Back before they actually started making HID grow ballast guys would just buy the kits(transformer,ignitor,capacitor, the guts inside those grow ballasts) and hang the transformers up with bailing wire from the rafters, run the wire through the holes in the corner of the transformer. Theres still old cats around here with the same shit setup. Brings back memories because we use to go to the scrap yard and buy the high bay lights that were being scraped and hard wire them. Then finally they started selling the pigtails or the BAASR and BAASP conversion plugs and that made it easy to rig up high bay lights. You can take the ignitor out of the loop for running halide bulbs on hps ballast by disconnecting the x3 wire between the transformer and ignitor or toggle switching it so it doesn't have that high voltage pulse. That pulse can be upwards of 5000volts and that damages the probe start halides. Dangerous, they will fire up but that pulse will cause premature failure and the bulb can explode. Nowadays most halide bulbs are pulse start for use with electronic ballast and old magnetic hps ballasts. You can tell this because the wire inside the outer envelope goes straight to the electrode in the arc tube, you dont have that little bi metal resistor switch or whatever it is.
Conversion Bulbs
- Thread starter Vee
- Start date
Uncle Romulus
madman, scholar
I do love the nostalgia and using old faithful and that..
I’d highly recommend using a 315 w cmh at 3100k. Would outperform the 400 w hp/mh setup and you don’t have to change out shit. I just bought my second one for about 165 u s dollas bulbed and ready to go. I m slowly investing in leds when I see a deal (or feel like making little household bulb panels.)
I still appreciate a good ol 600 w hps but I gave away all my 400 hps and mh units I had around. 600 s blast twice as hard for 200 watts more. Just my two cents is don’t throw money away at 400 s. I mean if you already own some fine, use em.. or like if you live on an island where all there is available is 400 s I guess you should use em
I’d highly recommend using a 315 w cmh at 3100k. Would outperform the 400 w hp/mh setup and you don’t have to change out shit. I just bought my second one for about 165 u s dollas bulbed and ready to go. I m slowly investing in leds when I see a deal (or feel like making little household bulb panels.)
I still appreciate a good ol 600 w hps but I gave away all my 400 hps and mh units I had around. 600 s blast twice as hard for 200 watts more. Just my two cents is don’t throw money away at 400 s. I mean if you already own some fine, use em.. or like if you live on an island where all there is available is 400 s I guess you should use em
Dirtbag
Really Active Member
I still feel HID is akin to the record player where LED is like mp3.. Some people will still keep using records regrdless how far the tech progresses, cause they just sound so good.
Never know, I could be one of those people...
New tech is more efficient by the numbers and grows great bud no doubt, I'm just old fashioned and what I do works well enough to not care if it could be slightly better. The upfront cost of quality LED is my main hurdle honestly.
When my ballasts give up the ghost maybe I'll reconsider LED at that point but only if the prices have come way down. Till then I'm growin weed like its 1999... lol.
Never know, I could be one of those people...
New tech is more efficient by the numbers and grows great bud no doubt, I'm just old fashioned and what I do works well enough to not care if it could be slightly better. The upfront cost of quality LED is my main hurdle honestly.
When my ballasts give up the ghost maybe I'll reconsider LED at that point but only if the prices have come way down. Till then I'm growin weed like its 1999... lol.
Sc006
If I know anything. I know nothing.
