smoke headies
Member
i got the NEW purple lumatek ballast from discount hydro, it's sickkkly awesome! 600w
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Electronic ballast RF interference status
- Thread starter clowntown
- Start date
smoke headies
Member
the best ballast on the market currently is the new purple lumatek 600w ballasts. nothing else in my eyes
I like my 120v 600w eLux!
It has an internal fan (which i guess could be considered one more thing to break). and only cost me $230 at a reputable growshop.
It has a two year warranty. If the thing goes out, i can take it back to the shop, and they will give me another, on the spot.
This shop also sells Future Brites. The clerk told me that the FB's come back all the time, but they had only seen one elux come back, and they just gave him a new ballast, and sent his old one back to elux.
They said the FB's are sent back too, but they dont offer replacement ballasts, you have to wait for your ballast to come back.
They sell the 120v 600w FB for $350 and like i said my elux was $230.
[/pimping my elux]
It has an internal fan (which i guess could be considered one more thing to break). and only cost me $230 at a reputable growshop.
It has a two year warranty. If the thing goes out, i can take it back to the shop, and they will give me another, on the spot.
This shop also sells Future Brites. The clerk told me that the FB's come back all the time, but they had only seen one elux come back, and they just gave him a new ballast, and sent his old one back to elux.
They said the FB's are sent back too, but they dont offer replacement ballasts, you have to wait for your ballast to come back.
They sell the 120v 600w FB for $350 and like i said my elux was $230.
[/pimping my elux]
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cesartime
Member
I have two 120v 600w Lumenace (not Lumatek) digi ballasts and ive been running them without any problems for about 5 months now, i also have two 240v 600w MDhydro digi ballast which I have been running for about a month now. I have no interference with my cable internet, which is wireless by the way, my cable television, any radio stations, or my cell phone reception. No problems with the ballasts although the MDhydro ones gets hotter than the Lumenace ballasts but no RF issues whatsoever.
SoulShine
Active member
This is a GREAT idea Clowntown. Found this after all the negative posts on HIDHut ballasts and thought I'd submit my report on mine.
HIDhut 400w digital
Reported by: Soulshine August 26th 2007
FM/AM radio: OK 10 feet away
Sirius satellite radio: OK 10 feet way
Cordless phone: OK - 5.8 GHz
Cell phone: OK
Wireless network: OK (~50 ft away) Lynksys
Satellite TV: OK
Home theatre sound system: OK
Notes: Silent running, warm but not too hot (have 3 1/2 fan on it anyway) No interference at all. Good value, would reccommend.
HIDhut 400w digital
Reported by: Soulshine August 26th 2007
FM/AM radio: OK 10 feet away
Sirius satellite radio: OK 10 feet way
Cordless phone: OK - 5.8 GHz
Cell phone: OK
Wireless network: OK (~50 ft away) Lynksys
Satellite TV: OK
Home theatre sound system: OK
Notes: Silent running, warm but not too hot (have 3 1/2 fan on it anyway) No interference at all. Good value, would reccommend.
heres the gear I just picked up.
...I didn't see a report on this specific lumatek ballast in "clowns" initial post.
this one is model #LK6120, and it's the new "purple" edition 600 watt 120v.
I'm told that I wont have any RFI issues, but that I'll be buying a new bulb every 4 to 6 months if I run the hortilux like I just got. (ouch) ...anyone have any experience w/ that issue.
...I didn't see a report on this specific lumatek ballast in "clowns" initial post.
this one is model #LK6120, and it's the new "purple" edition 600 watt 120v.
I'm told that I wont have any RFI issues, but that I'll be buying a new bulb every 4 to 6 months if I run the hortilux like I just got. (ouch) ...anyone have any experience w/ that issue.
Lemon
Member
Make: "New" HID Hut (manufactured by Sunway)
Type: 150 watt
Broadband: DSL - OK
WiFi: OK
Cable: Severely affected
*Notes: Curiously, only reads 102watt draw (after warmup) when tested through inline power meter. May be due to nature of the electronic ballast, but not sure.
Digital ballasts are way too hit-and-miss for me. When it comes to this hobby, I don't like to roll dice, and that's what has kept me safe, smoking, buying, and growing. For now it's back to the the classic magnetic.
.
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so far there is BIG time interference w/ my directv satelite signal
...that's w/ the light/ballast runnin' in my living room, and about 10 feet away from the reciever box and about 50 feet away from the dish and about 5 feet awat from the TV which is just a normal 24" magnavox non-HD
ill check the am/fm stuff and cell phone and cordless house phone stuff next...I have a dedicated weather radio too ill see if that is affected.
...that's w/ the light/ballast runnin' in my living room, and about 10 feet away from the reciever box and about 50 feet away from the dish and about 5 feet awat from the TV which is just a normal 24" magnavox non-HD
ill check the am/fm stuff and cell phone and cordless house phone stuff next...I have a dedicated weather radio too ill see if that is affected.
