[slickpb]

I'm considering buying an American Pride 250 watt Metal Halide ballast. Does anybody have this ballast? I have a couple questions. 1.) Is it noisy? 2.) What exactly comes with the ballast? Does a socket come with it so I could just screw on a 250 watt Metal Halide bulb and turn it on? 3.) I want to get a reflector. I'm thinking of the Growers Pride Reflector. It comes with a mogul socket and there's the option of a cord to the ballast. Do I need to buy the reflector with the cord to the ballast? Or does the ballast itself have a cord to the reflector? I'm basically confused as to what comes with a ballast. 4.) Does anybody know of any cheaper ballasts that work well. The American Pride is USD 98.50. I did see an F-Can Type Metal Halide ballast for USD 60. I have the same questions about this ballast ( what exactly comes with it ). 5.) What is the best Metal Halide bulb to get? Also, what is the best conversion bulb? Eventually I plan to buy a conversion bulb for flowering. I'm new to indoor lighting and I'd appreciate answers to any of these questions. Thanks for your help.