hid lighting mh or hps

[fishmommy]

HPS and Metal Halide together would be ideal.

I really can't afford to run both, so I've been running HPS for a couple of years now, 600W at 18" - 3' off the plants. I grow vandas, paphs, catts, and phals with awesome results. It's true the light is ugly, so I run the light at night and during the day when I'm in there I use the room light and everything looks normal :-)

I just bought a new ballast from Future-Brite which has a switch to select 3 modes:
600W HPS
400W HPS
Metal Halide

I was thinking about trying Metal Halide the next time I need to change the bulb....do you think it would be a good idea/worth it to do so?
I usually have stuff blooming, so switching between the two on a schedule to maximize HPS time during flowering wouldn't work. Therefore, I'll be doing one or the other for a year at a time.

And yep, HPS is HOT! I run a desk fan in the area and run a cool mist humidifier 24/7. All the terrestrial plants are in pots on humidity trays. The floor is covered with humidity trays. The only thing I have burned so far was a bromeliad.