Thanks very much OZ93 and Mr. Bill
this example you've shown is smack dab the truth of the matter.
Sure looked like one could do something with it that might work to power a couple speakers. Damn thing was heavy enough as if it had a bunch of copper coil in there.

I have very little knowledge or experience with the hardware details of such endeavors... hence the question.

I figured it would be a fun learning opportunity so I discovered this forum.

It was a learning opportunity all right... seems like there should have been a lot more sunshine than rain on the learning parade though.

Normally I welcome learning experiences, but the attack and insult really soaked it for me especially because I really thought this was an area for the novice. An area that inherently requires vulnerability to navigate.

I suppose it wasn't so much the interplanetary-ness (directly implying my question was "out there" a not so subtle personal attack) but the "we", effectively inviting others to come poke fun, and when an other did actually chime in with the pandering justify-the-negativity-to-avoid-facing-the-truth/responsibility-that-it-was-inappropriate-to-treat-a-novice-question-as-a-joke poke was a bit too gang bully for me to just let it go.

I suppose I expected more from a group of people whom I would normally respect and revere as this stuff seems to require a plethora of multiple talents to absorb much less actually physically making it work and then teach the stuff as if it was child's play.

Much respect to the more empathetic and kind individuals. Much more class. Class that one would expect from individuals representing in a context such as this very complex subject matter.

As for the decidedly dark ICON wielding persons whose negativity follows them like pig pen on a rainy day and unfortunate enough to represent the antithesis of the ideal in a learning environment, I offer a these quotes:

"Arrogance really comes from insecurity, and in the end our feeling that we are bigger than others is really the flip side of our feeling that we are smaller than others." -Desmond Tutu

"Don't be arrogant, because arrogance kills curiosity and passion." -Mina Bissell

"Arrogant people are non-learners. They invest their energies in maintaining a cozy feeling of complacency, and complacency is the biggest single enemy to the process of continuously learning from experience. Arrogant people are exactly the sort of people who are destined to have one year's experience 20 times rather than 20 years' worth of experience." -Peter Honey

"The opposite of humility is arrogance--the belief that we are wiser or better than others. Arrogance promotes separation rather than community. It looms like a brick wall between us and those from whom we could learn." -John Marks Templeton

"An arrogant person considers himself perfect. This is the chief harm of arrogance. It interferes with a person's main task in life becoming a better person." -Leo Tolstoy

"Never mistake arrogance for intellect." -DB Harrop

"The arrogance of age must submit to be taught by youth." -Edmond Burke

"The only thing more dangerous than ignorance is arrogance. " -Albert Einstein

"Arrogance is a weed that grows mostly on a dunghill." -Proverb

Wow, I am very impressed with that string of quotes. None that I would argue with, though. Certainly there is a huge spread among the participants in this forum.

And now I am wondering if you have opened up that package and seen what items are inside. But a caution is that the power devices may be attached to the heat sink-case and be a bit of a challenge to release. It really would be interesting to see just what it would take to make it into an amplifier. If your device is anything like the one in the picture it could be a good looking one.

 

Thanks very much OZ93 and Mr. Bill
this example you've shown is smack dab the truth of the matter.
Sure looked like one could do something with it that might work to power a couple speakers. Damn thing was heavy enough as if it had a bunch of copper coil in there.

Welcome to the real world of jaded responses, arrogance and prejudgment. I make no apologies for originally thinking this was a trolling question as we see many like it.
The lesson here is that surface appearances can be deceiving when there is a lack of understanding of important details. Being heavy and having fins are characteristics shared by many things that can't easily be converted from one to the other.

A 1959 Cadillac to a space-ship is other valid example.

 

When I read "light ballast" this is what comes to my mind:

 

When I read "light ballast" this is what comes to my mind:

That was what I thought at first, but then it occurred to me that those do not come in 1000 watt versions. Then I thought about the ones for those large metal-vapor lights, but then I realized that was not right either. Converting one of those devices would be a 100% rebuild project. It took me a bit to figure out just what kind of device it was. And while they are called ballasts that is not really what they are. They are switching mode power packs, also known as power supplies. And many of them generate large amounts of RF signals that interfere with all kinds of radio reception.

The lesson learned here copies a slogan that we had on the wall at one place I worked: "Be certain that Brain is in gear before putting Mouth in overdrive." I have copied that quite a few times for various folks.

 

#19: Here endeth the lesson.
I guess we have been told!
Max.

 

I guessed right away it was a Gro-lamp version, the home pot gro-op growers use them and I have given up trying to fix them, they are fairly cheap at H.D. etc so not worth it.
Max.

 

Mr. Bill,
the unit looks almost identical to the one posted with the dials etc. and I'm now curious if it has a bunch of copper wire wound up in there that makes it so heavy. Seems like the copper alone could be the core to an amplifier... but I digress.

Spook dude:
Stating the obvious as if it were significant has less value than a worthless hidden agenda.
Assuming the obvious as if it were applicable in a learning environment misses the point entirely.
Finally, to display an avatar of destructive surreptitiously applied will targeting another human being is an embarrassment to humanity at the least and a sieg heil salute to hatred at worst.
Even my dog gives the look for a reason. He's clearly not amused.

 

I guessed right away it was a Gro-lamp version, the home pot gro-op growers use them and I have given up trying to fix them, they are fairly cheap at H.D. etc so not worth it.
Max.

Your fixing work may soon be over .... LEDs have taken over .... these are more efficient giving out more light per electric Watt in , are now cheaper , and last longer too! ... since they are on over 12 hrs a day , the savings in electricity costs alone are over $100 per year on 1KW

This is probably why TS is throwing his out.

I use to be into 'horticulture' myself a long time ago , and can't break the habit of keeping an eye on grow lights , the prices have come down a lot . Here's a good one I think ...

a 100W unit is only $8.50 delivered to your door . The leds are well spread out keeping them cool and extra efficient , natural cooling no fan.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=led+100w+grow&_sop=15

 

Finally, to display an avatar of destructive surreptitiously applied will targeting another human being is an embarrassment to humanity at the least and a sieg heil salute to hatred at worst.

Oh my god! We're now Nazis!

 

The answer to the thread's subject title was posted in post #2.
We can now leave it at that and move on.