lumatek ballasts and bulb compatability

zapjay · Feb 3, 2009

Hello all. I did a search (I really did!) but didn't find what I was looking for, so I thought I'd ask. Considering getting a 600w lumatek ballast and would like to know from anyone who runs one....what bulb do you use? I know people have had compatability issues in the past concerning bulbs and the lumateks. I emailed lumatek a couple of days ago but haven't heard back from them concerning this issue. Any recommendations would surely be appreciated. Thanks alot! :joint:

jocat · Feb 3, 2009

i run 2 lumatek 6oow, 220v, hortlux hps bulbs, for the last 6 months with 0 proplems, jc

BeeBee · Feb 3, 2009

I don't use them myself, but a fanatic friend of mine has the Lumatek 600 HPS 220v and uses SLI (Sylvania Lighting International) or GE Lucalox PSL. Hydrofarm (the Lumatex distributor) strongly recommended those two choices.

Kinderfeld · Feb 3, 2009

Lumatek used to have problems with cheaper bulbs and hortilux but they are all fine now, I also use a hortilux with no problems whatsoever. I use a sylvania metal halide bulb which is VERY cheap like 10 bucks and it works great too.

zapjay · Feb 3, 2009

Thanks alot everyone for the replies. Was considering a ushio brand bulb that comes highly reccomended. Sounds like lumatek might have these problems sorted out. Will be nice not to stress over what bulb to use. I'll just be sure to have a spare or two. Many thanks once again!

Haps · Feb 3, 2009

The key word is advertise. Couldn't give me a digital for free.
H

smokesalot420 · Feb 3, 2009

I had problems with my hortilux bulb and lumatek ballast 4 months ago..... I exchanged the bulb for a Ushio Hilux gro bulb and haven't had a problem since.... Just sharing my experiences

thecarguy · Feb 3, 2009

Smokesalot420's experience is a frequent one. The Hortilux has had problems on the Lumatek. Also, the 600 watt Horti is not nearly as good as the 1000 watt bulb for spectral reasons. Really, it only makes sense to go digital for the 250-600w range, the 1000s still have a higher failure rate.

The Ushio bulb that Smokesalot has is the bulb that Lumatek recommends. Let me copy and paste an email I received from Lumatek:

Hi,

We recommend the Ushio HiLux and Agro Sun Red as well as the SLI by Sylvania. The Agro Sun will probably be the most reasonably priced but the Ushio will give you a broader spectrum.

Regards,

John Miles

Lumatek Technical Support

Lumatek Digital Ballast

[email protected]

zapjay · Feb 4, 2009

smokesalot420 said:
I had problems with my hortilux bulb and lumatek ballast 4 months ago..... I exchanged the bulb for a Ushio Hilux gro bulb and haven't had a problem since.... Just sharing my experiences

Hey smokes. Did you buy your Ushio bulb online? If so can you tell me where? Not having much luck finding any of the 600w hps lamps. Thanks a bunch.

Haps · Feb 4, 2009

Jenn, there is always a fresh thread about someone having digital ballast issues. I know they can be good, but I look at equipment from a reliability perspective, and digital has a high failure rate. And a six is just that, not a K.
H

Haps · Feb 4, 2009

If I was planning to use 3 or 4 digital 600's I would plan to keep a spare on the shelf to ensure my girls stay happy. But I just stick with magnetics, and keep a spare anyway, hehe.
H

jocat · Feb 4, 2009

i dunno jenn, there's also alot of happy digital users out there, i made the switch mostly because there supposed to use less juice and give more light than a core and coil, i have no way of measuring if there saving me juice, i do see a difference in the light from the two digis that are running next to two c/c's also 600w hortilux, there's some other advantages as well, they don't wear out bulbs as quickly, there very light in weight, easy to hang on a wall. run silent and cool. i was happy enough to buy a 1000 digi and after 2 months, running a blue spectrum halide bulb, not one proplem. another good thing is that they have a restart delay built in so if power is cut and restarts the bulb is saved wear & tear. I have both and won't be getting rid of my older c/c ballests, just this last december when the power failed due to storm and the backup generator had to be used i was glad to have them. apples to oranges. jc. and as to your question comparing the 6 to the 1k, it's still a 6 and can't replace the penetration of the 1k.

Capn · Feb 4, 2009

I'm using a 600w lumatek with the HiLux bulb aswell. Thing is way brighter than my old horti bulb.

Kinderfeld · Feb 4, 2009

Digital ballast have come aloooong way from when they were first release, which when they were first released they had a TON of problems. It is only natural people still think they have a high failure rate, but the truth is the newer models, specifically lumatek don't. Not to mention they give you a 5 year warranty no questions asked, this IMO sells itself. Digital is the way to go easily, but I am only talking about lumatek and the 600, 400 and 250 models...don't know about other companies or the 1000 lumatek. Magnetic there is never really a problem but digis are wayyy more advanced as far as how they work. They are in their ending phase of working out all the kinks so within the next year or two I would def. go with digital., comparing the advantages of a digi to a magnetic doesn't even compare. Keeping a spare is always a good idea no matter what kind you use.

petemoss · Feb 4, 2009

smokesalot420 said:
I had problems with my hortilux bulb and lumatek ballast 4 months ago..... I exchanged the bulb for a Ushio Hilux gro bulb and haven't had a problem since.... Just sharing my experiences

Same here. My 250 watt Hortilux HPS bulb would no longer start after only two months. I got a cheap Ushio HPS bulb. Unfortunately, the Ushio Hilux doesn't come in a 250 watt version.

ThisBuds4You · Feb 4, 2009

I used to run 2-600 watt Lumateks w/Hortilux bulbs and I never had issues. Now I have a 250 watt electronic Galaxy ballast with a cheap ass Philips bulb, so far so good. Just letting you know my experiences :rasta:

--
TB4U

Old Yeller · Feb 4, 2009

What TB4Y says ^^^,
Just got my first digital, a 250W Galaxy with a Hortilux MH bulb & it's running great.
Too bad digitals can't run CMH bulbs though...

zapjay · Feb 4, 2009

I found a place to order the Ushio HiLux bulbs online so that's what I'll be going with. I'm looking forward to seeing what the 600w Lumatek is capable of (and what I'm capable of most importantly, as my beginner skill level will not truly allow it to "shine" just yet!). Thanks for the replies. Love to read about peoples experiences with the digitals.

thecarguy · Feb 4, 2009

I actually just found out that Lumatek is a distributor for Ushio HiLux, and that they specifically asked Ushio Germany to make a bulb designed for high frequency digital ballasts while they were setting up a medical operation in the UK.

This info comes from my hydro dude, who has excellent rapport with them.

Leafs.Rule.75 · Feb 5, 2009

I have 2 of the Lumatek 400 watt digital ballasts i run them with 400 watts phillips metal halide bulbs for veg and phillips son agro 430watt bulbs for flowering, i think there great no need for 2 seperate ballast for veg n bloom just change a bulb

lumatek ballasts and bulb compatability

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