4 Bulbs on 1 ballast?

jimmy slim big

jimmy slim big

Well-Known Member
i have a idea for a light that i want to diy, and it is using 9 hps bulbs and 4 mh bulbs.... (smaller watts) ... and im just wondering if a 1,000 watt ballast power 4 250 watt or 200 watt bulbs?? i have been searching for answers for awhile and now im finaly just asking... anyone have any ideas or thoughts on how might be the best way to power a 40" round light using 13 bulbs from 100 watt hps, 250 watt hps, 1 600 watt hps and 200 watt mh.... i am planning to build a spindal base and it will be open bulb with some fans built in and also extra fans might be needed pointing up.... idk what do you all think?? im going for large cover and spectrum and im really digging my open bulbs in the room now... heres a quick sketch of my idea ... lol dont poke fun now ... i think it might be pretty badass?!?!
 

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G

Glaucoma

Well-Known Member
jimmy slim big said:
i have a idea for a light that i want to diy, and it is using 9 hps bulbs and 4 mh bulbs.... (smaller watts) ... and im just wondering if a 1,000 watt ballast power 4 250 watt or 200 watt bulbs?? i have been searching for answers for awhile and now im finaly just asking... anyone have any ideas or thoughts on how might be the best way to power a 40" round light using 13 bulbs from 100 watt hps, 250 watt hps, 1 600 watt hps and 200 watt mh.... i am planning to build a spindal base and it will be open bulb with some fans built in and also extra fans might be needed pointing up.... idk what do you all think?? im going for large cover and spectrum and im really digging my open bulbs in the room now... heres a quick sketch of my idea ... lol dont poke fun now ... i think it might be pretty badass?!?!
Click to expand...
1 bulb, 1 ballast.
 
ChuckNice

ChuckNice

Well-Known Member
You can power 2 lights with one ballast 2 ways. A splitter cable or a flip box. I don't know if you can go four ways with the splitter but I've seen 2 with a 1K ballast powering 2 600's slightly dimmed. The flip box is only for flower as it turns your other light on when the other is off so it's only useful for 12/12.
 
borbor

borbor

Well-Known Member
I love the idea on paper. Have you compared the spectrums of the lower wattage bulbs to their big brothers? a couple of the 210 watt elite agro CMH bulbs might be up your alley as well
 
rob333

rob333

Well-Known Member
jimmy slim big said:
i have a idea for a light that i want to diy, and it is using 9 hps bulbs and 4 mh bulbs.... (smaller watts) ... and im just wondering if a 1,000 watt ballast power 4 250 watt or 200 watt bulbs?? i have been searching for answers for awhile and now im finaly just asking... anyone have any ideas or thoughts on how might be the best way to power a 40" round light using 13 bulbs from 100 watt hps, 250 watt hps, 1 600 watt hps and 200 watt mh.... i am planning to build a spindal base and it will be open bulb with some fans built in and also extra fans might be needed pointing up.... idk what do you all think?? im going for large cover and spectrum and im really digging my open bulbs in the room now... heres a quick sketch of my idea ... lol dont poke fun now ... i think it might be pretty badass?!?!
Click to expand...
sounds like a pretty mean fire hazzard
 
jimmy slim big

jimmy slim big

Well-Known Member
borbor said:
I love the idea on paper. Have you compared the spectrums of the lower wattage bulbs to their big brothers? a couple of the 210 watt elite agro CMH bulbs might be up your alley as well
Click to expand...
i have been looking at all the different watt hps bulbs, lumens, footprint..ect.. and with my idea ill have almost 100,000 lumens, and a footprint that can max out a a 7x8 flower bay bringing 12 plants to full potential.... i have been drawing up different designs and ideas and different mixed spectrums and i have a few designs that i think are gonna be killers!!! im moving in a month and ill have a full finished basement that will allow me to have a 20'x 20' grow room... so im planning a flower bay to be 8x8.... with 6 girls on one side and 6 on the other side.... heres a sketch of my plans and some specs ... be honest and tell me what yall think cause i really like getting other input ... i mean either way im pretty sure i have a great room design and setup for 12-18 plants maxing out in all areas!!
 

