What's the best 600W Digital Balast on the market?

I don't really know anything except that the balasts are real quiet. I'm looking to get one, and need help from everyone to help me decide.

I'd like one that runs both MH & HPS.

Can I use it with my Sun Systems reflector?

Thanks to everyone

Rush Limbong said:

I don't really know anything except that the balasts are real quiet. I'm looking to get one, and need help from everyone to help me decide.

I'd like one that runs both MH & HPS.

Can I use it with my Sun Systems reflector?

Thanks to everyone

Click to expand...

I dont know , but i would love to know myself as I'll be upgrading after Xmass .

I've heard only good words about lumatek balasts

Check this out, tested better than Lumatek:

http://www.bghydro.com/BGH/Itemdesc.asp?ic=HLBADIGA06&eq=&Tp=


-Funk

While I haven't personally purchased anything from hidhut, I've heard from a number of people that their product is top notch.
They sell digital ballast at a bargain compared to all other brands.
There's a few threads on the icmag boards, so you can search for them

Once I get through Christmas hell I will hopefully have enough money left over for a 400watt hps/mh ballast and bulbs.

Here's a link:
http://www.hidhut.com/catalog/

Good luck,
JC

FunkBomb said:

Check this out, tested better than Lumatek:

http://www.bghydro.com/BGH/Itemdesc.asp?ic=HLBADIGA06&eq=&Tp=


-Funk

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CAN NOT FIND THEM IN EUROPE ???????

FunkBomb said:

Check this out, tested better than Lumatek:
http://www.bghydro.com/BGH/Itemdesc.asp?ic=HLBADIGA06&eq=&Tp=
-Funk

Click to expand...

That's really amusing that BG is now plugging Galaxy ballasts. Check out their "Guide to Digital Ballasts" published waaaay back in . . . May.

Bettergrow's Guide to Digital Ballasts -- May 2006

At that point in time, they tested a Lumatek 600W vs. a Galaxay 600W and found that the Lumatek had substantially more light output. The Galaxy actually was benched having 20% less output than the Lumatek using roughly the same power.

They also found that the Galaxy caused what was described as "extreme interference" on the AM band at a distance of 4 ft -- indicating the cabling was very poorly shielded.

But now Galaxy is the "best digital available?"

Hmmmm. Either the Galaxy got a whole lot better in the last 7 months, or Sunlight Supply cut BG Hydro one Big Fat Check.

Check this shit out....this just adds to the confusion of what's what.

Joe A Grower, you are right, I read that article, and it made Lumatek the king.

Check out the second paragraph.....



Just to comment briefly, the information BGH posts in its item descriptions is almost always provided by the manufacturer. In some cases, based on BGH experience or valued customer comments, we will add our own extra information to the description in an effort to help educate our customers and provide them with the information they need to make an educated decision on whether or not they should purchase the product. Such is the case with the Lumatek ballasts.

Based on numerous customer requests, BGH ran its own testing on digital ballasts and published a short article detailing our results that was sent out to everyone on our email list. If you did not receive a copy of this article you can find it on our website in the article archive section. It should be noted here that since we ran our tests, the Galaxy ballast has gone through some improvements and although we have not completed our evaluation, so far it looks like the Galaxy performs at least as good as the Lumatek. As soon as we complete the evaluation and testing we will let everyone know our findings, so please don't make any premature assumptions.

There are many different ways to test a ballast, and there are many different factors that can be evaluated. As such, Lumatek's testing provided one set of numbers regarding light output, BGH's testing provided another, and Sunlight Supply provided yet another. Basically, it's easy for 3 different companies to test a digital ballast and get 3 different sets of numbers, which is one of the reasons I think this thread is such a good idea. Hopefully other digital ballast users will chime in with their results and experiences and help provide customers with as much information as possible in order to make an informed buying decision.

On a final note, we are currently evaluating a digital ballast that claims to work with generators. If anything comes of this we will be sure to let everyone know.
__________________
David G.
BGH Forum Moderator
www.bghydro.com

Digital ballasts do not work with generators? Huh?

Indica Sativa said:

Digital ballasts do not work with generators? Huh?

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Generators generally don't have a nice smooth AC sine wave like regular house current. A magnetic ballast tends to smooth over the irregularities in the current delivery, whereas digital ballasts (at this point in time) often have a real problem with it. If you are going to run a grow off of a generator, get the old mag coil ballasts.

