Will this light work??

I recently found a Metal Halide light I had stuffed in the garge that someone had given me. This is the light to be exact.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...Id=10053&productId=100050430&N=10000003+90401

Now onto the questions. The ballast say it's a metal Halide Ballast. The bulb itself says muti-vapor. Is this right. I have rewired the light so the bulb and ballast are not in the same unit. So I can hang the light seperate of the whole unit. Everything works find. There's a blue tint to the light which I know Metal Halide has. I am flowering at this time with one plant. I know your suppost to use an HPS bulb for flowering. I also know an HPS bulb won't work with this ballast. I figure a Metal Halide is better over all then CFL at this time.

Now is this bulb really a Metal Halide bulb or is this a different type of bulb. Multi Vapor type? Are they the same or different? I didn't think you could use a different type of bulb as what the ballast is ment for.

I would like to step up from CFL's. My last 2 crops the bud has been weak and air. Both crops went over 8 weeks into flower. The trichs were about 20% amber 80% cloudy when I harvested. The plant both crops came from was some pretty dessent bud. Some of the best I have smoked. Just turns out like shit for me. I fell crap lighting might have something to do with this. I have over 250 actually watts of CFL lighting. Just carp results. I'm hoping i can use this bulb and get better results from it.

That is ideal for 2sf grow or so. And you can get two plants in that space. Or a bunch of tiny ones in 16oz cups like drbud here:
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?threadid=88449&userid=30088


It may be a mercury vapor lamp in it, not sure. They will often run either or. Is it new, then it should be halide.

It's great for veg.. And it's ok for flowering but not the best, but can flower probably as well as 175w actual of cfl's.

Or if the bulb in it is new you can veg with that and grab a phosphor coated bulb maybe for flowering, they have a lower spectrum but I don't know if the lumen loss would make up for the spectrum gain. Probably not.

Make sure you are using a new bulb. They wear out if it's used just keep it as a spare.

You could add that with a couple of the $20 150w hps's if you want to grow larger. (econolights)

Yes and no as to it being new. It has never been hooked up, but the date code on the light itself says 12-13-88, which i assume to be 1988. So it's been sitting around for a bit.

Well i think it is a halide bulb. Here's the part# on the bulb itself. It's a GE bulb, part# MVR175/U. What I found on it is here. this is what the bulb looks like too.

http://www.drillspot.com/products/329180/General_Electric_MVR175_U_Metal_Halide_Hid_Lamp

ANSI Number
M57

Average Life (Hours)
10,000V 6000H


Base
Mogul


Color Temp.
4000


CRI
65


Description/Special Features
Clear


Footnotes
14


For Use With
Enclosed Fixtures


Initial Lumens
13,600V 11,700H


Item
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lamps


Lamp Designation
MVR175/U


Lamp Shape
ED28


Lamp Type
Metal Halide


Light Center Length (In.)
5


Max. Overall Length (In.)
8 1/4


Mean Lumens
8800V 7400H


Mounting Position
Universal Burn


Watts
175


Weight
0.40

Click to expand...

So I think I answered my own question about the bulb. Just made me question what it actually was.