DIY switchable ballast?

[Tokin White Guy]

ok, so I like to try to mimic nature as much as possible within my personal space/heat/time/budget constraints. I've seen alot of people get HPS burn near the end of their grow even when there's no nute deficiency/burn. I've always liked the idea of a switchable ballast, but what if during flowering you were to use an HPS bulb for 2 days and then switch to MH for a day? I know it'd be a bitch to change your bulb 2 of every 3 days but could it be worth it? What are everybody's thoughts on this? Also, I'm big on DIY and saving $, I plan on buying one of those bare ballast kits and wiring it myself, but could you get an HPS ballast, wire it without the ignitor and use a MH bulb in it till flower, then rewire it with the ignitor in the circuit and put an HPS bulb in?

 

[NiteTiger]

HPS Burn? Huh?

That's a new one for me. I've seen flowers get burned in late flower due to stretching too close to a light, from the heat. But I don't recall hearing about a burn because of the type of light.

Got any links? Or more info?

 

[Tokin White Guy]

umm shit I've been lookin al over and I cant find where I read that, but I swear I read somthin about it right before posting that, and no I wasnt just really high. Something about leaves turning brown near the end of flowering from all the orange/red spectrum light and lack of blue light. I dunno, maybe I & whoever said that are pullin shit out our asses...But anyway, my main question is about the DIY switchable ballast. Can it be done?

 

[enahs]

I think i suffered from HPS burn only explanation here is a pic. I also use a home made switchable ballast. Right now I just manually rewire when switching cycles. I have thought about a way to do it and I have it in my head but I just never messed with it. Easier to just switch when i need to.

If you want me to try and explain ask ill try when im not as high

 

[pontiac]

Im confused here, why would you go through the trouble of building yourself a switchable ballast (using two separate ballasts, except for horticulture ballasts) if you can just use a conversion bulb? A MH conversion bulb works on HPS ballasts and an HPS converion bulbs works on a MH ballast. For example you veg with a regular MH bulb for a month or so, then you just switch the regular MH bulb with a HPS conversion bulb, its that simple, no need to change ballasts. To top it off, Conversion bulbs only cost $10-$20 more than regular bulbs.

Heres my DIY switchable system that i've made for $100 (HPS bulb, HPS ballast, Socket, Enclosure, MH conversion bulb, electrical accessories, shipping/tax):

 

[AppleFarmer]

Tokin, the only difference between an hps and a mh ballast is the ignitor. You can buy an ignitor for a MH and wire it in as well as a bypass switch or just do the switch if you already have a hps.
af

 

[Tokin White Guy]

Tokin, the only difference between an hps and a mh ballast is the ignitor. You can buy an ignitor for a MH and wire it in as well as a bypass switch or just do the switch if you already have a hps.
af

FINALLY, thank you!!

 

[bostrom155]

What if the light only has a ballist and a capacitor

 

[Tokin White Guy]

What if the light only has a ballist and a capacitor

uhh that would be an MH ballast then

 

[enahs]

So youre sayin the ballast are the same? I wouuld have to say there different when you order a ballast you either order for MH or HPS not a universal. Maybe Im wrong that would be sweet but? hmmm.......

 

[AppleFarmer]

The only difference is that a hps ballast has an ignitor to start up the bulb...so if you were to wire in a bypass switch, you would effectively turn your HPS into a MH

 

[ickster]

Pontiac,
Nice set-up. I wanted to point out something I noticed. I am a retired Electrician. Once a long time ago, an Electrical Inspector failed a job of mine because I had run the black and white wires from an old style doorbell transformer through seperate holes in the 4" round box. He claimed that by doing that, I made the box into a coil, and that could possibly cause unwanted and potentially dangerous heat. At the time, I kind of thought he was crazy. I notice that you did just that with your wires on the socket of your lamp. You might want to change that so the wires are in the same hole just to be safe. Just a thought.

 

[Guest]

i will see you on the news ...Headline .. house burnt down .

 

[Guest]

electric weed . wow .tooooo much , this and .glacier effect, glacier weed and electric weed.lol

 

[Guest]

I was under the impression you could only SAFELY convert hps to halide.
There are voltage differences in the ballast.
The MH ballast is more apt to catch fire compared to HPS ballast.
Or so I am told.............

 

[Tokin White Guy]

I was under the impression you could only SAFELY convert hps to halide.
There are voltage differences in the ballast.
The MH ballast is more apt to catch fire compared to HPS ballast.
Or so I am told.............

see that's what I was afraid of... electricians?
ickster?

 

[bostrom155]

Yes we need to elaborate on this by pass switch....

 

[ickster]

I DID say I was kind of skeptical of it(the coil thing). IMO it would be negligable (the coil effect). Just thought I'd throw it out there. Personally, I have seen dozens of times what electricity can do. Be afraid!

Tokin White Guy,was that a question? LOL


see that's what I was afraid of... electricians?
ickster?

 

[Tokin White Guy]

HAHA sorry I'm retarded, I just saw how that could've been misinterpreted. No I didn't mean I was afraid of electricians. I meant I was afraid of the other ballast components (i.e. magnetic coil & capacitor) on a MH ballast being significantly different voltage or amperage that it would be unsafe to wire an HPS ballast without the ignitor and use it with an MH bulb. I meant that I was directing that questions since they would be the most likely people to give a trustworthy answer. All I saw u say b4 ickster was that it was a bad idea to run the socket wires thru seperate holes in the circle box. Is that what u were referring to when u said

I DID say I was kind of skeptical of it(the coil thing). IMO it would be negligable (the coil effect).

Any other electricians here with alot of professional experience with HID lighting?

 

[bostrom155]

Well I have a Lightbulbdepot here in town and I'm gonna get a 150MH ignitor and bulb. and put one in my veg chamber, I have 2 x 150 HPS now