a question about ballasts

i've been looking on http://www.hydrohobby.co.uk/ and was wondering if it would be better buying an e40 lamp holder, and a 250w cfl bulb, or an e40 lamp holder, a 250w mh bulb and a maxibright mark3 compact ballast. the lamp holder and a cfl can plug straight into the socket, so what do i do with a ballast?

one more question, why on that site are the mh and sodium bulbs cheaper than the cfls? i thought they were more expensive. any help would be great.

CFL bulbs are internally ballasted, HPS/MH bulbs are not. That also explains the price difference. The main cost of CFL's is the bulb, the main cost of the HPS/MH is the ballast.

That ballast seems awfully pricey. Why not just get the complete lighting kit with the reflector, bulb, socket, and ballast? It isn't that much more than the ballast alone and you get everything you need. http://www.hydrohobby.co.uk/product/euro_lighting_systems/

And obviously, HPS/MH > CFL. That is why I recommended the HID kit.

highguy121 said:

i've been looking on http://www.hydrohobby.co.uk/

1 wondering if it would be better buying an e40 lamp holder, and a 250w cfl bulb, or an e40 lamp holder, a 250w mh bulb and a maxibright mark3 compact ballast.

2 the lamp holder and a cfl can plug straight into the socket, so what do i do with a ballast?

3 one more question, why on that site are the mh and sodium bulbs cheaper than the cfls? i thought they were more expensive.

Click to expand...

1. the 250 watt mh puts out more light than a 250 watt cfl.

2. the cfl has its own built in ballast. you wire the mh as follows : bulb - socket - ballast - electrical outlet.

3. when you add the ballast and a hood the mh costs more than a cfl and a reflector. and, those are great prices for mh bulbs.

must've missed that, thanks alot definately worth it. and one more question, what happens to the air after the extraction fan has done its job? and is their a cheap way around ventillation? i will be growing in a wardrobe, so not many plants. thanks again.