First Time HPS user. need all the help i can get please!!!

so my friend was at work the other day and didnt notice up until now he had some extra bulbs in the shop and gave them to me . they are 2 "400 watt sylvania lumalux" (picture attatched) i read that they are designed for growing.. i cannot wait to get these up and running cuz i know they will blow my cfl's right outta the water by giving faster grows, producing way bigger yeilds, stronger plants etc... but i have alot of questions and concerns so please answere to the best you can. thanks!

1) where can i buy an aproapriate ballast set for these bulbs?**other than online** box said it has to be specifically for this type.

2) where can i purchase aproapriate sized sockets for these lights to fit in? **other than online** ( i plan on making my own reflector)

3) i read that these bubls can get extreamly hot. since this is a closet grow will heat and ventilation become an issue? are there any precautions i should take? the last thing i want is a fire to start ! (see my other post for closet pics -->go to page 3. https://www.rollitup.org/newbie-central/277074-need-some-advise-help-plz-3.html )

4) i know it sounds dumb. but im a lil sketchy about the power being used from these lights. my friend lives in a regular townhouse. pays his rent. is it possible it will be noticed?

check your local hardware store. dont know if you have home depot or stores like that but thats where i would look.

as for what it costs to run, here is the equation:
# of hours light is on (times) wattage of light (divided by) 1000 (times) what you pay per KWH (times) 30 days = monthly usage in $

in other words.... heres my usage:
12 hours (times) 165 watts (divided by) 1000 (times) .36 cents (times) 30 days = $21.38 per month.

as for if its possible to be noticed..... anything is posible. I am not worried if mine gets noticed, its so small its insignificant, and i'm medical..... and your power use is pretty minimal as well even running a 250 watt.

yeah i got home depot and home hardware. im gona cheak them out in a few days.. as far as that power equation goes its kinda confusing lol but his hydro/heat/water is all enclusive in his rent. so its a set price. i guess its unlimited usage ( to certain extent obviously ). but i figure the stove/tv/surroundsound stereo/computer etc.. must use up a pretty decent amount of power as it is right?? .. but thanks for the reply (+rep) ... anyone else? i need the help

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq_e0tBM6rE

^^^ watch this video , 3 minutes into it explains it all bro. Good luck.

I dont think the video will help him with his problem.... Im not sure but, I think he needs to know what ballast can go with his bulb?

Your bill will not be noticable with 1 or 2 400 watts going. Its like you got a bigscreen tv in your bedroom, and a new minifridge.

check the net for local hydroponic shops, maybe bigger garden shops too for balasts and the other shit you need. if its a hydro shop go the one furthest from your home. they'll also give you advice if there any good at all.

kronic1989 said:

I dont think the video will help him with his problem.... Im not sure but, I think he needs to know what ballast can go with his bulb?

Click to expand...

...he gave a two part question, I think...lol
....yeah, I can't help'em with that...but, I see they sell 400 watt bulbs @ Lowes...maybe they sell the ballast also...idk. Good luck.

haha thanks alot every1 ! ... i like the way u think "kronic1989" lol bigscreen lcd sounds nice.. but yeah i do need to know what ballast will work for my bulb and along with the other questions about sockets n heat/ventilation precautions

Okay, I dont know to much about matching up ballasts with bulbs, but Im gonna try. What I can answer right now is your vent/heat question.

How many 400Watts are you gonna use?

This is a closet grow? how much space?

Are you going to use cooltubes and carbon filters?

Okay, I saw your pics, That looks like a real nice setup you have already. Besides it is lacking in total lumens per square foot.

Running 1 or 2 400Watts in that closet you have will raise temps quite a bit. You will need to keep the door open on it or something open on it for air circulation, or you will have to put an outtake fan with a carbon filter, if smell is going to be a problem.

Do you live near tdot?

If Im not Mistaken, A Lumatek 400Watt will work with your Bulbs just fine. There should be a standard socket for them to. No options really.

Well I hate to brake the news to ya but you have aquired the cheapest part of a HPS system. To answer your first question you would need a ballast that is a 400w HPS or a switchable "a switchable ballast means it can do metal halide or MH" also you would want to get this stuff online its a 100times cheaper online. http://cheaphydroponics.com/store/view-all/sunleaves-pulsar-ballast-400w-hps/prod_358.html there is a 400w ballast for $135.00 also I wouldn't recomend building your own hps reflector there is going to be a decent ammount of heat comming off that bulb I would go with a air cooled reflector the same website I posted has a x-tra sun air cooled reflector for only 80 or you can get a cheapo one for like 25. Now your second question if you wanted to build your own reflector your going to need a "cord set" cord sets vary connectors by ballast manufacutrer and they usually run about 25$ " side not the reflector I was talking about for $80 includes the cordset". To reflect on this in a complet system you need a compatiable ballast a cord set " these include most bulb sockets and power cords for the ballast" and you need a reflector. Well I hope this helps ya ne more questions let me know : )

