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Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH)

greenwithenvy

Active member
Veteran
The test is for the MGD bulb and the 860 plus they're ballast which I have not received yet. There is no denying that the bulb is Phillips.
 

greenwithenvy

Active member
Veteran
Looks good... But I'd have to say what you're testing out is a Philips bulb. Guess if the test goes well then DNA gets the credit and they become all the rage? lol

Go Philips.

Wouldn't you agree that Gavita did the same thing? Phillips is the greatest light bulb maker in the world no wonder why people want to join up with them.
 

njrmutcd

Member
Is there a 1000 watt magnetic ballast that could run both the 330w and 860w AllStarts? I thought you could use, for example, a 1000 watt magnetic to run a 600 watt bulb as long as the bulb/ballast were otherwise compatible.
 

rives

Inveterate Tinkerer
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ICMag Donor
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Is there a 1000 watt magnetic ballast that could run both the 330w and 860w AllStarts? I thought you could use, for example, a 1000 watt magnetic to run a 600 watt bulb as long as the bulb/ballast were otherwise compatible.

No. The lamp and the ballast need to be matched. The exception is that a few of the electronic ballasts (not magnetic) are rated to use lower-wattage lamps on reduced settings, but most are not.
 

njrmutcd

Member
I see. Thanks. I was hoping there would be a way to run 330w for vegetation and 860w for flowering without having to change ballasts. Not too big of a deal though!
 
Wouldn't you agree that Gavita did the same thing? Phillips is the greatest light bulb maker in the world no wonder why people want to join up with them.

Ya, that's my point. My other point is that the electronic ballasts that DNA/GEL, etc. are selling to people for ridiculous prices actually cost them next to nothing. I have 2 sources right now for digital ballasts for the MW Elite bulb line up (210w & 315w) and you'd shat if you saw just how cheap they are - High frequency, too... Buy a bulb, buy a ballast, none of it is your intellectual property but you can resell it for an arm-and-leg price (That's GEL/DNA in a nutshell). I'll have 315w kits out soon and they'll be cheaper than GEL and just the same quality.

I hope my disdain for companies like GEL/DNA (I still believe they're the same people) isn't too obvious ;)

I put this post in here because I didn't want to shit on your comparison test. I value your effort doing a side-by-side and I'm interested to see which bulb does better, so don't take this the wrong way.
 
Bold statement. How did you determine the respective quality of the components?

Better question is, how did you determine the respective quality of GEL/DNA ballast components? My Accendo ballast is supposedly of great quality, yet it's epoxy potted so I have no idea what is actually in there. The only proof is in the operation and longevity. This all comes from testing and testing is what I'll be doing before I sell any of these ballasts.
 

rives

Inveterate Tinkerer
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ICMag Donor
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Better question is, how did you determine the respective quality of GEL/DNA ballast components? My Accendo ballast is supposedly of great quality, yet it's epoxy potted so I have no idea what is actually in there. The only proof is in the operation and longevity. This all comes from testing and testing is what I'll be doing before I sell any of these ballasts.

No, actually it isn't a better question. I've made no claims about the quality of any of them - you have. You state up front that they are the same quality, and then go on to say that you have done no testing. And unless you are planning on testing a few hundred units for fifty thousand hours or so and determine the ballast failure rate as well as lamp longevity and light output, your "testing" is pretty well meaningless.
 
No, actually it isn't a better question. I've made no claims about the quality of any of them - you have. You state up front that they are the same quality, and then go on to say that you have done no testing. And unless you are planning on testing a few hundred units for fifty thousand hours or so and determine the ballast failure rate as well as lamp longevity and light output, your "testing" is pretty well meaningless.

Ya, cuz a Lumatek never fails lol. Did GEL test a few hundred of their units for 7.5yrs (18hrs/day)? Get real, dude.


I think GEL has a kit for you... Starting at just $500!
 

rives

Inveterate Tinkerer
Mentor
ICMag Donor
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Ya, cuz a Lumatek never fails lol. Did GEL test a few hundred of their units for 7.5yrs (18hrs/day)? Get real, dude.


I think GEL has a kit for you... Starting at just $500!

No need for a kit, I've got all of the Philips gear that I can ever possibly use.

Making unsupportable statements about the quality of some gear that you found from an Alibaba search is foolish. Having had far too much exposure to Chinese manufacturing via a misguided purchasing department, I've never known the initial bargain not to become very expensive over the long haul. On the other hand, the GEL ballast is supposed to be of German origin. Again, having owned a lot of German-made equipment from firearms to electronics to cars, it all carried a premium price initially and became a bargain over the years.

