Does anyone still use magnetic ballasts?

Littleleaf · Dec 11, 2016

dug every one I have used and using out of the trash. I have 1, 1000w hps 4 400w hps 4 400w mh and a butt load of 250w mh. I still see them all the time in the trash and just grab the caps and starters for spares. The only thing I buy is bulbs and electricity. If I could get but by not buying electricity. I would...

The only problem I've seen with the mag, is the lines they leave in pictures taken near them. It only does it to some cameras, guess the magnetic field distorts something in the cam. .

Can of Bliss · Dec 11, 2016

Unfortunately to properly test for RF noise it takes some rather complex equipment. With a cheap ballast you don't even know the frequency it's running at. The AM radio trick is pretty awesome if it works, but if it passes that test, it could still be making a ton of noise in a different frequency.

I'm going to stick with mags until I can justify buying a good digital with FCC approval.

packerfan79 · Dec 11, 2016

Littleleaf said:
dug every one I have used and using out of the trash. I have 1, 1000w hps 4 400w hps 4 400w mh and a butt load of 250w mh. I still see them all the time in the trash and just grab the caps and starters for spares. The only thing I buy is bulbs and electricity. If I could get but by not buying electricity. I would...

The only problem I've seen with the mag, is the lines they leave in pictures taken near them. It only does it to some cameras, guess the magnetic field distorts something in the cam. .

Them lines in the pictures are from the flashing. Lights aren't on constantly they turn on and off, it's just faster than the human eye can see. Idigitals flash faster so you don't see it in pictures. I believe this is due to alternating current. I assume that if you were using DC or direct current the lines wouldn't be there.

DocTim420 · Dec 11, 2016

From https://www.policeone.com/drug-interdiction-narcotics/articles/8224280-How-cops-are-catching-grow-ops-with-AM-radios/

How cops are catching grow ops with AM radios
Many ham operators can locate a grow simply by taking a radio and portable antennae out into their neighborhood and using the radio to triangulate the exact location of the grow

Feb 4, 2015

With the proliferation of indoor marijuana grows, the indoor “horticulture” industry has been booming. Chinese manufacturers are turning out indoor grow equipment at a rapid pace with little to no regulatory oversight or compliance. Because of this, there has been a significant amount of radio frequency interference (RFI).

Before we get into how to detect a marijuana grow with your car radio, you have to understand some simple mechanics of how a grow operates. To grow marijuana indoors, you need supplemental lighting necessary for photosynthesis. These lights may be fluorescent, LED, and for larger operations, high pressure sodium (HPS) or metal halide (MH).

The HPS and MH lamps may be 1000W per lamp and require a ballast for proper operation. These ballasts were originally magnetic but in the past few years have become electronic. These devices are subject to FCC part 18 rules but there appears to be a total disregard for the FCC rules. Many (if not most) electronic ballasts are manufactured in China and may have little ‘FCC’ stickers on them but there is no evidence of any testing for compliance having been done. Because of this, a large amount of RFI is interfering with nearby electronics. As an example, one grow next to a CalFire station — California’s state fire agency — caused a continuous hum over the station’s callbox speaker and interfered with them receiving radio broadcasts over their station’s PA.

Ham Radio Helpers
Reports have begun to flood into the National Association for Amateur Radio about interference with their ham radios from their neighbor’s marijuana grows. The most complaints come from California and Colorado, for obvious reasons. Many ham radio operators began to see a correlation with marijuana grows and this RFI.

One amateur radio operator located five marijuana grows near his house due to RFI alone! Many ham operators can locate a grow simply by taking a radio and portable antennae out into their neighborhood and using the radio to triangulate the exact location of the grow.

One industrious ham operator went to his local grow shop and borrowed several lights and ballasts to test for RFI. He found that one light and ballast set up would cause interference up to 700 meters. From our experience, we know that most indoor grows have more than one light and ballast, which would amplify the RFI.

Pioneering Field Use
One narcotics officer from the San Francisco Bay Area turns his car radio to 560 AM when he checks out potential indoor grows. He’s checked out seven indoor marijuana grows since learning about the RFI issue. All seven times, the car’s radio showed significant interference from the ballasts inside of the grow location.

One ham radio operator described the interference this way: “It can be pops, it can be a buzzing sound, whistles — just all kinds of different noises that we'll hear.”

Tom Thompson, a ham radio operator, told a Colorado newspaper, “If I can track this down, anybody can track this down. If I listen long enough, I can tell when they turn the lights off... You can tell exactly when the harvest is.”

This method of finding marijuana grows isn’t fool proof, but it can be another useful tool in your toolbox.

ganjygav · Dec 11, 2016

Littleleaf said:
dug every one I have used and using out of the trash. I have 1, 1000w hps 4 400w hps 4 400w mh and a butt load of 250w mh. I still see them all the time in the trash and just grab the caps and starters for spares. The only thing I buy is bulbs and electricity. If I could get but by not buying electricity. I would...

