Brand of hid ballast an bulb?

[Coinhall09]

Hey guys would like some tips or info on hid ballast and bulbs? I got a cheap meizhi led and it's doing good but want to increase my chances for a better yield and potency , I've looked on eBay and Amazon at the ipower and vivosun brands and some others that are more $$ .

what do y'all use or recommend?

[Toker1]

I have a bunch of ballasts. Used and brand new. I just sent you a PM. Selling them for really cheap!! I have a bunch of different brands... hydrofarm; phantom (series I and series II) and lumatek, Solis Tek, Supreme. 600w and 1000w Available. Hit me up for prices. Just let me know what you are looking for. I ship them using USPS via priority mail so they show up in a few days as long as you are in the US.

[changeofpace2014]

Hey guys would like some tips or info on hid ballast and bulbs? I got a cheap meizhi led and it's doing good but want to increase my chances for a better yield and potency , I've looked on eBay and Amazon at the ipower and vivosun brands and some others that are more $$ .

what do y'all use or recommend?

Hey Coinhall09 - I suspect others well chime in, but I am pretty sure plants grow / develop differently under LED lighting,(side by side there is obvious visual difference, as long as it is enough lighting). Example I have vero 18 running at 1.5A DC but they only draw .35A AC with PFC of 85%. That is a lot of light for the draw. Keep in mind the LED require heat sinks for each LED and the cost adds up very quickly for the First Grow..

In hind site it is less expensive to set up with HID if you can commandeer some used 400 / 600 W ballast and do your own reflector and up grade bulb and hopefully you have an open area that does not require a grow tent or custom cabinet that sucks a few extrea$ out of your budget.

[Coinhall09]

changeofpace2014 , true I've done a lot of reading and real leds the cobs and stuff seam to be the best but also very $$$ , did you build your own?

I'm just trying to plan ahead and try to get something decent .

some of those reviews on Amazon showed burned up ballast cords and burned bulb sockets so I'm kinda at a empass as where to go next.

[changeofpace2014]

changeofpace2014 , true I've done a lot of reading and real leds the cobs and stuff seam to be the best but also very $$$ , did you build your own?

I'm just trying to plan ahead and try to get something decent .

some of those reviews on Amazon showed burned up ballast cords and burned bulb sockets so I'm kinda at a empass as where to go next.

Hey Coinhall09 - To date the Vero 18 #9 were about $130 CA including shipping and tax | The Alpine heat sinks were $109 CA plus tax but free shipping | The Aluminum angle 3/4 @ 3/16 enough for a a 2 x 3 fixture, bonus here because they cut me 3/16 stock instead of the 1/16 I had a quote on Twice as thick same $ | I have$14 CA in thermal compound and $62 CA at the electronic store | I still will have some additional cost on the light because I want to add some CFL and two switches, one for the LED and one for the CFL. I can use the CFL for easy germination and I can turn off the LED s while in the tent. O forgot the 1.5A LED drivers they were around $40 for #10 one spare and one spare VERO.

This Light should last for a long time.

[Mr.furley]

The best bang for your buck is a 600watt hps light.
some of the generically labeled stuff will work, but I would stick to Hydro farm, sunsystems.....
look into the Phantom2 line Ph600, and hortilux super high pressure sodium.
great in a 4x4 tent but you havent mentioned space? how many plants?
Proven results.

[Coinhall09]

Mr.furley , thanks where can I buy online ? I've looked at both of the websites but said it to find a retailer ?

also the room is about 8ft by 5 ft cieling heightgoes from 8ft to 6 ft so I plan on growing indicas and other smaller strains more in the middle to be able to raise the lights.

I did read on another forum about a 260 watt quantum board led ?

just trying to give the plants the best chance with light and not waste $ on a cheap unit or ballast.

[Mr.furley]

With led you want actual watts, a lot will say "like a 600watt hid" but the actual draw from the wall plug will be less. It is what counts for Watts. If you're going with LED you're going to spend some money to get anything close to equivalent a high pressure sodium, so there is no cheap route that way.
I have bought from Ebay, Amazon,, Craigslist, you can even hit Google up to suggest suppliers HG Supply Exedra Exedra.
With 8 feet by 5 feet as a footprint you can easily fit two 600w lights in there remember they'll need two feet between top of canopy and bottom of Bulbl with most indicas they do grow short, I'm envious of the space.
Good luck

[changeofpace2014]

Mr.furley , thanks where can I buy online ? I've looked at both of the websites but said it to find a retailer ?

also the room is about 8ft by 5 ft cieling heightgoes from 8ft to 6 ft so I plan on growing indicas and other smaller strains more in the middle to be able to raise the lights.

I did read on another forum about a 260 watt quantum board led ?

just trying to give the plants the best chance with light and not waste $ on a cheap unit or ballast.

Actually it is the (Driver Output that counts, not the A/C) for example the Vero 18 have multiple draw capabilities up to 2.1 A and I will be driving them at 1.5 A, that a little over the recommended, but the point is the driver only draws .83 A (AC) but it is driving the LED with 1.5 A constant current, hince 9# Vero s are actually running at 450 watt. That s why the LED s are more efficient.

