HPS from Seed to harvest or METAL HALIDE from seed to harvest.. ?!?!?

Get one of those new bulbs that does both.

89$
600w HPS & 400w MH In One Bulb
The PlantMax Dual Arc Bulb incorporates the best of HPS and MH in one bulb with two simultaneously operating arc tubes that are optimized for peak performance. The 1000 Watt Dual Arc Tube Lamp runs a 400w Metal Halide and 600w HPS in one bulb providing full spectrum lighting for your plants. This PlantMax grow bulb runs on a 1000w HPS ballast and emits 110,000 Lumens.
http://www.littlegreenhouse.com/accessory/lights4.shtml

$199
USHIO HiLUX GRO Dual 1000W MH / HPS Hybrid Bulb
Covers the entire photosynthesis spectrum of your plant
For maximum branching, vegetative growth and maximum flower yield
The ultimate full spectrum 1000 watt lamp that covers the entire photosynthesis spectrum of your plant. For maximum branching, vegetative growth and maximum flower yield!

Originally Posted by Buddy Ganga

Get one of those new bulbs that does both.

89$
600w HPS & 400w MH In One Bulb
The PlantMax Dual Arc Bulb incorporates the best of HPS and MH in one bulb with two simultaneously operating arc tubes that are optimized for peak performance. The 1000 Watt Dual Arc Tube Lamp runs a 400w Metal Halide and 600w HPS in one bulb providing full spectrum lighting for your plants. This PlantMax grow bulb runs on a 1000w HPS ballast and emits 110,000 Lumens.
http://www.littlegreenhouse.com/accessory/lights4.shtml

$199
USHIO HiLUX GRO Dual 1000W MH / HPS Hybrid Bulb
Covers the entire photosynthesis spectrum of your plant
For maximum branching, vegetative growth and maximum flower yield
The ultimate full spectrum 1000 watt lamp that covers the entire photosynthesis spectrum of your plant. For maximum branching, vegetative growth and maximum flower yield!

Thanks, yeah I've been researching those.. I heard the Hybrid lamps burnout faster.. I've heard sum guys get the same results (yields) with generic (cheaper) HPS lamps when compared to buyin the more exspensive lamps.. I guess your just payin for the name & all the bulbs are the same internally.. Hhhmmm... ??? That'd be sum shit if that was true..

I was told from the beginning that bulbs would be my biggest expense, and they were right.
Even if I had used cheaper bulbs the rate of replacement will still rack up the costs.

Many people don't understand the workings of the bulbs we use and shorten the output and life span never knowing.
Most bulbs have a restrike time, meaning they have a certain time you should wait before turning them on if they shut off for any reason.
Most are 20 or so min's. If you restrike to soon you take days off of the bulbs life and output.

The lights are actually tested for hours by turning the bulb on and leaving it on for months.
What they don't tell you is that every time the light turns an and off it shortens the life span and cuts back an output.
Very few bulbs are actually designed specifically for growing.

Right now I can go to Lowes and buy 400 watt GE MH bulbs for $29.. But I'm only going to get what I pay for.

sorry if my post is hard to follow, a bit medicated right now.

You can buy a switchable ballast and change out your bulb in flower every two weeks. It works good. I would say it could add a quarter yield.Grow it skinny with one bulb, fatten it up with the other bulb. Never used a dual arc bulb so I cant comment on that. I think its hortilux MH, but it has a bad ass spectrum way bigger than any others Ive seen. Amazon was the cheapest Ive found its about $40 less than a hydro shop.

use both-

in both.

best.

yup. i now have the 1000 dual-spectram and a 600 hps for flower and a mix of both warm and cool fluros in veg. t8s -flowering starts under the 600 moves to the 1000 to finish. have to ad in the UV again when i get the new bulbs.

if i had to choose one or the other, id choose HPS, i grow HPS seed to finish and my plants thrive realllly well, i don't get all the stretch people always talk about, and they grow like weeds during veg under HPS, my friend uses MH for veg, and we never really see any difference in growth between our plants. Not saying there is no difference, just saying as far as my personal experience has been, HPS all the way is more than ok.

I used to use a switchable ballast running MH for veg HPS for flower. It's kind of the standard, those dual chamber bulbs look pretty cool but god damn that's expensive to replace every six to eight months. I used to run plantmax bulbs which if you look at the spectrum output are pretty damn close to hortilux and only cost about 35 bucks for a 400w as opposed to $100 plus with the higher end bulbs.