thanks for the quick replies dude.. ( no i dun live in toronto ). n i only plan on growing 6 max. i can thow in a couple extra blue specrum cfls. but if 1 400 watt hps can grow 6 quality. i may as well save other bulb as a replacement. il figure somethin out about the heat. im not too familiar with the hole carbon filter thing yet. and my local lighting store has a ballast with bulb fixture (plug n play) for $200. a little pricie but if its garauntee quality i will take it. can i find a similar ballast for cheeper??
EDIT: Thnx. yes it did help. i posted at the same time u did lol

canadian.bud21 said:

haha thanks alot every1 ! ... i like the way u think "kronic1989" lol bigscreen lcd sounds nice.. but yeah i do need to know what ballast will work for my bulb and along with the other questions about sockets n heat/ventilation precautions

Click to expand...

your probably best off buying a 400w setup and using your bulb as backup(or at first and the one that comes with it for backup)
this way you dont have to worry abuot wiring anything wrong(i know it's farely simple but best if you can hold the company resposible for any inccidents not your wiring. and if it's a 400 it SHOULD work in any 400w socket/balast if not id say throw the bulbs out becouse there assholes that cant make a product compatible with anything else(if they only work with a certain brand)
as for heat you should upgrade your exaust fan &/or build a cooltube

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.420magazine.com/gallery/data/500/cooltube1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.420magazine.com/forums/how-grow-marijuana/71117-how-do-i-build-my-own-cool-tube.html&usg=__Qwqm-uojZ99-lw15ExC3n57_G_w=&h=707&w=1024&sz=278&hl=en&start=18&um=1&tbnid=s8MatizDwzBHhM:&tbnh=104&tbnw=150&prev=/images?q=bake+a+round+cool+tube&hl=en&safe=off&um=1

canadian.bud21 said:

thanks for the quick replies dude.. ( no i dun live in toronto ). n i only plan on growing 6 max. i can thow in a couple extra blue specrum cfls. but if 1 400 watt hps can grow 6 quality. i may as well save other bulb as a replacement. il figure somethin out about the heat. im not too familiar with the hole carbon filter thing yet. and my local lighting store has a ballast with bulb fixture (plug n play) for $200. a little pricie but if its garauntee quality i will take it. can i find a similar ballast for cheeper??
EDIT: Thnx. yes it did help. i posted at the same time u did lol

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im sure you can find a cheaper ballast(cheap as in price of coarse NOTquality)
off ebay you can pick a plug'n'play for less then 150 for sure! The person that got me my lightes was using the bulbs you have (about $20 each)
then switched to an eye hortilux with much better results.(hope so for $90 each)
example
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-400-watt-HPS-GROW-LIGHT-High-Pressure-Sodium-400w-w_W0QQitemZ120497499999QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c0e35ef5fjust thought id share that.your bulbs will still work good.

thanks for all the help.. i think im gona go with the local hydroponics shop n buy the 200 dollar ballast n fixture. i would assume they know what their doin.. but in the meantime till i get that up and running, if anyone can help me out in my other post i apreciate it. [ Link is on first page. 1st post ]

I would reconsider buying one online if possible I can go buy a SG 1000w HPS/MH for a $131.00 at dchydro. Also if I were you doing a small grow like you are I would want the switchable ballast. I'm fairly sure you don't really relize the difference between the two yet. When plants are in there "veg" phase they require a higher light spectrum like 5000k up, this is the blue side of the spectrum. When your flowering the plants like more red spectrum like 3000k and lower. HPS bulbs are like 2700k spectrum and MH are like 6500 7500k. so if u buy a switchable ballast to go from veg to flower is just the flip a switch and change a bulb.

most ballasts got a label on em telling u what they run( i know mine all do). my hps ballasts can run mh, i dunno if they all do. and a 600 watt ballast can run a 400 watt bulb.

figtree said:

check your local hardware store. dont know if you have home depot or stores like that but thats where i would look.

as for what it costs to run, here is the equation:
# of hours light is on (times) wattage of light (divided by) 1000 (times) what you pay per KWH (times) 30 days = monthly usage in $

in other words.... heres my usage:
12 hours (times) 165 watts (divided by) 1000 (times) .36 cents (times) 30 days = $21.38 per month.

as for if its possible to be noticed..... anything is posible. I am not worried if mine gets noticed, its so small its insignificant, and i'm medical..... and your power use is pretty minimal as well even running a 250 watt.

Click to expand...

sorry but your equation looks to be completely wrong.