DIGITAL OR NOT DIGITAL, THAT IS THE QUESTION....

[Hydrostatic]

I have been using 1000W Nextgens from C.A.P. Controls / R&M Supply, I can tell you that they are pretty good quality, and really not that loud at all. They're UL/CE certified and their tech support is great. I haven't experienced any radio interference, or any other issues at all. So far they have been awesome. Bulbs last just as long or longer and are noticably brighter compared to the old style cap/core ballasts.

Yield has been the same, but finishes a few days earlier and buds are definately harder.

 

[simba]

Just FIY
Eye has just released this.
NO to E/D Ballasts.
4 pages of why not basically.
http://www.eyehortilux.com/EYELU600.pdf
they say lamps have less output vs mag core.


Ballast testing underway at EYE Lighting’s test lab in Mentor, Ohio.
Which is the Right
Choice for Your
HID Horticultural
Application?
The latest trend in plant growth lighting
is the use of electronic ballasts. Most
likely, you have seen ads, maybe tried a
ballast yourself, or at least know someone
who has tried them. As with anything
new, and especially anything electronic,
there can be some confusion about what
you are buying and using. Therefore, if
you would like to learn more about the
ballast choices, then read on because we
intend to set the record straight in easy to
understand terms.
First, let’s get some terms defined and
understood as it will help to sort through
the ballast options later on. The best place
to begin is what we mean by the term
“ballast”.
In the lighting industry, the term ballast
is given to devices that regulate electric
current and supply starting voltage to the
light source (lamps). The most popular
lamp types in the plant growth industry are:
high pressure sodium, metal halide, and
fluorescent. These lamps differ greatly from
the incandescent lamps you have at home.
Incandescent lamps by nature are ‘selfballasted’
as they regulate the current in the
filament as they generate light and heat. Not
so with lamp types that create light in a vapor
arc – specifically, high pressure sodium
and metal halide. The vapor arc cannot
regulate current and in order to run properly
must have a regulating device – the ballast.
Ballasts can be “traditional”, sometimes
called magnetic, or core and coil, because
they typically resemble a spool of wire
wrapped around a set of steel sheets (the
core). Most traditional ballasts also use
a capacitor (metal or plastic canister-like
object) as part of the regulating system.
Traditional ballasts are generally heavy
due to the metal used, but are very well
designed, tested, and regulated for use
in commercial applications. Just think of
how many ballasts line all of our roadways
across North America. These traditional
ballasts are built to last! The good news
is the horticulture industry benefits from
the larger commercial market in that these
traditional ballasts are not only rugged,
they are certified by UL and often CSA to
meet electrical safety and fire protection
standards. They have also stood the test of
time from years of experience in lighting
applications around the globe. Ballasts
are designed to meet standards set by the
American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) so that lamp and ballast operate
correctly together. This is done by matching
up the ANSI standard numbers, such as
M47 for 1000 watt metal halide, and S106
for 600 watt high pressure sodium lamp
and ballast. This makes it simple for lamp
and ballast companies to deliver a system
that works together and is reliable.
Ballasts can also be electronic, or digital
electronic. These are the newcomers to this
industry, often in sleek and easy to handle
cases. Electronic ballasts regulate current
to the lamp not by means of wire wrapped
around steel sheets, but more so by means
of semiconductor devices like transistors
and microchips. Looking inside an
electronic ballast, you would see one or
more circuit boards, similar to a computer,
you would also see some can-like
devices that are capacitors and you might
see some wires wrapped around a dull
gray doughnut-shaped device. Electronic
ballasts share their current regulating
task right along with traditional ballasts
in that they too use capacitors and wire
wound magnetic transformers, but one
key difference is the electronic ballasts
usually operate at much higher frequency.
Whereas traditional metal ballasts operate
at 60 hertz (normal household operating
frequency for electricity in the US and
Canada), electronic ballasts (for horticultural
applications) take that 60 hertz
power and raise the frequency to typically
20,000 hertz or more. As this is done,
component size can be made smaller and
generally lighter, so electronic ballasts
enjoy a lightweight package compared to
traditional metal ballasts. Current regulation
for electronic ballasts may also be
?
done with a microchip control,
which is another difference
it has with traditional metal
ballasts. Because high wattage
(above 250 watts) electronic
ballasts are not yet found
widespread in the commercial
industry, many of them
today may not be UL or CSA
listed for safety, and there is
(to date) no ANSI standards
for high frequency electronic
ballasts. This can make matching
lamp and ballast more of
a challenge. Another aspect
of electronic ballasts can be
something known as EMI/RFI,
that is electromagnetic interference
and radio frequency
interference. Electronic devices
that operate at frequencies
like the electronic ballasts
must meet regulations set
forth by the FCC to keep such
interference levels below set maximums.
When the regulations are not met you can
get issues like – snow or lines on your
TV, hum coming through radios, possibly
even interference with cell phones or WiFi
devices. A good example of this would
be to look at the label on your computer
