Does anyone still use magnetic ballasts?

bakelite · Nov 28, 2016

I've got a Lumatek 250 and an old fashioned 250 watt Sylvania magnetic ballast. I've been running the lumatek for 2 1/2 years and the magnetic ballast for over 8 years without an issue. It is nice to have the option of halide vs hps with the digital and the magnetic does give out that 60hz hum and throws a bit of heat off at the same time. I'll probably opt for another digital ballast when the time comes.
-bakelite

Chunkypigs · Nov 28, 2016

I run both and I like being able to dim the digitals when the weather overheats outside.

if you are on a budget magnetic is fine but I really wanna try the new DE's and 830w CMH.

magnetic cookies

digital cookies

Catatafish · Nov 28, 2016

lol, is that a house phone chunky? Didnt know those still exist...hehe. The digi-cookies looks ill!

SilentFeet · Nov 28, 2016

I think I will get a magnetic; the 1K MH I have used to buzz when running but it's stopped doing that now, so they can be pretty quiet.

The heat they put out is not that much of a problem I have found, in the cold weather it warms up the grow room to something like it's optimum temperature.
And summer, well if you run 12/12 during the hottest part of summer then you can run them at night when it's cooler.

7thson · Nov 28, 2016

I've had mine so long that I forgot what year I bought them,maybe 2000/1?

packerfan79 · Nov 29, 2016

I had 99$ 1k hydro farm outlast 3 digitals. I went through 3 badass ballast I like 12 days when they first came out. I had to send it back to the company to get a later batch and then the bastards tried to tell me I couldn't send it in my self.they still refused to send it to me it had to go to the hydro shop and get it through them. 3rd one is still going in my buddies garden 4 years later.

nukklehead · Nov 29, 2016

Like a pre 72 chevy/ford/mopar/ ......My 1K ( 8 years + 4 capacitor changes) just keeps chuggin along.. :woohoo:

EastCoast710 · Dec 6, 2016

nukklehead said:
Like a pre 72 chevy/ford/mopar/ ......My 1K ( 8 years + 4 capacitor changes) just keeps chuggin along..

exactly.. just change the caps every few years and they run like new.. sometimes needing to change ignitors.. very easy.. simple to fix.. cheap to buy.. PROVEN TO WORK LOL.. stick to what we know works for sure.. that's why I wont do LED.. u need to spend an arm an a leg to get a good LED or build your own.. and who has time for that lol comeon

indalo · Dec 6, 2016

My magnetic is into it's 13 th. year . Never failed .

superx · Dec 6, 2016

Using magnetic from the dawn of time, and i have no intention of going Digi...

no need to change a good thing..

Hold Your Fire · Dec 6, 2016

indalo said:
My magnetic is into it's 13 th. year . Never failed .

I have a hydrofarm 400w magnetic ballast that is almost as old.

I also have two 1000w magnetic ballasts. Harvest pro's are great, IMO.

TheScrogFrog · Dec 7, 2016

Magnetic only here.

Easy to fix, cheap, reliable.

ganjygav · Dec 7, 2016

I brought a new magnetic ballast from eBay last week a lumi. Put it to work last night and after a few hours my room was full of a thin smoke that smelled like chemicals or plastic burning kinda.
I got pretty much a instant headache. I pulled the power and aired out the whole floor.
This ain't good is it lol. It got stupid hot aswell. I know to expect heat but this was something else. I own a metal ballast that gets nowhere near as hot.

watts · Dec 7, 2016

Im loyal to the coil. However, I am interested in the Hortilux Platinum digital ballast. It uses low frequency (120hz) square-wave technology and made in Japan. I figure it has little to no RFI, so that would be nice. But it's like $650...

DocTim420 · Dec 7, 2016

As my digital ballasts die they are being replaced with mag/cap ballasts. Three reasons--

1. RFI/EMI issues.
2. Cheaper to buy new.
3. Last much longer (replacing capacitors are easy and cheap).

The lumen differences between digital and mag/cap balllasts are real, but IMO--not very significant. I will say this, bulbs that "burned out" on a digital ballast--fired up when connected to mag/cap ballast.

packerfan79 · Dec 7, 2016

watts said:
Im loyal to the coil. However, I am interested in the Hortilux Platinum digital ballast. It uses low frequency (120hz) square-wave technology and made in Japan. I figure it has little to no RFI, so that would be nice. But it's like $650...

Check out the nanolux ballast very nice digital ballast. I got them for 145 on amazon. Got an rfi block built in to the cord. Cloud compatibility, they run a circuit check before starting up, staggered start up extra lumens feature. I am really happy with them. I have 4

Kreeper · Dec 11, 2016

I'm right there with you mowood, I run a bunch of magnetic ballast to this day. I'm kinda old school and to me it's like new cars a old chevy I can fix but a new one has to go to shop lol, I will be changing over next time we renovate

Kreeper · Dec 11, 2016

This is no joke I've got one 1000w MH ( my first light also) that still works today that I bought in 1995 it's cords are attached and can't be unplugged from the hood or ballast and it's heavy and bulky but it keeps going and going.
We still use it every now and then.

St. Phatty · Dec 11, 2016

Bobby Boucher said:
RFI seems like a non-issue until the cable company comes knocking at your door demanding access to every room in your house. Lots of people use mags only. Read it up.

If you are near a big city, you can rent a spectrum analyzer with a good coax probe. And perhaps an antenna.

If you work for an electronics company, you might be able to borrow the equipment from one of the techs or engineers.

Once you got a first step of signal measurement, you just probe with the light on and the light off.

With a Digital Storage scope, you can see more detail.

If it's an accomodating company, e.g. with tolerant people working there, they should respect the goal, that of not cluttering up the electrical line with your own particular EMI.

With a little social engineering (double expresso mocha latte), you might be able to get an applications engineer to help coach you.

You can use the spectrum analyzer to see what frequencies the noise is, then use the storage scope to focus in to see what's going on.

DocTim420 · Dec 11, 2016

I stumbled on this EMI test for Galaxy Grow Amp--I have two of these Galaxy digital ballasts, but only have the RFI filter on the "lamp side" and nothing on the "power side". It appears the 240v cord with the filter was not available when I tried to buy 2.

http://tomthompson.com/radio/GrowLight/RFI_Tests_Galaxy_902220_FCC-Report.pdf

Some "cheapo" transistor AM radios can detect RFI at the low end of the dial. It helped me identify a digital ballast that was just plain nasty. I went outside and about 20 feet or so you from my property line, you could hear it on the radio...and it got louder as I walked closer to my home. Fuck...nothing like having a neon sign that flashes "We grow pot" and an arrow pointing right to my front door.

Does anyone still use magnetic ballasts?

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