The only problem I've seen with the mag, is the lines they leave in pictures taken near them. It only does it to some cameras, guess the magnetic field distorts something in the cam. .

If you take the pictures within first 60 seconds of the lights coming on I find the lines don't appear as much and also the light is a whiter colour so you get truer colours over the orange light once bulb is hot.
Or just take photos with a flash a few minutes before lights come on. That really makes the trichs sparkle

Kreeper · Dec 12, 2016

SilentFeet said:
Or has everyone switched over to digital?

Thinking of getting another light and the prices for digital are not much more expensive, and they are supposed to use less electricity.

Hello silentfeet ( good user name by the way)
I've used mag ballast for years in fact I've never opened a digital I just assumed if a mag ballast broke I could fix it easier than a digital ( because I'll be honest I know nothing about how digital work lol)
We are preparing to build a new grow soon and I'm think of going digital since they are supposed to be more efficient and adjustable wattage, looking at the solis tek. What's your fav?

Littleleaf · Dec 12, 2016

does any one know if a mag can be made adjustable?

packerfan79 · Dec 12, 2016

Little leaf, I don't think you can add a dimmer to a magnetic ballast. I got my nanolux digitals for 146 a piece on amazon. They come with an rfi block built in to the cord. Work great so far. I have noticed a slight change in the electrical bill. Mabey 20 bucks running 4 they have the super lux feature which is nice.

rolandomota · Dec 19, 2020

Yes I'm at still using my magnetic mh ballast 250 and I just fixed my hps 1000 the ignitor needed to be replaced and it's working like new condition 25 bucks for fixing it just open and replace the wires with electrical tape
I did get a new one a digital 1000 and I swear this magnetic 1000 is brighther than the digital at super lumens at least it's what my eyes are telling me it ain't as bright on super lumens digital but only a light meter can prove that :watchplant:

rolandomota · Dec 19, 2020

The lines in picture is if your pointing the camera at the light because its not constantly on it blinks so angle the camera downward when taking pictures

St. Phatty · Dec 19, 2020

I have about 6 mag. ballasts

250 watt MH
400 watt MH
1000 watt MH

HPS - 400, 600, 1000.

And just today I was re-arranging a coffee tree under LED panels in the "greenhouse room", moving veg. plants from the 250 watt MH to about 900 watts of LED.

Did my best with the MH, now the plants can have a little better ventilation in the LED room.

I wood · Dec 19, 2020

I still have, but haven’t used in several years, a 2000 watt ballast.
600 watt magnet ballasts grow my weed and heat my building.
In the winter i add a 1000watt room to help keep building warm, the extra weed is nice too.

TychoMonolyth · Dec 19, 2020

Apparently, if you tuned your AM radio all the way down, you could "hear" the interference from the ballasts, if you had a few of them going, in your car as you drove by. Anyone hear of that?

moses wellfleet · Dec 19, 2020

Yeah I still use them because nobody ever heated up their dinner on top of LED.

1000W lasagna coming right up.

Fitzera · Dec 19, 2020

15 years old and still going strong

f-e · Dec 19, 2020

TychoMonolyth said:
Apparently, if you tuned your AM radio all the way down, you could "hear" the interference from the ballasts, if you had a few of them going, in your car as you drove by. Anyone hear of that?

Yep. Some are literally on the same frequency and these that aren't are just 1 or 2 harmonics away. I have had cheap ass LEDs from china that made me think my FM clock radio was broke. Once I realised it was my lights I tried lots of RFI filters, right up to a three common mode chokes in a row. I couldn't even get it down 20% on my RF meter. I know the location of a few grows due to the noise they give off. It's no joke.

I will use them in veg as you can go 250-400-600 but have Mags for flower. If I ever wanted to use HIDs again...

Mr. Stinky · Dec 19, 2020

I still use mags for flips. A simple ge flip flop hot water tank timer will run 2 bulbs on one ballast. most electronics won't strike the cold bulb on a flip but mags always do.

Plus mags are everywhere, cheap/free, run forever, are literally bulletproof, etc.

For my sativa room, I run veg and flower off the same ballasts. 2k mh thru 2 flips set 30 minutes apart on 10/14---14/10 which makes the day lengths 10:30/14:30 flower----14:30/10:30 veg. Theres a sunrise and sunset in both rooms that's half the wattage and helps warm up and cool down the rooms gradually as well with nothing but a pair of simple $30 switches, 2 free 1k mags, and 4 cheap mh bulbs in open wing reflectors.

200 bucks equipment, 200 bucks electric, no RFI to tattle on me.

"Pretty girls are pretty,

but the ugly girls fuck!"

mowood3479 · Dec 19, 2020

I have a few still in service.
No complaints really.

TychoMonolyth · Dec 20, 2020

Mr. Stinky said:
...snip...

"Pretty girls are pretty,

but the ugly girls fuck!"

With masks, the pretty ones lost their edge, and ugly ones gained one. Lol

Does anyone still use magnetic ballasts?

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