Stupid topic, I k ow. 250w bulb/1000 ballast

[GElite]

So because I have a medical Marianna grow going down at my place I like to also have a legit indoor vegetable garden to explain the obvious growing of something at my place. Up to now I've just used floros in front of a window but the other day I came across what I think is a 250mh bulb. Looks just like my 1000 watt bulb but about 1/4 the size. It says 7C. 2MH175/UR. Perhaps it's 175watts, I don't know but I did put it in my 1000 watt mh magnetic ballast and it fired right up. I let it run for a while with no I'll effects thus far. Now what I would like to do is use it for my indoor vegetables but if I'm going to be using the same electriciyi. How's is that gonna work? Will the bulb just take what it wants on will the whole 1000watts be thrust upon this ever so iny bulb?

[bozoph]

ive heard u can run 4x 250w on a 1000. but im not sure id leave it running with only 1 bulb

[Dust]

yes i think you can do this bozoph i've seen some do it, but i'm not sure it is with every ballast i think it is an option. but it can probably be done with regular ones too, but for sure i'm not good enough in wiring or electricity to advice you on this, and playing with electricity is something i hate!

If you're bulb is only 200w i would not put it on the 1000w ballast it will someday break and possibly "explode" in the grow room and who knows maybe cause a fire? and we don't want that to happen ^^

[GElite]

I know one thing, that muther f'er sure is bright when it's on. It's not as bright as the 1000watt bulb but I noticed something. Once it's on and u think it's as bright as its gonna get, it's a brilliant white light and after a few seconds, maybe 20 seconds it changes colors and takes on a yellow tint like a hps. It just instantly fades from brilliant white to an opake yellow. Now I've heard of metalhalides that have a red spectrum incorporated as well and I'm wondering if perhaps this is one of those type bulbs. I'll see if I can get a picture of it.

[GElite]

Is that not the freakiest thing youve ever seen?

[GElite]

I finally put my 1000 watt mh bulb in the ballast that it came with, the same one I had the smaller bulb in. For some reason, I don't know why but the smaller bulb is FAR brighter. There is a obvious difference in the amount of visible light. It's twice as bright. I'm tempted to use the small bulb. I'll damn sure be doing a side by side comparison. Btw, the 1000 watt bulb only has one grow on it. It's not an old bulb.

[SukonmiSkunk]

you should use the right size bulb for the right size ballast.. one ballast one bulb.. matching.. unless you want to burn your house down..

best to be safe than sorry

if some ballasts can be used this way..maybe some digital ballasts... id still advise against for safety's sake..

but thats just me..

[jankahar]

be careful m8 you dont wanto play with the wrong size bulbs unless the ballast is dimmable. the brighness levels your eyes perceive could be explained with the smaller area of light source in the smallbulb, very small bright spot opposed to larger light source surface area in the 1000w, also if they have different colors of light it can look very different in terms of brighness

[Bam-Bhole]

Right. Only adjustable digital ballast can be used for smaller bulbs safely and for longer periods of time.

BTW. You def. got a 175 watt Metal Halide and you guessed right these have a mixed spectrum, hence the brighter colors + they run hotter as well.

[GElite]

Well that explains a lot. I'm about to buy a new dim able ballast and yeah it's 175 watt bulb. Seems like the more wattage u throw at it the more red light it throws out. I know for sure the 175 watt mh is far brighter than the 1000 watt MH bulb that came with it. Don't know why but it is.

[GElite]

I've got another one of these bulbs somewhere. I suppose If 4 250's is ok then 5x175 bulbs should work right? I think I may see if I can get a few more and wire that bitch up and yes I do know electrical wiring. My ballast is a few years old but i havent used it much at all. It caught on fire at the quick connect. My fault, i had it switched to hps when the mh bulb was in it. Worked great even when it was on fire lol. I had to unplug the damn thing, it was still on in flames. I guess the start capasitor was too much for the corroded quick connect. It sat for years broke but i wired it back up for a grow i was doing and its been fine ever sence. i got it with bulbs about 2005. Its not digital, just switchable. now i Just gotta see if that's gonna be wired in series or parallel. I know how one of these looks, I couldn't imagine 5. It would be worth the heat for all that light. I know all that wattage juiced it up a bit brighter than normal but no doubt it's brighter than a 1000 watt hps, maybe not where it counts. Could be all the wrong spectrum plus I'm sure it wouldn't last long over powered like that.

[GElite]

U can bet your ass I was standing behind something when I cut it on! I totally expected it to blow up but it didn't. I have no intention of keeping it in. I really just wanted to know it worked before I went out and spent money on a 175 watt ballast to put it in. I think it would be great for early veg, starting seeds, and for keeping my cloner under. Far better than floros I imagine.