power supply, or on your microwave oven.
You will likely see some labeling stating
the device complies with FCC regulations.
Horticulture ballasts at this time may not
all have such labeling or compliance.
SIDe-bY-SIDe
CompARISon:
Now that we have discussed
each ballast type, Let’s review
some side-by-side comparisons
of traditional and electronic
ballasts in a popular horticulture
application – 600 watt high
pressure sodium.
The traditional ballast for the
600 watt HPS lamp has the
ANSI designation of S106 that
identifies it as a ballast match
with all S106 designed lamps.
The several brands of traditional
S106 ballasts evaluated
by EYE all carried the UL/CSA
labeling for meeting the related
electrical and fire protection
standards. Since they operate at
60 hertz, there is no FCC EMI/
RFI compliance labeling needed.
These traditional S106 ballasts
are designed for the commercial lighting
industry where ballast life expectancy is 10
years or more for all components (including
capacitors).
Traditional ballasts have a power consumption
of around 90 watts making
on technology
Competitive lamp and ballast life testing under controlled
conditions at EYE Lighting’s Mentor, Ohio facility.
TeRmS DefIneD:
Acoustic Resonance: A term applied
to an unstable arc condition
of HID lamps when operated at
high frequencies. Ultrasonic sound
waves build up in the lamp arc
tube and cause the light producing
arc to flicker and swirl. Such operation
could lead to short lamp life.
ANSI: American National Standards
Institute is an organization that
sets standards for certain products.
Among other things they set
standards for metal halide and high
pressure sodium lamps and ballasts
so that there is a compatible match
between lamps and ballasts. This is
important for proper lamp operation
and to date there is no ANSI standards
for HID electronic ballasts.
EMI/RFI: Electromagnetic
Interference and Radio Frequency
Interference are terms used to
describe unwanted electrical energies
or signals that “interfere” with
the proper operation of items such
as TV’s, computers, cell phones,
radios. It is often called ‘noise’,
‘hum’, or ‘snow’ when it shows
up interfering with normal use of
electrical devices.
FCC: Federal Communications
Commission – among other duties
in the United States, the FCC
sets limits on how much EMI and
RFI that electrical devices can
generate. In this way a device
such as a ballast will not interfere
with the operation of radios, TV’s,
etc. All electrical devices that can
generate EMI and RFI are supposed
to comply with appropriate
FCC regulations.
Hertz: This is the term used to
define the frequency of electric
power and radio waves. Electric
power operating at 60 hertz
means that the power has gone
through 60 complete cycles in
one second.
HID: High Intensity Discharge –
this is the term used to describe
lamp types such as metal halide
and high pressure sodium lamps.
They are called high intensity
because these lamps produce
large amounts of light in a very
small package.
Power Factor: The measurement
of how well an electric load
(motor, light, appliance) matches
a pure resistive load. It is not the
same as efficiency. Most HID
lighting ballasts have a power
factors at .90 or better. Incandescent
lamps can have a high
power factor of 1.0 but a lower
efficiency of only about 6%.
UL/CSA: Underwriters Laboratory
and Canadian Standards
Association are both entities that
help develop safety standards for
products and also test products
to meet those standards. Electrical
devices such as ballasts are
only a part of what they test and
certify for safety.
t h e l e a d e r i n hi g h P e r f o r m a n c e l i g h t
presented by them 85% energy efficient (85% of the
electric power goes into the lamp and 15%
is lost in the ballast itself). This makes the
total power consumed by the traditional
600 watt lamp and ballast system to be
about 690 watts. All lamps operated on the
traditional ballasts showed stable operation
with no flicker.
The electronic ballasts as evaluated were
not designated with a particular ANSI
lamp/ballast designation and did not have
UL/CSA labeling. All were clearly marked
for supply voltage ratings (120 or 240
volts) and did have power cord hookups
for the lamp socket. All lamps tested did
start on the various electronic ballasts, but
some exhibited a swirling effect of the arc
known as acoustic resonance. Because
the electronic ballasts operate at very
high frequency they can cause unstable
conditions inside the lamp that can actually
make the electric arc swirl or dance during
starting. This may be seen as light coming
from the fixture moving or flickering,
but if the lamp were to be viewed with
welders glass (very dark tinted glass) the
electrically charged vapor in the lamp
would been seen moving around. Acoustic
resonance is hard on lamps and may cause
premature failures due to the excessive
vibrations. Electronic ballast users may
need to replace lamps more frequently
over time as this condition will eventually
weaken all brands of lamps — some
sooner than others depending on the
construction of the lamp and the actual
level of acoustic resonance generated by
the ballast. Ballast designers know about
acoustic resonance and can design to
eliminate it for a specific lamp; but it may
be hard to eliminate in all brands of lamps
without careful compatibility evaluations.
Ballast efficiencies for tested electronic
ballasts were very close to that of traditional
metal ballasts. They consumed
about 50 to 70 watts each and ran the
lamps at roughly their rated 600 watts.
This makes the total power consumed by
the electronic 600 watt lamp and ballast
system to be about 640-670 watts.
Light outputs from lamps tested on both
traditional and electronic 600 watt ballasts
tended to be about the same. There was
