Can a Metal Halide or High Pressure Sodium lamp use both bulbs?
- Thread starter james513
- Start date
chuck taylor
Active Member
switchable ballast
jondamon
Well-Known Member
check with your ballast manufacturer.
Alot of manufacturers ballasts are capable of running both.
I wasnt too sure about my Magnetic century grow systems ballast so i got my hydro store to check for me and then confirmed that i can run any wattage of any bulb up to the maximum of my ballast whether thats HPS or MH i have a 600w HPS ballast.
If you email your manufacturer they should be able to tell you.
Sometimes you need to use a conversion bulb in order to run both as some HPS ballasts do not have the capability to fire an MH lamp and vice versa.
As i said though if you check with your manufacturer they will be able to give you confirmation as to whether or not their ballast will work with the lamp you have in mind.
J
Alot of manufacturers ballasts are capable of running both.
I wasnt too sure about my Magnetic century grow systems ballast so i got my hydro store to check for me and then confirmed that i can run any wattage of any bulb up to the maximum of my ballast whether thats HPS or MH i have a 600w HPS ballast.
If you email your manufacturer they should be able to tell you.
Sometimes you need to use a conversion bulb in order to run both as some HPS ballasts do not have the capability to fire an MH lamp and vice versa.
As i said though if you check with your manufacturer they will be able to give you confirmation as to whether or not their ballast will work with the lamp you have in mind.
J
jondamon
Well-Known Member
Most digital ballasts will run both you can even get dimmable ones which will allow you to use a 600w lamp in the ballast and run it at 75% 50% in order to either start things off gently or turn it all down if you are suffering with heat issues.
LUMATEK make a good one but then im in the UK so i dont know whether they make them for any other countries.
My advice to you if you havent spent anything yet is get yourself a DIGITAL DIMMABLE BALLAST capable of running both MH/HPS which it will state on the site or in the shop you plan on getting it from.
J
LUMATEK make a good one but then im in the UK so i dont know whether they make them for any other countries.
My advice to you if you havent spent anything yet is get yourself a DIGITAL DIMMABLE BALLAST capable of running both MH/HPS which it will state on the site or in the shop you plan on getting it from.
J
jondamon
Well-Known Member
Lowphat
Well-Known Member
I'm using a 400W Lumatek digital dimmable ballast that is compatible with both MH/HPS (bought in the US).
From Lumatek's UK site
http://www.lumatek.co.uk/generalproductinfo.htm
H.P.S/M.H
"Lumatek ballasts operate both metal halide and high pressure sodium lamps. They will not light MV mercury vapor lamps which are commonly sold in hardware and some hydroponics stores.
*Please note the 750 watt ballast is HPS only."
Fully interchangeable
Lumatek ballasts can light both HPS and MH bulbs (excluding the 750w which is HPS only).
Hope this helps.
Low
From Lumatek's UK site
http://www.lumatek.co.uk/generalproductinfo.htm
H.P.S/M.H
"Lumatek ballasts operate both metal halide and high pressure sodium lamps. They will not light MV mercury vapor lamps which are commonly sold in hardware and some hydroponics stores.
*Please note the 750 watt ballast is HPS only."
Fully interchangeable
Lumatek ballasts can light both HPS and MH bulbs (excluding the 750w which is HPS only).
Hope this helps.
Low