So when it comes to indoor lighting systems my knowledge is lacking tremendously, I’v tried to grow indoors under cheap Chinese LEDS and realized they lack the power during flowering stage. I recently acquired the enclosed system with hood/ bulb and balllast and was wondering what I can and can’t do with this system? Such as bulb exchange and/or conversion to hps, what foot print will this cover, how many plants can I grow with it, and appropriate distances to use from canopy? Any help greatly appreciated! ThAnks
2 Likes
Looks like the ballast is marked as a 400W Metal Halide. It is the blue/white spectrum good for the veg cycle. Could be used to flower but HPS is best of the HID lights for flower. This would cover up to a 6’x6’ veg area great at 4-6’ above canopy.
3 Likes
Mr. B can maybe help… @Baudelaire
1 Like
Would this be a magnetic or a electronic ballast? … so no interchanging with a 400 hps then?
1 Like
A conversion bulb will allow you to run HPS bulbs on a MH ballast. You’ll probably want a new bulb anyway, if you don’t know how many hours are on that one.
5 Likes
Actually being an electrician I can tell you that right is set for a 400mh bulb. But to does not have an mh bulb in it I am pretty sure that is a conversion or wide spectrum bulb
5 Likes
That’s what I was thinking since it doesn’t have a oval shape I’m acustom to seeing in a typical MH that’s why I thought it was a HPS initially thanks @Uncle_Al!
1 Like
This would be good for Veg/flower then @Uncle_Al?
1 Like
that bulb looks unusual, it must be a conversion bulb. I don’t believe in using them, I would just flower under a good 400w MH bulb. If the ballast is heavy and hums when running then it’s magnetic.
Some of the MH bulbs are “warmer” with more red for flowering. The few times I used MH to flower it turned out well.
1 Like
Additional Info taken off bulb is:
Eye hortilux blue
MT400D/HOR/HTL- blue
M59e
1 Like
that’s a really nice bulb! special natural daylight spectrum
https://eyehortilux.com/grow-lights/blue-metal-halide/#1505504362684-02f3c671-ada5
5 Likes
Looks like this one when I google search:
400 Watt - T17 - Metal Halide - Grow Light
6500K - 29000 Lumens - ANSI M59/E - Hortilux Blue
1 Like
Thanks @Scissor-Hanz that’s funny I was on the same page as your post for hortilux bulbs !
2 Likes
Thanks guys for the help ! Any other tips/tricks are welcome!
3 Likes
One last tip. Go quality, and then see what you can do about price.
It does not pay to purchase inferior quality lighting.
99%
3 Likes
I’ll probably run 1 veg run under the lights and transition outdoors, I’ll try to get more info on how many hours are on the bulb then change out, from info I’v gathered par goes down with older bulbs and potential yields suffer from run to run!
1 Like
that was the bulb of choice a few yrs back … veg and flower under it
1 Like
@Tinytuttle, I agree with @Uncle_Al. A metal halide bulb is very rounded. It looks like the bulb in @Muleskinner’s post. If it is indeed a conversion bulb that means the bulb can be run in either metal halide or HPS ballasts. Your’s looks like a magnetic ballast. The electronic ballasts I’ve seen, including my own, will run either metal halide or hps.
If you want to use the same ballast for both veg and flower, you may wish to invest in two different bulbs, one around 5000°K and a separate one for flowering as close to 2500-3000°K as you can get. The cool bulbs (5000°K) are very heavy in the blue spectrum, thje warmer bulbs (2500-3000°K) have red added in. It woun’t be as effective as an HPS, but at least it will be getting some reds light.
Just a suggestion: Buy an electronic ballast to use with you closed loop system. They are relatively cheap (mine was $110) compared to a magnetic ballast. They are also much quieter and cooler than a magnetic. Also, they allow both types of lamps and a wide range of wattage (mine goes from 150W to 1050W in increments).
I ran a 400W magnetic metal halide for about 9 years. They run very hot, closed system or not, make sure you have good ventilation. It is the lamp heat I am talking about. My magnetic ballast had a long enough cord to get it out of the room.
Grow your heart out
Edit: added full range to electronic ballast wattage.
2 Likes