430watt hps bulbs on a 400 watt ballast....

[joedirte]

Im currently running a 400watt lumatek digital ballast with the stock bulb it comes with and it seems pretty weak. kinda looking to upgrade.

I was told by the lady at the hydro store that you can run a 430 watt bulb on a 400 watt ballast with no negative/adverse side effects. Is this true??
:hippy:

[Dutch Pimp]

If your ballast is not driving a 400 watt bulb to it's full potential?...it won't drive a 430 watt bulb any better.

A normal 400 watt bulb is putting out 45,000+ lumens. I don't understand what you mean by..."seems pretty weak"???

There are constant problems with the older model Lumatek digtial ballasts when combined with certain bulbs. Have you ever seen a normal 400 watt HPS? MH? light before?...for comparsion?

[tinytoon]

Might also be just a cheap crap bulb. I know the ones they sell at Home dePOT dont have the Lumens that you find on other bulbs.

[joedirte]

Dutch Pimp If your ballast is not driving a 400 watt bulb to it's full potential?...it won't drive a 430 watt bulb any better.

A normal 400 watt bulb is putting out 45,000+ lumens. I don't understand what you mean by..."seems pretty weak"???

There are constant problems with the older model Lumatek digtial ballasts when combined with certain bulbs. Have you ever seen a normal 400 watt HPS? MH? light before?...for comparsion?

By "weak" I do mean weak compared against the Xtrasun ballast running its stock 400watt bulb. its kinda hard to see the difference with your eyes, (the lumatek produces a slightly whiter, almost seems brighter light) but when harvest comes, the Xtrasun deffinetly pulls heavier harvests .thats why im thinking of upgrading to a 430 watt hortilux eye or something. maybe its not running its current bulb to its full potential because the current bulb (teh one it came with) sucks. maybe a new 430watt hortilux eye will kick f-n arse. and maybe it will kill my brand new lumatek ballast... THATs what im trying to find out.

so, has anyone ever ran a 430 on a 400 before?? if you have, how are the results? is it bad for your ballast? lemme know if you know.

I dont think its an older model lumatek because i bought it late last year.:rastasmoke:

[joedirte]

maybe ill just go with a normal 400 watt hortilux... anyone know about running 430watt bulbs on 400 watt ballasts???

bump:hippy:

[killerweed420]

I'm sure it would work. But like the other poster said, its not going to have enough amps to drive a 430w bulb to its full potential. I know a guy that runs 400w bulbs in his 1000w ballast.lol Swears by them.

[gypski]

I like sun systems 430 HPS systems! :thumbsup: But, next time I'm going double ballast for both types HD & HPS.

[iGrow27]

I've read a 430 Watt bulb in a 400 watt ballast will only give you the equivalent of running a 400 watt bulb. Save your money. I should note they also say it won't adversely affect the life of the 430 Watt bulb. e.g. a 600 watt ballast with a 400 watt bulb will have shortened bulb life.

[Shovelhandle]

I know a guy that runs 400w bulbs in his 1000w ballast.lol Swears by them.

Yes? And I know a place that called me after they kept blowing 400 watt lamps in their yard lights. Come to find out that they were 1000 watt fixtures. I'd say that it isn't worth trying a 400 in a 1000. Check on the 430 watt lamp manufacturer about specs for running that lump in a 400W fixture.

[Shovelhandle]

Phillips Son Agro 430 Watt HPS will work in a 400 Watt HPS System (http://www.lighting.philips.com/us_en/browseliterature/download/p-2707b.pdf)

[FreeDaHerb]

Your eyes perceived brightness of that 400 watt light does'nt matter..the majority of the light being produced is NOT in the PAR range..that plants actually use to power photosynthesis.

Buy a 400 watt Eye Hortilux Super HPS bulb and you will be just fine as it's got very signifigant output in the PAR range compared to many other lights, plus they are damn good bulbs and people I know swear by them for final yield. :thumbsup:

Better yet, get a 600 HPS next time...most efficient HID bulb there is lumen/par wise per watt burned and does'nt really use that much more juice.

[Higzy]

Old thread, I know, but I am only posting this message so that others who come upon this old thread do not make the mistake of doing what was mentioned here by the original poster re: 430 watt bulb being used with a 400 watt ballast. To be more precise, I am responding to the original posters idea of buying an Eye Hortilux bulb to use with his 400 watt *DIGITAL* ballast. I have read numerous times that you can NOT use Eye Hortilux bulbs on*DIGITAL* ballasts. Apparently, that Eye Hortilux bulbs ONLY work on the older magnetic ballasts and are NOT recommended for use on a digital ballast as there is the potential for it to blow up the bulb.