Though high pressure sodium and metal halide grow lights affect plants differently in very profound ways, they have several traits in common, one of which is that they are classified as a gas discharge lamp. As such, they each send a flow of electricity through either sodium vapor or through a mixture of gasses (in the metal halide light) to such an extent that the atoms start jumping around so much, they give off light.
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Both types of grow lights require quite a bit of energy to light up and make your plants grow - sometimes in excess of 1000 watts of continuous electricity. In order to deliver the electricity efficiently and as evenly as possible, a ballast is used. The ballast regulates the flow of current (not voltage) through the bulb so the sodium or metal atoms remain at the appropriately excited state. Any drop or spike in current will affect your bulb, making dim or get brighter respectively which can reduce the life of your bulb and adversely affect your plant's growth. This is why it is so important to make sure you have not only a high quality ballast but that it is in peak condition throughout its use.
Below you will find many different kinds of ballast for grow lights. Be sure to check each one thoroughly to be sure to match the ballast with the wattage of your grow light setup. There are three main types of ballast for grow lights: electronic, magnetic, and digital. A magnetic ballast uses an electromagnet and capacitors to control the flow of current through the bulb while an electric ballast uses circuitry to accomplish the same. Digital ballasts operates at a much higher frequency than the previous two, allowing your lights to burn brighter while consuming less electricity which lengthens your bulb's lifespan.
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