Hi guys. i'm looking for data indicating that yields went up after switching from standard to electronic ballasts. I've heard guys say that the 600's are performing like 1000 (standard ballast) but I haven't seen any objective data to support it. I'm thinking about buying another ballast and if electronic doesn't perform better then why spend double the money(what I can get a cheepo standard one for). Once again guys, I'm interested in lumen or usable light, not rf interference debates or cost debates. If they work, I'll buy one.
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Anyone know of any posts with data indicating 600 digitals are better than 600 magnet
- Thread starter rr14
- Start date
I've been reading the threads for the last couple weeks and I've seen a couple guys say that they'll ditch they're 1000's after running the electronic 600's. I guess comments like these are what got me wondering if there is any evidence to show that they do produce more than a standard 600. Thanks for the input.
Magnetic K's are the shit if you are serious about your buds. 600's are for folks who would rather spend their dollars on equipment and light bulbs rather than the electric bill, or don't have the space for a K. I would like a 600, but the cost / benefit equation does not stand up to Kstars. Bulbs for a 600 are a big time rip off. I may be wrong, but I can see no arguement for a 600 except space or heat restrictions.
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these are the main advantages (cer. electrician i am i am):
1)with future brite the ballast itself can basically be put nest to the plants (wouldnt recomend) because they generate nest to NO heat.
2) if somthing like a magnetic ballast gets so hot it could burn you how do you think it got that hot? right your electricity that you are paying for is being turned into heat (somthing we dont want).
3) if a ballast runs cooler it will make the bulb burn to its full potential. period magnetic ballasts never give you the initial lumens as stated on the bulb. plus the max the 1000 watter future brite consumes is 1060 watts try sayin that with a magnetic.
WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO IF SOMTHING IS KICKING OUT A LOT OF HEAT IT IS WASTING ENERGY. TRY THIS IF YOU CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO RECORD THE RESULTS.: RUN YOU MAGNETIC BALLAST FOR AN 2 HOURS AND OBSERVE IT LIGHT OUTPUT WITH A METER, ; THEN SET IT UP TO WHERE YOU HAVE A HELL OF A FAN BLOWING DIRECTLY ON IT ( LIKE A VORTEX 6 OR 8 INCH ) TURN IT ON FOR TWO HOURS AND RECORD THE LIGHT OUTPUT FROM IT NOW. I WIL GUARANTEE THAT THE LIGHT METER WILL SHOW A 5% TO 15% INCREASE IN ACTUAL OUTPUT. I WILL BET MY EYE TEETH ON THIS CAUSE IF DON IT BEFORE. HOPE THIS CLEARS THE ADVANTAGE OF DIGI BALLASTS
1)with future brite the ballast itself can basically be put nest to the plants (wouldnt recomend) because they generate nest to NO heat.
2) if somthing like a magnetic ballast gets so hot it could burn you how do you think it got that hot? right your electricity that you are paying for is being turned into heat (somthing we dont want).
3) if a ballast runs cooler it will make the bulb burn to its full potential. period magnetic ballasts never give you the initial lumens as stated on the bulb. plus the max the 1000 watter future brite consumes is 1060 watts try sayin that with a magnetic.
WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO IF SOMTHING IS KICKING OUT A LOT OF HEAT IT IS WASTING ENERGY. TRY THIS IF YOU CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO RECORD THE RESULTS.: RUN YOU MAGNETIC BALLAST FOR AN 2 HOURS AND OBSERVE IT LIGHT OUTPUT WITH A METER, ; THEN SET IT UP TO WHERE YOU HAVE A HELL OF A FAN BLOWING DIRECTLY ON IT ( LIKE A VORTEX 6 OR 8 INCH ) TURN IT ON FOR TWO HOURS AND RECORD THE LIGHT OUTPUT FROM IT NOW. I WIL GUARANTEE THAT THE LIGHT METER WILL SHOW A 5% TO 15% INCREASE IN ACTUAL OUTPUT. I WILL BET MY EYE TEETH ON THIS CAUSE IF DON IT BEFORE. HOPE THIS CLEARS THE ADVANTAGE OF DIGI BALLASTS
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EasyMyohoDisco
Kiss your local channels goodbye at your grow location, the RF bullshit makes your TV look like a broken antenna is issue. I really don't like that aspect at all, since I have a TV in the growroom and I can only watch a few channels without interference, and the 600w bulbs are expensive, plus the 1000w bulbs hortilux brand are much bluer than the 600w Hortilux bulbs. I'm using a newer magnetic ballast from Sunlight Supply and also running a 600w galaxy ballast outside the same room next to the 1000w, the 1000w gets much hotter than the 600w, my electric bill goes up 50 bucks per 600w light per location at 18 hours on, during flower its a bit cheaper to run. 2000w costs more than 1600w to run and I also have mothers, clones and vegging plants running at the same location so in order to keep the overhead low, I'm using a 600w for now, but Ideally if you can cool your 1000w why use 600w lights, many guys on the forum prove that statement wrong but for someone growing for just under 10 years, I think a 600w = less bud. I have not tried the Evolution 1000w equivalent of the Galaxy 600w ballast, but thats next on the shopping list. Not sure about future brights, they are 500 bucks but I would feel better paying closer to 600 for the company that makes the Galaxy ballast because honestly its made really well and is a great piece of equipment, I have used it in 3 grows now and really enjoyed the drop in ambient heat during lights on as well as the power issue, but the buds are less tight (same strain) the ballast creates RF interference and I get paranoid and think its a government conspiracy and freak out, not a fan of that, but I hope this helps. If you get some from like MDhydro.com (ballast) or TexasHydroponics.com you'll find decent stuff, I got my Galaxy ballast at BGhydro.com because I wanted to buy other stuff from them and they messed up my order but hooked me up with what I need afterwards and let me keep the errorneously ordered merchandise which was cool.
Do more research with respect to you specific needs, if you have access to your electric and you can knock out the power whenever you please, by all means go 1000w you'll really be happier with more production as a result even if you 'slightly' air-cool, air cooling is a must but thats a topic for another thread attanotha time, good luck, take it easy.
Do more research with respect to you specific needs, if you have access to your electric and you can knock out the power whenever you please, by all means go 1000w you'll really be happier with more production as a result even if you 'slightly' air-cool, air cooling is a must but thats a topic for another thread attanotha time, good luck, take it easy.
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it dosent really matter what wattage they are, and i dont mean to diss anyones ballasts cause im not. but i seen a gallaxy and a lumatek in use at my local hydro shop.they also had a future brite running to all the same wattage and they actually had votive candles sittin on the lumatek and galaxy andthe candles were liquid. as far as paying more for a galxxy ballast cause its better made is a little ass backwards. you realy must see a future brite in action in person, you could use them ass a pillow they stay so cool.
i got mine for like 450 with a air cooled reflector by hydrofarm not a cool tube either and a hps and mh bulb and a two year warranty
www.gardening-indoor.com
ps future brite has been making digital ballast for over ten years (yes ten years they are a local company to me and we got to test out 1 2 and 3 generations. they have never made anything but digis they got the science lokked down.
i got mine for like 450 with a air cooled reflector by hydrofarm not a cool tube either and a hps and mh bulb and a two year warranty
www.gardening-indoor.com
ps future brite has been making digital ballast for over ten years (yes ten years they are a local company to me and we got to test out 1 2 and 3 generations. they have never made anything but digis they got the science lokked down.
10 years huh... too bad that even after 10 years, they still can't get it right. Most people who actually own one appear to be unhappy with their purchase. Because they "stay cool" doesn't mean anything in terms of total heat output, since it has a built-in fan that helps keep the device cool. ("Feature or bug?")
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have you actually used on though forget about people who whent and purchased other digis and then heard so many good things bout future brite and they were cheaper too. then they go and try to pick apart a flawless ballast like FB because they are kicking themselves for not shopping around more. (if something stays cool how is that not directly related to "total heat output" maybe i think you think that it is generating the sama amount of heat that its just being wisked away before its noticable? i dunno. still it will be more efficiant because the circuitry never gets the chance to get hot and not BE efficiant:
this "back and forth" might seem a little like and argument to some, but its not i assure you im not here to argue just a nice respectfull debate i have utmost respect for you clown town. hope to hear more opposing thoughts cause they get my mind working. hey, maybe if you could sale me totaly on another brand ill try it. i use digis cause they can run both bulbs MH &HPS even merc. vapor if you can find the wattage to match the ballast.
this "back and forth" might seem a little like and argument to some, but its not i assure you im not here to argue just a nice respectfull debate i have utmost respect for you clown town. hope to hear more opposing thoughts cause they get my mind working. hey, maybe if you could sale me totaly on another brand ill try it. i use digis cause they can run both bulbs MH &HPS even merc. vapor if you can find the wattage to match the ballast.
