HPS Ballast and purchasing?
- Thread starter Gblink3
- Start date
monstrgonja
New Member
go with a 400w with a ballast and if your worried about heat go with cfl
bubbleberry twist
Member
it will b enuff for 1 plant in a smaller grow space. any more plants added to the room will require more light.. u should consider adding 4 - 6 CFLls to ur grow space if u plan on growing more than 1 plant. as far as buying an hps system.. u can buy the light/fixture at home depot or lowes, only problem is that the fixtures they sell are flush mount fixtures for the outside of your house or garage, in return not a good fixture for a grow room! look on the internet for a hps system that comes with the proper size ballast & a fixture that houses an alluminum, reflective hood so that the light, when turned on, can b directed better towards the plants! hope that helps! good luck!
Brick Top
New Member
I would also suggest a 400-watt HID but one with a conversion bulb so you have both MH and HPS.
Primary light (no natural light) coverages for the different grow light wattages are as follows.
Primary light (no natural light) coverages for the different grow light wattages are as follows.
- 100 watt lights: 1.5FT x 1.5FT growing area
- 150/175 watt lights: 2FT x 2FT growing area
- 250 watt lights: 3FT x 3FT growing area
- 400 watt lights: 5FT x 5FT growing area
- 600 watt lights: 6FT x 6FT growing area
- 1000 watt lights: 8FT x 8FT growing area
KP2
Well-Known Member
those areas are WAAAAAY wrong. i know you got them from a book, but that's bullshit.
400w = 3x3
600w =4x4
1000w = 4x5
as for ballasts; go here www.1000bulbs.com for cheapest prices on raw ballasts and bulbs.
KP2
Well-Known Member
all hps must have a ballast to ramp up the voltage, and an ignitor to spark the sodium gas. a ballast is a transformer, a capacitor, and an ignitor. the bulb for a 70w will fit in a normal socket, but will still not fire without a ballast. imo, you shouldn't waste time with anything less than a 400w. that's like the bare minimum to hid growing...
easygrinder
New Member
KP2
Well-Known Member
i was being nice and posting maximums...
i agree with you, esp in a sog. i stretch my 1k footprints over a 5' wide table, lights perpendicular to the norm.
do you know what book/article those big footprints came from? i'd really like to write that guy an email....
Gblink3
Active Member
KP2
Well-Known Member
1000bulbs used to be THE PLACE to get hid parts and lamps. still lower than almost everywhere else, but i do miss the 40$ 1kw ballasts...
it's important to understand what a raw ballast is with these sites. raw means no housing (that pretty big box that the ballast is in). so, u have a transformer, cap, and ignitor, but no box. this is fine, caps come with caps so you won't shock yourself, and for safety, place on a tile.
no reflector with these, but the ballast kit does include a mogul socket. you can fashion your own reflector, or buy a batwing for about 10$.
and yeah, if you want big watts, you need to purchase from an electrical supply, like 1000bulbs. lowes and hd will not ever carry anything above 250w hid's.
easygrinder
New Member
i was being nice and posting maximums...
i agree with you, esp in a sog. i stretch my 1k footprints over a 5' wide table, lights perpendicular to the norm.
do you know what book/article those big footprints came from? i'd really like to write that guy an email....
i think its a jorge cervantes book, also subcool on these very forums also says the same things
KP2
Well-Known Member
i know about subcool, i think that might be a means to get rid of possible new competition.
i'll have to find the info and put out some feedback... thank you!