sup guys, well i'm new here and ima start a small grow op in the closet, anyways my question right now is how long does it take 400w hps sodium lamps to power on completely? cause i just plugged mine in and it was making some noises and flickering and just not providing sufficient light so after 2 seconds i unplugged it, fearing that something was wrong, should i give it a few mins and see what happens or should i check to see if the bulb was screwed in properly? also im going to be using a 400w mercury bulb for the veg stage, what light cycles should i be enforcing during the veg stage with the mercury bulb ? thanks in advance!
Hps The HPS will not reach full intensity until maybe a minute...it starts out white and then grows to a yellow...I'd say it might flicker ONCE before it turns on, but the ballast should not be making any noise...the bulb may quake with the current being sent through it, so you might hear some metal jingle..but that should be it...Turn it on for 10 seconds, and if you do not have a solid light of some sorts by 5 seconds, turn it off...def. make sure your bulb is screwed in...BE SURE NOT TO TOUCH IT WITH YOUR FINGERS! light cycles are all the same no matter what type of bulb you use...check outt he FAQ to figure out your basics... HINT- Your answer is 18 ON and 6 OFF
That's funny, 'cause I was just in my flower room, lowering my light's. My 400 light's instantly and my 600 take's a few second's. Check that your bulb is snug and all your connection's are secure. You can go 24hrs. or 18/6; the latter being slightly more effiecient(and alittle less juice). :welcome:
thanks guys, i'll make sure its screwed in right and then give it 10 seconds or so, btw, what do u mean dont touch it with my fingers? does that apply for when its powered off and unplugged or just when its on?
My 400 HPS takes about 30 seconds to build to full intensity. I just attribute it to the element heating up.
Never Touch The Bulb The oils from your fingers will be released onto the glass each and every time you touch it...the bulb will then be heated up to high temperatures, but the oil will burn hotter causing the bulb to BUST in the midst of a cycle... so never touch it and you'll be alright...if you have make sure you clean the hell out of it with soap and water... that was a joke, use a smooth NEVER USED rag...but that is still not good for it.:thumbsup:
hey, your ballast can make lots of noise depending on how well it is mounted and also makes a natural buzzing noise, and the initial inrush current to the bulb will cuz the ballast to flicker the bullb, especially during break in time for the bulb. i wouldn't worry about the noise, but if it gets really bad just p.m. me i'm a sparky and glad to help, TEX
Sweet, thanks guys, will be making a new thread with pics soon, the noise is sort of annoying, is there any way to lay it on the floor ontop of something solid to circumvent it?
hey how is ur ballast mounted in ur light casing? depending on how it is a little electrical trick for quieting ballast is to screw in a small screw between the ballast and the outter casing of the fixture surrounding the ballast, by doing this u put pressure on the ballast and make it a more solid mount, its safe and effective, its a common trick. make sure the powers off before you do this of course just for safety but there's little to no danger my man! its just because some ballast mounting hardware is loose and the looser the ballast mount the more it vibrates againts the whole fixture causing anf echo effect, let me know if u need help!
If your ballast doesn't have rubber "feet" put a solid rubber pad between it and the floor. Bar mats work well. cheers,
Thanks for the help guys, btw the ballast is not mounted on the reflector, anyways the noise seems to disappear after around 10mins of it being on so it's all good now. btw that's a good idea resin, right now i have it on top of a chunk of wood but i will def find some solid pieces of rubber to put under it!
