i bought a 400w from ebay.. the auction SAID it was Hps/Ms switchable... but..

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Dirty Harry

Well-Known Member
OK, I take issue with the comment that some ballasts that can run MH and HPS are "usually called a digital ballast".This can cause confusion to new growers. A magnetic or transformer ballast is an analog device and could be called a boat anchor due to the size and weight.
A digital ballast is electronic, thus being digital, and a lot smaller in size and weight.
Both can run both bulbs. The transformer ballast only needs the switch circuit to make the difference between MH and HPS and that does not make it a digital ballast.
Digital ballasts run the bulb voltage at higher frequencies (mostly) and that is why when they first came out some bulbs would not work. The digital manufactures have mostly eliminated that problem, but some report of TV and radio interference and they are working on that problem also.
 
Gastanker

Gastanker

Well-Known Member
Yes it is switchable. I own the 1000w version and they are switchable - no physical switch necessary.
 
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iNUPE

Active Member
OP here.. thanks to everyone that answered the question... no need to post pictures because thanks to everyones responses, i see that there is no physical switch on it (unlike other ballasts), but it should work anyways... so the ebay seller got me with a little clever - yet perhaps slightly deceitful marketing... but if the MH bulb works *crosses fingers* then no harm no foul i guess.... thats the woes of purchasing off Ebay.

if it doesnt work.. ill just chalk it up as a noob lesson learned and cop a conversion bulb or soemthing.. thank you all
 
D

Dirty Harry

Well-Known Member
iNUPE said:
... but if the MH bulb works *crosses fingers* then no harm no foul i guess.... thats the woes of purchasing off Ebay.
if it doesnt work.. ill just chalk it up as a noob lesson learned and cop a conversion bulb or soemthing.. thank you all
Click to expand...
Or find an electrician friend and ask him to install a switch. I am an electrical person but I don't advise you to do it yourself unless you know what your doing. There is a capacitor in there that holds a charge even after you unplug the ballast and it can bite.
 
machnak

machnak

Well-Known Member
WeeGogs said:
it does not matter you thick fucking cock sucker,,,

get this in to your thick fucking head, if the ballast is for an hps bulb it will run a metal halide.

the metal halide ballast will not ignite an hps bulb.

switchable who gives a fuck, buy a basic magnetic hps ballast and put any fucking bub in it that is the same wattage.
a decent digital ballast will run any bulb up to 1000 watts !!!!!!!
Click to expand...
Here we go....
 
I

iNUPE

Active Member
OP here back with a verdict for any other noobs that are asking a similar question that i had..

YES.. a MH bulb will light in a HPS ballast.. mine is currently up and running.... from others comments and my readings i see that it will "seriously decrease" the live of the bulb... well.. my bulb is rated for 15k hours,.. thats 625 days... so even if it cuts my bulb life by 90% ill still get 62 days of running the MH bulb for 24hours straight ... so im fine with those chances (the bulb only cost me 16 dollars)
 
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