Dimmable ballasts HID ?

I think for pretty much most i have ran into, 400-600 is a typical standard for what most people start with in the HID world, but my question is why?
For not much more money, you can get a 1000 watt, thats dimmable. So essentially instead of being stuck with the 400 or 600, you would have all in one, 500, 750, and 1000 as you expand your grow, you can simply select a different setting, instead of needing a larger light, or more?

confused here...

That's the just of it. Put in a 1000 watt bulb and select the setting. Not too much to it. I have one and love it. I can choose a lower wattage to veg under and flower under a higher setting. Also mine is MH/HPS. Everything in one package. Had one a few years and never any issues. Hope this helps clear things up for you.

J.

also example of this, fortifying a house with weapons... when the zombies are coming, why buy a 10 or 20 round magazine when you can have 30 round mags and simply use 10 or 20 rounds, but all the while having the 30 just for when shit pops off, and you know it will... lol

Dimming a higher wattage lamp throws off spectrum

reason for it is if you dim a 1000 say to 600 it wont have the intensity as a normal 600 bulb

J. Smoker said:

That's the just of it. Put in a 1000 watt bulb and select the setting. Not too much to it. I have one and love it. I can choose a lower wattage to veg under and flower under a higher setting. Also mine is MH/HPS. Everything in one package. Had one a few years and never any issues. Hope this helps clear things up for you.

J.

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No no no lol, i bought a 1000 with dimmer, also mh/hps with this in mind... hell the 4 plants i have in flower will be happy with the 500 setting, but when things are fuller on the next flower cycle, its going to full power. I just figured to put things in plain English for people who were wondering since it would be terrible for someone to spend 200 bucks on a 400 watter, only for 4 months later really need a 1000 and have to drop another 250. I mean the $ difference is really minimal when you think about the total package cost for another light, or even two more lights entirely. and i get the 2x 400's or 600's closer, but why not just get 2 x 1000's and drop them to 500 and put them closer, so if you were to someday want to expand your area and all you would have to do, is knock a wall down , move a light a little further from the other and hoist them higher and go balls to the wall? I guess im just confused that dimmable 1000's have not completely replaced the need for 400-600 watters... it does not make sense that folks still buy them?

Oh ok, i see what your saying about the spectrum of the gasses basically not being exactly correct. But how much of a difference does this really make? I mean if your a very specific scientific cannabis grower to the 10th power, that every single condition of the grow is accounted for and primo in every way, i can see this, but im going to assume most people that grow are not botanists, not medical growers, or seed banks. Just folks looking for some dank buds, either for themselves , for profit, or both. In a non absolutely professional atmosphere, does it really matter that much?

I use switchable 1000 w dims. i didnt know dimming em messes with the spectrum, but i trust db. ive never noticed any problems from diming.

kushhound187 said:

I use switchable 1000 w dims. i didnt know dimming em messes with the spectrum, but i trust db. ive never noticed any problems from diming.

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Kiss face paint = trust-able hahaha.

There's a guy here with a spectrometer and he verified that dimming does in fact throw off spectrum, couldn't tell you to what extent but I can say I too dim a 1kw blue hortilux to 600 and see a definite change in color of light. Im not against dimming but I certainly wont dim a 1kw lamp to 400. Also for ballasts if you want to run different wattage lamps a solis tek matrix is the ballast to buy.

I have a digital sun ballast I think it is. Super top of the line and pretty awesome. It doesn't run that hot at all, goes up to 1105w, and dimmable down to like 200 I think, in 5w incriments. Just for shits and gigs I dimmed it by 30, and brightened by 70w and so on and so fourth and there really is a difference. So the ballast doesnt lie to me. I like my switchable dimmable digital ballast with a 1000w. If it gets to hot and I cant control ot, because I don't use a/c just a fan to pull all the heat out. I just dim it to like 600 or 650, heat problem solved.

kushhound187 said:

I use switchable 1000 w dims. i didnt know dimming em messes with the spectrum, but i trust db. ive never noticed any problems from diming.

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Thanks kush, I really dont talk about something if I know nothing of the subject.

TheSnake said:

Kiss face paint = trust-able hahaha.

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Its a mask.

and how is db untrustable for being a kiss fan?

kushhound187 said:

Its a mask.

and how is db untrustable for being a kiss fan?

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You inferred the opposite from what his statement was supposed to mean. I think.

^ what he said, lol. i mean he cant be all bad if he diggs kiss.

dbkick said:

Dimming a higher wattage lamp throws off spectrum

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Thanks I didnt realize that. Would it still if I used a smaller wattage bulb?