New ballasts from Micromole, Nanolux and Solis-Tek

[Stonefree69]

Anyone try out these new ballasts? One demo clearly showed the MicroMole blowing away the Lumatek ballast in a test:
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I think all of these new ballasts also have Japanese components. The Nanolux and Solis-Tek also have sequential start-up to make things easier on your wiring loads. The Solis-Tek even adds a timer w/remote.

 

[astartes]

Fwiw, I've heard of a few people having issues with the frequency used for the Solis-Tek remotes. Mostly with cable tv clarity and one with internet issues. The Solis Tek ballasts can also be purchased without the integrated timer.

If I had to choose, I'd go with the micromole. That being said, if you can get away without air-cooling and have the ceiling height, I'd take a very long look at Gavita systems.

 

[farmari]

If using horizontal lighting, there doesn't seem to be anything that comes close to the Gavitas. I just purchased a Micromole though for 1000w vertical use as the 1000w Gavita must be in the DE fixture and cannot be at anything other than a +/- 5% horizontal angle IIRC.

 

[Stonefree69]

Fwiw, I've heard of a few people having issues with the frequency used for the Solis-Tek remotes. Mostly with cable tv clarity and one with internet issues. The Solis Tek ballasts can also be purchased without the integrated timer. I wonder if that interference is constant or just when you're using the remote timer, IOW interference coming from the remote.

If I had to choose, I'd go with the micromole. That being said, if you can get away without air-cooling and have the ceiling height, I'd take a very long look at Gavita systems.

Thanks astartes. I have no wireless in my place for cable or internet and actually want to take advantage of the timer option in Solis-Tek ballasts. I like to stick with vertical bare bulb donut arrangements as well for efficiency of light distribution, but I do some horizontal lighting in early veg (mostly w/T5 fluoros). Also the Nanolux ballasts are from C.A.P..

THD is another very important spec, I see it listed for Solis-Tek but not the others I mentioned (Nanolux and MicroMole).

 

[farmari]

Thanks astartes. I have no wireless in my place for cable or internet and actually want to take advantage of the timer option in Solis-Tek ballasts. I like to stick with vertical bare bulb donut arrangements as well for efficiency of light distribution, but I do some horizontal lighting in early veg (mostly w/T5 fluoros). Also the Nanolux ballasts are from C.A.P..

At least according to the data Whazzup posted from Gavita, most 1000w HPS lamps are more efficient per watt when overdriven to 1150w. That's part why I got the Micromole, is to run it with a Hortilux at 1150w in a bare bulb room, with a layout that was really asking for 1150w in the center rather than 600 or 1000 due to distance to canopy.

In regards to RF, it doesn't have to be wireless to be messed with. My Quantums and remote ballast Gavita 1000 generated a lot of RF and maybe incidentally my non wireless internet troubles ceased (knock on wood) after adding ferrite clamps to all of my lamp cords.

 

[Stonefree69]

At least according to the data Whazzup posted from Gavita, most 1000w HPS lamps are more efficient per watt when overdriven to 1150w. That's part why I got the Micromole, is to run it with a Hortilux at 1150w in a bare bulb room, with a layout that was really asking for 1150w in the center rather than 600 or 1000 due to distance to canopy.

In regards to RF, it doesn't have to be wireless to be messed with. My Quantums and remote ballast Gavita 1000 generated a lot of RF and maybe incidentally my non wireless internet troubles ceased (knock on wood) after adding ferrite clamps to all of my lamp cords.

It's recommended you 1st start the MicroMole ballast at 1,000 watts then run the overdrive. This gives the ballast time to warm up before being over driven. Solis-Tek has a 5% boost and says that won't hurt lamp life.


Thanks for the advice on the ferrite clamps farmari. I was wondering if the interference was just from running the remote on the Solis-Tek.

 

[astartes]

In regards to RF, it doesn't have to be wireless to be messed with. My Quantums and remote ballast Gavita 1000 generated a lot of RF and maybe incidentally my non wireless internet troubles ceased (knock on wood) after adding ferrite clamps to all of my lamp cords.

There certainly can be shielding issues in the cords themselves. In the cases I speak of it was the remote and digital timer. The offending ballasts were switched out for Solis Teks without the digital timer/remote capability and all interference stopped.

a.

 

[farmari]

It's recommended you 1st start the MicroMole ballast at 1,000 watts then run the overdrive. This gives the ballast time to warm up before being over driven.

Thanks. That reminds me, I think I saw that recommendation on a retail site but no source for it on the brand's website nor the instructions, nor in the manual on Gavita's website. (I'm presuming that the Micromole ballasts are simply rebranded Gavita Digistar ballasts) I don't know why they would design it in a way that the user has to manually turn it down to 1000 with lights off then back up to 1150 shortly after being turned on.

