Don't like it. Overpriced. Don't like the fixed glass reflector, a simple flappy metal hood is 99% as good and more flexible. I strongly recommend getting an electronic/digital ballast which are now available for HPS, they give you better efficiency which keeps your utility bills down and reduces heat. Try the link for more options and better prices.

Here is a link that might be useful: Better Grow Hydro

Thanks, shrubs.

Aways appreciate your advice, but already got the Gavita system from the place you recommended in your link. Couldn't wait any longer before I brought my things in. If I thought about what's the best light long enough, everything would freeze to death out there before I decided, and it's better than what I had last winter.

Did spring for the digital ballast to save on energy costs. Sure hope it helps. How does it save energy anyway?

Thinking of getting an external reflector for it. As it is now, with that internal reflector, a lot of the light goes off to the sides.

Isn't the intensity of the light inversely proportional to the square of the distance? Then it might be better for me to focus that light more with an external reflector, which would give me more intense light over a smaller area, but that would depend on how efficiently reflective the reflector is. As it is now, more light is diffused over a wider area. What would you recommend?

Always appreciate your advice.

Thank you again, Karen

By the way, although their website and catalog don't mention this, and they don't tell you when you order it, you have to have an electrician, complete with tools, to install it. Not something the average person could do. It came with no instructions or diagrams, but they do have a tech support number.

Look at that, you got yourself a great system, and now you can educate the rest of us on how well that particular reflector works :)

The ballast is the system that converts mains electricity into the special kind of electricity that your HPS lamp needs. This conversion is not "free" and the ballast wastest some power doing the conversion. Its a dirty little secret of the industry that your "600W" lamp can actually use over 700W of power when you include the ballast. Traditional magnetic ballasts use 20% or more of the bulb power. Modern efficient magnetic ballasts are more like 15%, while an electronic ballast will typically be less than 10%.

Sadly, light intensity isn't proportional to the square of the distance unless you have a point source with no reflectors or lenses. Lasers and searchlights demonstrate perfectly that light intensity drops hardly at all with distance if you have it focussed properly. The "ideal" is to have all the light from the bulb concentrated on the area that contains your plants, none outside that are, none on the ceiling, none out the window. The reflector you have does not appear to be adjustable and so it probably sends most of the light in a rough downward cone. You should adjust the distance of the light from your plants so that the cone just covers the plants.

It's not a bad system. I've spoken w/ quite a few people who use it and love it. Yup, as far as adjusting the reflector, you can't. But, Your able to get the plants close to the source, because heat will not be an issue, and that's a good thing...

Good Luck...

Thanks, jwmeyer.

Seems to be very good at blooming things indoors, so I'm very happy so far. I'm getting new buds on a brugmansia, plumeria, and Cestrum nocturnum, which previously bloomed outdoors, as well as buds on other things that had never bloomed anywhere, indoors or out.

You're right that heat is not an issue, something I really appreciate, because it's in a room without windows to vent any. It's remarkably cool. I do have the digital ballast for it.

But I'm wondering how good it will be for vegetative growth. After all, have to grow leaves before I can expect flowers.

Is it also good for general growing, foliage and roots included?

Any advice greatly apppreciated.

TIA,
Karen

Should be fine for veging too. Most folks that use in door HID lighting, use HPS for all phases of growth. With decent soil, good nutes, you'll do great! I don't do alot of flowers, mostly vegies so I'm not sure what kind of nute requirements there are for flowers. HPS is a very good all around light...Keep me posted.

Happy growing....

hello Karen,

if you are still interested in a cost-effective electronic ballast, you can have a look our website www.LeuchTek.com or ask me. It is the first electronic ballast certified both by UL and TUV-GS.

Its good to see more electronic HPS ballasts coming through to the market, they really should be the only choice when setting up a new system. If you're worried about the extra cost then consider the hundred dollars plus of electricity you'll save over the lifetime of every bulb.

Thanks, Shrubs.

Have the rlectronic Lumatex digital ballast. Totally silent and relatively cool. Works well for me. Can bloom tropicals with it.

Would recommend it.

Karen

I have just purchased second hand a 600 watt gavita light with a P.L. Light Systems ballast. I thought it was worth trying, but I have questions about the safety of using this indoors. I have grown seeds under lights before and wanted to move to something that gave better results (sturdier growth, less leggy). Are these safe to use indoor? Do you need a separate electric circuit for them? Any help you can give would be appreciated. My next step is to call an electrician.