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Quantum or Lumatek? Which runs cooler, and which do you prefer?
- Thread starter slowandeasy
- Start date
I'm glad I found this thread. This is the exact question I'm considering right now.I can get 600w Quantums for $120 out the door. 600w Lumateks for$165.00
My friend has had Quantum 1kw's for at least 2 years now. A few have failed, but been replaced without question immediately, by the store. The noise is not really an issue. Reliability is my primary concern. The heat output is also important.
My other question about the dimming feature is if you dim the output, does it still draw the same amount of power to the ballast?
I've been waiting to convert to the digital ballasts. So I want to make a smart choice. I like the reliability of my Hydrofarm Powerhouse 120/240 Ballasts. I remember being impressed that they offered you an option to remove 2 panels and air cool the ballast. Also, they are easily and inexpensively repaired.
My friend has had Quantum 1kw's for at least 2 years now. A few have failed, but been replaced without question immediately, by the store. The noise is not really an issue. Reliability is my primary concern. The heat output is also important.
My other question about the dimming feature is if you dim the output, does it still draw the same amount of power to the ballast?
I've been waiting to convert to the digital ballasts. So I want to make a smart choice. I like the reliability of my Hydrofarm Powerhouse 120/240 Ballasts. I remember being impressed that they offered you an option to remove 2 panels and air cool the ballast. Also, they are easily and inexpensively repaired.
You need to consider that any electronic ballast can fail. It's high power electronics and even the most sophisticated professional electronic ballasts have a fail rate. Even so, horticultural growers prefer the electronic ballasts over magnetic. In a greenhouse with a few thousand fixtures you have failures and that's why it is so important to have good service and a good supplier. Professional ballasts can be fixed as the PCB is not stuck in resin. Hobby ballasts are not repaired but just replaced.
When ballasts are on the market a bit longer (and very popular) there seem to be more reports of failures. That's what we call the "VW beetle effect": in the 60's the VW Beetles had a bad name as there were so many accidents with beetles. Thing was, there were so many beetles on the road that it was hard not to crash into one
.When a new ballast with fan is introduced you do not see many problems. It's when the fan has been running for a year or more when the problems can begin: noise, less cooling or even failure sometimes.
Anything non solid state has no place in a climate room or greenhouse. You will never find a ballast with a fan in it in a greenhouse. They are just failures waiting to happen. I would always go for a solid state ballast without a fan and hang it vertical to allow it to cool. If you buy anything with a fan make sure that the fans can be cleaned or replaced easily. PC fans are mostly very reliable, but as in a pc they make noise too and need to be cleaned regularly. Fans in a PC hardly ever run on top speed all the time, which prolongs their lifetime. A good pc fan is expensive but that is necessary as without for example a CPU fan your central processor would have a melt down.
It is probably mentioned somewhere in this thread but monstergardens did a test of the micromole and the lumatek.
@abja: if you dim you use less power, but the lamp is not as efficient anymore. See here an example of 1000W lamps. You lose about 20% efficiency when dimming a 1000W lamp to 600W. Using a 600W lamp on that setting would increase the efficiency and give you a better spectrum.
ok time to bring a dead thread back to life... haha so what is the general consensus on this debate?
there is no clear winner?
Advantages of Quantum:
Cheaper
?
Advantages of Lumatek:
Ability to run different sized bulbs...
No fan
So anyone who has used both have any feedback? I really want a quantum but that fact that their dimming setting goes 50% 75% there really is no way to substitute bulbs out for lower wattages because they don't make 500w bulbs... they might make 750w but it will be dumb to be one...
I might just end up going with a galaxy Select-A-Watt... ability to run 1000w, 600w or 400w bulb... and change bulb out as I need... might be the smartest...
anyone running quantums on the dim setting notice spectrum change or decreased bulb life?
has the radio interference totally been cleared up by now? Anyone test their newer ballasts for radio frequency interference lately?
Sorry for bringing back the dead...
there is no clear winner?
Advantages of Quantum:
Cheaper
?
Advantages of Lumatek:
Ability to run different sized bulbs...
No fan
So anyone who has used both have any feedback? I really want a quantum but that fact that their dimming setting goes 50% 75% there really is no way to substitute bulbs out for lower wattages because they don't make 500w bulbs... they might make 750w but it will be dumb to be one...
I might just end up going with a galaxy Select-A-Watt... ability to run 1000w, 600w or 400w bulb... and change bulb out as I need... might be the smartest...
anyone running quantums on the dim setting notice spectrum change or decreased bulb life?
has the radio interference totally been cleared up by now? Anyone test their newer ballasts for radio frequency interference lately?
Sorry for bringing back the dead...
I bought a couple 400w Lumateks this year and neither gave off any RFI interference. (I have a meter to check it). I also test a Hydrofarm Phantom ballast and it gave off MASSIVE rfi.
