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Is it worth it to update my 600's to digital?
- Thread starter rr14
- Start date
AlterEcho
Member
The only way to go is Digital.
Most of the people that have had issues, are not from the units themselves but from other factors (bad ground, aluminum wiring, wrong bulbs...etc). If these people had an issue with the digi then the warranty would cover it (unless other issues as mentioned). The warranty for the Lumateks makes it hard to wrong.
-=AE=-
Most of the people that have had issues, are not from the units themselves but from other factors (bad ground, aluminum wiring, wrong bulbs...etc). If these people had an issue with the digi then the warranty would cover it (unless other issues as mentioned). The warranty for the Lumateks makes it hard to wrong.
-=AE=-
captain.koons
Member
I had a talk with a very very knowledgable (in my personal opinion) today about digital vs magnetic ballasts. He says digital ballasts are better for energy savings (not 30% like mfgs claim) and they "warm up faster" that's about all the pros he had. He doesn't like that they blow bulbs, they don't really fit into most budget because you need to have a spare ballast instead of fixing them yourself when they break, they blow bulbs and don't really save you money considering where we live a kw of energy is 9-10.2 cents and you should change your ballasts every 3 years.
If you have a HUGE pocket book they're a little safer in terms of possible fires, heat output, electricity effeciancy but they're really before their time and not at all a necessity.
If you have a HUGE pocket book they're a little safer in terms of possible fires, heat output, electricity effeciancy but they're really before their time and not at all a necessity.
GrassRoots
Active member
Lets say that a digital ballast had the ability to increase your light output (and yield) by 3%. That seems like a pretty small figure but lets say that you grow 5 crops a year and get .5 grams per watt so you get 1500 grams per year (these figures are based on 1 x 600w ballast). An increase of 3% on that figure is an extra 45 grams per year. I don't know what a little over an ounce and a half goes for in your area but in my area it would more than cover the cost of the digital ballast and a couple bulbs. Even if it crapped out on you at 3 years that would still be 135 grams over the life of the ballast and this is all assuming some pretty low numbers (.5gpw, 3% light increase, 5 crops instead of maybe 6, 3 year life).
What if you normally yielded 1 gram per watt, got a 5% light increase (and yield), harvested 6 crops per year and had 5 years of ballast life....
Now you're talkin' 900 grams over the life of the ballast. Either way I see it as a no brainer. If you believe that these things have more light output than a standard ballast (and I do) then you should spring for the upgrade and consider it an investment in your future.
Speaking of investing in your future lets say that the 900 grams was worth $9000 to you. That's $1800 per year, if you invested that into something that was earning 8% and kept putting it in there for the next 30 years it would end up being worth $238,335.34. Can you really afford not to go digital?
What if you normally yielded 1 gram per watt, got a 5% light increase (and yield), harvested 6 crops per year and had 5 years of ballast life....
Now you're talkin' 900 grams over the life of the ballast. Either way I see it as a no brainer. If you believe that these things have more light output than a standard ballast (and I do) then you should spring for the upgrade and consider it an investment in your future.
Speaking of investing in your future lets say that the 900 grams was worth $9000 to you. That's $1800 per year, if you invested that into something that was earning 8% and kept putting it in there for the next 30 years it would end up being worth $238,335.34. Can you really afford not to go digital?
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HenDokuYaku said:
i just got too see one of thoes a few weeks ago, there BADASSS!!!!
light as shit, like 5 or 6 lbs, its ran cool as all hell, MVP, and the dimming was bomb too! what an energy saver at the end of the crop... boom! %50 power!
the fan is the only flaw, cheap fans die. but otherwise that thing is a beauty!
Bush Grower
Member
DIGITALHIPPY said:i just got too see one of thoes a few weeks ago, there BADASSS!!!!
light as shit, like 5 or 6 lbs, its ran cool as all hell, MVP, and the dimming was bomb too! what an energy saver at the end of the crop... boom! %50 power!
the fan is the only flaw, cheap fans die. but otherwise that thing is a beauty!
Question for the massses. Does running these electronic ballasts at 50% really save power, or does it use the same amount of power just dimming the bulb?
I'm a skeptic I guess. Inform me!
