like, if this was possible, people would actually do it. 600 watt lights are shit cheap nowadays anyway.
 
holdenman

holdenman

Member
nah im not keen on doing any dodgy electrical work im a mechanic by trade and electricity scares the shit outa me. im too much of a stress head to anything risky. anyways bit off topic..building a new grow box soon, reflective paint, whats the go?? what do i need to get, and im in australia :) thanks everyone so far i love feedback from experienced growers, much respect for u
 
JoeyV

JoeyV

Well-Known Member
holdenman, flat white. the only thing better would be mylar.

As far as two lamps on one ballast... conventional wisdom is that if you don't know what you're doing around electricity, don't do it.
 
holdenman

holdenman

Member
Yeah i have mylar available i am just worried about heat issues as it is not a massive area and the weather really starting to warm up now like 30-35 degrees celcius. and yes my spelling is awesome i know
 
M

Michelangelo00

Active Member
I use a product called roof-gard 700. It is a white elastomeric coating. It is a waterproof sealant that works great. I'm sure their are similar products available. I bought a bucket from lowes for 40ish $ u.s.
 
M

Michelangelo00

Active Member
My structure is foam, framed with wood and it worked great. A second coat might be needed for large wood applications. It is also available in gallon size. I used about 2 gallons for a 4x4.
 
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