I think it's obvious those are MFGR listings and advertisements and not the guy working the counters own personal opinion on the product.

That being said I had one lumatek (the new kind, with a fuse) go dead on me during a small brownout. Fuse never blew... ballast never came back on. Tried all kinds of tests to see where the problem was.

BGH/Lumatek replaced it no problem, but it cost me two weeks running the old ballast, a real big PITA to strip the grow room and replace the ballast- the cord needs to be swapped too as digitals have different plugs, and $30 extra to have it shipped back.

I'm still sticking with Digi's though. As it's small, cool, and I like it a lot better than the old tap and coil.

"I'm still sticking with Digi's though. As it's small, cool, and I like it a lot better than the old tap and coil."
I couldn't have said it better Stretch. had to keep my coil ballast outside the cab to keep the temp down, the Lumatech is in the cab, no temp issues at all. That's really convenient.

Good to know they're reputable and take care of their warrantee stuff I actually left my old magnetic ballast cord in place, coiled up on the wall, so if the digi craps out I just swap cords on the light and power up the old ballast outside the cab.

Have to say I'm very pleased with the Lumatech so far - no problems, quick start is great, and if I need to turn off the lights for pictures or something I don't have to wait long to power back up.

Joe A. Grower said:

Generators generally don't have a nice smooth AC sine wave like regular house current. A magnetic ballast tends to smooth over the irregularities in the current delivery, whereas digital ballasts (at this point in time) often have a real problem with it. If you are going to run a grow off of a generator, get the old mag coil ballasts.

Click to expand...

Outta curiousity, would an inverter based generator (like the Honda series) be safe to run with digis?

I couldn't be happier with my Lumatek ballasts and GE Lucalox bulbs. They're everything you've heard. Less energy consumption, stronger output, etc. I know a bunch of peeps running the same strain, all open systems, same nutes/schedule, etc. Meds produced under the Lumatek/GE combo are superior yielders and superior quality hands down. I looked at that Galaxy/Lumatek comparo at bghydro and the Galaxy does have some nice extra features like 120/240 operation and greater bulb compatability but you can't lose with the GE's. If you look closer at the bottom part of the comparo, in the 'Why Choose Galaxy over Lumatek...' they don't mention Lumatek but do list ROM and Future Brite as some of what they say is exactly the same as what Lumatek advertises.

Has anyone here used a ballast from hidhut? I'd love to go digital, but the cost difference is so substantial between all ballasts.

Thanks in advance,
JC

I recently purchased and then promptly returned a 600W Lumatek digital ballast. After installing the unit, I noticed the radio in my basement no longer worked. I didn't think anything of it until the next day when I pulled my car about 20' from the ballast and the radio went to static. I was like "What the fuck?!" and backed away and the radio was fine about 30' away. Then I went in and turned off my cabinet and the radio came back in loud and clear.

If I get a digital ballast, it'll be in a room, which is right below the part of my roof where the satelite dish is for my TV....is this a big concern?

HIDEyourBUD said:

I recently purchased and then promptly returned a 600W Lumatek digital ballast. After installing the unit, I noticed the radio in my basement no longer worked. I didn't think anything of it until the next day when I pulled my car about 20' from the ballast and the radio went to static. I was like "What the fuck?!" and backed away and the radio was fine about 30' away. Then I went in and turned off my cabinet and the radio came back in loud and clear.

Click to expand...

Was your lamp cord RF shielded? Or was it the old, initial version without an RF shielded cord?

Rush Limbong said:

I'd like one that runs both MH & HPS.

Click to expand...

Problem is that there aren't really any 600w MH bulbs. The ballasts themselves may also not have been designed to be truly switchable to MH because of this... though in an electronic ballast, it'd be so easy and cheap that there's no real reason I can think of not to include this feature.

Digital Ballast 600/1000 watt !

Digital Ballast 600/1000 watt !

Hi All ! There's a new ballast by Bloom Wright the Bloom Brite Plus it runs off of
generators, pretty kool....www.bloomwrite.com Peace!

$ nslookup www.bloomwrite.com
...
** server can't find www.bloomwrite.com: NXDOMAIN

$ whois bloomwrite.com
...
No match for "BLOOMWRITE.COM".