I'm thinking of grabbing the Lumatek (Adjustable Wattage) Ballast, I've seem to have confused myself and don't want to get this wrong, I just grabbed the tents and am basically setting up. 1 1000W Light in tent, My question is if I use the MH connected to the ballast when I take off the MH Bulb and Screw the HPS can I use the same ballast? (I've read MH/HPS Ballasts next to products but I wasn't too sure if you use one bulb your ballast has to stick to that?) Sorry guys I'm the furthest from educated about ballasts. Thanks for all answers in advance.
Unless your particular ballast has a switch for it (and it's be clearly visible and in the instructions) than most hid ballasts now are mh/hps compatible. My Apollo digital doesn't care if it's a mh or hps bulb.
Basically there are digital ballasts and magnetic ballasts. A digital ballast can take either MH or HPS no worries. A magnetic ballast usually cannot, it is designed to take one or the other, with the exception of a small subset of magnetic ballasts that are switchable. And technically, within a "ballast" can be several components, one of which is the actual ballast and another may be an igniter (used for HPS but not MH -- in fact, the main difference between a magnetic HPS ballast and a magnetic MH ballast is the igniger, and a switchable is designed to let you turn the igniter on and off). The key is to know exactly what ballast you are talking about. If it has adjustable wattage it almost certainly is digital, but best to verify by model number, easy to do with a google search.
we produce electronic ballasts ,I think the LUMATEK is electronic ballast so it can run both MH and HPS lamps
Mine is the smaller Lumatek LK400, a tiny version of the 1000w....the 1000w should be plug and play for 1000w MH and HPS bulbs and dimmable to 600w although the 600w setting won't be as energy effecient as the 1000w setting. If it's the same as mine it will also have a setting for super lumans which they claim will give you 20-30% more lumans, it has long power cords so it should be eaisly set up outside the grow tent...it generates alot of heat.
yes i agree...there doesn't seem to be any preceptable difference in the light in super lumens...certainly not 30% but the temp increase is very noticable.