hps users - i need your help

I purchased a brand new 400watt hps kit last week

The first day i was running it the light was super intense and awesome, i loved it!

I had to go in the room with glasses everytime, however after 1 day of use i had a look in the room i noticed the intensity of the hps was gone, i could walk in there with no glasses and be fine, i sent the bulb back and got a replacement bulb today i tried the new bulb and it's still not as bright as it first was with bulb #1
what do you guys reckon the problem could be, this is really pissing me off

maybe u just got used to the brightness

I had something similar with mine a while ago- I wasn't tightening the bulb enough. Apparently the bulb will click into place, and if it isn't all the way in you light isn't orking at full capacity.

moash said:

maybe u just got used to the brightness

Click to expand...

hehe trust me theres no way you can get used to that light it's so damn intense lol

HomeGrown&Smoked said:

I had something similar with mine a while ago- I wasn't tightening the bulb enough. Apparently the bulb will click into place, and if it isn't all the way in you light isn't orking at full capacity.

Click to expand...

I will try tightening and see if it helps, i don't want to brake the thing trying to tighten it so much though lol the lamp and ballast are brand new so this is confusing me :S

ok well i think the bulb is tight enough, it didn't click into place as you said it just tightened and i feel if i tighten anymore it'll definitely brake
the intensity is just still not there, has anyone else noticed the intensity of there hps go down after 1 day of use?

MasterHemp said:

hehe trust me theres no way you can get used to that light it's so damn intense lol
:S

Click to expand...

i have 2 of them and i am used to it

moash said:

i have 2 of them and i am used to it

Click to expand...

you probably had time to get used to it so i believe you, i didn't even have time to get used to this light, the intensity noticeably went down after a day
anymore suggestions? this problem just ruined my whole day darn

I don't know... on the first day I lit my light I was blinded for a good few minutes and spots for at least an hour. I wore sunglasses that day. Now I don't really look directly at the bulb but I know it's fine. Just doesn't seem as bright but still plenty bright. I think I just got used to it.

DawgMountain said:

I don't know... on the first day I lit my light I was blinded for a good few minutes and spots for at least an hour. I wore sunglasses that day. Now I don't really look directly at the bulb but I know it's fine. Just doesn't seem as bright but still plenty bright. I think I just got used to it.

Click to expand...

yeah i know exactly what you mean on that first day! blinding!! lol
its just not bright as it were on that first day,
i might put in the mh bulb and see how that works
if thats playing up aswell then it has to be the lamp or ballast might have to send it back

If you read the tec info on your bulb you will notice that the intensity drops anywhere from 12% to 30% before they burn in. The drop starts as soon as you turn it on and can be hours or a few days before they level out. Just the nature of the lights.

Check it out

http://www.eyehortilux.com/superhps.html

Notice they say Initial Lumens then what they level out to.

Peace

woods thank you for that info man, i didn't know that! its made me feel alot better now
that definitely sounds like whats going on at the moment, dont you reckon
because i've tried 2 brand spanking new bulbs,
so im thinking ill take the cfls out of the grow room and set the hps back up and run that from now on and hopefully i see it leveling out within a few days
i really dont want to send the ballast back, so im gonna try this, thanks guys!
+rep to all

woodsmaneh! said:

If you read the tec info on your bulb you will notice that the intensity drops anywhere from 12% to 30% before they burn in. The drop starts as soon as you turn it on and can be hours or a few days before they level out. Just the nature of the lights.

Check it out

http://www.eyehortilux.com/superhps.html

Notice they say Initial Lumens then what they level out to.

Peace

Click to expand...

woodsmaneh! said:

If you read the tec info on your bulb you will notice that the intensity drops anywhere from 12% to 30% before they burn in. The drop starts as soon as you turn it on and can be hours or a few days before they level out. Just the nature of the lights.

Check it out

http://www.eyehortilux.com/superhps.html

Notice they say Initial Lumens then what they level out to.

Peace

Click to expand...

good company site info

You can buy an inexpensave light meter and use that to keep an eye on the bulb. They say they are good for 24,000 hrs, that's 5 years at 12/12, don't let them go that long, I replace every year or when they get below 400 on my light meter. This drop reduces your total yield so it's worth new bulbs.

Peace

just bought a new 1000 watt hps a few weeks ago,running it next to an identical hps ballast bulb. The new bulb seems to be more red light and the old one (4 mos.) seens more of a blue spec. Same type of ballast and bulbs running 240v

Ive ran my 1000w for about three flower cycles. Although not back to back, I did notice that the bulb does start to make a some sort of rattle noise as time went on, Maybe its time for a new one? Im gonna try to use it for one more cycle and see what happends.

HomeGrown&Smoked said:

Apparently the bulb will click into place, and if it isn't all the way in you light isn't orking at full capacity.

Click to expand...

My bulb just screws into a E39 (Mogul) lampholder - definitely doesn´t click into place.

Is your ballast plugged into an extension cord before reaching an outlet or surge protected power strip
If it is this is why the bulb isn't as intense as they are supposed to be.
I had this problem then realized it was all a wiring problem. Hope this helped

Peace and positive energy to you

yes it's running through an extension cord, but if that's the case then i can't do much about it because the cord from the ballast isn't long enough to reach an outlet

nailz92002 said:

Is your ballast plugged into an extension cord before reaching an outlet or surge protected power strip
If it is this is why the bulb isn't as intense as they are supposed to be.
I had this problem then realized it was all a wiring problem. Hope this helped

Peace and positive energy to you

Click to expand...

im running a 6oo hps, when that comes on its blinding but two minutes later the intensity seems to drop, this has happened with every hps ive used. lamps and bulbs.