Hey guys. Got some questions on Fluorescent and HPS lighting. From what I understand I can just get some CFL's in the right range and then I will be good to go for the Vegetative period. I'm pretty confident with this but I'm open to suggestions if you have any. For the HPS lights I'm honest just confused. What all do I need? I need some kind of special light socket that plugs into the normal wall, that the bulb screws into, the bulb itself (what kind of wattage for a 4'x4' box?). and is that it? Is it worth it to look into reflective screens? Do I need anything else? Any help would be appreciated.
You could also veg with the hps if you wanted to simplify things by not having to switch lighting out. In a 4x4 I'd use a 600w, 1k if you can control temps well enough. A 1k dim able may be ideal just in case heat is too much during summer but not during colder months. The HID lighting has 2 main pieces, the socket and the ballast. Ballast plugs into the wall and the socket pugs into the ballast. OK 3 parts since we need a bulb. If you've ever put a stereo in your car.. the ballast is your amp and your speakers are the socket/bulb, luckily with lighting the power source doesn't need to be wired, neither does the output (cord to socket) just plugged in. A HID kit will have everything ready to go usually just plug the cords in and have at it
all over the place. Amazon, ebay, local grow stores, craigslist, HTGsupply, Virtual sun hydroponics.com and any number of other places i'm sure