Recent content by SkSMaN

I would veg with the MH then when you flower add the hps to it. run them both for flowering. Your buds will thank you!! Just keep the air moving.

I would try the 400 with external ballast. With the Ballast outside your box it will help run a bit cooler. I think if you have good ventilation you should be OK for heat. I use a inline fan for vent, but you can usually get a good bathroom type for fairly low $$. Get the highest CFM you can...

If you look at the link you provided there is a pdf of the ballast data sheet, complete with wiring diagram.

That explains it perfectly...Thanks!!!!

Hey fellow green keepers!! I have a fairly deep background in magnetics but have been out of the game for the past years...I used to work for a lighting company back then, we were just starting on electronic ballast designs when I chose a different direction... Just curious as to why the name...

Interesting explanation... The coils of each ballast type are definitely NOT the same. The wire gauge may be the same, but the turns ratio of the coils are not. If this were the case the current limiting capabilities and open circuit voltage of the two ballast's would be identical....and they...

I am surprised you have not noticed a difference in life span...How much colour shift do you notice if it was installed right next to a properly set up MH?

Your 100% correct!! I was not thinking of conversion lamps when I replied...I was thinking of the 430W Agro type lamps....

No...You can get conversion systems, but a standard 400WMH will NOT operate the 430WHPS. You should always use the lamp the ballast was designed to operate, otherwise you risk over or under driving your lamp resulting in shorter lamp life and undesirable shifts in color.

Make sure you don't overload the circuit!!

The larger awg wire will be able to carry the current load for sure, but trust me when I say you do not want arching to take place during start up! Make sure you get something that can handle the high voltage pulses used to start the lamp!!! See my previous post.

I would use a quality wire manufactured to withstand the high voltage pulses and high ambient temps....I would go with the 14AWG as the min... Here is an example.... http://www.tevelec.com/CatalogProducts.asp?nProductsID=135 Watch your distance, you may need a remote ignitor. Hope this...

If I remember correctly, lumen output drops approximately about half for every foot...“The Inverse Square Law”

What kind of MH is it? Pulse start?

You will get two major type of loss in magnetics...first your copper loss second will be your steel loss... Lumen output should be similar....The ballast is designed to operate a specific lamp type within an operating window for that lamp, shouldnt matter if its magnetic or electronic. The...