Most Reliable / Desirable Ballast? Old Magnetic or New Digital
- Thread starter Rrog
- Start date
Dennis Rodman
Active Member
These new digital ballasts are pretty nice.
You can dim them down if it gets hot or if you're introducing smaller plants.
then again, if your old magnetic aint broke then dont fix it
You can dim them down if it gets hot or if you're introducing smaller plants.
then again, if your old magnetic aint broke then dont fix it
mike91sr
Well-Known Member
Happy as hell with my quantum dimmable. Can run a 600w mh at 50% for younger plants, gradually turn it up to 100%, swap to hps, then spread the plants into their final positions and flip on the second light. Makes for a nice smooth transition. Saves some power along the way, and it was $170 delivered. Fuck lumatek, their shit started popping fuses every couple days, and not just popping but melting the fuse ends into the receptacle.
Rrog
Well-Known Member
In my reading and reading, I have to say that while there are a lot of Lumatek fans, it is also described to have a lot more problems. This may have been the result of their first units having some flaw, and that flaw could be repaired now. Either way, no question that Lumatek has or had a lot more issues than Quantum.
I still like the idea of buying a North American built premium model if I could find one. Otherwise it's MicroMole or Solis Tek for me.
I still like the idea of buying a North American built premium model if I could find one. Otherwise it's MicroMole or Solis Tek for me.
watchhowIdoit
New Member
Running your 600watt bulb at half power is extremely hard on the it and will shorten its effective life dramatically. You should match the bulbs wattage to the wattage you have your ballast set on. A 600 at 1/2 power should have a 360 watt bulb installed. And I have many years of trouble free service from Lumatek Ballasts.....
And OP check this site out: www.bulkhydro.com great prices on Lumatek ballasts and Hortilux bulbs with free shipping. I think last time i checked you could get a 600 watt Lumatek for under 190 bucks. And a 600watt Hortilux Enhanced Spectrum HPS bulb for under 90 bucks...
VanishingToaster
Active Member
when i bought my magnetic ballast the guy in the grow shop was telling me that a lot of fires can be tied down to magnetic ballasts, he made it sound like they couldn't handle the heat they run at. 3 days after walking out with the magnetic one paranoia got the better of me and i got the digital ballast, always good to have a spare i guess. but from what you guys are saying i've been walked up the garden path. bastard, glad i didn't get the second one from his place
mike91sr
Well-Known Member
Where are you getting this info? Assbackwards....
ExtremeMetal43
Active Member
If you want to use Hortilux bulbs magnetic ballasts are recomended theyre not designed to run on digital. A UL listed mag is not a fire hazard some cheap ballasts may not be UL listed. Mag ballasts are heavy as shit tho and big. From what ive read the mags are more reliable.
watchhowIdoit
New Member
Not backwards, on the money facts........
Samwell Seed Well
Well-Known Member
these guys have a lot of new and added safety features
[video=youtube;Uw3dlCBxEVY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw3dlCBxEVY[/video]
i have two and they are cool as fuck and silent and light and all around easy to use
[video=youtube;Uw3dlCBxEVY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw3dlCBxEVY[/video]
i have two and they are cool as fuck and silent and light and all around easy to use
firsttimeARE
Well-Known Member
I like my Phantom ballast. Heard the most consistent good things about them, though not that many because they aren't as popular of a choice as Lumatek, Nextgen and even Quantums so you won't hear much about them. But that could also be an advantage on price, but nope, they're just a tad cheaper depending on where you go. I ran mine for 2 weeks straight 24's and it was warm, but I could keep my hand on it. No fan. No noise. No interference issues. And they come with mounting brackets to mount them vertically on a wall like I have mine setup. Dimmable. I'm sure any of the other brands are just as good, and others I haven't even listed.
My friend uses a Digital Greenhouse and he hasn't had a problem for almost half of what I paid for mine.
A lot of bulb failure with digis is due to bulb design not being able to handle the vibrations the digital ballast can do to the bulbs. So i've read. I've never tried the gamut of ballasts and different bulbs to know, just the Ushio bulbs with the Phantom ballast.
My friend uses a Digital Greenhouse and he hasn't had a problem for almost half of what I paid for mine.
A lot of bulb failure with digis is due to bulb design not being able to handle the vibrations the digital ballast can do to the bulbs. So i've read. I've never tried the gamut of ballasts and different bulbs to know, just the Ushio bulbs with the Phantom ballast.
Rrog
Well-Known Member
I call Bullshit.
watchhowIdoit
New Member
Exactly what do you call bullshit? The fact running a 600 watt bulb on 300 watts of juice will shorten the bulbs usable life?(<which is fact)
Or that Lumatek ballasts are very reliable?(<which they are, especially the new dimmables with soft start) Oh ya, the 'Soft Start' technology is what allows the use of most any bulb is their electronic ballasts now. The first models hit the bulb with full power immediately at start up, which caused many HPS bulbs to fail. Now Lumatek ballasts gradually fire the bulb, stepping up through the wattages until peak power is achieved, usually within a minute.
Did you also know you can run a 400 watt bulb in a 1000 watt magnetic ballast with now problems bulb wise, just a bit of additional heat at the ballast. Or even 3-400 watt bulbs on a 1000 magnetic, or 2-600s..........
Samwell Seed Well
Well-Known Member
first of all the elements filament and gas's that compose a bulb only burn hot enough to produce the desired light spectrum because of the current that is being put through them, it you are running to low of wattage to a bulb if will one have a shitty light spectrum and two a shitty foot print and could blow ballast or bulb, thats why they make specific bulb wattage's and not just Hi, low and medium . . . .?
if a bulb explodes prematurely or for reason other than the bulb it is normally id a faulty ballast which is not normal and bulb may blow or a ballast may blow for many reason
and running a 1000 watt bulb on a 600 might do, the resistance in a circuit is just as important as anything, and a 1000 watt bulb does not have the same resistance as a 600 watt bulb as a part of deign
Rrog
Well-Known Member
WatchHow, stating something as fact doesn't mean it's fact, right? That's how it works. Until you have data to present, your position is accurately classified as "opinion" That's the way it works.
I have not heard of widespread lamp failure as a result of running fewer watts through a lamp. And a dial-a-watt feature on ballasts have become a standard feature on high end digital ballasts. That's a compelling point. If this is such a clearly defined problem, why are all of these guys making ballasts to destroy our lamps?
I would need to see hard data before believing running a 1000w lamp at 600w will hurt the bulb or emit a funky spectrum.
I have not heard of widespread lamp failure as a result of running fewer watts through a lamp. And a dial-a-watt feature on ballasts have become a standard feature on high end digital ballasts. That's a compelling point. If this is such a clearly defined problem, why are all of these guys making ballasts to destroy our lamps?
I would need to see hard data before believing running a 1000w lamp at 600w will hurt the bulb or emit a funky spectrum.
watchhowIdoit
New Member
You changed incomplete/weak spectrum to 'funky' and shorten bulbs effective life to 'destroy/widespread failure'. Nice try troll.......and what Sam and I have stated is well known fact...........I bet you still think lumens matter also......