The same thing holds true here. The initial cost of a ballast dwindles to insignificance depending on what it does to the lamp life, output and lumen maintenance, particularly with lamps as expensive as the 315w. And that's if the ballast even lives long enough to impact the lamp life.
 

greenwithenvy

Active member
Veteran
Ya, that's my point. My other point is that the electronic ballasts that DNA/GEL, etc. are selling to people for ridiculous prices actually cost them next to nothing. I have 2 sources right now for digital ballasts for the MW Elite bulb line up (210w & 315w) and you'd shat if you saw just how cheap they are - High frequency, too... Buy a bulb, buy a ballast, none of it is your intellectual property but you can resell it for an arm-and-leg price (That's GEL/DNA in a nutshell). I'll have 315w kits out soon and they'll be cheaper than GEL and just the same quality.

I hope my disdain for companies like GEL/DNA (I still believe they're the same people) isn't too obvious ;)

I put this post in here because I didn't want to shit on your comparison test. I value your effort doing a side-by-side and I'm interested to see which bulb does better, so don't take this the wrong way.

I have no problem with GreenThumb14 whatsoever, I just want to make it clear whats up.


First: Its not as easy as it is said. Pooff just order a hf ballast and pair to lamp and vuala, u have it all figured out... nope, not even close, not even on the same planet.
This cmh is special and requires special technology to run them the way DNA claims, which extends lamp life, spectrum consistency and output, and improved lumen life and decrease depreciation %.

Second: You have to establish relationship with your manufacture and do a moq (minimum order quantity). Thats a few hundred g's

Third: It takes big money to make money. DNA is in business to do business... I.e make money.

Fourth: There are huge technological differences between low quality and high quality ballast...I.e parts for ballast, casing, computer mods and chips, workmanship, wiring, time, and a lot more.
DNA wants a good quality ballast that they can stand behind and warranty. Im not even touching the surface at all.
Its business 101, overhead, payroll, shipping, and again a bunch more stuff that all adds to cost.

Fifth: If it was so easy and not special at all, why doesn't every one just do it? Ill tell you why, because it cost a FUCK load of money, man hours, designing parameters, negotiation delimas, ul procedures, paperwork,head aches, ups and downs, shipping bullshit from china, customs and again, a lot more!!! So its clear you haven't ran an import/export business before, that I know is obvious.

Sixth: DNA started this business to bring newer and better technology to the grower at a price that is better by far than led, plasma, and induction, that we all know for the money, doesn't do a damn thing for most growers, hence most growers still use mh/hps. DNA is simply supplying a better product at an affordable price that is comparable to hps pricing. The 315w ballast with lamp and adapter is only $350 and with a $280 og hood for only $500. There are other company's charging about double that for what they are selling, with an idy bidy tiny little hood that cost about $30 bucks. Im sure they are making money but definately not trying to rail anyone. And the 860 isnt much more! But I digress, obviously DNA must not know anything, haven't done any studying or homework, never ran a business, have no money, must be ripping everyone off, and a horrible business , blaa, blaa, fucking blaa.
Its simple if you dont like the product and /or pricing don't buy it.

Ill go a step further. Here's a challenge for anyone on planet Earth, if you can come up with a lamp/ballast technology different than what DNA is offering at a better price with better quality and a better spectrum, Ill eat my shorts and ill buy your product.
Let me make it simple for you:
Hps
Mh
Induction
Led
Plasma
Pretty sure that covers it,
DNA will put it to the test in front of the world with machines that give us facts not opinions like micro mole quantum meters and spectrometers for par/ppf. Lets see who steps up and lets see who's eating who's shorts.
Not including what they have, which btw they have more things a brewin in immediate near future that are bad ass and new technology.


"Gel" like other companies have zero connection with DNA.
 
U

unthing

azeotrope, looking good. sorry lost track already, are they under 930 or what now?
 

Azeotrope

Well-known member
Veteran
unthing - They are under the 930. They did like the first 10-13days (I don't count days spot on always. Lazy...) of 12/12 under the 942. Vegging, node formation and stretch reduction were significant under the 942. No problem with on-set of flowering either. It was rather quick actually.

greenwithenvy - Thanks. Just watering and watching.

I am really liking how the cab looks when I open it. The ORCA film really does act as they claim.
 

tenthirty

Member
Now I'm going to have to get a 942 for the stretch. I've been seeing the same thing with the 930 agro, still works really well though. Node spacing is a Little more than I like.

Orca is indeed the shit!
 

Stoogots

Member
Veteran
Using my 315w fixture to cover 130*170
picture.php

picture.php

Hanging it 70/75cm over the crop

works really well
 

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