Okay, so here is how it is: I have an array of 540w CFL bulbs which produce ~22,000 lumens. I want to buy a better bulb with a ballast for two reasons: 1.) My plants aren't growing very fast under the CFLs. 2.) I need something for flowering, which the CFLs won't do. So, I have to get HPS, which means getting a ballast. Question is - which ballast? Digital is better but I can't find it near me so that's another week of subpar crops while it arrives. But I also need Metal Halide if it's going to replace the CFLs for vegetation, right? What about Dual-Spectrum bulbs? They work on analog ballasts and I can get one right away. But will DS be as good as MH for vegetation? Really appreciate the input!
540w in CFL's is excessive waste, many noobies have flipped to Mh/HPS by the time they hit 250w in CFL's not you?? Digital is the way to go, just flip the switch from veg to bud, got heat issues just turn it down till the venting system arrives ..lol http://www.amazon.com/Apollo-Dimmable-Hydroponic-Reflector-Pressure/dp/B004L3AQ1U/ref=pd_sbs_lg_2 for about $150, does 1 square meter or yard ..9 plants in 3 gal pots to 3 ft in 3 months plus this tent could keep you physically and emotionally aligned ....? lol Aviditi Reflective Hydroponic Grow Tent 48-Inch Wide by 48-Inch Deep by 79-Inch High $102.96 http://www.amazon.com/Aviditi-PTU-66-Reflective-Hydroponic-48-Inch/dp/B004U6XSRC/ref=pd_sim_lg_2/186-1433666-7723462