600w ballast with 400w hps lamp

209 Cali closet grower

Well-Known Member
Kinda depends on the ballast. Running a 400w bulb in a 600w dimmable lumatek throws off the spectrum a bit and isn't as efficient. Can still do it though.
Is that just hear say?I keep reading that by other people, and net, but no real prof to back it up.

You can run a 400 bulb, but you shorten the bulbs life every time you turn it on, because the bulb will still strike at 600w, then dim down to what ever you setting is.

wELL THAT'S HOW MY BALLAST WORKS.

FUCK CAP OWNED^
 

Gastanker

Well-Known Member
It's much better to run the correct wattage bulb at the correct wattage.

The guy above got it backwards - You can dimm a 600w bulb to 400w and it works but the spectrum is changed due to the wattage not heating the larger element as it should which impacts how the element fluoresces. It is better to run a 400w bulb in a 600w lumatek dimmed to 400w than it is to use a 600w bulb - you'll get more lumen at the correct spectrum versus lower lumen at a compromised spectrum. Not to mention this is how Lumatek advertises their systems...

I didn't think the ignitor differed between 400w-600w ballasts... For instance this is a 70-400w ignitor http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/490394658/ignitor_for_lamp_hps.html

I would assume dimmabale ballasts would use variable ignitors.

You can actually get 35w-1000w ignitors http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/233419022/Ignitor.html
 

phillipchristian

New Member
That info is wrong!

You can not use a 35w ignitor on a 1000w light.
Instead of just jumping all over him why not try reading the post again. You offer no information or reasoning. You just YELL that he is wrong.

When I read the post I could easily see that he was saying you could get ignitors from 35w to 1000w on that website. Not that a 35w would ignite a 1000w.

You don't get point for being the first one to prove something or someone wrong on this site.
 

Clown Baby

Well-Known Member
depends on the ballast.

Lumatek says yes, run a lower wattage bulb in dimmed mode.


On hydrofarm phantoms, they boot up at full power, and then dim down. So just use a single bulb. You dont want to run 600w into a 400w lamp on startup
 

Harrekin

Well-Known Member
I have a 400w MH running on a 600w HPS ballast right now as I type this... but believe the people who say you cant if you want, they've obviously just never tried it ;)

Dimmable ballast, what a money making scam...my 400w MH draws 400w (ish), why bother buying a 600w bulb and dimming it when you can buy a regular magnetic 600w ballast for 1/4 of the price and just buy a smaller bulb?
 

legallyflying

Well-Known Member
^ ummm because magnetic ballasts are trash?

I don't know about an HPS bulb but you can definitely overdrive a 400 watt MH bulb with 600 watts. Been doing it for quite some time. I would never try it without a good air cooled hood though as the get hot as fuck!
 

phillipchristian

New Member
I have a 400w MH running on a 600w HPS ballast right now as I type this... but believe the people who say you cant if you want, they've obviously just never tried it ;)

Dimmable ballast, what a money making scam...my 400w MH draws 400w (ish), why bother buying a 600w bulb and dimming it when you can buy a regular magnetic 600w ballast for 1/4 of the price and just buy a smaller bulb?
I don't know if they are a scam. There are tons of applications for them. Especially if you veg and flower in the same room. Or if you have a long veg. When your plants are small you can dim it to 400w and then as they get bigger you can bump it up to 600w.
 

209 Cali closet grower

Well-Known Member
^ ummm because magnetic ballasts are trash?

I don't know about an HPS bulb but you can definitely overdrive a 400 watt MH bulb with 600 watts. Been doing it for quite some time. I would never try it without a good air cooled hood though as the get hot as fuck!
I've been doing it with out a air cooled hood wth no problems yet in a grow cub.Going on a month now.
 

209 Cali closet grower

Well-Known Member
Instead of just jumping all over him why not try reading the post again. You offer no information or reasoning. You just YELL that he is wrong.

When I read the post I could easily see that he was saying you could get ignitors from 35w to 1000w on that website. Not that a 35w would ignite a 1000w.

You don't get point for being the first one to prove something or someone wrong on this site.
lol, you got me after I edited it.I read my post and said the same thing, so I edited.

lol. you and your comments too...
 

F A B

New Member
before we speculate further lets see if dude even has a dimmable one if not there isnt much to discuss
cuz it wont work
 
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