lighting question

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otter57

Active Member
this might be a stupid question, but i have no idea. anyway...can you just put a metal halide or HPS bulb in a regular light bulb socket, or do u need a special thing. i am asking because i am trying to avoid buying an expensive HPS or MH lighting system.

also, how much wattage should i look for. i have 4 plants under 2 48 inch flourescents right now, but i plan to get either a MH or HPS light to supplement it.
 
Dirtyboy

Dirtyboy

Well-Known Member
No ya cant! Ya need a ballast.

Get a hps and ya can put a mh bulb the same wattage in it.
I have been doing this for years.
 
Billj500

Billj500

New Member
Dirtyboy said:
No ya cant! Ya need a ballast.

Get a hps and ya can put a mh bulb the same wattage in it.
I have been doing this for years.
Click to expand...
I'm no grow expert, but doesn't the ballast have to be convertible for him to run both MH and HPS in the same ballast?
 
Dirtyboy

Dirtyboy

Well-Known Member
Billj500 said:
I'm no grow expert, but doesn't the ballast have to be convertible for him to run both MH and HPS in the same ballast?
Click to expand...
Nope.....
When i started growing a few yrs ago. I thought i had a switchable light. So i put a mh bulb in same watt(1000) in a hps ballast. I did it for years until i bought another one and learned that i could not do that.
Well i can and i still do.
Ya have to have the hps ballast.
Its not good. I hear it hurts the bulbs life(mh) Big deal saves me from buying lights.
 
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Phinxter

Well-Known Member
if you gotta go with CFL get a monster like this one 200 Watt CFL - Spring Lamp - Full Spectrum 5000K - Mogul Base - Energy Miser FE-IIIB-200W Light Bulb
keep in mind it has a mogul base which is bigger than a standard edison base bulb so you will need an adapter but it will screw into a standard fixture with the adapter and you could also make a nice batwing reflector for it and it kicks out 10,000 lumens and thats not too shabby for a single cfl
ot basically puts out as much light as 6 of the standard 23 watt cfls
i would personally run 1 of these for 4 plants no problem with a good do it yourself reflector and if you want to skip the adapter you can go with the 105 watt as seen here 105 Watt Compact Fluorescent no adapter needed! just screw it into any standard edison base socket
 
Billj500

Billj500

New Member
Dirtyboy said:
Nope.....
When i started growing a few yrs ago. I thought i had a switchable light. So i put a mh bulb in same watt(1000) in a hps ballast. I did it for years until i bought another one and learned that i could not do that.
Well i can and i still do.
Ya have to have the hps ballast.
Its not good. I hear it hurts the bulbs life(mh) Big deal saves me from buying lights.
Click to expand...
So you can run an MH bulb from an HPS ballast, but not vice versa? But, it could be potentially damaging to the MH bulb? Is that right?
 
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otter57

Active Member
Phinxter said:
if you gotta go with CFL get a monster like this one 200 Watt CFL - Spring Lamp - Full Spectrum 5000K - Mogul Base - Energy Miser FE-IIIB-200W Light Bulb
keep in mind it has a mogul base which is bigger than a standard edison base bulb so you will need an adapter but it will screw into a standard fixture with the adapter and you could also make a nice batwing reflector for it and it kicks out 10,000 lumens and thats not too shabby for a single cfl
ot basically puts out as much light as 6 of the standard 23 watt cfls
i would personally run 1 of these for 4 plants no problem with a good do it yourself reflector and if you want to skip the adapter you can go with the 105 watt as seen here 105 Watt Compact Fluorescent no adapter needed! just screw it into any standard edison base socket
Click to expand...
you have no idea how much that helps me. here...have an e-blunt:leaf:
 
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