W
whiterasta
Here is a remote mount at the J/B to 5' whips to the hood. Also pics of 12/3 junction from ballasts and ventilated ballast shelf.
WR
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Here is a remote mount at the J/B to 5' whips to the hood. Also pics of 12/3 junction from ballasts and ventilated ballast shelf.
WR
FlyinHawaiian
Member
I wanna order my 250w ballast/cmh bulb tonight like right now, I think im gonna get the howard s50 250 ballast from http://www.advancedtechlighting.com/so250-71c-211.htm but I cant find anyone who has one, can anyone guesstimate how loud this ballast is? I can't have it louder then 28ish db.
Are there any other good 250 ballasts for cmh/hps? i'd like to be able to switch hps/cmh bulbs.
Are there any other good 250 ballasts for cmh/hps? i'd like to be able to switch hps/cmh bulbs.
W
whatissixbynine
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W
whiterasta
Ballasts in the screened shelf unit with 3conductor 12g wire hooked up Black/black, white/white, red/ x-3 or ignitor circuit
3conductor to the J/B where the blue and black stranded wire is hooked to the ignitor and runs to the lamp. Be sure to ground the ignitor
The grey box is so I can break down the wire run into two easily moved sections it also shows the three strand with ground I use to run the extension.
WR
3conductor to the J/B where the blue and black stranded wire is hooked to the ignitor and runs to the lamp. Be sure to ground the ignitor
The grey box is so I can break down the wire run into two easily moved sections it also shows the three strand with ground I use to run the extension.
WR
lohocla420
Member
ok so I went and bought a mh ballast and 70 watt cmh bulb the phillips mastercolor ed17
the ballast here BB-0070MHA6HC is the model number...
I am wondering if these will work together.. I compared to other ballast that were reccomended and it seems to be ok... I actually already ordered these but they werent shipped yet I can still cancel if its wrong ballast.. anyhelp at all is appreciated
the ballast here BB-0070MHA6HC is the model number...
I am wondering if these will work together.. I compared to other ballast that were reccomended and it seems to be ok... I actually already ordered these but they werent shipped yet I can still cancel if its wrong ballast.. anyhelp at all is appreciated
Castelvetro
Member
, im more then impressed with my htg 150hps.. things quiet and cool, so cool that if i had known better i would of orderd a 250 to start with. hows your 250s heat outpoot, pretty mild? ive heard the 400 at htg are HOT!!
lohocla420
Member
what if anything will happen to the bulb if I went ahead and used it anyway... I called several electric supply stores and the guy said most people are unwittingly useing pulse start bulbs in regular mh ballast with no problems.. if anything shortening the bulb life? anyone out there can refute this info I have received? the person I received the ballast kit from will only except exchanges so I am maybe stuck with this mh ballast kit..if anything I can throw it in to veg/clone area and get the proper ballast for my bulb
transplant
Member
That was 7-8 years ago
Darth Fader
Member
Thx Habeeb & Pinball Wizard (The Who rules btw),
So this is the bulb I'm going to get. Do you think this reflector is a good choice (39"x39" tent)? Not sure which ballast either.
I'm planning on doing 2 big-uns at a time in 5 gal buckets & scrogging. THX!
MEnSouRdeeZ
Member
i was thumbing thru skunk magazine the other day and they went back on their approval of CMH...
"we originally liked these, but tested further and went back to our eye hortilux blue's for vegging and flowering..."
I have run both (identical EYE bulb in magazine and currently CMH) and I don't now how on earth they can say that!
Hortilux must've contacted them and told them what they needed to say... "Youre hurting our sales! Philips isn't even pushing that bulb! Stay out of it! etc...." I never trust mags like high times and skunk anyway but I know for a fact now to never trust them.
Those blues are ~$150/pc, and you need to replace them 3x a much as CMH to get their true rated output. They depreciate so much quicker than CMH it's unreal! and for 3x the cost!
No more skunk mag for me...
My HTG "experience" is limited to reading. The 400s not striking comes up often and replacing the ignitor or shortening the distance between ignitor and lamp, seems to be the fix.
