light/setup questions 400w hps

came across 400 W HPS commercial ballasts through a guy on craigslist...(SEE ATTACHMENTS)

there from a major universities basketball gym, ended up getting 10 of them for 15 bucks each...

question is, can these ballasts take a MH or MV bulb? on the label it is called 'HPF'...
HPS bulbs work, im using one now but im wondering if i could use other bulbs

also, anyone got an idea for what i can do for a reflector hood? as you can see its just a big heavy metal box and i couldnt find a reflector for it at the local electric supply company...
furthermore, id ont know how to hang this thing either, has anyone else used commercial style ballasts like this and set them up and can give me some advice...
appreciate it

MH bulbs will not work in there. It is for HPS only. Only switchable can use both types of bulbs. And you might not find a reflector for that type of ballast soo you could either rewire it or have someone do it or be creative and make your own reflector

yeah fo sho. The best thing to do would be to take the light apart, cut the wires. run 10 guage wire between ballast and socket then you can hang yours horizontal and get a winged reflector off of ebay for like 20 bucks & I would at least get a home depot hps for another 20. Who knows how long its been since that lights been changed. Make sure to do good electrical work, and I hear some put them all together on a piece of wood so they're sturdy, then get one of those fire extinguishers that go off automatically with heat. I have used these in the past and only had one incident. It was while moving stuff out of one house to another. We were running Deep Water Culture so there was a bunch of water. We're pouring it down the sink and kind of quickly mind you. Well there was one of these ballasts stuck in the cabinet under the sink by a punk grower that was apprenticing you might say. Son of a bitch got wet, was blowing sparks til i dropped what i was doing and pulled the plug, it popped the breaker, and caught fire. Now i'm in a dark house, that i'd been to like twice, behind a false wall, and no idea where the breaker is, and I've got a smoldering ballast setting off smoke detectors. That was a fun one. Not saying this happens often. Aside from that I haven't had many probs with these. Just a funny story. good luck any questions just ask

Yeah try and remove the mogul base socket, rewire a longer cord to it, then mount that box outside the grow area, and hang the socket/reflector anywhere you want.