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Is there any difference between different Digital Ballasts?

M

MrGreenWeed

Member
d3cryption said:
Gavita would be first on my list if I had the money..... But since I don't now, I'm going with a dig setup half the price....... Anywho, you must haven't seen any of the grows with a gavta 600 , 1000de, or plasma? do a search for user anti, wazzup, theherbalizor... and or search gavita.... looks at the logs research, and then you'll know why gavita would be first on his list...... and from what i'm see gavita are about the same price a a lumatek, with a horilux/ushio bulb, and aircooled hood.... and sold in the usa.....
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Gavita light systems provide very little if any advantage over basic light systems. The claims made by the manufacturer are mostly nonsense. There have been no major tech advances in grow lighting for some time. You are paying extra for a trend and old tech turned new that may not catch on.
Gavita would be the last brand I'd buy if I were in the market for new lighting.
I have seen ZERO independent testing for these lights. About the only info one can find on them is at their site and the fuck awful monstergardens.
Please post a link to any independent testing that actually confirms these lights have a great or any advantage over basic systems that are in the market for a fraction of the price.
 
Hammerhead

Hammerhead

Disabled Farmer
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Have you run the Gavita lights MR GW?? we have a few people running Gavita here.. What claims are they making that are nonsense ???? ...How can you make a post like that without running them or asking someone that has ??? .
 
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M

MrGreenWeed

Member
d3cryption said:
Agent-Smith
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=229896&highlight=gavita

theherbalizor
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=223329&highlight=gavita

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=228976&highlight=gavita
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Thanks for the links. I was hoping for more technical data but it's something. I guess when my Lumatek's die off by then there will be better lighting tech at lower prices. For now I will stay out of lighting threads as I have no need to upgrade anytime soon.
 
B

Beanfish

Member
FWIW, I run two 600w ballasts and have had 2 Lumatek's fail just outside of warranty. In their defense, they were not current generation models and the current gen Lumatek I currently have is still working after about 2 years. However I can't help but feel that I wasted money and time by purchasing them. Wish I would have just bought mags from the start, they just work. I have a 400w that has been chugging along for over 7 years as well as a 1000w that ran for almost 5 and is now a backup. Needless to say, I went back to a magnetic ballast after the last failure.
 
B

Buds Bundy

Member
NorCalZero said:
Quantum are probably the most cost effective, and very reliable. Super quiet & dimmable. 3yr. warranty UL tested. http://quantumhort.com
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Here in BC I can get digital any ballast cheaper than Quantum's. I get get Lightspeed Digitals for $220/30, AN BA for $240 and even Lomateks for $240.

All digital ballasts are super quite and 98% of them are dimmable.


As for Gavita 600W, unless they changed their design in the last three years I wouldn't use them. I've personally seen them explode, fly off the base and land on a drip table melting the net pots.
 
D

d3cryption

Active member
Veteran
Buds Bundy said:
Here in BC I can get digital any ballast cheaper than Quantum's. I get get Lightspeed Digitals for $220/30, AN BA for $240 and even Lomateks for $240.

All digital ballasts are super quite and 98% of them are dimmable.


As for Gavita 600W, unless they changed their design in the last three years I wouldn't use them. I've personally seen them explode, fly off the base and land on a drip table melting the net pots.
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seriously? that's the first bad thing i've heard......
 
M

MrGreenWeed

Member
Beanfish said:
FWIW, I run two 600w ballasts and have had 2 Lumatek's fail just outside of warranty. In their defense, they were not current generation models and the current gen Lumatek I currently have is still working after about 2 years. However I can't help but feel that I wasted money and time by purchasing them. Wish I would have just bought mags from the start, they just work. I have a 400w that has been chugging along for over 7 years as well as a 1000w that ran for almost 5 and is now a backup. Needless to say, I went back to a magnetic ballast after the last failure.
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I currently use a newer model mag that can be switched to both MH and HPS along with a digi lumatek for my flower room and I have two mag backups just because I know they are reliable. To be honest, other then the wider spectrum claims with MH bulbs in digi's, the weight difference and the extra 40 watts the 600 mag sucks up when compared to the digi 600, there are no great advantages.
The mags I have are very quiet, produce the same amount of heat when compared to the lumatek, I can use the digilux and other digi bulbs in them with no negative results other then losing the claimed higher frequencies that supposedly allow more lumens and wider spectrums of light, claims I do not know are true.
So I in no way can justify myself buying these supposed plasma systems that cost as much as 2-3 times what a basic digi system costs.
I guess if money doesn't matter then it's all good, unfortunately that's not a problem I have.
 