My ballast is remote and bolted to the underside of the freezer in the back. I really have no idea how hot it is.
Hey hidey ho everyone 
I'm new here. I've been reading and scrolling and reading and scrolling, but I haven't seen the answer to my question yet. Please pardon me if I repeat a question which has already been asked here before. 
I want to go with a 400w CMH. I grow orchids in my basement (really, just orchids
).
I am considering using a Hydrofarm 400 watt HPS Sunburst all-in-one unit (not one which is switchable hps/mh). I believe (correct me if I am wrong) that this model has a magnetic ballast. It comes from Greentrees Hydroponics. This is an all-in-one unit which houses both the reflector and the ballast and is simply the most convenient configuration for my particular setup. Does anyone know anything about the quality of this particular fixture? Do you think it would be suitable for the 400 watt horizontal 4K Philips CMH ED18 HPS-Retro White bulb which I want to use? Would the ignitor in this fixture have ample power to fire up this lamp?
Also do any of you know if Advanced Technology Solutions, LLC still in business? I don't want to place an order for a bulb plus a spare and send a payment via PayPal if I'm never going to hear from them nor receive my product. I've sent a couple emails over the past few weeks but there has been zero response. I saw someone say several posts back that the company was having problems with communication and a backlog of orders. Just wonderin' if there are any updates or fresh information for 2010. I'd just as soon give them the business if I can since they seem to be the ones who started up this whole horticultural CMH trend in the first place.
Thanks in advance. You've got a great forum going here! I used to grow some of that sticky stuff a very long time ago and had a blast doing so. Gardening is my forte.
I'm new here. I've been reading and scrolling and reading and scrolling, but I haven't seen the answer to my question yet. Please pardon me if I repeat a question which has already been asked here before. I want to go with a 400w CMH. I grow orchids in my basement (really, just orchids
).I am considering using a Hydrofarm 400 watt HPS Sunburst all-in-one unit (not one which is switchable hps/mh). I believe (correct me if I am wrong) that this model has a magnetic ballast. It comes from Greentrees Hydroponics. This is an all-in-one unit which houses both the reflector and the ballast and is simply the most convenient configuration for my particular setup. Does anyone know anything about the quality of this particular fixture? Do you think it would be suitable for the 400 watt horizontal 4K Philips CMH ED18 HPS-Retro White bulb which I want to use? Would the ignitor in this fixture have ample power to fire up this lamp?
Also do any of you know if Advanced Technology Solutions, LLC still in business? I don't want to place an order for a bulb plus a spare and send a payment via PayPal if I'm never going to hear from them nor receive my product. I've sent a couple emails over the past few weeks but there has been zero response. I saw someone say several posts back that the company was having problems with communication and a backlog of orders. Just wonderin' if there are any updates or fresh information for 2010. I'd just as soon give them the business if I can since they seem to be the ones who started up this whole horticultural CMH trend in the first place.
Thanks in advance. You've got a great forum going here! I used to grow some of that sticky stuff a very long time ago and had a blast doing so. Gardening is my forte.
Hawk
Member
I placed an order with Advanced Technology Solutions, LLC on 12/21/09 and it was delivered to me on 12/31/09. I received e-mail conformations/updates about my order. Considering the holidays and that I doubt Advanced is a big, bustling company, I was satisfied with the service. I'd buy a lamp from them again.
As far as the hood/ballast combo unit, if the area is cool enough to absorb the heat it will put off, ok. If not, it might not be so simple and convenient anymore.
$0.02
As far as the hood/ballast combo unit, if the area is cool enough to absorb the heat it will put off, ok. If not, it might not be so simple and convenient anymore.
$0.02
so are orchids fun to grow, or what?
Thanks for the answers so far. 
I think my growing area and ventilation are definitely cool enough to absorb the heat. And yes, orchids are fun to grow. 
