Magnetic Ballast Setting MH/HPS with USHIO OPTI BLUE AMH=1000

Hi All,been growing about 2 years hydro ,DWC Buckets,Large Stone in every bucket,1.5" flow through design,turns the nutes over every 2 hours,24/7 drip rings in Hydro,been doing great ,close to 1.5 gms. per watt on my last grow. For this grow I have swapped out my 1k on a light rail for 2 1ks now using
USHIO HI-LUX GRO OPTI BLUE "AMH-1000/Opti-Blue/Conv.". I have them both on Old School Switchable ballast on MH currently. Should these lamps be running on HPS as they are conversion bulbs as they have been running on the MH setting for about a week. Instant Strike up,super bright,I dont want to mess up these 2 new lamps running them on the wrong setting,Please Advise,Thanks,Vegas

If they strike and run, you're good. The difference is in the electronics in the circuit to strike the needed arc in the lamp. Once that's accomplished, the switch position on the ballast won't matter.

Sure us some pics!

1. ttystikk said:

   If they strike and run, you're good. The difference is in the electronics in the circuit to strike the needed arc in the lamp. Once that's accomplished, the switch position on the ballast won't matter.

   Click to expand...

ttystikk said:

Sure us some pics!

Click to expand...

Thanks Much,Having made a living as a lighting designer for 30+ years,most of tech stuff is right up my alley,it was the
/ conv. Like it would run either way you wanted it to ,just hope they hang on 20-40 mire veg. Days . Thanks,Vegas

Let me ask this one more way,Is there any increased lamp life ,or stability reasons to run the magnetics on the old school ballasts? I have one "New" Ballast ,and one of the really old school with the exposed transformer coil on the end and the solid wire carrying handle. The new one strikes in milliseconds,the old ballast takes between 30 seconds and 2 minutes at the most before it fires.Both on MH switch Position,Both Lamps brand new. Thanks,Vegas

vegaslightsss said:

Let me ask this one more way,Is there any increased lamp life ,or stability reasons to run the magnetics on the old school ballasts? I have one "New" Ballast ,and one of the really old school with the exposed transformer coil on the end and the solid wire carrying handle. The new one strikes in milliseconds,the old ballast takes between 30 seconds and 2 minutes at the most before it fires.Both on MH switch Position,Both Lamps brand new. Thanks,Vegas

Click to expand...

The 'old' one sounds like it needs a new capacitor. Exposed metal transformer is a good thing because it sheds heat better than being enclosed. My best magnetic ballasts look like that. I run mostly magnetic, firing the 860W CDM lamp.

I am running the OPTI Blue USHIO 1k X 2 fixtures for veg and Hort. EYE Super HPS PLUS X 2 @ 1000 watts, 3 X 4 DWC Buckets,55 gallon Upper resi.with a 25 gal resi. bottom,all buckets plumbed with 1.5" in /-out water is turned over completely every 3 hours,no dead spots water is moving.Lots of air 2 in the 55 ,one in the lower (5" X 2" diameter stones and a 3" X 2" diameter stone in every bucket. AC was out here in Vegas last 4 days so it was 109 in here ,clones went to limp mode from going straight into hydroten from soil with not much more than a quick rinse of the roots,dumped into clonex and into the marbles. 11 of 12 are back standing and showing new growth so it looks like all will be well....