Things to Know About Lighting
- Thread starter roosterfish
- Start date
born2killspam
Well-Known Member
Ignitor is the first, and most likely thing that comes to mind.. You mean it won't fire any hps bulbs correct?
Did it continually try to restrike a dead hps bulb for a long time before??
Did it continually try to restrike a dead hps bulb for a long time before??
GypsyBush
Well-Known Member
it was just fine at first...
then I tried to fire a few times... and fired... then not...
now it is just dead with an HPS...
Just fine with the MH...
Ignitor.... Hummm...
Are digital ballasts different?
regardless, I gotta turn it in to the shop anyways...
born2killspam
Well-Known Member
Digital ballasts have some nuance differences, but they still require an ignitor to get an HPS arc struck.. Definately sounds like the ignitor, you could replace it yourself for about $20..
GypsyBush
Well-Known Member
It is a Galaxy commercial greenhouse unit, sealed in epoxy and still under warranty...
I'll take it back...
But thanks for the advice ...
BeatenByTheWorld
Well-Known Member
I hope somebody can answer these questions for me because im lost and nobody thats trying to sell me something is giving me good information. I am looking at a few different lights. All 400w. One is HPS, one is MH, and one is a dual ballast with a switch. Common sense tells me to get the dual ballast, but on the back of the ballast is still says HPS on the manufacture tag. He told me the only way a MH bulb will run in a HPS fixture is with a conversion bulb which from what i hear are significantly dimmer than standard bulbs. I asked an electrician and he said you can run either bulb in any HPS ballast, and the only adverse effect this may have is a slightly shorter ballast life.
Can I save the 50$ and just buy the HPS and put and equal watt standard MH bulb in it anyways?
Does this increase the fire risk? Id rather pay 50$ than burn to death.
What is the switch on the dual ballast actually do when you move it from HPS to MH?
PLEASE help me lol Im a man who admits when hes beat... and these salesmen got me beat.
Can I save the 50$ and just buy the HPS and put and equal watt standard MH bulb in it anyways?
Does this increase the fire risk? Id rather pay 50$ than burn to death.
What is the switch on the dual ballast actually do when you move it from HPS to MH?
PLEASE help me lol Im a man who admits when hes beat... and these salesmen got me beat.
GypsyBush
Well-Known Member
Take a peek at this... I found it "enlightening"...
http://www.bghydro.com/BGH/static/articles/0506_digiballasts.asp
born2killspam
Well-Known Member
Aside from the need for an ignitor with hps, they require more current at a lower voltage during operation.. You may get a MH to light on a magnetic HPS ballast without ignitor, but it won't be running anywhere near rated specs, is dangerous, and will kill bulbs early.. If thats what he has then yea, all thats good for is MH conversion bulbs, but the ones I've seen are meant to run with the ignitor intact..
Electronic ballasts are different, flipping a switch can properly accomodate either bulb type since the lamp current is controlled electronically, and not with physical coils meant for a single task..
Conversion bulbs though are made for ppl with non-switchable ballasts.. (And yes they do have draw-backs).. Having a switchable ballast should mean there is no need for compensation bulbs.. I don't think that is a switchable ballast, just an S51 magnetic HPS ballast with a switch tied to the ignitor.. It probably has the S51 ANSI code printed on it somewhere.. Regardless, if its big and heavy due to a bigass transformer then it is not actually a switchable ballast.. Ironically though, your seller friend is wiser than your electrician friend since he isn't running bulbs meant for M59 ballasts..
born2killspam
Well-Known Member
The ignitor (bad term I guess for an electronic ballast), will be in the form of a voltage multiplier.. Its an array of small HV capacitors that probably looks like a string of triangles.. Definately the most uncluttered easy to work area inside there if it isn't mounted on its own board even..
ink slingin' in the 805
Well-Known Member
ok i think iv'e got the lighting down...... hehe, actually, iv'e had it down years ago. i am here looking for an anwser to a question and i cannot find it. i need the pro's to step up to the plate for me on this one... ok, so the amount of dark period given contributes to the introduction of the plant to flowering. now i know that happens by the dark period inflicting the plant to produce a cretian chemical that induces flowering. my question is, what exactly defines "dark period".. are we talking PITCH BLACK or just not in DIRECT light. example, if they are getting a little light from maby my kitchen light being on and lighting up my livingroom a tiny bit. i have 1 10x10 blackened flowering tent but im out of room and i need to put 5 more of my girls into flowering this week. thank you
tusseltussel
Well-Known Member
best to have it as dark as possible in nature they do get some moon light so most say no brighter than that but your best off goin totally dark plants outdoors are more adapted to their environment and indoors they are used to a perfect environment.
born2killspam
Well-Known Member
Dark period seen by phytochrome would technically be when the number of incident at 730nm exceeds the number of photons at 670nm.. These are the absorbtion peaks of red phytochrome and far-red pytochrome which transition to the alternate form when a proper photon is absorbed..
