Check out this 250W hps i put together. got everything locally, The ballast($89) and mogul socket($11) at an elect supply co. the bulb from home depot (waiting on my hortilux). i made the reflector out of some thin gauge aluminum i had laying around + rivets. the ballast is about 2 ft away from plants/lite for heat resons.. the ballast is a universal fit meaning itll run on any voltage when wired correctly, 240 drops the amps by about 40%
and ya i made a cover for the ballast too

Attached Images

	IM000191.jpg (34.3 KB, 297 views)
	IM000192.jpg (21.7 KB, 238 views)
	IM000190.jpg (35.4 KB, 188 views)
	IM000189.jpg (97.2 KB, 312 views)

__________________
adultswim.com

Look very nice, I like the reflector. What wattage can the ballast run up to? Could you even run a 1000w off of it?

The way you have it now you're like an hour away from building yourself an air-cooled hood, that'd be a cheap improvement to allow you to get the light closer. Cut some holes in the hood, air some dryer duct and fans and you're set.

Also you could get some active dry yeast, mix it with warm water, let it start making some CO2 then put it in the room. It'll allow the plants to grow in higher temperatures and greatly increase growth.

Both have the great side effect of allowing your light to move a little closer.

Ya air cooled would work i should put a glass cover. that'll be my next project..

As for running 1000W you would need the 1000w ballast and bulb.
ive seen em in 100, 150, 250, 400. but the probably make a 1000w version.. the hardest part to find was the mogul socket

__________________
adultswim.com

Sorry, I'm a retard, I though you were saying it was a ballast that could run any wattage bulb, now I see what you were talking about wall current.

nice job but u can get a 400w complete system for like 100 on i think hg grow or something like that,not to disgrace u or anything.

the best things in life are the things u create with ur godgivin tools(hands)

Nice!

I <3 DIY!

Paint that reflector with some high-temp flat white paint.. maybe the auto-parts store?

__________________

ya i prolly could have bought it, but wheres the fun in that? lol
the reflector is from some left over racecar body panel.. its blue one one side and white on the other. so should i still paint it flat white?

__________________
adultswim.com

High-temp flate white should be on the side facing the bulb. It can be found at local auto-parts shopes I believe.



E

__________________

I grow with the same kind of light that i got parts to put together at my local electric store. But i made a cheap cooltube for it and i can have my light about 6-8inches from the tops of the plants. But i may make a aircooled reflector like the one above. The only thing i dont like about the cooltube is getting a reflector to work right with it. Yours is great.

Thanks, im going to make a similar type reflector for some CFL's.. for the baby's..

__________________
adultswim.com