Maybe there's a good reason for it.... after all, the instruction manual says to check their website to find out which lamps are suited for the ballast, but the website address doesn't even exist, and the actual website says nothing about it. So I could see them leaving that other detail out! Heh

 

[Stonefree69]

Thanks. That reminds me, I think I saw that recommendation on a retail site but no source for it on the brand's website nor the instructions, nor in the manual on Gavita's website. (I'm presuming that the Micromole ballasts are simply rebranded Gavita Digistar ballasts) I don't know why they would design it in a way that the user has to manually turn it down to 1000 with lights off then back up to 1150 shortly after being turned on.

Maybe there's a good reason for it.... after all, the instruction manual says to check their website to find out which lamps are suited for the ballast, but the website address doesn't even exist, and the actual website says nothing about it. So I could see them leaving that other detail out! Heh

That info was from the monstergardens site: "If you intend to run your ballast on the "Super Mole" setting, we recommend that you fire/start the bulb at 1000 watts, then after a 15 minute warm up, switch over to the "Super Mole" setting. This gives your ballast and bulb time to warm up before being over driven so that we can ensure longevity with you MicroMole ballast and bulb.*"

There certainly can be shielding issues in the cords themselves. In the cases I speak of it was the remote and digital timer. The offending ballasts were switched out for Solis Teks without the digital timer/remote capability and all interference stopped.

a.

Thanks astartes, I just might get the Sola-Tek STK600, has all the features of the Matrix w/o timer & remote and I just want another 4-600 watt ballasts. Not a bad price too. W/the 7,2000 watt Deluxe controller from DX Hydro I already have a digital timer-relay built in. They also have HPS & MH lamps w/wider spectrums designed for the ballasts I think may be from Sun Pulse.

 

[cyat]

solistek suck theyre a bust

 

[InstantKarma]

solistek suck theyre a bust

Please elaborate.

 

[watts]

i've only seen the micromole ballast at monster gardens. Kind of weird to me.

 

[Stonefree69]

solistek suck theyre a bust

Maybe you're referring to the remote/timer option or the Matrix models? Also Nanolux is from C.A.P. and they have some good products, I haven't ruled out the others if they are reliable and put out more lumens/PAR. I have the C.A.P. Valuline fans and real impressed. They put out some good equipment.

Solis-Tek was 5th out of 9 in a HID bulb test: HID BULB TEST COMPARISON REVIEW: HORTILUX, USHIO, DIGILUX, BADDASS, SOLISTEK Hortilux, Ushio, Digilux and Plantmax are at the top a lot of times. Plantmax has real good T5s as well.

 

[InstantKarma]

Maybe you're referring to the remote/timer option or the Matrix models? Also Nanolux is from C.A.P. and they have some good products, I haven't ruled out the others if they are reliable and put out more lumens/PAR. I have the C.A.P. Valuline fans and real impressed. They put out some good equipment.

Solis-Tek was 5th out of 9 in a HID bulb test: HID BULB TEST COMPARISON REVIEW: HORTILUX, USHIO, DIGILUX, BADDASS, SOLISTEK Hortilux, Ushio, Digilux and Plantmax are at the top a lot of times. Plantmax has real good T5s as well.

I can say every CAP product that has been brought into my garden has given me issues. Even the valuline fans wear out faster than then they should. There's nothing of quality coming out of that camp, that's for damn sho.

 

[cyat]

shut down cable and internet in the whole neighborhood..

cableco wanted immediate access ... bad situation... sticking with mag ballasts

 

[InstantKarma]

shut down cable and internet in the whole neighborhood..

cableco wanted immediate access ... bad situation... sticking with mag ballasts

Bummer, were they the ones with the built in timers?

 

[rrog]

I've been using a 600W MicroMole and new Ushio lamp for a year. Really solid and cool operating. Very satisfied.

 

[Stonefree69]

I can say every CAP product that has been brought into my garden has given me issues. Even the valuline fans wear out faster than then they should. There's nothing of quality coming out of that camp, that's for damn sho.

Well like my 3 8" CAP Valulines so far. Also CAP does make good filters, a bit heavy and I have Mountainair (still used a rope hoist). Being the Micromole is OEMd by Gavita those vs the Nanolux Nano would be interesting, Nanolux says it puts out the most PAR of any ballast, is real small and runs cool. Gavita's lamps are known to be tops (Ulbricht sphere PAR test).

Xtreme Nano 1000w Digital Dimmable Ballast Unboxing Review

 

[watts]

the CAP nano's are only 120v if you care about that

 

[Stonefree69]

the CAP nano's are only 120v if you care about that

Then those out for me, I use 240v. So I guess a MicroMole w/a Hortilux and/or Ushio bulb. The regular Solis-Tek looks like it has nice features, not the PAR output of the MicroMole though.

The Phantoms are good digital ballasts too.