To have MH or HPs need ballast along with reflector?

So i currently have t-5 florescents, i've heard that the buds of the medicine will not be as dense nor produce as much as with MH or HPS, this is due to the lumens produced and the lights ability to penetrate through the leaves.

My question is, being that i don't know much about HPS or MH, do i need to buy both a reflector kit w. bulb AND and ballast??? if so i was thinking i should go with the daystar reflector kit for my closet 400w. What is a good economy priced ballast, i dont want to spend tons of money.

Also, which is better MH or HPS? What do they each do? Any help would be great

Maybe look at one of the combined hps/mh set-ups here? They're not anywhere near as expensive as I was expecting them to be. Yes, you need a ballast and a bulb and a fixture w/reflector of some nature.
I just got this one High Tech Garden Supply which I think is already set up for mh or hps.

MrFishy said:

Maybe look at one of the combined hps/mh set-ups here? They're not anywhere near as expensive as I was expecting them to be. Yes, you need a ballast and a bulb and a fixture w/reflector of some nature.
I just got this one High Tech Garden Supply which I think is already set up for mh or hps.

Click to expand...

itsn't MH for veg and HPS for bloom?

right, although you can use the hps for the whole grow and do pretty well.

The thing with the metal halide is a combination of its spectrum (high in the blue end) and the fact that they produce UV radiation, which brings up THC levels. HPS has a very narrow range and does not produce UV radiation.

Mr. Fishy, they have an option to select the MH conversion bulb, so either the ballast itself can swing both ways, or the bulb does.

If you want one bulb/fixture for veg and flower you should look at pulse start metal halides.

Here is an example, but this would need a power cord, and you'd have to build your own reflector like a basic batwing.

http://www.e-conolight.com/Product/EProductDetail.asp?ProductFamilyID=8&FGNumber=E-HB5P40Q

(open link twice to get the right page)

You can get pulse start halides elsewhere with agricutural hoods included too, they just cost more. They are better than either HPS or standard MH.

OregonMeds said:

If you want one bulb/fixture for veg and flower you should look at pulse start metal halides.

Here is an example, but this would need a power cord, and you'd have to build your own reflector like a basic batwing.

http://www.e-conolight.com/Product/EProductDetail.asp?ProductFamilyID=8&FGNumber=E-HB5P40Q

(open link twice to get the right page)

You can get pulse start halides elsewhere with agricutural hoods included too, they just cost more. They are better than either HPS or standard MH.

Click to expand...

OM, I'll probably have more questions about the lights, but if you click the link once and scroll down, they have them listed as "Vapor Tights".

Ok, so, what's the deal with the pulse starts? Is the light itself different?

They are different than regular MH, I don't know the details of how they acheive better light but the difference is the spectrum of light they put out is way broader than either standard MH or HPS, even better than running both and yes they give off UV too so it's just ideal all around.

Vapor tights are just referring to the dome that's over the bulb on the fixture, which you will want to take off if you get one. A screw or two and it's off.

do you think a 1000w metal halide with the hydrofarm daystar 6th gen (Greenfire Product: DAYSTAR REFLECTOR & LIGHTING SYSTEMS) will be too much for my closet, my closet measurements are approximately 10x4.5x12 (L x W x H)

if this would be ok, i plan on drilling a vent hole in the wall and hook up AC ducting from the reflector to the wall, along with a lens and cooltube for the reflector and light

what are the best metal halide bulbs? I've read that the best for flowering is SODIUM or HPS! I am mainly using this HID system for flowering, i will have florescents in a greenhouse for growth period then transfer over to flowering area. all opionion welcomed, please, im purchasing 800 worth of stuff today, a indoor greenhouse and then an HID system, i need to know the best way to go

HPS = high pressure sodium (versus low pressure sodium), so, it is sodium vapor lighting. The thing with HPS during flowering is that it's got really strong peaks in the red end of the spectrum, what all flowering plants need to flower.

I couldn't tell you which bulbs are the best, though, as I'm still in the learning phase for this plant, myself. I can tell you what I'd use for corals, though, and it would start with an IceCap ballast.

I dont have any link you can look around for it but try the sunsystem 7 it is a mh and hps built in to one hood has one ballast you can run both lights at same time all the way through growth and flower. you can choose 400mh/400hps or 400mh/600 hps tons of add on like the air line adaptors so you can run intake and exhaust off of it bulb sky is limit depends on how fancy you wanna get. I spent 700 but i got the best of everything and i love it

You bought the system brand new? If you have good information and liked the vendor, maybe you could add it to mane2008's Good Places to Buy thread.

Yeah I bought it new but i bought it with cash from the local hydro store. I saw it on a lot of different sites but didnt order due to that being shipped to me. Little red flags lol