HTG 400W MH Conv Bulb. Not Really That Bright?

Noob question..

I just started using a 400w MH conv bulb from HTG.. Is it just me or is this bulb really not that bright? This is my first time using one so I really have nothing to compare it to..Was I just expecting too much? I see where the whole bulb doesnt glow,just the top section...I just dont really see this as being 38,000 Lums.. Is it just me ?( more than likely it is just me, ha )

Im speaking of this one >



http://www.htgsupply.com/viewoption.asp?ID=190








thanks

I have some MH conversion bulbs and it's like looking at the sun, as in it's too bright to look at and will most likely damage your eyes.
Sounds like you may have a dud bulb, can you return it as faulty?

I mean, it is bright when u look at it.. But when I look at the floor of my cab or w/e it just doest seem to be throwing a ton of light... Iunno, its hard to explain. Like I said, the whole bulb doesnt glow.. JUST the part at the end of the bulb.. Maybe it just looks like its not that bright because I have my light about 1 foot from my 2 seedlings and im looking down on the reflector.. Iunno.. But I would think that the whole bulb would glow.. Not just 1/3 of it. I can actually lok at the bulb for a second and see that over half of the bulb is clear and can actually see through it.. Ya know what I mean? I just didnt know if this was "common" or not..

OK I made a lil pic to show what im talking about.. The part that is circled is the only part that actually "glows".. I can see right through the part w/ the X even when its on.. Dont get me wrong, I cant stare at it longer than a second or two, but it just doesnt seem right for some reason.. See pic >

got the same bulb and ya i know what your sayin, i dont think its as bright as it should be, for the past week or two ive been questioning whether its working right or not, i think im just thinking too much about it

HAHA well I feel ALOT BETTER now that someone else has confirmed that im not the ONLY one thinking this.. Did you contact HTG and ask them about it? Im thinking about doing that today sometime. I admit I am anal as hell about things like this lol.. But, I just like to make sure shit is working the way it should be. I think im going to call HTG today and talk to them about it and see if its a problem or w/e.

yea man i use that bulb, thats the only area that should light up, its what acts as the filament in normal lightbulbs. the glass just protects it, if you got the bulbs that are all frosted the whole thing will glow, but it will cut down alot on the light it gives off.

i thought the same thing when i turned it on and pointed it at my floor, but with it in my little area it seems perty damn bright. its probly just not as bright as you expected. still feals like im lookin in the sun whenever i even glance at it, it doesnt kick off as many lumens as the hps but i still think its brighter light, just because it looks more blue/white.

ya im not to sure what their return policy is on their lights but i talked to them bout a fan i was thinkin bout returning and they said just mail it back and put a note sayin what was wrong with it and theyd refund me for it

I guess I was just expecting a bigger filimant. meh.. im not really impressed so far w/ the 400w mh conv bulb.. But then again, my seedlings are only a lil over a week old so we'll see in a few weeks..lol. It does throw out alot of heat though lol.
I DID pay for the upgraded HPS bulb though.. So hopefully it will be decent.

thx for the replies. I feel somewhat better now.

the 400w does throw off some heat but it all depends on your area you need covered, the whole goal is to get your plants at least 10,000 lumens, with a 400w mh the distance to have it is 2.25 feet away, this will give you 10,000 lumens exactly. with a higher bulb like a 600 or a 1000w, you will get the same amount of light/lumens hitting your plants because you will have to compensate for heat, so the amount of space between your light and your plants would increase because the heat would increase, and the area it can cover will increase, but if you have a smaller area it wont do anything but heat it faster.

hope i helped...

38,000 lumens won't travel far and hold any intensity. Though they may have overinflated their figures, in general, a 400w conversion MH isn't going to be that bright.

ps. and its the lowest watt for the mh convertion bulb so its better than two different 250w both mh and hps. unless you had both those up in there... that would be nice... sorry just thinkin out loud.