no dramatic increase or decrease in light
output from any of the ballasts choices;
however, all lamps tested on electronic
ballasts had advanced sodium loss and
reduced lumens.
[See table on the following page for a more detailed
summary of the findings.]
Photometric measurements of all HID products ensures highest quality for the customer.
EYE Lighting International’s Test and
Measurement Laboratory, located at our
facility in Mentor, OH is accredited to ISO/
IEC 17025 as part of the National Voluntary
Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP)
under the aegis of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST) within the
program for Energy Efficient Lighting Products.
Our Lab Code is 200783-0. The scope
of our original accreditation in 2007 included
testing of Electrical, Photometric, and Life
Performance Characteristics of HID Lamps.
The standards applied include IES LM-47,
IES LM-51 and ANSI C78.389. These test
and measurement procedures apply to all HID
lamp types, including Mercury Vapor, High
Pressure Sodium, Quartz Metal Halide and
Ceramic Metal Halide products. In 2008, the
scope of our accreditation will be expanded
to incorporate Colorimetric characteristics of
HID Lamps and the addition of Fluorescent
and Incandescent Lamps for the test
and measurement of each characteristic
as well.
EYE Lighting International Test and Measurement
Laboratory is one of only 16 such
Laboratories accredited by NVLAP for Energy
Efficient Lighting Products to the ISO/IEC
17025 Standard in the United States, and
one of only 24 such accredited laboratories
globally. EYE Lighting International is the only
HID lamp manufacturer in the United States
that has an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited Test
and Measurement Laboratory situated at the
same location as its HID Product Development
Group, HID Product Development Pilot
Laboratory and HID Manufacturing facility.
Accreditation to the ISO/IEC standard is prerequisite
to being authorized to perform tests
on and apply the Energy Star rating to qualifying
lighting products as well as to obtaining certification
as a UL or CSA Test Facility.
Remember that electronic ballast and
lamp technology is always changing and
will continue to improve over time. There
have been significant improvements in the
most recent ballast versions now being
sold from the earlier versions of two years
ago. Many early designed electronic ballasts
failed to perform right out of the box
at our testing facility in Mentor, Ohio.*
Currently, we experienced zero ballast
failure out of dozens of ballasts tested for
this article. Therefore, it is important to
recognize that early lamp failures, more
commonly associated with these early
ballast versions, seem to have leveled
off among the industry. Our tests indicate
that no one lamp ballast combination
was better or worse on these newer
ballast versions tested.
In summary, our tests showed that the
current electronic ballasts seem to operate
lamps about the same as traditional
magnetic ballasts. Energy efficiencies and
light output are basically equal between
the types with only the expected variation
you would find in any group of samples.
No flicker was detected on traditional ballasts
running at 60 hertz, but was detected
in lamps running on electronic ballasts.
Be advised that some of the acoustic resonance
created by electronic ballasts can
lead to early lamp or ballast failure.
Protect yourself... certifications such
as UL, and CSA are there for electrical
devices to ensure safety and prevent fires.
It is advisable to use only equipment that
meets these certifications. Also remember
that high frequency electronic equipment
should comply with appropriate FCC
regulations so as not to cause interference
with other devices such as TV, cell phone,
and computers. No matter what your
choice, make sure you have proper wiring,
breaker or fuse sizes for the equipment
you are running.
In the future, we anticipate many of the
electronic ballasts being used for horticulture
will comply with ANSI standards
(as those standards are currently being
developed) just as traditional ballasts
currently meet ANSI specifications. In the
meantime, look for EYE HORTILUX
to continue to provide ongoing publications
and additional high-quality
products for the horticulture industry
utilizing the scientific data gathered
from these on-going tests.
t h e l e a d e r i n hi g h P e r f o r m a n c e l i g h t
presented by on technology
A Bright Future… ?
A SIDe-bY-SIDe CompARISon of
TRADITIonAl mAgneTIC bAllAST VS. eleCTRonIC bAllAST
* Please see side-bar on previous page for more information on EYE’s ISO accredited Test and Measurement Laboratory.
TradiTional ElEcTronic
MagnETic
(adVancE, S106)
Major Brand
a
Major Brand
B
Major Brand
c
EnErgy coST PEr
MonTh* $45.90 $41.18 $43.88 $43.88
inPuT PowEr (laMP
and BallaST waTTS
conSuMEd)
680 watts
+/- 15 watts
610 watts
+/- 20 watts
650 watts
+/- 30 watts
650 watts
+/- 10 watts
laMP PowEr 600 watts
+/- 20 watts
560watts
+/- 20 watts
600 watts
+/- 30 watts
600 watts
+/- 10 watts
SySTEM EfficiEncy
(laMP PowEr diVidEd
By ToTal PowEr)
88-91% 90-94% 90-94% 90-94%
BallaST waTTS 70-90 watts 40-60 watts 45-65 watts 45-55 watts
SySTEM PowEr
facTor** .92 - .99 .87 - .94 .89 - .94 .95 - .97
luMEn ouTPuT on
TradiTional VS.
ElEcTronic BallaST
100% 91% 100% 100%
BallaST wEighT 25 lbs. 7 lbs. 9 lbs. 10 lbs.
caSE TEMPEraTurE
(80° f air TEMP) 130° F 115° F 140° F 158° F
* Based on 450 hours operation a month and $0.15/kwhr electricity cost.
** Power Factor does not influence system efficiency, please reference the “terms defined” box for more information.
This table summarizes the results of testing dozens of popular brand name ballasts. Supply volts were held constant under lab conditions.
Your results may vary based on voltage irregularities at your outlet.

