My real cheap Metal halide 400w light

i was searching thru craiglists and found a cheap alternative to lighting. there a number of ppl offering opportunities to purchase factory/warehouse type lighting. i managed to get my hands on such a light. i saw a good You Tube video where they showed you how to wire a light (it comes multi tap, so you can wire it 120v, ect.) i was worried that i had a light that was advertised as multi tap but it wasn't listed on the label to offer these options. but when i opened the access panel the wiring inside was listed as 120v, 208v, 240v, 277v. so i think its ok to assume that i can wire this light as any of those voltages. now this light comes with a large round reflector, bulb, mogul socket, bracket for adjustment (height) of bulb, ballast. its all in a stacked assembly. i was wondering if i could build a homemade housing for the bulb and enclosed it in glass??? i want to run ducting in one side and out the other, the only way i can do this is to build a new housing. if the light was built to run vertically, can i still design my new housing to house the bulb assembly to run horizonally? i was thinking of putting rubber feet on the bottom of the ballast and a handle, kinda like the ones i see retailers offering online. looks like i can do all of these things i have in mind. was wondering if someone could give me some advise. i have attached a picture of the light. if i need to show more detail, i can upload more detailed pictures.

you got a fire extinguisher handy? lol

Do your research on the wiring. Start with google, it always helps me. Run it with the reflector thats on it.. it'll work just fine.

crazy thing about this is that i only paided $30.00 for the light. i'm not hearing thats its great or dumb idea to redesign the reflector and housing....the reason is space. i plan to utilize a small aeroponics setup for my first grow. so heat and space are a concern.

Got a friend using that exact ballast. Took it apart from the socket down and there are a white and a black wire from the ballast to the socket. He wired them to a female cord plug end, bought a cheap batwing reflector on ebay, wired it's leads to a male cord plug end, then hooked them together with an extension cord so he could remote-mount the ballast. He vegged with a 400w GE Multi-Vapor (which is a universal-position MH bulb), then flowered with a Sunmaster 400W warm deluxe MH bulb (takes a position-oriented socket, but we found a way around that). Results were IMPRESSIVE.

how did you get around the position-oriented socket situation, KitchenKhemist? wouldn't have any pics by chance?

lol...funny you should ask...couple of douchebags were givin me hell on this subject earlier. To get around the position-oriented socket, you just carefully clip the position pin off the bulb with a pair or dykes. When you screw the bulb unto the socket, make sure the pin (or where the pin was) is at the 9 o'clock position.

As for pics....of what?

sorry i've been working and haven't had time to check my post. i'm not familiar with the pin situation that you are referring to. i'm sure on better inspection of the light setup itself i will see what you are referring to. as far as pics, well, i've always been a visual person, so any pics of whatever i may encounter would help me or i'm guessing someone else.