HIDhut 400w digital hps/mh
Reported by: namo420 sept 8 2007
FM/AM radio: OK 10 feet away
Sirius satellite radio: OK 10 feet way
Cordless phone: OK - 5.8 GHz ok all distances
Cell phone: OK all distances
Xbox360:OK 10 feet away
cable TV: OK
Home theatre sound system: OK
Notes: Silent running,fairly hot running, great price,even better customer service.
DankSwayzee
Member
Galaxy 250 watt ballast (Green)
Reported by: Dankswayzee October 18 2007
FM/AM Radio - Ok 5 feet away
Cell phone - Ok any distance
xbox360 (wireless internet) - Ok anywhere.
Wireless Network - Speed has been fluctuating - 36 mbps 24 mbps 54 mbps - wireless xbox live is generally lag free, same as wireless gaming on the computer is fine.
TV - ok 4 feet away
Notes - my wireless has always read a consistant 54 mbps until the ballast, but it seems to work just the same. When you put your hand on the ballast it is warm, but not too hot to touch. Silent as anything compared to the buzzing of my previous 150 magnetic ballast.
On a side note, has anyone out there found a way to stop RF interference
on a digital ballast? can you surround it with something to block its interference?
Edit - nevermind, ordered some of those ferrite clamps. Can't be too safe, right?
Reported by: Dankswayzee October 18 2007
FM/AM Radio - Ok 5 feet away
Cell phone - Ok any distance
xbox360 (wireless internet) - Ok anywhere.
Wireless Network - Speed has been fluctuating - 36 mbps 24 mbps 54 mbps - wireless xbox live is generally lag free, same as wireless gaming on the computer is fine.
TV - ok 4 feet away
Notes - my wireless has always read a consistant 54 mbps until the ballast, but it seems to work just the same. When you put your hand on the ballast it is warm, but not too hot to touch. Silent as anything compared to the buzzing of my previous 150 magnetic ballast.
On a side note, has anyone out there found a way to stop RF interference
on a digital ballast? can you surround it with something to block its interference?
Edit - nevermind, ordered some of those ferrite clamps. Can't be too safe, right?
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pineappaloupe
Active member
Ballast: eLux 2.0 240V 600W
bulb: grolux
I did not notice any problem with cable TV, wireless internet or FM radio but the AM radio interference was very noticeable.
For a station with a strong signal there was no problem, but when searching for more stations I picked up on "dead air" stations that just sounded like buzzing. When the ballast was moved 30 ft this did not change. When the ballast was turned off, the buzzing on the Am station was gone.
bulb: grolux
I did not notice any problem with cable TV, wireless internet or FM radio but the AM radio interference was very noticeable.
For a station with a strong signal there was no problem, but when searching for more stations I picked up on "dead air" stations that just sounded like buzzing. When the ballast was moved 30 ft this did not change. When the ballast was turned off, the buzzing on the Am station was gone.
ApolloGuru
Member
anyone have any updates with galaxy's??
MostHigh
Member
Wow...us indoor grow types sure are suckers. I can't stand that, while ignorant, I got sold.
There's a reason digi ballasts never make it past warranty. No one has got it down yet...there's no industry wide standards on them. They are NOT UL listed....and unless there is a fan blowing across them the entire time they're running, the s'posed increased efficiency is lost. Me, I'm anxious to get rid of fairly new 400 & 600 digis. Pretty sorry I jumped on them without weighing or learning all the pros & cons of digis.
btw...any digi with an internal fan is a motor on slow bake thats just waiting to fail. Go with the gel filled models.
There's a reason digi ballasts never make it past warranty. No one has got it down yet...there's no industry wide standards on them. They are NOT UL listed....and unless there is a fan blowing across them the entire time they're running, the s'posed increased efficiency is lost. Me, I'm anxious to get rid of fairly new 400 & 600 digis. Pretty sorry I jumped on them without weighing or learning all the pros & cons of digis.
btw...any digi with an internal fan is a motor on slow bake thats just waiting to fail. Go with the gel filled models.
hi all, well im the market for a 600 watt lumatek digi, can some 1 recomend me a respectable site that carrys the new versions of lumatek(purple i believe).
i heard alot of good things and alot of bad things bout lumatek and im going to give them a go.ill be using a super sun 2 hood so will i need anything extra
(cables etc) for sun systems?
btw is this the newset model:http://www.hydrofarm.com/pb_detail.php?itemid=3173#
thanks every 1 for the great info.......
i heard alot of good things and alot of bad things bout lumatek and im going to give them a go.ill be using a super sun 2 hood so will i need anything extra
(cables etc) for sun systems?
btw is this the newset model:http://www.hydrofarm.com/pb_detail.php?itemid=3173#
thanks every 1 for the great info.......
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C
confedrate69
brass screen to kill RF interferance
brass screen to kill RF interferance
if the rf interferance is feared or expearincaed u can make a cage out of brass screen to place around the ballest and cords as long as no cords are going to get rubbed through. it is a perminate fix that will trap rf interferance and keep it inside of the screen with out over heating ballests.
brass screen to kill RF interferance
if the rf interferance is feared or expearincaed u can make a cage out of brass screen to place around the ballest and cords as long as no cords are going to get rubbed through. it is a perminate fix that will trap rf interferance and keep it inside of the screen with out over heating ballests.