I specialize in one species, Neofinetia falcata, the Japanese Wind Orchid aka the Wealth Orchid aka Fuukiran. There are over 2000 registered named varieties, many of them very rare and expensive. All of the plants I have were purchased in Japan and brought to USA for me. Most of my plants are in the $500 usd value range, some more than that, a few less than that. The plants are tiny miniatures of the vandaceous type and the flowers are extremely fragrant. They've turned me into a total geek. 
I think my growing area and ventilation are definitely cool enough to absorb the heat. And yes, orchids are fun to grow. I specialize in one species, Neofinetia falcata, the Japanese Wind Orchid aka the Wealth Orchid aka Fuukiran. There are over 2000 registered named varieties, many of them very rare and expensive. All of the plants I have were purchased in Japan and brought to USA for me. Most of my plants are in the $500 usd value range, some more than that, a few less than that. The plants are tiny miniatures of the vandaceous type and the flowers are extremely fragrant. They've turned me into a total geek.
W
whiterasta
Hey hidey ho everyone
I want to go with a 400w CMH. I grow orchids in my basement (really, just orchids
I am considering using a Hydrofarm 400 watt HPS Sunburst all-in-one unit (not one which is switchable hps/mh). I believe (correct me if I am wrong) that this model has a magnetic ballast. It comes from Greentrees Hydroponics. This is an all-in-one unit which houses both the reflector and the ballast and is simply the most convenient configuration for my particular setup. Does anyone know anything about the quality of this particular fixture? Do you think it would be suitable for the 400 watt horizontal 4K Philips CMH ED18 HPS-Retro White bulb which I want to use? Would the ignitor in this fixture have ample power to fire up this lamp?
Also do any of you know if Advanced Technology Solutions, LLC still in business? I don't want to place an order for a bulb plus a spare and send a payment via PayPal if I'm never going to hear from them nor receive my product. I've sent a couple emails over the past few weeks but there has been zero response. I saw someone say several posts back that the company was having problems with communication and a backlog of orders. Just wonderin' if there are any updates or fresh information for 2010. I'd just as soon give them the business if I can since they seem to be the ones who started up this whole horticultural CMH trend in the first place.
Thanks in advance. You've got a great forum going here! I used to grow some of that sticky stuff a very long time ago and had a blast doing so. Gardening is my forte.
An all in one ballast/hood in magnetic HPS is very good for CMH. Since the bulbs run cooler ballast heat is less a factor.
Also "strike distance" is much more important when firing a retro bulb through an HPS ignitor That is to say even if you have the cheap 2' strike ignitor it will fire your CMH with little problem.
that same ignitor with a 10' whip to the hood will not be as reliable or even dependable. What ever you have being an integral unit makes strike distance in range no matter what ignitor is in the ballast.
Cheers,
WR
Thanks for the input.
I had actually wondered if that would be one of the advantages of using an all-in-one unit.Does anyone know if Sunlight Supply's Sun System 2 400 Watt HPS all-in-one unit is a better grow light than Hydrofarm's Sunburst 400 Watt HPS all-in-one unit? Does one brand use better quality ballast components than the other?
Sun System makes a device called The Equalizer Hot Spot Diffuser. Has anyone tried using this with CMH bulbs, or do any of you have an opinion about this device?
Mr.Meds
Member
if the diffuser is anything like the "super spreader" then I would say it's more of a gimmick. at $25-40 it cast a dark shadow/line down the center of the bulb/footprint. It DOES diffuse heat but you CAN definitely still burn your plants with it...I don't know...I have four of them and wouldn't recommend it really... No noticeable extra spread of light but a noticeable dark, dim line down the center. Need a light meter to know for certain (will have one soon) but again, I don't recommend.
Yeah, the Equalizer does in fact seem to be a lot like the Super Spreader Heat Shield, but it is much more narrow and seems to have more perforations in it. It's advertized as a diffuser of the "hot spot of intense light" directly under the HID lamp which I interpreted as being more of a light diffuser than a heat diffuser. You're right, though, I bet I'd hate having a shadow cast down the center of my lighting footprint. I hadn't thought of that possibility, and it's not like the lamp is going to be right on top of my plants anyway.