[DrPhoton]

Actually it is the (Driver Output that counts, not the A/C) for example the Vero 18 have multiple draw capabilities up to 2.1 A and I will be driving them at 1.5 A, that a little over the recommended, but the point is the driver only draws .83 A (AC) but it is driving the LED with 1.5 A constant current, hince 9# Vero s are actually running at 450 watt. That s why the LED s are more efficient.

LEDs are more efficient because of their efficiency to convert electrical energy into light energy. Which is simply due to the semiconductor technology, not the drivers. Drivers actaully reduce the efficiency of LEDs due to energy losses from the transformer and rectifyer.

Assessing LEDs by power draw is actually an acceptable way to see how well it performs, though the best method is with integrating spheres. This is a highly complex and unpractical method however. LED products that are fairly cheap and low cost, typically have efficiency levels less than gas discharge, which is why using the total power consumption is good rule of thumb. Remember, even the energy losses from the drivers and other connected devices, are combined in the calculation of electrical efficiency, you cannot ignore them.

The best value light technology is gas discharge, commercial horticulture companies know this and is the main reason why most commercial indoor facilities are still gas discharge. LED technology is still some time away from being able to regenerate investments over rational timeframes. LED products such as california lightworks, spectrum king, fluence, nextlight, and black dog that provide comparable performance to sodium discharge, require a substantial investment that take years to recover the initial costs.

Evetually LED will superseed all lighting solutions but that time is still a few years or more away. I will myself, knowing lighting technology and plant science. Will continue using gas discharge, until LED has reached a stage of practical and economical value.

[Mr.furley]

My local grow shop sales LED,, HID, and anything else you want out the front but runs HID in the back for their dispensary

This is my ball park scientific stuff. Your rate may vary

Phantom 2 ballast used $40
Sunsystems Magnum XXXL. Used. $25
Hortilux super hps new. $65
@.06w=$65x4month. $260 fans, heat, 600w light
nutes and supplies $60
Total. $450
Average yield (strain depending) in 12sqft 18oz=25$ a Oz or $.89 a gram plus time.
after the first run it was down to time, power and nutes.
$18oz/ $.64 a gram

600 True Watts.

[Coinhall09]

My local grow shop sales LED,, HID, and anything else you want out the front but runs HID in the back for their dispensary

This is my ball park scientific stuff. Your rate may vary

Phantom 2 ballast used $40
Sunsystems Magnum XXXL. Used. $25
Hortilux super hps new. $65
@.06w=$65x4month. $260 fans, heat, 600w light
nutes and supplies $60
Total. $450
Average yield (strain depending) in 12sqft 18oz=25$ a Oz or $.89 a gram plus time.
after the first run it was down to time, power and nutes.
$18oz/ $.64 a gram

600 True Watts.

dang those are nice numbers , I was looking on growers house website and just the ballast was like 180$

I'm gonna have to look harder on eBay or Amazon, all I see on there is vivosun and ipower.

oh well I got a couple months till my next grow

[Mr.furley]

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F323479737087

I haven't looked in months, and here you go.
Use the model #, refine your search down they are there.

[changeofpace2014]

LEDs are more efficient because of their efficiency to convert electrical energy into light energy. Which is simply due to the semiconductor technology, not the drivers. Drivers actaully reduce the efficiency of LEDs due to energy losses from the transformer and rectifyer.

Assessing LEDs by power draw is actually an acceptable way to see how well it performs, though the best method is with integrating spheres. This is a highly complex and unpractical method however. LED products that are fairly cheap and low cost, typically have efficiency levels less than gas discharge, which is why using the total power consumption is good rule of thumb. Remember, even the energy losses from the drivers and other connected devices, are combined in the calculation of electrical efficiency, you cannot ignore them.

The best value light technology is gas discharge, commercial horticulture companies know this and is the main reason why most commercial indoor facilities are still gas discharge. LED technology is still some time away from being able to regenerate investments over rational timeframes. LED products such as california lightworks, spectrum king, fluence, nextlight, and black dog that provide comparable performance to sodium discharge, require a substantial investment that take years to recover the initial costs.

Evetually LED will superseed all lighting solutions but that time is still a few years or more away. I will myself, knowing lighting technology and plant science. Will continue using gas discharge, until LED has reached a stage of practical and economical value.

Perhaps I am miss under standing you,or I was unable to articulate the facts.Sorry

My Vero 18 are being driven at (1.5 A constant current from the LED Driver) the Drivers do not draw 1.5 A rather they convert (.83 A A/C) to (1.5A DC) which works out to (47.9 W) each or ( 431 W) for 9# vero 18 driven at (1.5A). That is the actual power draw per the Vero Spec Sheet for a (1.5A) driver @ 30.4 V. The point is they are being driven at (431 W) actual and not equivalent to..


Many of the LED fixtures on the market are marketed at there equivalent rating and not the actual Power Draw of the LED. You can go to Digikey has a spec sheet for the Veros if you are interested.

[DrPhoton]

Yes it may have been a miscommunication somewhere, you are correct here. I detail these factors in some of my articles.