 

[antimatter]

this thread saved me some money, last thing I wanna do is be in the hydro shop pleading for warranties.

 

[coxswain]

Please stop with the generalization that all electronic ballasts are not UL listed. There are plenty of electronic ballasts that have the listing. You just have to filter out the cheap crap produced by Chinese companies. Vossloh Schwabe, Metrolight, and Advance are just a few of the companies that produce reputable ballasts. Only by buying a reputable ballast can you realize the gains to be had using electronic ballasts - greater energy efficiency, lower heat, silent operation, and longer bulb life.

The best way to filter out all the crap is to buy ballasts meant for general architectural lighting than specialized "horticultural" ones. The architectural ones are built better and while they may be more expensive, last a lot longer. I've had absolutely no problems using a Vossloh Schwabe ballast paired with a ceramic metal halide lamp.

Wait ...

You hooked up a Vossloh Schwabe electronical ballast to a CMH lamp? What wattage? Could it run 400W Philips CMH lamp?

 

[Lazyman]

From what I've read so far, SolarMax and Ushio bulbs are the only safe bulbs to use in any digi ballast, NEVER Eye Hortilux! But why wouldn't you want 10% brighter light than an analog ballast?

 

[coxswain]

Resin sealed magnetic ballasts are completely silent if noise is a factor, can't hear a thing from mine.

Will using a magnetic ballast stop you getting a harvest of 1 gram per watt or more? No.