B

Buds Bundy

Member
d3cryption said:
seriously? that's the first bad thing i've heard......
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Well first Quantum I saw someone using burnt out after two weeks. Not saying they are bad cause I've never run them my self but there is nothing special about them. I personally run Lumatek but have friends who run 100's off the Lightspeed ballasts and 100's of Lumateks in medical grows. I have a buddy running 20+ AN ballasts but those are slowly burning out one by one.
 
D

d3cryption

Active member
Veteran
Buds Bundy said:
Well first Quantum I saw someone using burnt out after two weeks. Not saying they are bad cause I've never run them my self but there is nothing special about them. I personally run Lumatek but have friends who run 100's off the Lightspeed ballasts and 100's of Lumateks in medical grows. I have a buddy running 20+ AN ballasts but those are slowly burning out one by one.
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yeah... but you stated that about gavita 600.....

"As for Gavita 600W, unless they changed their design in the last three years I wouldn't use them. I've personally seen them explode, fly off the base and land on a drip table melting the net pots."
 
B

Buds Bundy

Member
d3cryption said:
yeah... but you stated that about gavita 600.....

"As for Gavita 600W, unless they changed their design in the last three years I wouldn't use them. I've personally seen them explode, fly off the base and land on a drip table melting the net pots."
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Yah we first tried the Gavita knockoffs the Chrome Domes and when those started to burn out in a few days we went with Gavitas. Well a week later I see him and he hands me a couple of melted net pots which where melted when two of the Gavitas exploded and fell off their base and he had 4 other Gavitas that burnt out and were cracked at the base. Needless to say he went to normal GE 600, don't need to burn down the house.
 
growshopfrank

growshopfrank

Well-known member
Veteran
not trying to spam this thread but if you have a compatible lumatek ballast there is a vendor on ebay selling icepack fans for $10
 
R

RanchoDeluxe

Member
Given all this confusion...I think it's time to do some serious research. Might be time to create a chart with science and hard facts. Hearsay, rumors, and opinions are nothing to base this decision on.
 
W

watts

ohms
Veteran
CAP has a new one called the Xtreme nano:

Introducing the NEW and REVOLUTIONARY C.A.P. Xtreme NANO Dimmable Ballast!
This is one of the most prominent advancements in lighting and ballast technology.

The Xtreme Nano supports various receptacles making this a premier addition to your custom lighting setup. This ballast comes in at an unbelievable size at just 9.65" x 4.9" x 2.3" and weighing an amazing 2.9 lbs. In addition, it utilizes our trademarked Independent Ignition Timing™ which delivers a 0-15 second ignition delay to each ballast during start-up, thus eliminating power spikes and circuit overload when firing multiple ballasts at once. It also allows for just the right amount of light, giving you the ability to customize light strength between 100%, 75% and 50% settings. Of course, we had to MAKE IT COOL, with the unique vented case design and dual fans it provides for optimal ventilation and cooling. Finally, we included the User Safety Diagnostics Codes to help you see just how well the Xtreme Nano is operating! We invite you to experience one of the greatest achievements in ballast technology with the Xtreme Nano.

High Output Dimmable Ballast Runs at 100%, 75%, or 50%
Runs Either Metal Halide (MH) or High Pressure Sodium
(HPS) Lamps
25% Cooler than Other Digital Ballasts On the Market
Universal Lamp Receptacle
120v and 240v Power Cords Included
Variable Ignition TimingTM • Auto-Safety DiagnosticsTM
Ballast Can Be Located Up To 65 ft from Lamp
Lighter and More Efficient than a Standard Core and Coil Ballast
Wall Mount Bracket Included
3 Year Warranty
ETL, FCC, and CE Listed

Nano_2__55705_zoom.JPG


Nano_1__30493_zoom.JPG
 
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