The sun's peak is WELL below 730nm, so whenever its visible the plant will see day-time.. More far-red light could theoretically reduce darkness requirements, but thats easier said than done..
The sun's peak is WELL below 730nm, so whenever its visible the plant will see day-time.. More far-red light could theoretically reduce darkness requirements, but thats easier said than done..
ink slingin' in the 805
Well-Known Member
WOW!!!! i really appreciate the help but DAMN!! dude did you go to weed college or are you the CEO of general electric? much respect to the one who knows his stuff, and that you do, but... that just made my head scramble into a bunch of red lights and numbers and nuggies! woah, them frozen tricromes are something else, hehe. anyways, can you break that down a little for me in layman, err, uhh, STONEDmans terms?? thanks again everyone
born2killspam
Well-Known Member
Physics degree gives me the background I need to cover alot of internet research with a decent level of understanding..
What really bums me out is knowing 'what' could be done to possibly improve performance, but not knowing how to implement it..
Engineers may be the Oompa Loompas of science, but they do bring application to life..
What really bums me out is knowing 'what' could be done to possibly improve performance, but not knowing how to implement it..
Engineers may be the Oompa Loompas of science, but they do bring application to life..
tusseltussel
Well-Known Member
i think what he was trying to say is that certain color light won't be ablee to be picked up be the plants i would assume thats the same spectrum as moonlight so basically as dark as possible.WOW!!!! i really appreciate the help but DAMN!! dude did you go to weed college or are you the CEO of general electric? much respect to the one who knows his stuff, and that you do, but... that just made my head scramble into a bunch of red lights and numbers and nuggies! woah, them frozen tricromes are something else, hehe. anyways, can you break that down a little for me in layman, err, uhh, STONEDmans terms?? thanks again everyone
born2killspam knows his shit but i often see where its said in a way only the above avrg mind can comprehend, and a lot of us are just stoners and dnt have a clue. maybe if it was followed by a simpler explination like maybe plants only see certain spectrums of light or sumthin i don't know ive seen em post that intelligent stuff b4 and never dumb it down for ppl like me and you. it can be frustrating some ppl will come out and tell you your wrong and go off on sum silly shit and never give you the answer,
its like a jungle sumtimes it makes me wunder how i keep from goin under
born2killspam
Well-Known Member
I have no way of knowing what ppl's backgrounds are.. Any senior HS physics would probably mention black-body curves, and given the nature of this activity, alot of ppl have read about and blackbodies and Kelvin ratings.. These are public threads anyways, and there is this new thing called the internet that allows you to look up whatever you care to understand more about..
Its really hard to simplify some things without making it blatantly incorrect, and why should I spend time repeating whats all over the net with diagrams/animations..
Phytochrome does absorb light, but its not part of photosynthesis, its a triggering mechanism.. It has 2 basic forms.. One likes to absorb 'red' photons, usually labelled Pr, and one that likes to absorb 'far-red' photons, labelled Pfr..
Daytime has more red photons (670nm) than far-red (730nm), night-time the opposite (and obviously the general intensity is ALOT lower)..
When Pr recieves a red photon it converts to Pfr and waits for a far red photon which will convert it back to Pr..
So during the daytime, almost all phytochrome is in the Pfr form.. The active form that tells a plant to flower though is Pr, which can't really exist in daylight, or any suitable grow-light, so it needs enough dark time to shift the equilibrium of those to trigger..
Now thats a general unproofed rundown that contains alot of relevant terms that could be entered into google for concise results.. No spoonfeeding necessary..
Its really hard to simplify some things without making it blatantly incorrect, and why should I spend time repeating whats all over the net with diagrams/animations..
Phytochrome does absorb light, but its not part of photosynthesis, its a triggering mechanism.. It has 2 basic forms.. One likes to absorb 'red' photons, usually labelled Pr, and one that likes to absorb 'far-red' photons, labelled Pfr..
Daytime has more red photons (670nm) than far-red (730nm), night-time the opposite (and obviously the general intensity is ALOT lower)..
When Pr recieves a red photon it converts to Pfr and waits for a far red photon which will convert it back to Pr..
So during the daytime, almost all phytochrome is in the Pfr form.. The active form that tells a plant to flower though is Pr, which can't really exist in daylight, or any suitable grow-light, so it needs enough dark time to shift the equilibrium of those to trigger..
Now thats a general unproofed rundown that contains alot of relevant terms that could be entered into google for concise results.. No spoonfeeding necessary..
