Do hydroponic Grow Lights (MH & HPS both) necessarily need a ballast or would they work without one?

Question:ok im working on an all DIY and hand made experimental water culture system and im almost done with it except the lights and lighting related material and issues... now i know what i need if i was to purchase a final product from stores but i just needed to know if its possible (of course not with too much risk or problems, plz explain if u know of any) to use a mogul based grow light with a medium base converter directly without using a ballast or do i HAVE to use a ballast?

I hope i made myself clear enough but let me know and i'll add more details or clarify exactly what im taking about! Thx

Answers:
No, any bulb normally used with a ballast (including HPS and MH) will do one of two things if screwed in a socket directly on the line: 1) It won't start or 2) It will barely start then explode in a dead short. Both of these bulbs and others with ballasts work by making a plasma in an evacuated tube. The plasma normally requires a high voltage to trigger its start then it needs limitation of the current because a generated plasma is eventually a dead short. The ballast generates the high voltage, then cuts out the starting circuit and chokes the current.