rivercitydevil
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Typically you would use a MH during veg and a HPS in flower. The difference is the spectrum of light. You should have a switch to go between MH and HPS. 600w is the most efficient but 1000w can get you a little more as long as you can deal with the heat.Appreciate all the feedback but the ballast doesn’t have a switch to switch between the two wattages. And as I mentioned earlier in the thread. I have a 600w bulb in it now but was wondering when to switch to a higher wattage ie…the 1000w bulb. Is it just a matter of the distance to achieve good PPFD and not switch between bulbs? That is what I more confused about. Currently humidity, temperature
And PPFD are perfect. I’m 3-4 weeks away from flower stage so I was just wondering if the higher wattage bulb would be better
HID of that size may be too hot and cook them. Hps in veg will cause greater internode spacing,it immitates light during flowering but it is cooler than halide. Hps gives you 140k lumens or better to build up resin,your strain choice matters as well.I am currently running a 600w HPS bulb and I’m in the first week in veg. The old school kit that was given to me has a 1000w bulb as well. I’m a first time grower and the person who gave me the kit didn’t give me any information as to how to use it. I just been using common sense and I started with the lower wattage bulb but I have no idea when to start with the 1000w bulb if at all. Any help would be greatly appreciated
Wouldn’t a digital ballast be better nowadays? He’s running an old magnet ballast that’s super heavy. The digital ballasts you can run many different bulbs with.In your position I would buy a 600 watt balast and run the 600 on that, its a funny thing running a thousand watts through a 600 watt bulb, some seem to get away with it, but a lot don't. Ideally you need a 1000 watt balast that switches down to 600 so you can run both. As for a time to swap, I'd use the 600 in veg, then swap out to the 1000 for flower, that's if the 600 is MH and the 1000 is HPS.
Wouldn’t a digital ballast be better nowadays? He’s running an old magnet ballast that’s super heavy. The digital ballasts you can run many different bulbs with.
I use a 1000w hps mechanical ballast, I started with one and when it finely went after 15 yrs I bought the new digital ballast $250 with a 60%-70% & a 100%-110% switch so you could boost a 600 - 700 & 1000w - 1100w. it lasted 2 years...I bought another 1000w....$250 it lasted less than 2 years....I bought another mechanical kit a year and a bit ago and built another out of the ....3... components....3.....components......each one can be replaced....total cost $113....shipped taxes in.........I have an open room in the basement and I can use the heat from it 10 months of the year......I'd like to switch to a lower intensity late in flower but I have to move the plants or raise the light rather than flip a switch.Wouldn’t a digital ballast be better nowadays? He’s running an old magnet ballast that’s super heavy. The digital ballasts you can run many different bulbs with.
That is interesting, I have both styles but have not used them yet. I’m thinking of adding one to my room next to a led just for the heat lolI use a 1000w hps mechanical ballast, I started with one and when it finely went after 15 yrs I bought the new digital ballast $250 with a 60%-70% & a 100%-110% switch so you could boost a 600 - 700 & 1000w - 1100w. it lasted 2 years...I bought another 1000w....$250 it lasted less than 2 years....I bought another mechanical kit a year and a bit ago and built another out of the ....3... components....3.....components......each one can be replaced....total cost $113....shipped taxes in.........I have an open room in the basement and I can use the heat from it 10 months of the year......I'd like to switch to a lower intensity late in flower but I have to move the plants or raise the light rather than flip a switch.
The only thing I don't like about digital ballasts is they burn up most light timers.. Does anyone know if they make a good 7 day programmable light timer for digital ballasts, yet? Last I checked, I couldn't find one.... Here's what happens when you put a 1000w digital ballast on a light timer not designed for digital -Yes, most seem to be digital as standard these days, digital is what I run, and if he goes dual wattage with different settings he can't go wrong.
That looks more like a lose connection problem. I hear what you are saying about digital but there's a lot of current going through those prongs on a 1000w ballast and if one side is just a little bit lose you'll get arcing, heat build up and fires. We all have to see your pic and check all of our electrical connections now.....Its a good practice to get into. warm equipment & plugs are okay hot is notThe only thing I don't like about digital ballasts is they burn up most light timers.. Does anyone know if they make a good 7 day programmable light timer for digital ballasts, yet? Last I checked, I couldn't find one.... Here's what happens when you put a 1000w digital ballast on a light timer not designed for digital -
(It even says not for digital ballasts, but hey, I like to live dangerously)
Yeah it wasn't a loose connection that's actually the 2nd light timer that specific ballast has burned up. It's one of these ballasts -That looks more like a lose connection problem. I hear what you are saying about digital but there's a lot of current going through those prongs on a 1000w ballast and if one side is just a little bit lose you'll get arcing, heat build up and fires. We all have to see your pic and check all of our electrical connections now.....Its a good practice to get into. warm equipment & plugs are okay hot is not
I'm not exactly sure what the difference is, but according to Titan's website I guess this is why my timers failed -That's strange, so will only when the ballasts are at it burn through or any kind of device around 1000W? Because that's easily reached with a number of typical household devices
But the ballasts for HPS MH have a huge startup voltage I believe around 5k so they may draw too much initial power maybe?
Q: | Why does the instructions state that this device cannot be used with "digital ballasts"? |
A: | The wall timers that we offer are not for use with digital or electronic ballasts due to the high in-rush current of the ballast. The in-rush current from electronic/digital ballasts can be from 10 to 40 times the rated amperage for these products and this burns the contacts inside of the timers making them inoperable. We recommend the use of the Apollo 4, 120 Volt or Apollo 5, 240 Volt ballast timer to operate a single digital and electronic ballasts. |
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