600 watt mh bulb on hps ballast ?
- Thread starter chris h
- Start date
Spanishfly
Well-Known Member
Yes.........
bird mcbride
Well-Known Member
If your transformer has a built in ignitor you will have to bypass the ignitor. Sodiums come with or without ignitors but metal halide comes with their own built in ignitor. Simple remove the ignitor and attach the lamp wire straight through. If there's no diagram in the transformer box, make sure you take some notes(and tape them in the box) so you can wire the ignitor back in later. Caution, the electrolytic CAP(that looks like a tin can with a couple wires attached) can hold lethal voltage, even after the power is disconnected. If you use a screwdriver to drain the CAP don't be surprised if you blow a chunk off your screwdriver(this could happen to your finger). I use a large 100ohm ballast resistor to drain the CAP before I do any alteration. I have just used a screwdriver when in a hurry. Small bits of metal can fly, so wear protective eyewear. I never do but I've reconfigured countless balasts.
bird mcbride
Well-Known Member
I will make some vids in a month or so but right now I'm indisposed and no time. I will start a journal on mothering and cloning, the most important part of growing pot. If you're using a superace hps bulb in your ballast you can screw a mh right into it. I hope this helps.
Ronjohn7779
Well-Known Member
If your ballast is made to run both MH and HPS bulbs then yes you can run both. If not then you can only run HPS or MH depending on the model you have (most magnetic ballasts can only run one type of bulb either HPS or MH and you need to buy a new ballast to run a different bulb). As some one said you can modify a magnetic ballast to run both, but I'm not that technically knowledgeable. Most digital ballasts can run both HPS and MH. Newer digital ballasts can run multiple bulb Wattages and even dim your current bulb at a lower or higher watt (the later will wear down your bulb faster).
cowboylogic
Well-Known Member
No need to remove the igniter. You can run a mh bulb in a hps ballast with no alterations needed. The igniter will not be an issue when using a mh bulb. But to run a hps bulb in a mh ballast you would need to add an igniter. I say this for 250 watts and up. The smaller wattages kinda have thier own set of rules.
The Ruined
Active Member
I know this to be correct. Id get a full spectrum bulb if you can afford s really nice one. If your only doing a few plants at a time and not a sog I would even use the full spectrum the whole way if it outputs enough red light.
Spanishfly
Well-Known Member
Absolutely right, you can plug a MH straight in. MH do not need an ignitor, but the presence of one does not stop them working. HPS DO need an ignitor.
I was talking to a guy who tested and repaired ballasts. If it lit up a MH but not an HPS the ignitor was duff.
PoppaDoc
Active Member
Why not try a Conversion bulb
Conversion bulb offers you the opportunity to switch the bulb in your Halide or Sodium fixture without changing ballasts.
Many cannabis gardeners prefer Halide light for vegetative growth and a Sodium light during blooming but a separate fixture is normally required. A Conversion bulb is a convenient option when you only have room for a single fixture but want the advantage of both Sodium and Halide lighting.
Please Note:
High intensity discharge conversion bulbs are system specific. Sodium conversion bulbs are designed to be used in metal halide or mercury vapour fixtures only. Halide conversion bulbs are designed to be used in high pressure sodium fixtures only.
Tym
Well-Known Member
Cause they are 2 -3 times the price?
