re: lumatek ballasts will get u busted... omfg its true

[igrowone]

not the first time i've seen posts on this topic(some digital ballasts)
i can understand the thrill of paranoia that shoots through
seems you've made a choice, but i do see that RF power meters are available for rent for not too much green($50 for a week for expensive stuff)
might be even cheaper if there is something you could rent locally, not sure how easy it would be to measure

 

[mofeta]

most RF leaks come from cheap non-shielded lamp cords to the socket.
if I use my 600w lumatek (not dual) or my cheapo 250w HID-Hut digi ballasts with a good hydrofarm or SS cord-set I get no interference/cross talk on any other equipment.
if I use the cheap ass-ed cord set/wing reflector that came with my HTG supply 1000w mag ballast with either digital ballast I get lots of RF interference, ie. to the point of losing some digital channels on my cable.

This is an excellent point. Most people think only of the ballast itself, but I think that unshielded lamp cords and loose socket/reflector connections are the main culprits. Also make sure the lamp cord is fully pushed in to the ballast.

You can put a little AM radio in the room and use it to see what various changes (different lamp cord, wiggle connections etc.) do to the level of interference. I once fixed a friend's wicked interference problem just by wiggling/pushing in the lamp cord to the ballast, the little radio we had in there went from solid white noise to crystal clear as I did it. He was real happy because he hadn't been able to listen to baseball games while working in his room.

 

[arcticjake]

High levels of signal ingress from a single location can easily disrupt service to 300 other subscribers internet. Its a pain in the ass narrowing down where the hell the signal is coming from and making it stop so everyone stops bitching about their internet. Cable guy probably doesnt give a shit what your up to just needs it stop affecting his customers.

Jake

 

[mrpotatohead]

I had one 600watt Lumatek that completely knocked out my wireless cameras and mine and my neighbors Internet and they are 75 yards throughout the woods. Fuck digital ballasts. They're expensive, they burn bulbs and apparently they will land you in prison. Not too cool. Pointless expensive garbage.

 

[Hammerhead]

I defiantly do not agree with that garbage of a statement. These ballast are bullet proof. You can fix them very easy if you have a problem with 10$....Did you have a new model???

 

[vStagger Leev]

Quantams are the bees knees when it come to digital ballasts...

 

[KONY]

I got a knock from a hamm radio operator neighbor last year with running a Nextgen 600 ballast on 120.

Digi ballast are cool for their size and weight, but i would never use one in a city again. My hamm radio neighbor knew about where the signal was coming from, and that it was a "big appliance, using a ton of electricity". He also said the time it was turning on and off everyday "like it was on a timer", and the words grow light also came out of his mouth.

Packed up and left few weeks later.
Man was it sketch though, still makes me anxious reading other rf stories..

 

[Sundance]

This is an old problem - that has long ago been resolved by making their next generation ballasts - better

Any questions - call Lumatek direct

They are very accessible and always helpful

Nice guys too

In the USA - 866 369-8943

 

[Mr. Bongjangles]

This is an old problem - that has long ago been resolved by making their next generation ballasts - better

Any questions - call Lumatek direct

They are very accessible and always helpful

Nice guys too

In the USA - 866 369-8943

No, the new superlumens models still put off tons of RF interference, along with all the other brands of digital ballasts this dude tested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svUk74khIFk

That's only a 400w no less.

 

[Green Supreme]

This is the one most seem to copy. Peace GS

http://www.nutrilifeproducts.com/products/lighting/electronicBallast/

 

[Hydrosun]

FWIIW my older school Lumatek 750 ballasts would screw with over the air HD antennas and I don't use them anymore. The newer 1K + super lumen have caused no problems. All my ballasts are Lumatek 1kw+'s running on 240v.

 

[BigDawg]

No, the new superlumens models still put off tons of RF interference, along with all the other brands of digital ballasts this dude tested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svUk74khIFk

That's only a 400w no less.

don't think that's an accurate test. It will do the same thing with a magnetic ballast.

 

[FreedomFightr]

How do you fix the lumatek's? arnt they epoxy filled?

 

[CANNATOPIA]

Went to the Grow Shop & saw the Lumateks. So I read the box and on the new models it says protected against RF. Maybe the new ones already have this issue worked out.? However I have had three of them for 4 years with no issues at all.

 

[CANNATOPIA]

With a little searching I found this on Lumateks Web Page.
R.F emissions

Lumatek E-Ballasts are now internally RF shielded and can be used with standard System Cord sets as available in each country worldwide. Our ballasts produce the least amount of EMI (electro- magnetic interference) of any electronic ballast and conform to all international Electro-magnetic emission standards. This applies to all blue and purple models of the Lumatek. The older silver models which employed earlier technology (at the time industry leading) can be upgraded for current models (and the highest EMI standards) at reduced purchase costs; for details please contact us by e-mail or if you are in the USA or Canada tel U.S 1 415 233 4273
Link to their page-http://www.lumatek.co.uk/index.php/products/general-product-information.html

 

[Green Supreme]

They are a funny company. Denying all these problems with their first ballasts that's just wrong. Using the customer to do research and development is lame. If you ask folks that had problem with the first series of ballasts, they were told they were flat out wrong. No offer to fix. Even the admissions by them in the last post show, they are not holding themselves responsible for problems. Wonder how many folks were actually busted while all these denials went and continue to go on. Good luck. Your safety first. Peace GS

 

[growclean]

I got a knock from a hamm radio operator neighbor last year with running a Nextgen 600 ballast on 120.
My hamm radio neighbor knew about where the signal was coming from, and that it was a "big appliance, using a ton of electricity". He also said the time it was turning on and off everyday "like it was on a timer", and the words grow light also came out of his mouth.
quote]

This is interesting. I have a hamm operator neighbor too. The guy has so many godamn antennas coming off his roof. He got in trouble last year for having a "line" that ran from a 20 ft antenna off the peak of his house to the light pole out front. This got "denied" after about 2 weeks. We think that we do sketchy shit sometimes!

Anyway, I sometimes pick up this guys little "chat" sessions on my JBL speakers hooked up to my office PC. It is low and weird. I couldn't even figure it out for awhile. But every once in a while it comes in clear enought that I can kinda make out what he and his little buddies are saying.

By the way, I sound condescending because I am. I do not dig on this dude and he is super creepy. Every time we talk to him, it sends shivers down my wifes spine. He definetely comes across as a sexual deviant (and not in the good way). Maybe I will bring home a couple of ballasts to flip on every time he fucks up my speakers....

I still think that RF is different than internet though... For what it is worth, I have over 50 ballasts, all lumatek (besides 4 master blaster) running and all the wireless internet users by us are fine. (Our grow location is known and we know our neighbors...)

So maybe the newer ones are ok and the older ones are bunk? Surely in a community as large as ours there are some with the training to figure this out right? Where are our engineering majors?

Really I think that there is alot of room for better products in our industry. I think that as more people and corporations get into the game, the products will get better for awhile. Of course this is much like a bullet trajectory and the quality will eventually start to degrade... that is another rant though...

 

[Tela]

i know a guy that had the same problem. He was running @ least 20 600s. It was about 2 years ago. He got a knock too. Ended up replacing them all.

Cant they make little faraday cages for these electronic ballasts? Hopefully someone will start soon.

 

[Hammerhead]

Its not just lumatek all of them have had there issues and many still do. The tittle of the thread is misleading should be digital ballast can get you busted

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

I never really heard that much about digi ballast noise affecting wireless internet. I always heard it messes up cable tv.