Can I use a 110V HID bulb on a 240v ballast?

Spaceboy

New Member
Hello folks,
I am an absolute beginner to all of this but I am a quick learner.
I have bought a job lot of lighting equipment for a very good price, I will first let you know what I have got-
  • 600w, 240v, 50HZ Maxibright ballast- runs both Metal Halide(MH) and High Pressure Sodium(HPS). I belive that makes it a digital/electronic ballast(please correct me if I am wrong).
  • 600w, 240v, 50HZ (name is partially rubbed off) ballast- runs HPS only. I think that makes it a magnetic ballast(again please corect me if I am wrong).
  • Sylvania Grolux 600w HPS bulb.
  • Senua 600w HPS bulb.
  • One reflector and socket.
  • Two extractor fans (intake and outake)

My intended grow area is 270cubic feet
The country I live in (I'm not saying which country) has the standard 240v mains connection.
I intend to replace the HPS ballast with another 600w ballast that does both MH and HPS bulbs and get another reflector and socket so I can have two lamps on at the same time for maximum light.
With the above I also wish to get two MH/CFL/blue spectrum bulbs for the veg stage -though I like the idea of MH/CFL bulbs if it is more economic (cheaper) I will get two Dual Spectrum(DS) bulbs instead.
I noticed that when looking at various other HID bulbs I saw a Sunmaster DS with a voltage of 115v and another site listed the same bulb as 240v, a MH bulb with 120v, a DS with 400v and the rest HID bulbout there do not state a voltage. There is no voltage on the two HPS bulbs I have yet they work perfectly on both ballasts.
I'm confused!

What my question is, can I use any voltage bulb (really anything from 110v-240v approx) with a 240v ballast?

Any answers ASAP would be greatly appreciated. That goes for opinions/tips/advice for my set-up/growing as well!
Spaceboy

*All thoughts and opinions expressed by myself in this post are fictitious and theoretical. Any resemblance to growing Marijuana is purely coincidental.-and very naughty
 
I will give you my answers based on some experience but......
I believe the lamps are not voltage rated as they are powered by the ballast which is where the voltage comes in. Saying that the ballast is voltage rated is correct, some only work on 120 but most will work on both 120 and 240.
Just because a ballast powers both mh and hps bulbs does not make it a digital as many magnetic ballast can do the same. Magnetic ballast are extremely heavy for the size, usually hum, and create a lot more heat.
 
AH HAAA, geez I didn't know that, lol. Well I've never dealt with 240v before so have zero xp with it, but I was under the assumption that if I switched my ballasts to the 240v setting that I'd have to buy new bulbs, lol, whew, thank God I was wrong about that ;?D

However I do remember a long time back a friend told me that if I wanted a regular incandescent bulb that would last practically forever, that I should buy 240v bulbs and use them in a 120v socket, (but that you wouldn't want to try that in reverse ;?) so I suppose that's where I got that idea stuck in my brain, lol. I'm guessing that that means as far as un-ballasted lights go, you do have to stick with the correct voltage???
 
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