i bought a 400w from ebay.. the auction SAID it was Hps/Ms switchable... but..

iNUPE

Active Member
i dont see any sign of that on the unit itself... did i get suckered, or do they normally not say it on there and should i try to plug in the MH bulb anyway

what harm will this cause if it ISNT supposed to have a MH bulb plugged up....

its a htg supply 400w magnetic ballast - unattached ... if that makes a difference
 

WeeGogs

Active Member
i dont see any sign of that on the unit itself... did i get suckered, or do they normally not say it on there and should i try to plug in the MH bulb anyway

what harm will this cause if it ISNT supposed to have a MH bulb plugged up....

its a htg supply 400w magnetic ballast - unattached ... if that makes a difference
LOL who is the amateurs that answered you already??

the difference is the hps ballast has a bulb ignitor built in to it, so when you place the bulb in, the ballast ignites it, (as the bulb does not have an ignitor) then runs it.
the metal halide bulb has its own ignitor built in, (so the metal halide ballast has no ignitor to ignite an hps bulb), 2 ignitors one in the ballast one in the bulb when you place a metal halide in to an hps ballast, it does not matter.

try to put an hps bulb in to a metal halide ballast means no ignitor, in bulb or ballast means, no ignition, hence nothing to spark the bulb meaning no light.
 

machnak

Well-Known Member
LOL who is the amateurs that answered you already??

the difference is the hps ballast has a bulb ignitor built in to it, so when you place the bulb in the ballast ignites it (as the bulb does not have an ignitor) then runs it.
the metal halide bulb has its own ignitor built in, (so its ballast has no ignitor for the hps bulb) but it does not matter if you put it in to your hps ballast, 2 ignitors one in the ballast one in the bulb, it does not matter.

try to put an hps bulb in to a metal halide ballast means no ignitor, hence nothing to spark the bulb meaning no light.

He should have a switch, regardless of how the ignitor is attached.
12573.jpg
See the switch? I'm not stating it won't run both...but if he paid for a switchable, and didn't get it...I'd give it back...I want what I pay for, not sure about the OP.
 

WeeGogs

Active Member
He should have a switch, regardless of how the ignitor is attached.
View attachment 1881521
See the switch? I'm not stating it won't run both...but if he paid for a switchable, and didn't get it...I'd give it back...I want what I pay for, not sure about the OP.
you are talking shite too.......
that is not the issue, read the question properly ( 2 IGNITORS DOES NOT MATTER WHEN HE INSTALLS THE METAL HALIDE BULB IN TO HIS HPS BALLAST) he thinks he has been stung.........
i dont think so........

put the mh bulb in......it will work no probs.... but an hps bulb will NOT work in a metal halide ballast, there is nothing to ignite the hps bulb.......
it does not need a fucking switch, just install the mh bulb in to the hps ballast.

wattages MUST be the same
 

DontTaxMeBro

Active Member
An HPS ballast will light both a MH and HPS bulb. They are usually called digital ballasts. This is what you bought.

A MH ballast will only light a MH bulb. Sometimes are just standard ballasts, not digital.
 

machnak

Well-Known Member
you are talking shite too.......
that is not the issue, read the question properly ( 2 IGNITORS DOES NOT MATTER WHEN HE INSTALLS THE METAL HALIDE BULB IN TO HIS HPS BALLAST) he thinks he has been stung.........
i dont think so........
Not the issue? He paid for a SWITCHABLE ballast...his obviously doesn't have a switch on it...thus he didn't pay for what he got. If it was me, I'd just run my own switch at the end of the day...but it's principle. We haven't even seen the add!

Regardless, it's going to have a switch for HPS or MH...or a switchable plug input for 120W or 240V.

It's not about what he bought, or a switch...it's principle. If the eBay seller gave him something other than what he paid for...then yea in my eyes he got fucked....again regardless if it runs both HPS/MH. Different folks different strokes...period.
 

machnak

Well-Known Member
An HPS ballast will light both a MH and HPS bulb. They are usually called digital ballasts. This is what you bought.

A MH ballast will only light a MH bulb. Sometimes are just standard ballasts, not digital.
He bought an HTG 400W MAGNETIC Ballast...not digital, so no it's not what he bought...did you even read the OP?
 

WeeGogs

Active Member
An HPS ballast will light both a MH and HPS bulb. They are usually called digital ballasts. This is what you bought.

A MH ballast will only light a MH bulb. Sometimes are just standard ballasts, not digital.
you are talking shite too.

FUCK THE FUCKING SWITCH.

a magnetic hps ballast will run a metal halide bulb,, there are 2 ignitors, one in the bulb and one in the ballast, this does not matter, if you put the hps bulb in to the metal halide ballast that does not have an ignitor then it will not light up....
 

machnak

Well-Known Member
you are talking shite too.

a magnetic hps ballast will run a metal halide bulb,, there are 2 ignitors, one in the bulb and one in the ballast, this does not matter, if you put the hps bulb in to the metal halide ballast that does not have an ignitor then it will not light up....

