6" Cool Tube

[Done Here]

I purchased a 6" cool tube and when it came there was a crack in the top, the crack is above the metal reflector. I called the place and they sent me a new one and told me to keep the old one. I bought the tube in a 600HPS package, my question is: Could I use the tube and put a 400watt MH ballast in bulb in the tube or are they not interchangable and can only be used for HPS or the 600watts I bought it for? I would like to use it for veg if possible.

[THC-Farmer]

Look at the socket inside the tube. On the side of it, or possibly in the middle, it should state what the wattage limit is. Most mogul sockets are capable of 2000w.

 

I'm pretty positive you could put any bulb/ballast combo you want in it! You may have to get a ballast adapter that allows you to use a different ballast. There are Hydro Farm adapters and Sun System adapters. Depending on what ballast you purchase that's all you should have to do to get it to work, if at all...

 

The crack shouldn't be a problem, depending on how big it is of course. Is it bad? Is it to the point where it is coming apart?

 

If you want to make sure it doesn't come apart, get worse, or affect the airflow what you can do is head on over to Home Depot or Lowes and pick up some Aluminum ducting tape. It's not normal duct tape, it's actual thin sheets of aluminum that are REALLY sticky. They can handle a lot of heat and should seal that crack up pretty good, as well as prevent it from getting any bigger.

[Done Here]

Thanks I do have some of the Aluminum tape that your talking about but didn't know if I could use it with the temps but I will give it a try. As far as the ballast goes I am guessing I can probably get the cord that your talking about on ebay. Thanks again for the help!

[THC-Farmer]

It's this stuff, correct - http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?D=941521&Ntt=941521&catalogId=10051&langId=-15&storeId=10051&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntx=mode+matchall&recN=0&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber&eid=ShopToIt&utm_source=ShopToIt&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=941521

 

I had dropped a cool-tube a while back and had a crack on the top as well. The crack started at one of the spots where the hanging hooks are, they also hold the reflector in place inside the tube. The crack wasn't too bad but when about half way down the tube across the top. I had some of the foil tape laying around and decided to give it a shot.

 

Fired up the 1000w bulb and left it on for about 2 hrs with NO ventilation. The tape held up just fine. No smoke, no melting, it worked great. As a matter of fact, it's STILL on there. It's been in use like that for about a year now. Trust me, it will hold up.

 

With ventilation running through the tube and the 1000w bulb burning away in there I can hold my hand on top of the tube with no problem... Give it a shot.

 

The adaptors are these - http://www.horticulturesource.com/product_info.php?products_id=6302

 

You may need one of them, you may not. I was just mentioning it because sometimes the ballasts don't have the same plug as the reflector. Have no fear, they make an adapter for that!

 

 

[SublimeWind]

IIRC 400-600w sockets are the same size, the 1000w socket is larger..

 

But yeah, you should be able to do whatever you want with some MacGyvering.. lol..

[THC-Farmer]

Nah, all mogul sockets are roughly the same size. Some have different threading on them but that's all.

 

A 600w bulb should fit in the same socket as a 1000w bulb. Unless you have a really OLD setup. I think older mogul sockets weren't standardized like that.