DIMMABLE Ballast?

[Hackk]

As the title says, this topic is centered around the dimmable ballast, and what you people think. You dont need to write out a novel, but if you choose to feel free. Opinion, experience, stories, anything you feel a less "ballast educated" person should know, please share.

I started this thread because of the new Phantom that hit the market. Im switching from (4) nextgen digital 1000's to (6) digital 600's, and rather than just limiting my options with a plain 600 bally, the new phantom really sparked up an interest that I never really chose to look into in the past. Do I pay approx. twice the price for a dimmable that still allows a 1000 operation if I choose, or no?

Please share, Ill be in Vegas over the weekend, so I really hope to come back to my decision made for me. Thanks everyone

link- http://www.hydrofarm.com/pb_detail.php?itemid=11014#

Looking forward to seeing what others have to say about them. I JUST bought some 1K lumateks and almost wish I would have waited until these.

Hydrofarm's Phantom Digital Ballast arrives on the market as the most rigorously tested ballast in the industry. The Phantom features silent operation, lightweight design, multiple placement options and the maximum lumen output around. We listened to your needs and learned. Now you can reap the benefit with this durable, premium digital ballast.

• Tri-mode, push-button dimmable feature gives you the light you need in your specific growing situation.
• Hot re-strike programming protects the lamp in the event of a power outage
• Tested for compatibility with most brands of high intensity grow lamps
• Dual resettable breakers - protects lamp and household circuits
• Only ballast on the market designed for vertical operation for coolest running and optimum grow space
• Drives the highest light output for maximum plant growth
• Universal reflector adaptor and 8 ft heavy duty cord included
• Unlike magnetic ballast, Phantom runs completely silent
• Patented lock & seal BAREF lamp cord installed
• Internal RF protection
• Triple surface aluminum fins - most efficient cooling in its class
• Internal Resin coating protects components for long life

 

[Lord Humungus]

i would just be careful how you do your dimming...

from http://www.icmag.com/ic/showpost.php?p=3288240&postcount=6

I newly bought a lumatek and called the lumatek coorporate office to ask these questions, and the guy said, that you can keep a 1000W bulb in (for a 1000W ballast of course) and you can dial any of the wattage settings. He said you just have to make sure that the ballast had been turned off for 20 mins or so, and then set. He cautioned against changing the wattage.

 

[ShroomDr]

He listed a Phantom, so you post about Lumatek problems?

 

[renz]

Unless people have done tear downs, reversed them and can say otherwise, its prob pretty safe to assume the electronics inside are similar.

 

[Lord Humungus]

He listed a Phantom, so you post about Lumatek problems?

i guess you missed the first sentence thats states he should take care while dimming an electronic ballast:

i would just be careful how you do your dimming...

the thread the quote was referneced from (http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?p=3288240) was about using correlating bulb wattages when dimming the power on a dimmable digital ballast... the quote relates to general dimming procedures as recommended by one manufacture (correct, not phantom) that could be useful to those of us with dimmable digital ballasts.

ive had experience with a bulb being blown due to the dimmer switch being adjusted while the light was powered/on and thought i'd share what ive learned from it so others dont have bulbs blow.

the thread is about dimmable ballasts, right?

 

[NiteTiger]

Not necessarily on topic, but I'm curious why you're going from 4k to 3600?

 

[Herb Green]

Hey Hackk,
I got two Phantoms running for about two weeks now and so far they seem great with no probs at all! Check out my post in Hydro about Phantoms.
Ooops maybe I shouldve posted it here but I am the full hydro dude.

Herb

 

[Lazyman]

Never had any problems with my Quantums, will keep using them until they stop makin em!

 

[Lord Humungus]

aloha lazy!
i just bought 2 more 1k quantums - gonna ramp up to 4k man woohoo!!!

 

[Herb Green]

Hey Lazy,
Sweet install! Kinda reminds me of those car amp installs.

I notice they got a fan built in,How much cooler does it make it?

What kind of bulbs you running,especially MH?


