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150w HPS Club and Resource Guide......

e_24

Active member
im ditching it in leiu of incoming funds. now i have to get rid of about 6 150w hps security lights! i used 4, two of which had bad parts.

has anybody used the 150 electronic ballast from HID hut? is it american made (not like it matters, ive seen some shitty american made things...(whispers: cars!))? im not completely opposed to chineese made items, but if the american made version works then why not? The HID hut ballast cant do MH, which the chineese can. the thing i like about the HID hut model, is that it doesnt use fancy color aluminum. just a plain looking box, which gets a point in my book for stealth.
 

jpizle

Member
Disco-Lookin kick ass as always bro..

e24-You need a capacitor wired in to get yer power factor up. As far as I know you cant get any better PF from a mag if yours already have caps. Even still you dont get charged for the whole 350 or so watts they pull w/o caps tho u wont be able to run as many lights per circuit but thats a dif story.

As for the HID digi ballasts, they are made in china. But I have their 250 and 400w versions and so far so good but the oldest one(250) I've only had for like 5 months or sumthin. Both mine are MH/HPS switchable as most digi's are. But in the case of the 150 version I think you are rite 'cuz AFAIK they dont make standard probe start 150w MH bulbs, only pulse start 150w MH which I think are a no-no just like CMH in digitals.

About CMH, from what I can gather you guys with the magnetic 150hps ballasts can run 150 CMH bulbs. Not positive and I havnt tried it myself but I think thats the case. 150 CMH bulbs are pricey tho for sure. Jus thought I'd throw that out there..

peace
 

e_24

Active member
You have to have a pulse start metal halide ballast to run a 150w cmh. The hps ballast will not work with the cmh
 

dudin

Active member
The 150w digi china 70$ I bought was blue but you could get it in grey, black and red (out when I ordered).
As far as mh it's printed on it that it works but since I havent tried I really cant say.
When I ordered it also said it was dimmable to 50% but it was 65% no big deal but it makes me wonder if it really takes mh.
Dont want to trick anyone. Buy at your own risk.

Yes it's China but so is almost everything else. Most of the retailers/factories at alibaba has the capacity to make up to 10000-150000 units a month. They have some sort of quality cheek I guess.
 

rootidec

Active member
Veteran
I've heard good things as well, but just looking to see how many of you are running magnetic versus electronic? And how long have you been running digital, if you use one? I know that magnetic ballasts are reliable as hell, but that don't mean it has to use as much power or more then a 250w ballast. I could see a magnetic ballast using more power if its one of those security lights like the 10 I have, but some "grow lights" are using far too much power as well! Maybe I got a part goin bad? Transformer maybe, or cap?

Those who are using a magnetic ballast what have you done to increase power factor?

I've had only this one, digital, So I can't compare.

My hydro store guy said he measured a magnetic ballast (ETI brand) versus a digital one of the same wattage, and didn't see different power consumption. Both were new though. And he didn't measure lumens.

I think he's right but I also think a microprocessor is there for a reason :) sorry I can't give technical insight, just an opinion :ying:
 

DiscoBiscuit

weed fiend
Veteran
If you don't have a cap, unused draw is returned, (you don't pay for what you don't use.)

If a magnetic ballast is still using more power than normal after the strike, the x-former's crap.

IMO, a 600 would yield more quality than 4 150s. Same coverage but 4x the penetration.
 

jpizle

Member
If you don't have a cap, unused draw is returned, (you don't pay for what you don't use.)

If a magnetic ballast is still using more power than normal after the strike, the x-former's crap.

IMO, a 600 would yield more quality than 4 150s. Same coverage but 4x the penetration.

:yeahthats Especially about the 4x150 vs a single 600. More watts in one bulb means better penetration than the same watts spread over multiple bulbs. And penetration is key......and thats what she said too :D couldnt help myself.

And to clarify on my above post I meant to say HID Hut ballasts are the brand I have....vodka and sticky what can I say. And I can def say that digi's run cooler(the ballast itself) and I swear they put out slightly more light tho I have no proof other than my eyeball.

peace
 

darkvade420

Active member
I gota say my xx kush been cured for about 3 months the last 1/4 anyways and it sure did get alot better.the smell,taste,density and the high even got better.id still like to grow some dam blueberry. everytime i go to check out clones they never have it.i tossed a shwag seed out in a bucket at the beggining of spring and it smells like an orange tree and its in veg i think i got some fire swagg seed lol.:tumbleweed:
 

rootidec

Active member
Veteran
@discobiscuit:
you are right - what you don't use isn't charged.
and a bigger hps is proportionally more efficient (and afaik it is the opposite than with cfls, where it's better to have 4 26w rather than a 100w).

Tbh, I don't believe in every sensational claim companies make, they just have to sell their product;
but what if magnetic ballasts really stress more the bulb, or if they lose efficiency over time as components wear? ( >> more than e.b. I mean).
That's what I read (if I'm wrong I'm more than happy to learn something) and what made me choose an electronic ballast :) I also figured since it produces less to no heat, which lead me to think there must be some kind of power/energy loss.

this said, I'm not an expert and I'm in no way advocating electronic ballasts - I just came across a cheap one and thought it wouldn't hurt :) Plus I didn't have any gear to begin with - I wouldn't have upgraded if I had one - I just chose it on a 30€ price tag difference.
 

DiscoBiscuit

weed fiend
Veteran
Glad to see the new ones being used. Hope you guys can keep us posted on the results.

A couple years ago growers were saying 150 digi frequency messes with radio interference. A shielded cable might help.
 

rootidec

Active member
Veteran
Glad to see the new ones being used. Hope you guys can keep us posted on the results.

A couple years ago growers were saying 150 digi frequency messes with radio interference. A shielded cable might help.

my ballast came with non a user-replaceable (comes out of the chassis) cable of 1.5 m, just had to wire the plug. it's thick as a finger (almost) so it may be shielded, but IDK really :D let's hope they didn't skimp on that lol.

I'll post a brief resume (mostly on yeld) when I finish :) and I'm sticking around this thread since it gave so much insight on 150s - got much to learn!

see ya :ying:
 

DiscoBiscuit

weed fiend
Veteran
6 weeks

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DiscoBiscuit

weed fiend
Veteran
my ballast came with non a user-replaceable (comes out of the chassis) cable of 1.5 m, just had to wire the plug. it's thick as a finger (almost) so it may be shielded, but IDK really :D let's hope they didn't skimp on that lol.

I'm betting you're shielded. Regular three conductor for 150 apps is usually no bigger than grounded extension cord.
 

krompir

Member
Hi folks ! its day 64 into flower(begining of week 10 when i switched on 12/12 cycle). Kalashnikova looks almost ready to chop.Lots of brown hairs, trichs are 90% milky and some clear , no amber yet. AH3 needs 2-3 weeks more i think.I had some overfert on her, but after flush she is recovering. Fertilizer i use are Plagron alga bloom ans Green Sensation.
 

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krompir

Member
pictures of trichs. Can somebody confirm there are amber trichs on this picture? Im not so sure becouse its my first time useing microscope. Its day 65 into flower today
thnx
 

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DiscoBiscuit

weed fiend
Veteran
I can see amber along the edges (unless part of it's a pistil.) Could be the flash is distorting the color of trichs pointing toward the lens. Can't see much clear, if any.
 

H&L

Active member
Got my first 150w hps 10 years ago. Converted it from a street. Still one of my favorite lights to grow with, I will always have a 150w cab.

Bodhi's Afgooey x Lemon Thai- day 45

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Cob's Beverly Hillbilly (SFV OG x (SFV OG x Appalachia) day 45

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Chem '91 s1

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