Right, so, I got an HPS with integrated hood and ballast from eBay. I've read that I shouldn't veg under this light, that I want a more blue light - firstly, am I right in thinking this? Now, I also read that HPS lights are always E40 fitting bulbs - T/F? If so, can I get a more blue spectrum bulb with this fitting to put in for veg, then put the red one in for flowering? If so, can someone recommend one that'd fit?!
Cheers guys, sorry bout all the questions!

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"When the stress burns my brain, just like acid rain-drops, Mary-Jane is the only thing that makes the pain stop" - P.U.T.S

if you want to use the same reflector and just change the bulb a metal halide will be the best for veg and is also an e40 fitting, as far as i know all hps that are 250w or above have an e40 type fitting, but then i suppose that might differ depedant on which country you live in.

I vegged under a HPS with no problems at all

Yeah you can veg ok under a hps, if you get an altered spectrum one, but if you use mh afterwards you see the diference and the speed at which things happen, I think a good mh can take a week off the veg stage in comparison to a hps. for the sake of 15 of whichever currency to buy just the bulb and switch them over at the different stages.

thats great i was gonna go look at MH's and hoods i have some extra hoods for 1kw hps's and 600w i think so i am going bulb shopping..

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"All stupid people should be shot in the head. Thin the heard people its called nature" -adam corolla

http://www.rollitup.org/grow-journal...xperiment.html

thanks for the advice peeps - anyone wanna chuck in their two pennies or am I gonna go ahead and order a shiny new MH? Also, are MHs similarly hot to HPSs?

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"When the stress burns my brain, just like acid rain-drops, Mary-Jane is the only thing that makes the pain stop" - P.U.T.S

Get a HPS conversion bulb that outputs more light in the blue spectrum than a standard HPS bulb would - I beleive (I'd need to check on it) the Sylvania Growlux outputs a decent amount in the blue spectrum.

Don't bother with Metal Halides, you'll need to buy a new ballast to run them.

wait a sec, that's quite a different opinion to what the others have said! Why does an MH require a different ballast?

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"When the stress burns my brain, just like acid rain-drops, Mary-Jane is the only thing that makes the pain stop" - P.U.T.S

Because it's a different system and uses different starting voltages, line voltage and operating characteristics? Some ballasts are switchable between HPS and MH and if you had one of those you could switch between the two, but by the sounds of it you don't.

You can't just put a Metal Halide bulb in a HPS system and expect it to work - it may work, but it probably won't last very long. Just because other ill-informed people had told you, you can put a Metal Halide bulb in your HPS system doesn't make them right I'm afraid.

Actually looking back through the thread, no-ones told you, you can put a Metal Halide bulb into a HPS system and ballast - you've misunderstood what they've said - they've said you can use a MH system as an alternative to a HPS system.

Ok, there's no need to take that tone - you're not talking to a child or an idiot, it just happens that this as not an area i'm that familiar with. The reason I post on here is so better informed people (like you I assume) can help me out! And please, I appreciate your advice, but what nongreenthumb said was that I could 'just change the bulb'.

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"When the stress burns my brain, just like acid rain-drops, Mary-Jane is the only thing that makes the pain stop" - P.U.T.S