Gro on!
Herb

 

[Hackk]

ok, to answer everyones questions,

Honestly, I dont really care what ballast we're talking about, as long as its dimmable. I just brought up the phantom cuz its new and shiny.


Nitetiger: I really dont want to derail this topic. But I'll explain a short reason to my decision.

First off, its a simple problem of gram per watts. I know how to grow my girls, thats not the problem... My problem was the declination from 1.03gpw to .51gpw once I added more plants. I tripled the amount of plants in twice the orginal space, and only doubled the lights from 1000 to 2000 (4000 total in the room). So since I prune the bottom half of the plants anyway, I really dont see the need for the extra light penetration. So thats what I've decided I think I need to run, 6 lights instead of 4. The only reason I have serious doubts of getting 600 ballasts, is thats just it, Im stuck with 600's, when I can get 1000 dimmables and have more options. I may be loosing 400 watts, but Im also gaining square foot coverage.

If you guys have any other opinions, please share

 

[MaynardG_Krebs]

Never had any problems with my Quantums, will keep using them until they stop makin em!

I also us a Quantum. It's quiet, works great. I usually run it on high, but when I'm in the closet fiddleing around with stuff, it's nice to dim it so it's not quite as hot. Good luck!

mgk

 

[Lazyman]

Hey Lazy,
Sweet install! Kinda reminds me of those car amp installs.

I notice they got a fan built in,How much cooler does it make it?

What kind of bulbs you running,especially MH?


Gro on!
Herb

Thanks man, the fans are great, the units stay lukewarm to the touch, i use Ushio bulbs, no MH this round but I'm hanging them bare/vertical between bushes vegged 4 weeks. I blew out all of my Hortilux bulbs on the Quantums but I was taxing a 50A 240V breaker pretty hard.

Oh, and I use the dimmer setting only for the first few days of flower, to acclimate the babies to the brighter light. I kick it up a notch every couple days until they're at full blast by the end of the week. I also dim them if I'm gonna be in the flower room for more than a few minutes to keep the heat and glare down.

 

[habeeb]

i would just be careful how you do your dimming...

from https://www.icmag.com/ic/showpost.php?p=3288240&postcount=6

so this guy is saying to never dim when the light is on,

and other people in this post dim them all the time.


what is right to do?

 

[MaynardG_Krebs]

so this guy is saying to never dim when the light is on,

and other people in this post dim them all the time.


what is right to do?

Well.. I don't know if it's right or not, but I run a Quantum ballast and flip it from one setting to the next with no ill result. It may well be different from one brand to the other.. best way to really find out is to go to the website of the company your ballast is from and ask them. I think if there was a problem, they'd made darn sure well you knew it before you plugged it in.

mgk

 

[grow101]

In Germany Lumatek puts a note saying you can switch while running, just wait 10 mins in between. Love mine and can switch down if I run into heat problems in summer.

 

[chefro420]

so this guy is saying to never dim when the light is on,

and other people in this post dim them all the time.


what is right to do?

In catalog descriptions for the lumateks it now says not using the proper wattage bulb with setting , can cause damage to ballast and bulb .

WTF....

 

[whazzup]

of course. If you are using a 400W lamp on the 75% setting of a 600W ballast that's ok, because the 75% setting is 400W (not 75% btw). But switching that to 600W can cause the lamp to fail. The ballast should be able to handle it. The lamp will just shine very bright, but not for a long time. I can even outshine a 600W lamp as efficiency of most lamps improves when you overpower them. But as said, not for a very long time .

 

[Critter]

Ive been using a Galaxy dimable ballast for a couple of years with great results! It really helps to have the option of running a 400,600,or1000 especially for a Mh. For hps in flower I use the 600watt setting on a 600 hortilux then I run a 1000w bulb on 1000 for the rest. I figure that way increases bulb life.

 

[Phillthy]

love dimmable ballasts. give you more control and room to grow (no pun intended). want 600s? buy 1000w dimmable and your gold.