Help with ballast

[DEAN420]

Here is the ballast i'm using on my current journal. I've had this ballast about four years without any problems and it runs both bulbs.

In the picture where it says lamp type 400W SON-T/HIT HALIDE aka HPS/MH

 

[NOOBTUBE]

here is two pics of the plate on the ballast.. sry der to the side but dats the way they came out and i cant change it..

 

[TorturedSoul]

That looks like one of those generic tags where they either stamp out all the bits that don't apply or circle or otherwise highlight the one that does.

For I have never heard of a ballast that would run a 1000-watt, 600-watt, 400-watt, and 250-watt bulb. Even the newer digital 1Kw models (that have a physical switch to cut the voltage) do not have such a range.

It also looks like there was no information stamped under the Date Bullt, Assembled By, and Unit Serial No. headings. That alone would have me wondering how safe the ballast is under general use. Did your friend get it off eBay (or the back of a truck), perhaps? If not, ask him which store it came from and take it to them.

Were it not for the dodgy-looking tag, I would have answered that when a ballast states "MH/HPS" that it means it is capable of running both types of HID lighting. But with a tag like that... It looks like it might have been put together quickly by someone working from a bunch of parts who was more concerned with making a quick profit than with the end-user's safety.

I'd be pretty cautious about this item.

 

[NOOBTUBE]

No my m8 definately bought it from a grow shop in the city center.. but he got it 2 years ago so i dnt evn knw if its still open now or if they still evn stock this ballast if it is!! there is a date and name of manufacturer on the plate but you cant see it in the pic cz its just carved in!! you have me worried now about the safety aspect of things.. but a grow shop wudn sell dodgey ballasts would they??

 

[TorturedSoul]

Probably not a well-established one. You never can tell with fly-by-nighters, but most people are fairly honest unless greed has gotten the better of them.

Since your tag does have that information after all, disregard my warning.

And in that case, my gut instinct tells me that it is most likely a switchable ballast after all. Some have a physical switch - and it will either be on the exterior of the ballast or inside a user-accessable hatch/cover (IOW, they don't expect you to have to disassemble the entire thing just to switch bulb types) - and some are auto-switching.

This is only my opinion, but you should be fine as long as you keep the wattages correct. I did some Google searching but did not find anything stating that all ballasts of that brand were or were not "switching." Perhaps you will have better luck by trying such a search using some of the number codes printed on the ballast.

I suppose if it were mine, I would probably try it. I haven't burned down any buildings yet. Although to be fair and completely honest, my curiosity has been the death of the odd gadget on rare occasion. Ya pays yer money, ya takes yer chances, lol. Life's like that.

Good luck!

 

[NOOBTUBE]

Thanks alot tortured im just gona buy a mh bulb and try it sure wats the worse ting dat can happen lol... ah no im sure if its not 4 mh bulbs it just wont work its worth a try imo!! Thanks evry1 dat gave their input its much appreciated!

 

[DEAN420]

Probably not a well-established one. You never can tell with fly-by-nighters, but most people are fairly honest unless greed has gotten the better of them.

Since your tag does have that information after all, disregard my warning.

And in that case, my gut instinct tells me that it is most likely a switchable ballast after all. Some have a physical switch - and it will either be on the exterior of the ballast or inside a user-accessable hatch/cover (IOW, they don't expect you to have to disassemble the entire thing just to switch bulb types) - and some are auto-switching.

This is only my opinion, but you should be fine as long as you keep the wattages correct. I did some Google searching but did not find anything stating that all ballasts of that brand were or were not "switching." Perhaps you will have better luck by trying such a search using some of the number codes printed on the ballast.

I suppose if it were mine, I would probably try it. I haven't burned down any buildings yet. Although to be fair and completely honest, my curiosity has been the death of the odd gadget on rare occasion. Ya pays yer money, ya takes yer chances, lol. Life's like that.

Good luck!

lol

I can see why your a MOTM, keep this sit alive brother!

Tbd