Will buying a smaller extractor fan than you need and/or skimping on other grow room kit so you can spend extra on a digi ballast stop you getting a harvest of 1 gram per watt or more? Probably.

Resin sealed?
Would this be like this ones? From page 24 on ...

Are these _silent_ magnetic ballasts?

 

[noone88]

I just had two Horti bulbs go out on me, first was 20 days into flowering, second cycle, and second was 40 days into flowering, second cycle.

I am using the Ushio bulbs with my Lumateks for now. Will try to SunPulse bulbs next.

 

[simba]

VS electronic Ballasts operate CMH and Metal halide from 10-150 watt
any thing higher and i would always go for Mag CORE.
there is no Brand of lamp speced to any one E ballast out there.

 

[Bush Dr]

Simba ...... No offence intended mate but post#62 was the hardest to read cop out I've ever seen ....... do all the employees @ Eye have to wear butt plugs

Magnetic ballasts technology is from Faradays time in the 19th century, copper wires covered in varnish wrapped around a lump of iron ..... digital is the way forward

I've been running Lumatek and Lightwave (Chinese) ballasts using Grolux, Sunmaster, Phillips, Venture and GEC lamps for a couple of years ..... I've never had one fail

I don't know if it's because mine are all 240 volts and most of the failures seem to be on 110 volt set ups

 

[ugmjfarmer]

I bought into this digital boom because I was new to growing and thought the best is the best right? 20% more light, hmm.. ok.

Come to find out the simple reason why digital ballasts can claim 20% more light is because they use a regulated power supply and regulated power delivery system that can take the ripple effect out of the light (invisible to the naked eye) and make them burn more. Basically you are taking a bulb and burning it differently than intended. Hence the reason digital ballasts are burning up bulbs, it basically requires a redesigned bulb to handle it.

So, $135 for a magnetic ballast (i can get two) or $330 for a digital (I can get one) and it might burn up bulbs ($65 a piece) so i need extra bulbs. Right there, again as it was said on page one of this thread, that is the difference between a big or small fan, or CO2 or not. That 265$ difference (50-60% more cost) makes a big difference in the picture of operating a grow room, especially when the time goes off and your bulbs fail to fire.

 

[GorillaGrower]

From what I've read so far, SolarMax and Ushio bulbs are the only safe bulbs to use in any digi ballast, NEVER Eye Hortilux! But why wouldn't you want 10% brighter light than an analog ballast?

THis is what i had heard or knew also... but.. out of two solarmaxs brand new put into 600w lumatecs.. one blew in less than 3 weeks. So I would say the prob is NOT solved.

you dont need 10% more lumens if your already pushing 60 watt a sq/ft (avg 1000 in a 4x4 or 600 in a 3x3).. .. its just throwing gas on a raging fire..

I would be more concerned about having bulbs burn out in the first 3 crops.. that = 50-100$ the first time... but it doesnt stop happeneing till you go and buy new ballasts.. that aren't digital. how many bulbs must blow before that extra 10% lumens which doesnt really do much shows that its not worth it?

add in the fact that lumen loss can happen even quicker and it seems in the end your prob getting less lumens per hour of lamp operation than you would with a magnetic if you look at a 1 yr history of use.

 

[simba]

Simba ...... No offence intended mate but post#62 was the hardest to read cop out I've ever seen ....... do all the employees @ Eye have to wear butt plugs

No worries i think faster than i can type so i mostly have to go over and Edit however lately i be under the bridge LOL..

Magnetic ballasts technology is from Faradays time in the 19th century, copper wires covered in varnish wrapped around a lump of iron ..... digital is the way forward

Yes, and Yes however there is a time and place for every thing and considering the Commercial Lighting world does NOT have a E/D Ballast @400 Watts For HPS..(GE Ultramax 250-400MHP/CMH only)
the highest wattage Most common is 150 watt in commercial lighting.
Advance and a few others have a few 150-250 Watt MHP but no CMH or HPS..