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fayo420

fayo420

Member
Personally I like led lights. No heat, low power and really bright. But I have been thinking about adding a few CFLs my self. Found this on amazon for under $10.
Just a thought.

I've been trying to load a poic for 10 min but I keep getting kicked off every time. So look up flashpoint 4 socket. Might b what you are looking for....
 
rob333

rob333

Well-Known Member
jimmy slim big said:
i have been looking at all the different watt hps bulbs, lumens, footprint..ect.. and with my idea ill have almost 100,000 lumens, and a footprint that can max out a a 7x8 flower bay bringing 12 plants to full potential.... i have been drawing up different designs and ideas and different mixed spectrums and i have a few designs that i think are gonna be killers!!! im moving in a month and ill have a full finished basement that will allow me to have a 20'x 20' grow room... so im planning a flower bay to be 8x8.... with 6 girls on one side and 6 on the other side.... heres a sketch of my plans and some specs ... be honest and tell me what yall think cause i really like getting other input ... i mean either way im pretty sure i have a great room design and setup for 12-18 plants maxing out in all areas!!
Click to expand...
go ahead throw more then one bulb into a ballest just have 911 on hand also a hose nothing will rape your ballest quicker then that
 
rob333

rob333

Well-Known Member
jimmy slim big said:
i have been looking at all the different watt hps bulbs, lumens, footprint..ect.. and with my idea ill have almost 100,000 lumens, and a footprint that can max out a a 7x8 flower bay bringing 12 plants to full potential.... i have been drawing up different designs and ideas and different mixed spectrums and i have a few designs that i think are gonna be killers!!! im moving in a month and ill have a full finished basement that will allow me to have a 20'x 20' grow room... so im planning a flower bay to be 8x8.... with 6 girls on one side and 6 on the other side.... heres a sketch of my plans and some specs ... be honest and tell me what yall think cause i really like getting other input ... i mean either way im pretty sure i have a great room design and setup for 12-18 plants maxing out in all areas!!
Click to expand...
u might as well go poor some gas on it right now and set it on fire save burning down ya house later
 
fayo420

fayo420

Member
rob333 said:
u might as well go poor some gas on it right now and set it on fire save burning down ya house later
Click to expand...


Ok, well i get what you are saying...
Im not trying to argue, plz forgive my ignorance but, how is it different from say hps etc?
They run hot as well, yet many ppl swear by them.

What do you use?
 
jimmy slim big

jimmy slim big

Well-Known Member
rob333 said:
u might as well go poor some gas on it right now and set it on fire save burning down ya house later
Click to expand...
now that ive read a bit more and heard from others i know it wont work... i wasking thinking 4 250 watt bulbs makes a 1,000 watts so maybe i could get 1,500 watt ballast ... buut again i know now!!.... and for future posts please if your gonna add your input could you do it without being a condescending ass!?!? ... im not stupid!! ..im also not an electrician!! but again dude im by far an idiot! i have the smarts, talent, and ability to learn/teach myself anything, and i have ideas just pooring in all day everyday and yea maybe some are better then others but im thinker and ive always tinkered, built, fixed... anything that has to do with using my hands and mind!! and im the type that likes to talk shit out, bounce ideas off others and maybe come up with a way to make something better!!.... and for real bro seeing your comment is discouraging as fuck!! and its not like you were a total dick but still i hate when people are condescending!! you should have just asked me if i was stupid or something cause thats how i take it... anways just a " that wont work man, your gonna have to run a ballast for each bulb" would have been just fine!!!
 
fayo420

fayo420

Member
jimmy slim big said:
now that ive read a bit more and heard from others i know it wont work... i wasking thinking 4 250 watt bulbs makes a 1,000 watts so maybe i could get 1,500 watt ballast ... buut again i know now!!.... and for future posts please if your gonna add your input could you do it without being a condescending ass!?!? ... im not stupid!! ..im also not an electrician!! but again dude im by far an idiot! i have the smarts, talent, and ability to learn/teach myself anything, and i have ideas just pooring in all day everyday and yea maybe some are better then others but im thinker and ive always tinkered, built, fixed... anything that has to do with using my hands and mind!! and im the type that likes to talk shit out, bounce ideas off others and maybe come up with a way to make something better!!.... and for real bro seeing your comment is discouraging as fuck!! and its not like you were a total dick but still i hate when people are condescending!! you should have just asked me if i was stupid or something cause thats how i take it... anways just a " that wont work man, your gonna have to run a ballast for each bulb" would have been just fine!!!
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:clap:
 
trevronious

trevronious

Well-Known Member
Interesting idea. I'm just curious as to what it is you're trying to achieve by having essentially one huge light vs say a 600w hps and 400w mh for the spectrum with cooled hoods? I'm no electrician so I won't comment on anything wiring wise but it seems a bit unnecessary to me for only 1000w?

