I am trying to hook up a 100 watt compact fluorescent with a mogul socket. Do I need a ballast or can I just hook it up to a plug that will carry the voltage? I have never hooked a light before although I dig the colors and moods. This would be the first time. I have had a few lamps before. Basically this is for a garden of tomatoes. I got sick from the salmonilla deal.

If you look at the plastic base, it should have some writing on it.  If it says it's for 120 volts, lists its wattage, and its current (in A or mA) than it's probably self ballasting.  If not, it won't list its current, and will probably say only for use with a ballast.

After looking at that page, I'm going to guess it's self ballasting and you should be good to go.

If you look at the plastic base, it should have some writing on it.  If it says it's for 120 volts, lists its wattage, and its current (in A or mA) than it's probably self ballasting.  If not, it won't list its current, and will probably say only for use with a ballast.

After looking at that page, I'm going to guess it's self ballasting and you should be good to go.

I have found a mogul socket for the screw base. It matched the voltage and it had a black and white wire. The mogul screw really throws me off because it's twice the size of a regular light bulb. I have no idea what the black and white wire are for. I guess to wire directly to the house or to ground through the house electrical wiring. I was hoping to wire it to a plug in grounded cord. Is that possible or what is the white and black wire for? I'm so sorry. I think it would be easier with a well known light but these CFL things are pretty new I guess. 

If you say the socket already has a black and white wire, connect those to the black and white wire of the power cord. If you are using a grounding cord (recommended), the third green wire bolts to the metal fixture assembly. As a rule, the white wire (neutral) connects to the socket shell (threaded part) and the black (hot) connects to the socket center.

I'm assuming the wall-plug part is already pre-made. If not, the black goes to the smaller flat blade and the white goes to the larger flat blade. And the green goes to the third rounded prong.

If you say the socket already has a black and white wire, connect those to the black and white wire of the power cord. If you are using a grounding cord (recommended), the third green wire bolts to the metal fixture assembly. As a rule, the white wire (neutral) connects to the socket shell (threaded part) and the black (hot) connects to the socket center.

I'm assuming the wall-plug part is already pre-made. If not, the black goes to the smaller flat blade and the white goes to the larger flat blade. And the green goes to the third rounded prong.

Oh crap. It looks self ballasted in the picture but I don't think it is. What kind of ballast would I need for two 100 watt compact fluorescents? Sorry....I just read a complaint from somebody who said that it looks self ballasted but actually is not.

I think your compact fluorescent is made to replace a Mercury Vapor bulb or some other type of bulb that uses a ballast. I don't think it's made to wire directly to 120V. That's why it would have a mogul base.

I do know of Compact Fluorescent lights with mogul base made for 120 volts though..

Shortee here is a reference for you

Webpage with plant growing CFL

Shortee here is a reference for you

Webpage with plant growing CFL

Hi that's right. That one is twice as much as the one that I saw in the store though. I think that one in the pic you showed me is the one the guy said was self ballasting. I don't think the one that I saw in the store has a ballast built in and it was 17.95 for 100 watts. I kind of want to save a lot of money by having the ballast and the ability to switch the bulbs when they get dull. Also I just don't have that much money in general. Sorry guys I just don't really know what the heck to do.

No need to be sorry, its the companies who makes things too hard needs to be sorry.... :-)

Even though I'm a 1983 born....I like the olden times when life was simple....

No need to be sorry, its the companies who makes things too hard needs to be sorry.... :-)

Even though I'm a 1983 born....I like the olden times when life was simple....

I was born the same year too. I don't get this crap. I guess I can always get a bunch of small ones instead. I hate to give up but I do. Thanks for the info. I guess it's just not making sense the way they make them anyways.

If it's made to replace a 500 watt incandescent lamp, it would be mogul base.  All 500 watt incandescent lamps I've seen are mogul.

I do have an externally ballasted CFL that uses a medium screw base.

If it's made to replace a 500 watt incandescent lamp, it would be mogul base.  All 500 watt incandescent lamps I've seen are mogul.

I do have an externally ballasted CFL that uses a medium screw base.

I think it is but somebody told me that it needs a ballast made for fluorescent to work    I don't know. 

If you have one of those Lights of America 100w replacement CFL's with a mogul base, it probably won't work with anything except a LOA fixture due to the capacitor being located in the base of the lamp (I have read this has been tried before by running one of these on a standard electronic ballast). Bulbman and some other companies sell mogul-based CFL's that have a ballast built into the lamp base, but they are pricey.