Electronic ballast RF interference status

[Guest]

TGT...........

TGT...........

They can read your wrist watch from outer space satellites. I watched a Fox news clip where the FBI can actually use your 911 emergency locator inside your turned off..... yes, I said turned off cell phone to activate the mic so that they can listen in on conversations. I will post the link so you can watch it. I can use the satellite survey pictures from my counties' Assessor's Office to tell the make and model of vehicle in my drive way when they took the picture about a year ago. That is free. Just think what they can do with the virtually unlimited funds of our taxes at their disposal. If you have not watched Enemy of the State, get it and watch it. They can do everything that is in that movie.... it is scarey as hell. Of course they could scan for those signatures. In the National Geographic they did a whole section on how things are tracked and what they know if they want to. There was a guy in there that got busted for growing that they used an infrared camera on his house.(The price of those things are getting so low, private individuals will be able to buy them soon.) The Supreme Court said it was an unlawful search due to the reasonable expectation of privacy. He got off. Dude if they want you right now..... they have you. The trick is to just not be important enough for them to want. That is the only protection you have and what little is left of our Constitution and Bill of Rights after the Patriot Act.

Here is the link.... watch it..... Its here now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O61YfvPZGJs

Peace

 

[ohthepain]

How much more efficient are digital ballasts? Most of the lit claims "20% more lumens" or similar. Has anybody measured the light output or the energy use?

 

[yamaha_1fan]

How much more efficient are digital ballasts? Most of the lit claims "20% more lumens" or similar. Has anybody measured the light output or the energy use?

good question.

anyone?

 

[Rellikbuzz]

How much more efficient are digital ballasts? Most of the lit claims "20% more lumens" or similar. Has anybody measured the light output or the energy use?

If you have a 600 watt digital ballast, it produces exactly that. 600 watts. The electronic circuitry onboard the Lumateks are much more efficient at managing power. A magnetic ballast uses so much power to fire the bulb that it can only fire at sustained burn at 80-90% of it's claimed wattage. So, in other words, a 600 watt magnetic ballast is only outputting 480-560 watts of sustained power output. The digitals have no power loss which is also why they run cooler.

If you burn a 600 watt digital side by side with a 600 watt magnetic, both with fresh bulbs, there is a visable difference in the brightness both to the eye as well as to a light meter. I have done this just to see myself. It's literally like the difference between old tube powered televisions and solid state.

IMHO, one of the biggest advantages of digitals like Lumatek is the "soft start" technology. When firing, digitals don't flicker the bulb like magnetic ballasts do and, as a result, the bulbs last over twice as long before needing replacement. The flickering caused by a magnetic ballast starts degrading your light from the first time you fire it. With bulbs like Hortilux EYE's running over $100.00 a pop at most hydro shops, the digital ballasts will pay for themselves over a reasonalby short period of time.


RB

 

[yamaha_1fan]

Thanks Relik

Now another question. Alot of people posted how much interference and what kind. What I didnt see was how MANY ballasts they were running. What if you are running 6-10 ballasts? will that many cause interference?

 

[seaofvert]

hi clowntown and everybody else,

does anybody have a idea of where to get a digital ballast in europe .
i went through the web and it doesnt even seem to exist .

so infos are welcome

 

[xtrahot_OG]

i was wondering if anyone has found a place carrying the new purple lumateks?? (so far i believe bghydro is the only place ive found). Any input would be greatly appreciated thx!! -xH

 

[clowntown]

HID Hut

 

[DIGITALHIPPY]

galaxy digis review

galaxy digis review

YAY! i get to contribute, although its probably common knoledge by now

Make: Galaxy
Type: 600w 120/240

Reported by: ZEROKOOL auguest 07
AM radio: OK
FM radio: OK
Broadband Internet: OK
Cordless phone: OK
Cell phone: OK
Wired network: OK - CAT-5 - "no issues at 10 ft unknown otherwise"
Wireless network: OK - 802.11a, b, g
Notes: cox cable internet works ok. linksys router
both digital and analog i tested both 120v and 240v in multiple circuits.

works well with mh and HPS bulbs solar somthing bulb and hortilux's

 

[ShroomDr]

I just wanted to add that i have also tested the 600w elux ballast.

No interference what so ever. and it draws 5.76a which equals 691watts

 

[Guest]

Make: Lumatek
Model: LK4120 Blue.
Type: 400w 120v

Broadband Cable Internet: OK
Cellular: OK
HD Satellite TV: OK

Notes: Great ballast. Glad I switched to digital. No noise. It does get too hot to handle after a few hours, but its nailed to the wall so that doesn't matter. Lumatek has proven themselves in my garden.

 

[Redseal]

Make: Lumatek
Model: LK4240 - Metallic blue
Type: 400W 230V

Broadband: OK
Cellular: OK
Digital TV: OK
AM/FM/LW radio: OK

I don't know how accurate my power monitor is but it says it's only using 422W total, which seems low. Impressive if it's true.

 

[UltimateWarrior]

well I've got a 1000k futurebright and I'm itching to find out if I'll have any problems as I picked it up from a guy selling his whole rig so I'll let everyone know once I fire that baby up. Just in case though I have an ole trusty mag ballast on deck.

 

[UltimateWarrior]

well looks like i jumped the gun.... after further review it is not a digi but a conventional mag ballast, but it's cool it was pretty silent so I'll see how it is in a few months.

 

[namo420]

so it seems the blue lumatek's,the hid hut 400 and 600's,and the galaxy ballast's are the way to go...

so when i get mine(400W hps/mh HIDhut)

ill do a review.

 

[clowntown]

Just curious... what interests you about the HID Hut model, which is relatively untested and unproven? Not to mention much shorter warranty coverage? Saving a couple of dollars?

 

[Arcane]

I haven't seen the blue lumatex 250 HPS reviewed on here, ETA is a few days so I'll let you know whats what with it.

 

[SmokeyPufmaster]

I got a couple of Future Brights 1000k ballasts. So far they work well. I have no interference anywhere. And have an AM radio nearby. They are on their own 240v breaker maybe that's why no RF.

These Future Brights have a built in fan to cool the unit. Most other electronic ballasts are sealed units. That can still get warm enough to cause reliability issues.
At least this I what I've been told.

 

[ShroomDr]

when i purchased my 600w elux a couple weeks ago, it was hooked up next to a 120V 1000W futurebrite. I asked the clerk to test an AM radio next to them, and you couldn't even hear the radio. The clerk eventually unplugged the FB, and tested just my elux, and the radio worked fine.

This was less than 3 weeks ago.

 

[Bearliner]

I haven't seen the blue lumatex 250 HPS reviewed on here, ETA is a few days so I'll let you know whats what with it.

Hey,

i'm using it for 3 months now, it's the 240V version, bought in Europe.
All is just working fine : DSL modem with VOIP and TV box connected in Wifi with the first one : just fine. Also tried DVB-T and FM radio without any prob at all.

The cable between the ballast and the lamp is not shielded, it's 3x2,5 mm without any magnetic/metallic shield at all... connected in my setup to a cooltube thus grounded.

About heat : it's way ok. Not hotter than my coil ballast, difference is just about noise wich went away with digital. I'm just hearing the air flow for now, last thing to fix so i can run it during the night. Power is cheaper at night, but airflow keeps me away from sleeping

To sum up : for 120€ (with shipping) it's a deal if you're looking after noise. For the rest (lumens output, bulb life expand, etc) I've no clue. But no RF pb at all for sure!