I've been running Lumatek and Lightwave (Chinese) ballasts using Grolux, Sunmaster, Phillips, Venture and GEC lamps for a couple of years ..... I've never had one fail
I don't know if it's because mine are all 240 volts and most of the failures seem to be on 110 volt set ups

probalby cause you are on 240 and typically you are running both Mains available. on 110 most suffer Brown Outs and also the Bulbs Fail Eairleer in E/D Ballasts aswell as not output there Rated Power. (1 did but failed other aspects for what E/D is suposed to be better for)
Long story short E/D Ballasts at 400+ are great in theory however in practice where they would save the most IE CA (with rolling blackouts) is not the greatest Power source Coming in..

i totally agree Magnetic core is on its way out however the newcomer isnt all the way in yet..
In my grow if the Ballast fails at worsted case i can go to a local Electronic Dist and get either Cap, Ignitor ($35 Max) or whole mag rebuild kit for under 100 the Same day .if a E/D ballast craps out better hope you are under warranty and shop is close to you that you bought from or ur plants are going to suffer and if out warranty you have to send in pay for that pay to get repaired and pay to get back..(warranties are from 1-5 year and prorated WTF)
Mag Ballasts 99.9% work 8 years without any issues..
E/D Ballasts 75% dont make it past 4 years (Many Many shops will tell you if you ask how many they have sent back vs mag cores. (ya mags fail but no where near as common.. And most mag cores warranty out within first 2 months if they are going to fail .Most E/D Ballasts fail over time not at first

Edit just noticed you are in Jolly ol England.
You have allot Cleaner power than we have here. shop right around corner abouts..
but still not a fan.. and your power bill is sky high vs us at 9.5ish cents (dont want to give exact DuH)

 

[aggregatebuzz]

new indoor grower here that my plants got their light taken away from them for 60+ hours due to no backup ballast,have extra bulbs but I trusted my new 400/600w Nextgen,CAP says they'll replace it as many times as necessary,real confidence inspiring
got a SS 10 400w switchable MAG for back up coming now,mainly went with it to try the CMH bulbs too though
Equipment fails,but 24 days on a new unit is disappointing

so this was puzzling but my original ballast running the Eye MH bulb would stop out put,I unplugged and would wait 20 min for cool down than restart,it did this @6 times than it would not fire this bulb again.After cool down I installed a new Eye 600w HPS bulb and switched to 600w than attempted a start,no go.this was @ 4:00pm,tried several times no start so call CAP for rma
my shop agrees to do a cross ship and I get the new one,it won't fire the MH either but will the HPS,since I had both I tried the original one with the HPS again and it now fires

the Eye MH failed after 3 weeks of 24/0 use,now it's the worm

 

[TEERCSIdbREEDER]

^^that sucks bro. i run the 400w next gen w/ hortilux bulb and been using it 12/12 for 2 runs now with now issues. my ballast makes no weird sounds, both fans still work, and my bulb isnt showing any visual signs of blowing out. i guess ill be right with you guys if my shits out but going on 3 runs now and its great. next run i was going to go with a 600w(next gen) hps for flowering and change out the 400hortilux for a 400MH.

 

[aggregatebuzz]

was a test for a new to hid grower
I've read other post of long term use with hortilux and E/D ballast with no issues so I figure I was just the unlucky recipient of a faulty bulb,my shop is replacing it

I agree these Nextgen ballast are quiet units

thinking of trying Sunmaster too

 

[simba]

a good e ballast will not Hot restrike if the power outs for a minute it allows for proper cool down before restriking not horti ballasts..

