Metal Halide Grow Light. Anyone here using this?

[Dumbo]

Are there any people out there in this forum using a metal halide grow light?

If so, what wattage are you using? ~400W or 1000W?

Looking for your hands-on experience with these, such as:
Heat generated, Is it a problem for you?

How the plants are looking compared to florescent 3" off the plants?

Type of socket you are using. Example: does it require a ballast? Or, for example, can you put a ~400W in any old socket that will take that amount of juice and heat such as a ceramic socket?

I read that 1000W is good for 8 square feet. Does your experience confirm this? How about ~400W?

Any experience with the different brands being marketed?

Any info and your general hands-on experience (plusses or annoyances, positives and negatives) welcome.

[davefrombc]

I don't use them Marc, but know a bit about them .. They require a ballast and special socket. They do not screw into a regular lamp socket .... and they produce a LOT of heat. That's why grow ops require all the fans and ventilation they use ..Metal halide lamps for marine aquariums need a good fan to cool the lamp and keep heat away from the tank. The lamps are different shape , but the same heat problems and ballast needs exist.
You gotta be growing something worth the expense to use a high wattage MH lamp 12 - 14 hours a day... With a 1000w lamp , you're looking at 12 -14 KWH per day. Times that by the rate you pay Hydro to see what it'll cost you per month .

[Dumbo]

Some people here, as shown in their pics, already run 480-watts as is (6 shop lights: 12x40W T12's), so yeah, it doubles the cost.

But, for myself, I was more focused on the 400W (or is it 450W) metal halides.

So, since the 1000W is more likely popular and easier to find, I wanted to know peoples experience with it.

[Dumbo]

A quick search shows the following:

400W = 60 to 70$

Ballast 400W roughly $120 to $200, 120V. Not sure of the differences in them to justify the price range. Seems to be a 5 year guarantee.

Total ~200 +/-

Takes a ceramic socket.

Parabolic dome (the basic): 20$

Now to find out someones experience with the heat on these 400watt ones and distance from plants and other perks or annoyances.

Best guess would be a ~4-ft^2 area (assuming wattage versus surface area is linear).

[Countryboy]

So, since the 1000W is more likely popular and easier to find, I wanted to know peoples experience with it.

U might think so, but the opposite is true. The 400W is more common, simply for ease of use. And like Dave says, the heat build-up from a 1000W is enuf to grow yr lettuce AND heat yr house too!

We have a local utility contractor, engaged by municipalities to replace street lites. The old *still working* stuff gets hauled off to his large barn and sold to the public. U can pick up a used 250W HPS street lite for $50. A couple of them would be great for getting u thru the Winter.

[Dumbo]

I haven't read good things about Sodium Vapour lights. As they age they also get dimmer and yellower. This is likely what is being sold. Don't know though...