This is just a heads up for newbies or people that are looking to upgrade their setup. I bought the quantum 1000 watt dimmable ballast, so far through the veg it has been real nice. Last week I adjusted the wattage up to the full 1000.. Well 3 days into it my 1000 mh bulb blew. I did some looking around here on riu and found that if you buy cheaper bulbs then they are less likely to be compatible with your digital. Luckily I have a nice hortilux hps that I was able to use as the replacement, but going cheap $45 on the mh was a bad idea. Now for my next grow I have to get 85$ mh so it's becoming an expensive ass bulb. Lol. So if you don't go cheap on your ballast then def don't skimp on the bulb. It's something my ass didn't think of in the beginning and I'm sure others have made the same problem. Peace
Digital ballasts blowing bulbs
- Thread starter ckelly66
- Start date
Ponicengineer
Well-Known Member
Look at digilux bulbs. I highly recommend them for digital ballasts. If you look around, you can get them at a great price as well.
Samwell Seed Well
Well-Known Member
you cant, or i better yet should never dim a bulb to a lower wattage as well as turnign it up to a different wattage
the gass's and chemicals that your bulb ignites create light depending on voltage and unless you are giving proper voltage to the bulb you will destroy it over time
most bulb manufacturers include a warning not to over power or under power your bulb due to possibles problems and hazards
come on
buy yourself a clue
the gass's and chemicals that your bulb ignites create light depending on voltage and unless you are giving proper voltage to the bulb you will destroy it over time
most bulb manufacturers include a warning not to over power or under power your bulb due to possibles problems and hazards
come on
buy yourself a clue
Samwell Seed Well
Well-Known Member
dude the thing is its basic rules of operation, the only real reason i know any of this is because i paid attention to chemistry 10 yrs ago and know how a bulb is built all you have to do is apply yourself
and hell the reason you should learn to do the work to learn yourself is i could be completely wrong, and if i had not replied maybe some other guys who for some reason they cant explain keep bruning up bulbs too and give you bad advise and you go and waste your money
im not saying your gullible because my name is in the dictionary, but you need to do actual research at lest on a basic level about the companies and the manufacturing process's, outside a wed forum wher any yahoo with a keyboard can put their garbage on the internet
im sure a number of people on this site feel that way about what i say .. . . .
I come off as a complete dick, and i am, and i dont care,
point well taken, enough said
and hell the reason you should learn to do the work to learn yourself is i could be completely wrong, and if i had not replied maybe some other guys who for some reason they cant explain keep bruning up bulbs too and give you bad advise and you go and waste your money
im not saying your gullible because my name is in the dictionary, but you need to do actual research at lest on a basic level about the companies and the manufacturing process's, outside a wed forum wher any yahoo with a keyboard can put their garbage on the internet
im sure a number of people on this site feel that way about what i say .. . . .
I come off as a complete dick, and i am, and i dont care,
point well taken, enough said
firsttimeARE
Well-Known Member
I've dimmed my Ushio to 60% and back to 100% and had no problems.
Although reading this, makes me not want to keep doing it, was only doing it cause my fluoros haven't come in yet and didn't want to blast my seedlings with pure 600w HID light.
So thank you Samwell.
Although reading this, makes me not want to keep doing it, was only doing it cause my fluoros haven't come in yet and didn't want to blast my seedlings with pure 600w HID light.
So thank you Samwell.
Samwell Seed Well
Well-Known Member
love those supplemental lights they can save your ass
also i save all my bulbs for at least a yr in case of accidental failure
Bob
also i save all my bulbs for at least a yr in case of accidental failure
Bob
firsttimeARE
Well-Known Member
Just checked the bulb site and it only warned of overpowering the light ill have to check my actual bulb packaging when I get home.. I would be lying if I said I didn't worry about this issue before coming across this thread. I just figured 2 weeks wouldn't hurt. Fortunately my t5s are coming in next week.
I'm like 2 months not even into growing so I have no extras. Going to get another HPS though so I don't have to go without if it breaks.
I've heard of bulbs breaking prematurely and burning out in digital ballasts. Dunno if its related to the dimmer on em or not or if its because the bulbs are "cheap" I will say that I've dimmed mine and had no problems(granted it was only 2 weeks) and my friend who buys cheap bulbs hasn't had a problem. I do think that it would shorten the bulb life if done constantly(why not just buy a lower wattage bulb to begin with).