I've used magnetic 1000's as well as Lumatek 600W digitals. Currently using Galaxy 600W. Here's some of my experiences with the two 600W digis:
1. Never ran into RF problems with lumatek or galaxy.
2. Lost 3 Lumateks in one run (1000W died first week replaced with powerhouse, a 600W died soon after, another 600W died at week 6 of flower) All ballasts and bulbs were new. Haven't lost a galaxy yet.
3. Subjectively, the lumateks ran much hotter than the galaxies. They needed a fan on them during a basement project. I just mount the galaxies on a wall and I can hold my hand on them even after 18 hours.
4. IMO, the MH/HPS switchable option is worthless on a 600W. You're still gonna need conversion halides.
For the most part I'd choose 2x600W over a single 1000W in most situations unless I was looking for penetration on a smaller/deeper canopy.
I'll see if I can get a Kill-a-watt to measure actual power consumption, if not, I'll get a clamp-on.
1. Never ran into RF problems with lumatek or galaxy.
2. Lost 3 Lumateks in one run (1000W died first week replaced with powerhouse, a 600W died soon after, another 600W died at week 6 of flower) All ballasts and bulbs were new. Haven't lost a galaxy yet.
3. Subjectively, the lumateks ran much hotter than the galaxies. They needed a fan on them during a basement project. I just mount the galaxies on a wall and I can hold my hand on them even after 18 hours.
4. IMO, the MH/HPS switchable option is worthless on a 600W. You're still gonna need conversion halides.
For the most part I'd choose 2x600W over a single 1000W in most situations unless I was looking for penetration on a smaller/deeper canopy.
I'll see if I can get a Kill-a-watt to measure actual power consumption, if not, I'll get a clamp-on.
if you look at a light from a ballist through a digital camra, you will notic the screen will flicker when you look at the bulb. if u look at a digital ballist the screen DOES NOT flicker. the flicker is a sign wave of electricity oscilating and your actualy catching the darkmoment of the bulb. digitals put light everynanosecond a magnetic has a few nanoseconds 1/3 of the time the ballist is on that its actualy not puting out asmuch light. kind of like a darksecond...
the plants notice the flicker but it could be totaly negligable.
my digis rock my world better then my magnetics did.
the plants notice the flicker but it could be totaly negligable.
my digis rock my world better then my magnetics did.
well Ill be running a brand new lumatek 600 watt digi (120v) w/ a hortilux bulb. (I've had the gear for a month or so, but plants and space are just now ready)
I already verified interference w/ sat. TV and AM radio.
I was told from members here that its prolly not the ballast (its the new purple 600 one)...supposedly "fixed" for interference issues.
..but prolly my lampcord goin to my hydrofarm hood.
...anyway Its only bad if its in the same room.
the ballast is dead silent, and the bulb fires up fast
HOWEVER the "grow store guy"...told me NOT to expect the bulb to last more than 6 months due to the way that the lumatek ballast fires the bulb so efficiently.
...and Ive read that a lumatek digi 600 watt is about = to 950 watts on the magnetic ballast scale w/ same bulb.
...like I said tho...this is all hearsay, and I am moments away from a "REAL WORLD ANSWER"
I already verified interference w/ sat. TV and AM radio.
I was told from members here that its prolly not the ballast (its the new purple 600 one)...supposedly "fixed" for interference issues.
..but prolly my lampcord goin to my hydrofarm hood.
...anyway Its only bad if its in the same room.
the ballast is dead silent, and the bulb fires up fast
HOWEVER the "grow store guy"...told me NOT to expect the bulb to last more than 6 months due to the way that the lumatek ballast fires the bulb so efficiently.
...and Ive read that a lumatek digi 600 watt is about = to 950 watts on the magnetic ballast scale w/ same bulb.
...like I said tho...this is all hearsay, and I am moments away from a "REAL WORLD ANSWER"
