HID Noise

[ReactiveLlama]

Greetings,

I'm planning on putting a small grow cab in my bedroom. In some other threads I've already mentioned this and asked some questions but now a new issue has been brought to my attention. Noise. I expect some noise, fans, ect, but I had no idea how noisy a 400 watt HID ballast can be!

Initially, to make things easier, I was simply going to have my ballast sitting outside the cab on the top. I don't know if I can sleep though all that. So I thought about putting the ballast inside the cab at the top maybe, but that's just extra heat, but I think I have enough ventilation.

Now should putting the ballast inside prove to be unworkable or just not that effective, what are my other options for sound proofing my ballast? I can't afford a digital! I was thinking of building another 'box' large enough to hold the ballast out of thick styro (wood base), put a PC fan to move the air.. Think something like that would work? I would make it over sized so there would be several inches clearance at least on all sides of the ballast.

Thoughts, comments, suggestions?

 

[Racefan]

hhhmmm...I can barely hear my 1000watt HPS. If your 400 is loud enough to keep you awake I'd guess that something isn't right with it. Is it new or used?

 

[ReactiveLlama]

Wasn't mine. I was over at a friends place and he's got a green house (unfortunatly he's not 420 friendly). He's got a mixed lot of lights for various things and I asked about the 400 and he turned it on and showed it to me.

I haven't purchased my light yet.. I'm swinging back and forth between a MH and a HPS. I like my buds dense and tight so I'm starting to look closer at a 400 watt MH.

 

[Damagoman]

Self contained light, everything in the hood?
somethin' is goin' out but may take months to die

or remote ballast?
bulb maybe loose, they expand and contract, don't ya' know

 

[RooRman]

If I recall correctly, a humming ballast is a product of capacitors that are on their last legs. The sound you hear is the increased electrical resistance due to the failing capacitor. A new system should not do this.

Also, if you want dense compact buds you want the HPS not the MH.

 

[FreakNature]

I have a 20 year old 250W MH w/ integral ballast that has always hummed rather loudly.