Fixtures?
- Thread starter Badbo609
- Start date
mogie
Well-Known Member
Lighting is a very important component of your grow. You could have the best genetics, the perfect growing space, and tons of knowledge, but without adequate lighting, your grow will simply not perform. This article is not in any way designed to dissuade a person from using fluorescents or MH. This faq is a guide for those that would like to know more about HPS lighting systems and how to buy, assemble, and use them.
Pre-assembled HPS lighting systems can be expensive. Most of the cost is overhead and labor. If you were to buy the components separately and put it together yourself, you can save hundreds of dollars with only a small amount of quality sacrifice. Also, when you build it yourself, you have a wider range of products to choose from, so you can build a system that is right for your situation.
Planning
The first step in building a system is to know exactly how much light you need for your area. This FAQ will give you an idea of what you will need to buy: ********
Parts required:
· ballast w/ igniter and capacitor
· socket
· bulb
· extension cord w/ ground wire
OPTIONAL
· reflector
· ballast case
· air-cooling
TOOLS
· screwdriver
· wire cutters and strippers
· wire nuts
· electrical tape
Obtaining parts
To begin on your quest you will need to shop around places in order to find the best deals. You can order the parts you need from the Internet, or you can buy them at a local electrical store. We will discuss Internet purchasing later on.
Many of you that live in larger cities will be able to call around to many electrical stores that will carry HPS ballasts and do some comparison shopping. Those in smaller cities might not have a great selection. If you look in the phone book under electrical suppliers, you will see wholesale and retail suppliers. You can get prices from both, but when you call the wholesale store, you will have to ask them if you can buy without an account. Going with the wholesale store will most likely be the cheapest, as they will have many types of ballast in stock. It is important that you ask them if you can buy them individually.
Also, you will need to know exactly what you want. You can buy 70 and 150w HPS at Lowe’s or Home Depot, so I am going to concentrate more on 200w and up. The available wattages are 200, 250, 400, 430, 600, and 1000. You will need to determine what voltage you are going to be using (household current in the US is 120v). It is very important that you buy a ballast kit that is compatible with the voltage in your house. Most places will sale multi-tap ballasts which have higher voltages along with the standard 120v. This will probably be your best bet.
Pre-assembled HPS lighting systems can be expensive. Most of the cost is overhead and labor. If you were to buy the components separately and put it together yourself, you can save hundreds of dollars with only a small amount of quality sacrifice. Also, when you build it yourself, you have a wider range of products to choose from, so you can build a system that is right for your situation.
Planning
The first step in building a system is to know exactly how much light you need for your area. This FAQ will give you an idea of what you will need to buy: ********
Parts required:
· ballast w/ igniter and capacitor
· socket
· bulb
· extension cord w/ ground wire
OPTIONAL
· reflector
· ballast case
· air-cooling
TOOLS
· screwdriver
· wire cutters and strippers
· wire nuts
· electrical tape
Obtaining parts
To begin on your quest you will need to shop around places in order to find the best deals. You can order the parts you need from the Internet, or you can buy them at a local electrical store. We will discuss Internet purchasing later on.
Many of you that live in larger cities will be able to call around to many electrical stores that will carry HPS ballasts and do some comparison shopping. Those in smaller cities might not have a great selection. If you look in the phone book under electrical suppliers, you will see wholesale and retail suppliers. You can get prices from both, but when you call the wholesale store, you will have to ask them if you can buy without an account. Going with the wholesale store will most likely be the cheapest, as they will have many types of ballast in stock. It is important that you ask them if you can buy them individually.
Also, you will need to know exactly what you want. You can buy 70 and 150w HPS at Lowe’s or Home Depot, so I am going to concentrate more on 200w and up. The available wattages are 200, 250, 400, 430, 600, and 1000. You will need to determine what voltage you are going to be using (household current in the US is 120v). It is very important that you buy a ballast kit that is compatible with the voltage in your house. Most places will sale multi-tap ballasts which have higher voltages along with the standard 120v. This will probably be your best bet.
