I'm in the market for purchasing a new grow light. Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with the enclosed ballast systems? And also I plan on just growing one plant, (Big Bang is on its way!), should I go with a 250 or 400 watt metal halide lamp? Thanks!
Do you mean a sealed ballast or a ballast enclosed in some sort of box? I have a sealed 600W ballast and it works well. I think when I pick up a 400W ballast I'm going to grab a hps ballast or a combo. I haven't grown much under MH yet, but I'm planning on adding a ceramic MH soon.
No it's a lamp that already has an enclosed ballast in it. Here's the link so you can check it out. Enclosed Ballast Mini Lighting Systems
OHHHH! I know those. In that case, I have not had experience with them, but if heat is an issue in your grow area, I'd suggest a separate ballast because they throw off quite a bit of heat. The surface of my ballast is about 110 right now and it's in open air outside of my tent. It shows that it can be air cooled with the optional fittings, which I would definitely buy and add a fan of some sort. If you get MH, you are going to have to get glass, I think because they need to have extra glass in case of explosion. I like the idea of a compact setup like that, but I would have heat issues without the air cooling. Maybe someone else who has used one can comment further.
I much prefer a separate ballast. Heat can be a problem in grow rooms, and having the ballast in there (which is another heat source) can only add to the problems - and will make for a heavy fitting that may limit how you can mount it. Looking at those pics, how substantial is the ballast - my ballast is heavy duty and weighs 12.5 pounds. My own ballast is an HPS ballast, I am currently using a MH lamp that is compatible with HPS control gear - simple to change over to HPS if I need to. And 400W costs very little more than 250W - well worth the little extra, IMHO.
i don't mean to hijack but i have a question, can one use 250W mh/hps bulbs with a 400W switchable ballast?
No. A few possibilities can happen with this situation - it can work fine with no problems, it can work fine but greatly shorten the life of the bulb, it can work fine for a while but explode (which would shower everything in mercury - bad news), it can damage the ballast, cause a fire, etc. There are all sorts of bad things that can happen from this type of mismatch. You are much safer using a bulb rated for the same wattage as your ballast. I have read that you can use a 430W with a 400W, but I'd still like to re-confirm that information.
Absolutely. The difference in price in a lower wattage bulb is not worth the danger. The whole UL/ETL testing process relies on using everything as instructed, as do the labels on the equipment. My opinion is that you're asking for trouble the more you decide to deviate from those instructions.
I just started growing with a 400W Sun System 2 All-enclosed Light/Ballast. Its HOT. I had to get the Glass for it, and the air fitting, I'm sucking air through it and out of the room, and it's still Hot... I've spent a grip of money on an AC unit, new venting fans, and misc ducting and parts to keep my 5 x 5 closet cool. & Air conditioning is expensive to run... At this point I'm doing every little thing to try and help bring down temperatures and if I could start over I would DEFINATELY buy a system with a seperate ballast. FYI
Bulb and ballast wattages absolutely must match. The ballast limits the current the bulb can take and has to be right. These HID lamps are real weird things, they can exhibit a negative resistance, so treat them absolutely right.