Quality that lasts for years = two choices: Venture 575W pulse start metal halide, you will need to contact Jeff at businesslights.com for the ballast and lamps. I use them, go on the Venture site. 575W pulse start halide is equivalent to 2x400 W conventional probe halide, and is better than 1000W conventional halide. The other best choice = contact Jeff for the Phantom 600W digital ballast and run reflectorized HPS from HTG supply. This is a fantastic lamp. 1000W Halide is old school, and obsolete.
P.S. I am recommending exactly what I have in my own basement, I have a PAR meter, and this is after I did all the research, like yourself. I had to find these things out on my own, via the internet. :)

Not trying to hijack the thread but has anyone found a site for well priced PAR meters? I'd like to verify why my plants lean toward one type of bulb, can't trust everything you find on the internet LOL.

PAR for a cheap one will be 300$ plus. i have one, but then i make pretty good money.

Thanks, I was hoping they have come down a bit more. I want to validate my findings with numbers...maybe next year.

Thanks, OD. Looks like an interesting and powerful lamp, and I saw your other thread on this as well.

Now, I'm something of a novice at these lights and was considering a "Plug & Play" type solution for its simplicity, but I'm always open to new things. I looked up the Venture ballast and it to me it looks like a box with a wire sticking out. So my question to you is, what else would I need to get, in addition to the MH ballast. Obviously the bulb and reflector, but what other cords or parts? And how do they link up?

Thanks so much!

Hi, U need a case to mount it in - this usually costs about 30$, you need line cord with a plug to plug into the wall, and you need more cable to run from the ballast to the lampholder - I use 600V rated wire for this, 3 conductor. For the 575W ballast, unfortunately you also need a remote ignitor, which costs almost 60$, so by this point you might be unhappy about the cost of it all. - you can pm me if you like at ptmozarowski at hot mail dot com -
it will not work without the remote ignitor, because of the length of the cable. - pm.