# My 400w hps has died...



## The Poet (Aug 2, 2017)

I bought my 400w hps 27 years ago so I got my moneys worth. I am thinking about other lights but remember what the guy who sold me the 400w said when I bought it. 
"For one person, a 400w is good will produce enough. Whereas if I had a chick I would need a 600w alone a 400w will keep me in weed.

   A 600w puts out a lot of heat! And the old 400w flowers 8-9 plants well.
I am open to new ideas but am planning on buying another mechanical ballast, 400w light. Hope it lasts 27 years.


                                          Thank you...

                                                     The Poet...

.


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## zem (Aug 2, 2017)

I use 400w magnetic ballasts as well. They last a few years normally. I don't think that they still produce anything of quality to last anything close to 27 years.


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## my my (Aug 2, 2017)

i have a older 5-6 years with little use  600 hps ballast, and had bought a MH conversion bulb for veg....
also have a 1000 watt ballast im no longer using..
Shipping to  Iberia   might be expensive tho..
my my


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## Surfer Joe (Aug 3, 2017)

How much might it affect the yield if I used a 400MH during veg and into a few weeks of flower before switching the a 600W HPS?
Would increasing the light after it was flowering help it to yield more as opposed to changing to 600W as soon as I switch to 12/12? Would waiting until mid flowering to increase to 600W make much difference than going to 600W as soon as I go 12/12?
I'm trying to keep the temps down until the cooler weather sets in a couple of months.
The upside is that when I go to 12/12, I will only run the lights at night when it is cooler, while I am running the 24/0 during veg.


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## Budlight (Aug 3, 2017)

Surfer Joe said:


> How much might it affect the yield if I used a 400MH during veg and into a few weeks of flower before switching the a 600W HPS?
> Would increasing the light after it was flowering help it to yield more as opposed to changing to 600W as soon as I switch to 12/12? Would waiting until mid flowering to increase to 600W make much difference than going to 600W as soon as I go 12/12?
> I'm trying to keep the temps down until the cooler weather sets in a couple of months.
> The upside is that when I go to 12/12, I will only run the lights at night when it is cooler, while I am running the 24/0 during veg.



 I was using a 400 when I first started out for my veg I found my plants did better with the T fives  you just get a better light spread so much light is wasted with the 400 HPS honest Jo I wouldn't  pull your leg buddy I have taken every single one of my 400 ballasts put them behind the garage for the scrap guy for the amount of power they pull the amount of heat they put out there just not worth it anymore and if a guy was going to run a 400 I would for sure buy  A  adjustable 1000 digital ballast  then you can always turn it down to use less power and create last heat but when need be you can crank that baby up


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## umbra (Aug 3, 2017)

Surfer Joe said:


> How much might it affect the yield if I used a 400MH during veg and into a few weeks of flower before switching the a 600W HPS?
> Would increasing the light after it was flowering help it to yield more as opposed to changing to 600W as soon as I switch to 12/12? Would waiting until mid flowering to increase to 600W make much difference than going to 600W as soon as I go 12/12?
> I'm trying to keep the temps down until the cooler weather sets in a couple of months.
> The upside is that when I go to 12/12, I will only run the lights at night when it is cooler, while I am running the 24/0 during veg.



You will not get more yield, you will get less stretch in flowering, that is all.


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## Locked (Aug 3, 2017)

Sounds like a perfect opportunity to get an LED Fixture. I will not go back to HID LIghts. jmo


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## Hushpuppy (Aug 12, 2017)

You can veg with MH at 400w but you will need to be sure the bulbs produce 6000-6500K light spectrum. (most metal halide puts out around 5000K light spectrum and the plants don't use much of that spectrum. They need the 6500K for optimum veg). Don't know which would produce more heat, a 400wMH or 6-8bulb T5HO fixture. My 6bulb fixture throws off a lot of heat from the bulbs.


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