Eye did a report found here
www.eyehortilux.com/EYELU600.pdf

GE says.
3.2 Electronic Ballasts
Electronic Ballasts use solid-state electronic components to start and operate the ballasts.
Electronic ballasts often use IC chips and feedback to implement better controls, and safety
features into ballasts. Electronic ballasts typically operate much more efficiently than similar
Electromagnetic Ballasts. A few other benefits are small size, lightweight, improved lumen
maintenance, fault mode protection and better power regulation, which results in better color
consistency.
3.2.1 Low Frequency Lamp Operation
GE analysis of internal and competitive HID lamps suggests that the most compatible driving
waveform for an electronic ballast is a Low Frequency Square Wave (L.F.S.W.) with low higher order
GE2012-5024 Rev 1
Page 11
harmonic content. L.F.S.W. has been long established as a dependable method of ballasting low
Wattage HID lamps with significant industry standards support.
Analysis of lamp data has shown that there are limited operating bands between 1 kHz to 200 kHz
in which an electronic ballast could operate a lamp wattage family without causing unacceptable
arc instability due to Acoustic Resonance. Trend analysis of the A.R. maps show that this range
extends well beyond 200 kHz. When the A.R. structure maps are overlaid there is no consistent
frequency band, which can be identified as a stable location for ballast operation. There are large
variations in the A.R. structure maps between multiple lamp vendors and from lamp type to lamp
type or burn position. A.R. may cause visual annoyance, lamp cycling, shorten lamp life, and in
extreme cases result in arc tube rupture.
Specific matched lamp – ballast high frequency systems can be stable, however they limit the
extent that the individual members can be modified for future improvements. Additionally, there is
no data on the long-term stability of the A.R. maps due to aging of the lamp. Future re-lamping may
also create an unstable system due to changes in lamp arc tube geometry or manufacture.
Lamp performance points to be considered:
Data on Electronic ballast technology has shown that it can greatly improve the lumen
maintenance of HID lamps over traditional EM reactor or CWA ballast systems. However, no data
are available to support improved lamp performance on High Frequency vs. Low Frequency Square
Wave driving waveforms
GE2012-5024 Rev 1
Page 12
Conclusions:
GE recommends operation of its high wattage CMH® and PulseArc® QMH HID lamps on electronic
ballasts that use a Low Frequency Square Wave output such as the UltraMax® HID ballast, GE-MH-
250-400-MAX-208-207 or similar for optimal lamp performance.
3.2.2 High Frequency
GE does not make high frequency HID ballasts due to reasons described in the Low Frequency
Lamp Operation section above. However, high frequency operation is applicable for matched lamp
ballast systems. Caution must be taken when designing these systems for an application to make
sure that the ballast and lamp are compatible to avoid premature lamp failure and safe operation.

 

[claymoore]

good stuff bro, but i have no idea what you said...

 

[ogatec]

im running 3 220v 1000w lumateks for 4 weeks now with hortilux bulbs...already burned 1 bulb. im not defending the ballasts in any way, im actually kinda regretting my purchase, BUT i would like to clear up a few inaccuracies.

1. if the LUMATEK ballast goes out, it should be REPLACED with a new one same day. no waiting for REPAIR like with a magetic ballast. im not sure if this is the case with other companies..

2. if a hortilux bulb blows you shouldnt have to buy a new one..they should also be replaced. im not too sure what the warranty is but i think its 1-2 years full replacment then you get prorated for another few years... so if your bulbs are blowing in 6 months you should get a brand new one...(thats why they have date markers on bottom of the bulbs) my mag. ballast used to blow bulbs every so often & i never had any problems getting a replacment.

 

[simba]

I speak from first hand experience
1. if a shop in your area has a spare Ballast they would swap if there nice..(same deal for some mag core ballasts, and a mag core if pops generaly its the cap or ignitor both fix at home)
and few other issues within that..after that first year forget it. ur going to the mfr.(some stores may do it if u spend $$)

2. EYE willl NOT Warranty any of there lamps used on any of the Digi Ballasts.
the only bulbs from them that warranty-able is there Pulse Start MH Lamps and if only used with a Appropriate rated EBallast IE ANSI RATED or a reputable MHP ballast Either advance or GE
they put the dates on them cause yes they will warranty for full year at the store if you are runing a mag core ballasts..
2- explained if you read my post above and the link to EYE you will quickly see the E ballasts in horti world are no good for lamps..

the future of Eballasts is Low Freq.. as 99.999% lamps are made for low freq..

sunpulse lamps are supposedly made for high freq but what freq range.
but you can only spec for small window and the horti eballasts go from 200hz-44Khz
so what eballast are they speced for one would be perfect match other would rattle again..
Higher the freq the more it will rattle the lamp apart..Eye even confirms this..
think of it this way CB's Hams you have to tune the antenna to the freq of output or range its same thing with lamps.. but both need to match..

 

[Mist]

I like my Quantum 600 dimmable ballast so much after several months that I am buying another one tomorrow. I run a Solar Max bulb in it and everything works just like it is supposed to. Everywhere I see anything about digital ballasts the first thing I see is that they don't work with the Hortilux EYE bulbs so I don't understand why anyone would even try to use them.
Anyhow, the SolarMax bulbs work great in digitals and are a good quality bulb for a reasonable prics. If there is such a thing as "reasonable" when it comes to HID bulbs, LOL!