Ballast question

I am thinking of going with a 400 wat ballast for a 400 watt Metal halide bulb. I will be able to have the ballast outside of the grow room. Will the lioght bulb it self produce alot of heat or is the ballast that prodes alot of heat? Also Would it be possible to use a 400 watt HPS bulb from start to finish since it is need in the flowering stage?

Ok save yourself money and time. Make sure to get a digital switchable 400 watt ballast.You just screw in the mh bulb for veg and then the hps for flower. No changing setups or buying exspensive conversion bulbs and loosing lumnes. The digs use less power are heatleass and silent.They also give more light.The bulb gives heat but old magnetic not digital ballast can get hot enough to burn you and weight a ton. Digis way less then 4 lbs. check Maryland Hydroponics or OpenDNS they have good stuff.Maryland had switchanle digi 400s for $99 but I think they are sold out right now but they have 600 watters for 119

Alright. I was going to pay $120 for the complete system for 400 watts. I think I might just buy the 600 watt then I will have more light. Is there a cheap way to make a reflector thats good?

You can get a good wing reflector at Worm's Way - Gardening Products, Supplies, Service, Support, and Knowledge Base for all your hydroponics, indoor, outdoor and organic gardening needs, year 'round! for $28.99. Look for sunleaves sunwave reflector. Its cheap and decent not the best ever but effiecient Im useing 2 of them.

Hey all.
Not to drop in, but you might beable to help with my dig. ball problem. I just got it today and hooked everything up and pluged it in the GFI outlet. The GFI justs pops the unit off.
Any ideas.
Thanks-

Alright. When I go to look at the ballast and I click on lighting then MD hydro or whatever it is then ballast it bring me back to the home page.