I think Lumatek sells FAR more ballasts that any other brand that serves the amateur market. But it from a good dealer and you can get instant replacement if it fails within 3 years. I would recommend Lumatek all the way. If I was going 1000w I'd go with Hortilux and their Japanese-manufactured 1000w.
I don't like the fan units either. It's usually pretty easy to position remote ballasts with a fan blowing on them to help cool them. If the fan is built-in it becomes a pain in the ass when it fails.
I think Lumatek sells FAR more ballasts that any other brand that serves the amateur market. But it from a good dealer and you can get instant replacement if it fails within 3 years. I would recommend Lumatek all the way. If I was going 1000w I'd go with Hortilux and their Japanese-manufactured 1000w.
I don't like the fan units either. It's usually pretty easy to position remote ballasts with a fan blowing on them to help cool them. If the fan is built-in it becomes a pain in the ass when it fails.
I get moderate radio interference with my Quantum 600s. In the grow room I can still hear modulation of the original AM broadcast though the ballasts add really loud static to it. +20 ft away from the ballasts in other parts of the house I didn't have noticable AM interference though.
FunkJungle
Member
Quantum ftw
im looking for a new set of digis. still undecided although on lumateks website it says they are rfi shielded. where can you buy meters for this? and whats the most recent recommendations?
Yesca73
Member
I have a 1000w lumatek w fan and just finishing up my first run . I have 1000w Digilux bulb with it . For the first half of flowering I had it turned down to 400w then 2nd half has been at 600w. I dont have a meter or anything but everything seems to be fine . I did talk to a Lumi rep and he did say it would be better to have a 400w bulb and then turn it down to 400w on ballast . I didnt have the $ to get multi bulbs so just went w 1000w .
It does run cool to touch
no RFI or none that I have noticed .
I would have preferred to go w out fan but it was the only one they had. I guess the reg Lumataks were on back order.
I went with Lumatek because they have been around the longest .
It does run cool to touch
no RFI or none that I have noticed .
I would have preferred to go w out fan but it was the only one they had. I guess the reg Lumataks were on back order.
I went with Lumatek because they have been around the longest .
I used to love my Lumatek ballast until it had a major molten plastic meltdown and smoke/sparks were coming out of it. Not something you want to see when you get home from work.
So now i've been running a Quantum since that little incident and couldn't be happier. I think the built-in cooling fan is a good idea.
So now i've been running a Quantum since that little incident and couldn't be happier. I think the built-in cooling fan is a good idea.
N
noyd666
I have mag ballests, its quite as ,not hot, iput a 20 watt clamp fan on them if hot. two 400 dig with fans= noisy fans, just warm. had 600 dig was ok no fan which I like, just got gavita 600 its up about 34'' and bright as plants are dancing, no noise, not a lot of heat, just warm of ballast, but heat spreads out wider under shade than others? no interference with radio, none with my old 600 mag. but had to shift radio further away from dig = interference. gavita lot dearer but shit what a machine.
wooops just read the headline= lumatek, quatum
wooops just read the headline= lumatek, quatum
sounds cool I didn't know they recommend switching bulbs all the time.. kinda defeats the object..
N
noyd666
what bulbs?
N
noyd666
AH YES THEY DO RECOMEND GHANGING INSERT AND BULB EVERY 12 MONTHS.
Running 8 x 600 Quantum 4 since 2010 and the another 4 since the begening of 2012
No fail ,run cool.
No fail ,run cool.
I've been running my galaxy 600 for two years with no issues.
I'd buy another.
I'd buy another.
i would take the brand that seems to be there long time (galaxy and lumatek) i wanted something reliable but i wanted digital i went with 1 lumatek multi watt 600 750 1k and super lume . i would get horti 600w and 1k mh and hps. no problem im still on my first set of galaxy and lumatek so no complains about either. i never tried a quantom .
this makes sense too
this makes sense too
Anyone with experience on switching out the fuses on Quantums? I have a switchable 400 watt Quantum and just switched out my fuse for the second time. I went to Ace Hardware with the fuse and they did not have the correct size for replacement. The guy did tell me what amp size and I was able to find replacements on Amazon. Just started up again for my seedlings and placed two new fuses(one active,one spare) in the quantum. It did start up OK with the new fuse. You growers seeing new fuses needed every year? They are not that costly. Hell shipping was more than the 5 fuses from Amazon. Ever find replacement fuses at Home Depot or Lowe's? Peace and respect.
nachoconqueso
Member
I've had a quantum 600 since about 2009 or 2010 and it still runs just like it did out of the box. Never done a lumatek before. I hear mixed things about their reliability so it was a pretty easy choice to get 2 more 1000 watters (thank you craigslist).
