400W Which HPS Should I get? Wattage? digi? Dimmable? Bulb? HELP!!!

Title pretty much says it all. I'm drowning (info overload) and need help.

I was looking at this one on HTG, their site is spazzing now, but here's the main things I have only a 3'w x 1.5'd x 4.5'h Cabinet inside dimensions for flowering. I'd like to stuff a good size HPS in there of course WHO WOULDN'T, cooltubed separately from the exhaust system, and I have a vortex 4" 177 cfm to cool just the light, but I want to keep the fan on low or possibly not use that and instead use a S&P mixed flow. I don't see why I can't just pump a normal amount of air through the tube and keep cabinet temps fairly normal is that a fair assumption? I don't see how a cooltubed light would be much hotter than a t5 for instance, but I need help from the cabinet world. Is it?

I don't have a ton of cash but HTG's prices on the digital greenhouse packages with cooltubable hoods are looking nice. I think I could definitely use a 400w and get a dimmable one, then tone it down if I have to. A friend was telling me say if I got the 600w (planning on future expansion), and dimmed it down to 400w or 250, the 600w bulb may not last long. But If I get the appropriate bulb for the setting it is as normal? Is that right? Then also on HTG I see lumatek but not dimmable.

I hear quality is iffy but in case of a problem I do have other lights I could use while I waited for a replacement. I also hear digital ballasts can be fussy with bulbs so I'd like to choose a good matching bulb. Anyone??? Thx....

I would even get away from dimmable AND digital and get a magnetic(?), but I want the adjust ability because I'm unsure....

HTG 400w magnetic hps, w/Philips retro white CMH (not htg's cmh bulb) for entire grow.
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Your Space is way larger, though. WOW I may have trouble containing something that size, then I would run out of room.

The 4.5' H doesn't give you much to work with, I wouldn't go over 250w given the small space, even with the cool tube. I have used the Lumatek 250/400 and it worked fine with both a fancy 250w hps bulb (fancy bulbs are a waste of money IMHO) and industrial-type 400w bulbs.

Thanks for the reply.

HTG has a 400w lumatek system but it doesn't say if it's the 400/250 or not. I think I'll contact them...

Looking on Lumatek's site I don't see any other 400w's besides the 400/250 (LK400). Do you know if lumatek makes different 400 watters or just the 400/250?

Thanks.

You need to verify before purchase because Lumatek has many "versions" of their products and what the retailer has on the shelf may be outdated at a low volume shop. Have a look at Greentrees, best pricing I've found and you can specify the cord end. (i.e. Hydrofarm or Sunlight) What they are calling a 400w is dimmable and will also run the 250w bulb per the description. Hydrofarm Phantom ballasts are also worth looking into. Both of these brands have been around a long time and are not likely to burn your house down.

Oh, and forget magnetic. With all due respect to the Al B. Fucts out there, I've never experienced a silent magnetic ballast. A good digital is totally silent, does not produce radio interference, and will last for years. That is the difference between a solid name brand type and cheapo ebay "brands", BTW.

Hortilux super hps lumatek suoer lumen ballast

Thinking on it, I once used a ballast/lamp combo 250w HPS in a 2'x2'x'6 steel mini-closet. There were vent holes drilled at the top of the closet, but no fans, door slightly cracked. Worked great. Considering the heat output of the ballast alone, I think an external ballast in that case would have eliminated the need for the door to be cracked, and that's without a cool tube. FYI.

Dimmable interchangeable digital. Always.

If that is all the space you have to work with...I would get a led light...easier to cool n perfect coverage. For that space.

I'm pretty set on HPS, thanks for all the replies.

I'm going to take all you advices and do some research tonight see what I can come up with.

Thanks again.

ANyone have any experience with these:

I've heard good things about galaxy so I got the select-a-watt 400, because the local guy had one in stock. Also they price matched down to a really low internet price I found, so I paid about $140 for the ballast.

Another place had this super small 6" vented hood. It has everything I was looking for, small footprint (12" depth x 21" across), glass enclosed, and most importantly those big 6" vents. This guy will get separate venting and a 4" vortex will do the work I'm hoping I can leave it on relatively low and still be able to run @ 400w, but I adjust if I need to. Broke my budget a bit, though and had to settle for a cheap bulb. I'll upgrade that when I find out what size I can run. This is going in a 3' wide x 1.5' deep cabinet (6' total height).

The 400W is in the cabinet, maintaining about 80f right at the canopy top. Jus couldn't shove the 6" tubes in there so I adopter everything to 4". If I have to scale down to 250w or the 250+W Once the plants grow higher I will. But by then I want to change the cooling making it much more efficient and separate exhaust systems for the light and the cabinet.

Makes 88 Watts/Sq.Ft.

I'm really happy with the galaxy, no interference. Soft start is nice, and doesn't run to hot. Plays nice with the timer.

Thanks for all the advice guys...