Having tried to follow the over-heated discussion about pulse start metal halide bulbs, I needed to do some checking on my own.

As far as this being newest technology which renders all else obsolete. Well, not exactly new; since the seller listed the products in 2004. Went to the manufacturer's web-site. No mention at all about use of these lights for plants--parking lots yes!

Based on this small bit of objective info., seems pretty improbable that this is cutting edge plant growth technology--as claimed by some on this site.

MH has been used for growing for 35 years. The only difference with pulse start, is this lamp is 40% more efficient that probe start. Check the Ushio web site under pulse strike, they will explain it all to you. Most of these lamps are sold for parking lots, because parking lots use lots of watts, and lighting is expensive. For a grower with one or two lamps, the actual difference in price is not as great, as when multiplied by a thousand times in a store or parking lot. However, there is no reason why anyone should be growing with probe start lamps unless they are too poverty stricken to be able to afford a new ballast. The new ballast will quickly pay for itself, because the pulse start lamp can be run continuously for 30,000 hours before it gives out. During that time, it will reward you with much more lumens and your plants will thank you. It's also improbable that you would have a board certified practicing pathologist giving you this advice, but guess what, you have a board certified practicing pathologist giving you this advice!, and I have no link to any lamp manufacturer, and do not have to sell lamps to make my living. I just happen to know how to read, because I actually do read for a living - that is, read and think. I actually get paid to read and think. And I have a lot of actual experience with HID lighting, as well as fluorescent and sunlight, and I don't like to get stuck in the past.
Pulse strike lamps START OUT AT 105 LUMENS PER WATT!!!, and the depreciation of lumens is very much slower than traditional MH, which typically starts out at 80 lumens per watt, and sinks like a stone within a few thousand hours. Paul Mozarowski.

Here is a link that might be useful: Read and learn - Ushio Pulse Strike

(Lermer) Here I must agree with the Zeitgeist of this blog. Pulse Start Metal Halide is definitely superior to standard metal halide. The arc tube is shaped differently and for various other reasons it is more efficient.

Although PSMH technology has been around for a while, the best PSMH are made by Life Light. They come in four different spectrums, 3K, 4K, 6.5K, and 10K. That way, you can adjust the spectrum to the exact stage:

4K for cutting/seedling
6.5K for most of the veg phase (for maximum growth hormone)
4K for the last week of veg (to produce over-accumulation of growth hormones).
3K for most of the bloom phase (for maximum bloom hormone)
10K for the last week of bloom (to enhance resin, flavor, and potency through increased UV).

If you will use only one bulb, the Ceramic Metal Halide is superior to PSMH. The Life Light PSMH are also full-spectrum, but each kind is biased toward a spectrum that is most suitable for a particular stage.

Concerning Shrubs' anti-capitalist bias: those who sell a product have a vested interest in repeat business. If their customers have success because of the superiority of the product sold, they are more likely to buy again and tell their friends the good news. Regrettably, not all follow this principle of rational or enlightened self-interest. But then, many growers think they have the best system, when they don't. So it's best to keep an open but skeptical mind, whether talking with salesmen or end-users.