Interested to see what you come up with either way.

My first thought is its basically a big led panel with hids. Why not use leds that are more efficient and run cooler? Not to mention if spectrum is what you're after you cant go wrong with a diy panel. There's a lot of potential in diy leds. I'm not a big fan of the odd purple spectrums out there but you can make whatever you want down to the nm. Cost wise you'll pay more upfront but savings on cooling are worth it IMO.

I also really like and currently use cmh bulbs that are literally hps and mh combined for veg and flower with awesome results. Spectrum is something I enjoy toying with and the cmh fills those little gaps nicely.

Best of luck!
 
jimmy slim big

jimmy slim big

Well-Known Member
rob333 said:
u might as well go poor some gas on it right now and set it on fire save burning down ya house later
Click to expand...
also if you notice in the pic i posted, the "wall o ballast"
trevronious said:
Interesting idea. I'm just curious as to what it is you're trying to achieve by having essentially one huge light vs say a 600w hps and 400w mh for the spectrum with cooled hoods? I'm no electrician so I won't comment on anything wiring wise but it seems a bit unnecessary to me for only 1000w?

Interested to see what you come up with either way.

My first thought is its basically a big led panel with hids. Why not use leds that are more efficient and run cooler? Not to mention if spectrum is what you're after you cant go wrong with a diy panel. There's a lot of potential in diy leds. I'm not a big fan of the odd purple spectrums out there but you can make whatever you want down to the nm. Cost wise you'll pay more upfront but savings on cooling are worth it IMO.

I also really like and currently use cmh bulbs that are literally hps and mh combined for veg and flower with awesome results. Spectrum is something I enjoy toying with and the cmh fills those little gaps nicely.

Best of luck!
Click to expand...
well i do see your point and all but i was going for 3,000-4,000 watts ...open bulbs.... not just 1,000... i like the open bulb setup and i can manage and control the heat with that many open bulbs so i think its gonna be badass!!!
 
cc2012

cc2012

Well-Known Member
interesting idea, nice to see.. You can indeed run 2 x bulbs from 1 ballast, even seen Advertisements' for Ballasts designed for this. Though only seen for the 2 mind. Maybe you just need to adapt your idea.. And run 1=2 , 2=4, 4=8 bit more messing..but pretty sure you could come up with summat that'd work and safely.

atb
 
WeedFreak78

WeedFreak78

Well-Known Member
A single 1000W bulb pulls more than 1000W at the ballast. (4) 250 w bulbs will pull even more because 1: each 250W bulb actually uses slightly more than 250W@the ballast, and 2: you now have 4 times the resistance because 4 bulbs. You could probably run 3 250's off a 100W ballast and overdrive them a little, it will shorten bulb life, but not considerably. Personally, I think that much light in a 40" circle is going to be an oven...
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
Glaucoma said:
It's not a matter of hassle. They simply are not designed to do it.

Edit: you can still do your idea for a hood if you want.. it'll just require individual ballasts.
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You happen to be incorrect; you can already buy a splitter to run two 600W HPS lamps from one thouie ballast. However, unless that ballast can push 1200W, you're only going to be driving those lamps at 500W ea, not ideal.

Moving on; the most efficient HPS lamps are 600W, followed closely by the thouie. Smaller ones just don't have the lumens per watt punch, nor the spectrum to keep up with their big brothers.

While you can in theory run, say, 4 x 250W HPS lamps in series on a single thouie ballast, there are more disadvantages than upsides. For instance, if one of your bulbs fails, the others quit, too. There's extra expense, and of course you don't get the same performance for your kilowatts as with the thouie.
 
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