Do hydroponic Grow Lights (MH & HPS both) necessarily need a ballast or would they work without one?

Question

ok im working on an all DIY and hand made experimental water culture system and im almost done with it except the lights and lighting related material and issues... now i know what i need if i was to purchase a final product from stores but i just needed to know if its possible (of course not with too much risk or problems, plz explain if u know of any) to use a mogul based grow light with a medium base converter directly without using a ballast or do i HAVE to use a ballast?

I hope i made myself clear enough but let me know and i'll add more details or clarify exactly what im taking about! Thx

Answer 1

No, any bulb normally used with a ballast (including HPS and MH) will do one of two things if screwed in a socket directly on the line: 1) It won't start or 2) It will barely start then explode in a dead short. Both of these bulbs and others with ballasts work by making a plasma in an evacuated tube. The plasma normally requires a high voltage to trigger its start then it needs limitation of the current because a generated plasma is eventually a dead short. The ballast generates the high voltage, then cuts out the starting circuit and chokes the current.