Hey what I say long as your growing big fat tasty buds. That's all that counts. I had to upgrade to cobs from a 400 mainly for heat issues. I got that ballast for like 15 bucks lol worked great. Hated to upgrade
Uncle Romulus
madman, scholar
My first light was a retired street light. 400 watt hps, loud humming mag ballast. Grew lots of mediocre bud with that unit. I gave it to a buddy too cheap ass to buy something decent to grow with and he’s still using it. Keep telling him a new bulb would do wonders but he most likely hasn’t changed it. I now have 2 cxa s at 65 watts each at 3500k that replace it lol. Found the fixture online for 135 bucks CanadianHey what I say long as your growing big fat tasty buds. That's all that counts. I had to upgrade to cobs from a 400 mainly for heat issues. I got that ballast for like 15 bucks lol worked great. Hated to upgrade
I have both LEDs and HIDs and to me they're equally valuable. I honestly wouldn't say one outperforms the other. The main difference for me with LEDs is the heat and power savings, which I dont sweat the power because the power usage to product value ratio is not comparable imho. The heat is the big kicker, LEDs in summer and HIDs in winter works for me. Quality will be about the same if you mix spectrums with HID just as you do with LEDs. If any noticeable differences I'd say the quality of LEDs is slightly better but the yield/flower bulk may be slightly less but you can tweak either and hit max levels imo. I'm not biased and one could make good arguments either way. On the subject of the 400 mags, and I know it was mentioned not to mix wattages but there is an exception with the 330 cmh allstarts. These bulbs were designed to run on 400w magnetic ballast and run cooler than 250w hps. And performance is up there with 600w hps. Theres also an 860w that runs on 1000w mags but they run way hotter than 1000w bulbs and performance isnt on par. Lower wattages work better for cmh.
D
Deleted member 60
Guest
For some....there are no "economies" to be gained. Funny....you can tell who is slingin weight here and who isn't by the newness of their light set up.
So true, but its inevitable, it's coming to all of us eventually and prices will be similar everywhere. It's kinda funny because you want it but ye dont. Know what I mean!
D
Deleted member 60
Guest
Yup....and a buncha these guys will be like some of us when things change....still running LED's when the new "____________ light" is the rage and wonderin' where all of that easy money went...
"Hey man..you wanna buy some "Top shelf"?"
"Hey man..you wanna buy some "Top shelf"?"
SSGrower
Average Grower
Cold fusion, the light generates the electricity for the house?Yup....and a buncha these guys will be like some of us when things change....still running LED's when the new "____________ light" is the rage and wonderin' where all of that easy money went...
"Hey man..you wanna buy some "Top shelf"?"
I'd buy that......for a dollar.
shimz
vapest
I was referring to electricity usage. All other things being equal, LED will pay for itself eventually.
BigBallzWillie
BE THE BALL
There's no economy for me.
I'm fine with HID, especially with these digital ballasts. Bulbs are dirt cheap. No problems growing decent bud with any of them and I have them all at least twice over, plus multitudes of bulbage.
I got a blurple too...looks great on the shelf because it's a larf machine. Veg it is ok. Electric cost is relative.....does not bother me for what I get. My 3x3 tent gets too hot in the summer for a 600. I change the bulb to a 400 and flip the switch on the ballast. Quick and easy. The 32x60 I can mix and match using 1 or 2 fixtures from 1200, 1000, 800, 600, or 400 watts the same way in either HPS of MH. Works for me.
I'm fine with HID, especially with these digital ballasts. Bulbs are dirt cheap. No problems growing decent bud with any of them and I have them all at least twice over, plus multitudes of bulbage.
I got a blurple too...looks great on the shelf because it's a larf machine. Veg it is ok. Electric cost is relative.....does not bother me for what I get. My 3x3 tent gets too hot in the summer for a 600. I change the bulb to a 400 and flip the switch on the ballast. Quick and easy. The 32x60 I can mix and match using 1 or 2 fixtures from 1200, 1000, 800, 600, or 400 watts the same way in either HPS of MH. Works for me.
D
Deleted member 60
Guest
Let us bask in the orange glow......Praise Jah. Amen.
Vee
Ancient Member
....heat is the big kicker, LEDs in summer and HIDs in winter works for me..... Same Here
Dirtbag
Really Active Member
I put in an AC to run in the summer rather than switching to LED lol. Power here is cheap.
Didnt need it this year though, my extraction fan kept the room temp between 23-27c all summer no problem running the lights at night. And that's using 1000w MH/HPS.
Canada has its advantages for indoor growers.
Didnt need it this year though, my extraction fan kept the room temp between 23-27c all summer no problem running the lights at night. And that's using 1000w MH/HPS.
Canada has its advantages for indoor growers.
Mr Blamo
Old Timer
I have central ait for summers so I use hps all year round myself.