Halide & Sodium Light

[tripleblack]

i have managed to get my hands on a 400w sodium and a 400w Halide bulb...for free!

My question is simply can i purchase a reflector/ballast which can take either bulb?

i am understanding that Halide is good for veg and Sodium is good for flower....please correct me if i'm wrong...or do you guys use sodium for both?

Cheers,
TB

:stoned:

[santacruz_organic]

you can use sodium for both, but MH promotes better veg. growth and female ratio. if i was you i would get a 400w switchable ballast so you can use one ballast for both instead of two seperate ballasts. your reflector can take both. i have two 1000w MH w/ cool sun reflectors and check out my growth so far. http://boards.cannabis.com/showthread.php?t=87140

[tripleblack]

Where can i buy said ballast (in uk) and how much am i looking at?

Cheers,
TB

[santacruz_organic]

buy one off line, their are good prices at this site http://www.hydroponics.net/i/380443

[tripleblack]

cheers santacruz_organic. Question, do the ballasts give off much noise or heat?

[mrberrys]

cheers santacruz_organic. Question, do the ballasts give off much noise or heat?

ello tripleblack.. well my ballast is completly quiet.. so i imagine they all are.. as mine is nothin special.. yes they do give off a considerable amount of heat.. so best if you keep the ballast outside your growroom.. good luck m8..:thumbsup:

[MegaOctane12]

Yeah from what I've seen the best ballasts give off alot of heat. But you can pick up ballasts that are warm to the touch after a hole days use. Try www.growell.co.uk, you said cheap, so there you go. All of thiers are switchable as long as the wattage of the light is the same. You have the bulbs free but generally if you didn't and you wanted to save even more money, you can get duel spectrum so the bulb is the same throughout the entire grow. I've always thought that it puts too much stress on a bulb having it on for such a longperiod of time, when you could just switch bulbs. Alot of people get duel specs though. Growell also sell ballasts with contactor and timer built in if you want to spend £££££.

[MegaOctane12]

ello tripleblack.. well my ballast is completly quiet.. so i imagine they all are.. as mine is nothin special.. yes they do give off a considerable amount of heat.. so best if you keep the ballast outside your growroom.. good luck m8..:thumbsup:

Some go buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[tripleblack]

Cheers fer the info mega & berrys. I love the way everyone is so helpful on here....i guess we are all in the same boat eh?!

I think i will opt for a 'Ecolite' 400w rising sun. I have both bulbs so i may as well use them and my understanding is they are switchable between the two.

I think i will keep the ballast in a sep room to keep heat down.

Now i need to sort out ventilation. How good are these carbon scrubber things?
Cheeeeeers

TB

[santacruz_organic]

my ballast are also part of my heating supply for my room. if you air cool your lights you will loose all your temp. so keep this in mind when you set up your room. my ballast i can touch and keep my hand on them as long as i want though.