HPS won't fire/isn't my igniter.. Help!

cannabineer said:

I've really enjoyed my Ushio bulbs. "Opti Red HPS 600w, and an "Opti Blue" 600W MH "conversion" bulb for HPS ballast. I got mine for $80-90 each. I suspect that for HPS the $20 cheapies can be pretty good. Power is so danged expensive here (about 30¢ the marginal kWh) that I went for the slightly higher output of the premium bulb. One day I'll have to try a premium v a cheapie on clones from the same plant ... it's hard to tell how much of what I'm doing is science v. superstition. Controlled experiment will be the only way.

The other thing I've been pondering is a cheapie HPS supplemented with 50-100 watts of actinic aquarium T5s. that really does strike me as the best of both worlds. ~sigh~ someday. cn

Click to expand...

That's damn expensive... Like double my rate I think ha.

The thing is,, I have one 400 watter and at most maybe 4 plants right under it. The way I'm using my light is very efficient. And it wouldn't be worth a Eye or Ushio Price for a new bulb. Like seriously unless I got AT LeAST two 1k setups going then the bulbs will be worth the money to me.

The MH bulb has its own igniter in it. It's perfectly safe to use it in an hps.

I don't need a mh switch lol. Just the right bulbs. Although a 600w Phantom would be nice..

That supplemental lighting would be more than enough to make up for the lower lumen output/cheaper spectrum.

IMO unless you have a room grow going on (5k or more) then that couple hundred you threw away will be useless. It's marginal unless the grow op is stepped up. I have my light very close.