I've heard the frequency at which those ballasts run at is what does it. Or the vibrations it causes on the bulbs causes poorly designed bulbs to break at weak design points.
I'm like 2 months not even into growing so I have no extras. Going to get another HPS though so I don't have to go without if it breaks.
I've heard of bulbs breaking prematurely and burning out in digital ballasts. Dunno if its related to the dimmer on em or not or if its because the bulbs are "cheap" I will say that I've dimmed mine and had no problems(granted it was only 2 weeks) and my friend who buys cheap bulbs hasn't had a problem. I do think that it would shorten the bulb life if done constantly(why not just buy a lower wattage bulb to begin with).
I've heard the frequency at which those ballasts run at is what does it. Or the vibrations it causes on the bulbs causes poorly designed bulbs to break at weak design points.
Samwell Seed Well
Well-Known Member
ok, the light bulb works on resistance and heat and a gas filled chamber that has a charge run through it
all these factors work based on the fact that a specific wattage and voltage and amps are hitting the bulb, if you change this you change the bulb
it wont produce the spectrum it says, and its foot print wil lbe changed also i assume that the filiment, a piece of alloy will not wear the same over time it not used correctly
the bulb manufacturers expect you are smart enough to not play around with a 600 degree glass tube
i have to clean my hair and skin off my vert bare bulbs all the time, fuck that hurts
i run my flower bulbs 3-6 months and my veg bulbs 6months
digi ballast are not for every bulb, but number one you have to use the bulb and ballast correctly who cares if you bought the best bulb if you fuck it up in 2 months
all these factors work based on the fact that a specific wattage and voltage and amps are hitting the bulb, if you change this you change the bulb
it wont produce the spectrum it says, and its foot print wil lbe changed also i assume that the filiment, a piece of alloy will not wear the same over time it not used correctly
the bulb manufacturers expect you are smart enough to not play around with a 600 degree glass tube
i have to clean my hair and skin off my vert bare bulbs all the time, fuck that hurts
i run my flower bulbs 3-6 months and my veg bulbs 6months
digi ballast are not for every bulb, but number one you have to use the bulb and ballast correctly who cares if you bought the best bulb if you fuck it up in 2 months
firsttimeARE
Well-Known Member
Why do you change your bulbs at 10-20% of its rated life? And hopefully our HID lights don't have filaments.
Burnt skin and hair must make your room smell nice hahaha.
Burnt skin and hair must make your room smell nice hahaha.
Samwell Seed Well
Well-Known Member
well its not filiments its like a 1/10th in alloy wire with a high current going through it,
i changed my bulbs becuase, when i had a light meter i noticed that measurable light and lumens drastically went down after about 4 months, and somtime s i have more available cash then normal and replace lights for better performance and better spare if i need one
i changed my bulbs becuase, when i had a light meter i noticed that measurable light and lumens drastically went down after about 4 months, and somtime s i have more available cash then normal and replace lights for better performance and better spare if i need one
firsttimeARE
Well-Known Member
Makes sense if you used a meter. I know they lose luminous output over time...didn't know that quick. Good information mate. I'm all for dropping cash on better performance. You meant 3to6 months timeframe run 12 hrs a day? Not 24hrs a day for 3 to 6 months so it'd really be 6 to 12 month timeframe? Stupid question since I figured you meant the former. But just making sure.
VICTORYGARDENSHYDRO
New Member
kinda why all the other digital manufactures have different wattage settings and not % levels. lower the wattage, use a bulb to match the wattage. you wouldn't put a 1000 watt bulb in a 600 watt ballast would you?
Samwell Seed Well
Well-Known Member
hortilux actually makes a bulb that runs at 60Hrz , i might be mixing them up but digi ballast runa 60hrz i believe and hortilux also now makes digibulbs and bigital ballast,
wonder if i can get a job from them
people like me
I'm a scholar
wonder if i can get a job from them
people like me
I'm a scholar
firsttimeARE
Well-Known Member
Nice chapelle reference. Thurgood jenkins the happiest custodial superintendent. Or janitor if you want to be a dick about it.
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