Correct-ta-moondo! :-)
 

WeeGogs

Active Member
Not the issue? He paid for a SWITCHABLE ballast...his obviously doesn't have a switch on it...thus he didn't pay for what he got. If it was me, I'd just run my own switch at the end of the day...but it's principle. We haven't even seen the add!

Regardless, it's going to have a switch for HPS or MH...or a switchable plug input for 120W or 240V.

It's not about what he bought, or a switch...it's principle. If the eBay seller gave him something other than what he paid for...then yea in my eyes he got fucked....again regardless if it runs both HPS/MH. Different folks different strokes...period.
NO......you fucking read it........

why the fuck would you have a switch..

(switchable = swapable)

he has a ballast with an hps bulb in......... he is asking if it will run a metal halide.......the answer is yes, because the ballast has ignited the hps bulb (which has no ignitor built in), it does not need to ignite a metal halide bulb, it has its own ignitor built in and will ignite regardless.........whether there are now 2 ignitors.....
what fucking school did you people go to??
 

machnak

Well-Known Member
NO......you fucking read it........

he has a ballast with an hps bulb in......... he is asking if it will run a metal halide.......the answer is yes, because the ballast has ignited the hps bulb (which has no ignitor built in), it does not need to ignite a metal halide bulb, it has its own ignitor built in and will ignite regardless.........whether there are now 2 ignitors.....
what fucking school did you people go to??

i bought a 400w from ebay.. the auction SAID it was Hps/Ms switchable... but..

i dont see any sign of that on the unit itself... did i get suckered, or do they normally not say it on there and should i try to plug in the MH bulb anyway

what harm will this cause if it ISNT supposed to have a MH bulb plugged up....

its a htg supply 400w magnetic ballast - unattached ... if that makes a difference​



Show me where the fuck he told you he has a HPS in it dick-fuck. You fucking read it. So please...what school did you go to?

To answer the actual question he asked, NO HARM WILL HAPPEN TO YOUR MH BULB IF YOU PLUG IT IN, IT JUST WOULDNT LIGHT IF IT WASNT BOTH.
 

DontTaxMeBro

Active Member
Oh really? Dick.
Ok. read the sentence again. "An HPS Ballast will light a MH and HPS bulb", when I said "usually called a digital balast" notice the word "usually". Stating that his may or may not be called digital. But he did buy an HPS ballast.

Never had to explain something this much to someone. So your a dick and a moron.
 

Dirty Harry

Well-Known Member
I have a 1000W transformer ballast that is MH/HPS and has a switch reflecting what bulb. I assume the switch takes out the internal HPS ignitor when using a MH bulb as it has it's own ignitor. I also have read that people can use matched watt MH bulbs in a HPS ballast but many say it will work but not recommended. I also read the the bulbs use a different voltage spike to get them up and running and some cheap bulbs will not like being in the wrong ballast...But that is only what I read and not experienced.
My though is if MH can work in a HPS ballast, why bother with designing in a switch? It was designed for a reason.
Now my digital ballasts don't have a select switch because the electronics figure out what type of bulb is connected before it attempts to fire it.

If you paid for a transformer ballast with a bulb select switch, and it does not have one, you did not get what you paid for and switchable ballasts are usually a little more expensive than one dedicated for one type of bulb.
 

machnak

Well-Known Member
Ok. read the sentence again. "An HPS Ballast will light a MH and HPS bulb", when I said "usually called a digital balast" notice the word "usually". Stating that his may or may not be called digital. But he did buy an HPS ballast.

Never had to explain something this much to someone. So your a dick and a moron.
If that's what you meant, then correct you're punctuation....moron. Never learned how to put together a sentence? I could give a fuck less what you think...or think you know.


I have a 1000W transformer ballast that is MH/HPS and has a switch reflecting what bulb. I assume the switch takes out the internal HPS ignitor when using a MH bulb as it has it's own ignitor. I also have read that people can use matched watt MH bulbs in a HPS ballast but many say it will work but not recommended. I also read the the bulbs use a different voltage spike to get them up and running and some cheap bulbs will not like being in the wrong ballast...But that is only what I read and not experienced.
My though is if MH can work in a HPS ballast, why bother with designing in a switch? It was designed for a reason.
Now my digital ballasts don't have a select switch because the electronics figure out what type of bulb is connected before it attempts to fire it.

If you paid for a transformer ballast with a bulb select switch, and it does not have one, you did not get what you paid for and switchable ballasts are usually a little more expensive than one dedicated for one type of bulb.
Agreed 100%.
 

jonste87

Member
some of them don't have a switch on them and they are built to run mh/hps not all of them have a switch i would do what WeeGogs said an try the mh light in it it can't hurt
 
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