lumatek or quantum E-ballast

[bravedave]

Just a side-note Im not sure anyone has touched on, but I noticed with my dimmable ballast (600w Quantum-but Lumatek is awesome also) that the color spectrums of the bulbs change with each setting and saw significant decrease in plant response and not much decrease in heat with lower settings. If youre not running 100%, you dont know what colors you light is producing. My Digilux MH turns orangeish when dimmed and my plants didnt like it, even moving the light closer. Just what Ive noticed anyways.

I was under the impression that if you are going to run it dimmed you should not be running the same bulb. In other words, if you have a 600w Quantum running at 75% you should have a 400w bulb. Not so?

 

[Red1966]

It may be slightly better. Growers House did a test with 1000w bulbs at super lumen, 100% and 4 more lower settings. (They had a ballast with 6 different settings!) The spectrum output remained almost exactly the same regardless of the dimming level. Efficiency dropped slightly the more they dimmed. Not enough to make a big difference, so maybe not enough to make it worth buying multiple bulbs. They didn't address effect on lifespan. Some here claim it does shorten lifespan, but I suspect they're just assuming it does. I imagine it makes some difference, but data isn't available. Why obsess over it if it makes almost no difference? That said, I have 400w and 600w bulbs instead of just dimming the 600w. I can't see the difference, but somedude247 says he can. Now that I reread this, I see it isn't helpful at all. I'll shut up now.

 

[auswolf]

I did a test on a 430w hps bulb dimmed to 250w, also tested a 250w hps as a comparison. One picture shows 430 and 430 dimmed, the other is 430 and 250w bulbs.
Edit the 250w and 430w bulbs are different manufactures.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

google "lumateck sucks"

Go with either Nanolux or the energy station "e-ballast" (known as the "iphone ballast" on the west coast.) if you want bang for bux

 

[Cap'n Jack]

"super lumens" is junk.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

Lumatek isnt even UL listed. Those pieces of shit fail about 30% of the time within a year.

 

[jordan293]

Lumatek isnt even UL listed. Those pieces of shit fail about 30% of the time within a year.

iv had 3 400 watt dimmable lumateks for over 3 years now and they all work fine none have burnt out themselves or burnt out bulbs i find them to be very reliable

 

[jijiandfarmgang]

I prefer Gavita , then Solis tek. Both a sealed design.

Had many digital ballasts, never had one fail. Of course I upgraded over the years and sold older ones.

I must of rocked a half dozen apollos for 2 years....

- Jiji

 

[jijiandfarmgang]

I did a test on a 430w hps bulb dimmed to 250w, also tested a 250w hps as a comparison. One picture shows 430 and 430 dimmed, the other is 430 and 250w bulbs.
Edit the 250w and 430w bulbs are different manufactures.
View attachment 3197910
View attachment 3197911

Why can't more people be like you?

- Jiji

 

[bravedave]

It may be slightly better. Growers House did a test with 1000w bulbs at super lumen, 100% and 4 more lower settings. (They had a ballast with 6 different settings!) The spectrum output remained almost exactly the same regardless of the dimming level. Efficiency dropped slightly the more they dimmed. Not enough to make a big difference, so maybe not enough to make it worth buying multiple bulbs. They didn't address effect on lifespan. Some here claim it does shorten lifespan, but I suspect they're just assuming it does. I imagine it makes some difference, but data isn't available. Why obsess over it if it makes almost no difference? That said, I have 400w and 600w bulbs instead of just dimming the 600w. I can't see the difference, but somedude247 says he can. Now that I reread this, I see it isn't helpful at all. I'll shut up now.

Thanks. No obsession. If I have a 600, I am running at 600 and wishing I had a 1000 so the dimming is not particularly important to me.

 

[Red1966]

I'm wishing for 2x AT600s that didn't weigh 70 lbs and cost $2000(with a discount) each. My ballasts put out 600w, 400w, and 300w. Where am I going to get a 300w bulb?

 

[Red1966]

I prefer Gavita , then Solis tek. Both a sealed design.

Had many digital ballasts, never had one fail. Of course I upgraded over the years and sold older ones.

I must of rocked a half dozen apollos for 2 years....

- Jiji

Sealed is the way to go. Fans fail and then the ballast overheats.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

300watt setting is just to run a 400w bulb dimmed.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

iv had 3 400 watt dimmable lumateks for over 3 years now and they all work fine none have burnt out themselves or burnt out bulbs i find them to be very reliable

Congrats, you are in the minority. I saw 10 of them returned in six months at the shop I worked at. Never one Nanolux or Energystation.

We never moved a lot of the Solis Tek ballasts, but they work great and the one guy I know that runs them likes them.

I run ballasts with fans and just keep them in a clean area. I thinking about throwing them in a box with a booster fan pulling air out of said box and a furnace filter as the intake.

Either way, if a sealed ballast does ever fail, its junk to me. If one with a fan goes I can bust out the multimeter and see if its worth fixing.

To each their own, and whatnot.

(Please only use UL listed equipment. Especially if you grow in the house your family sleeps in.)

 

[auswolf]

Congrats, you are in the minority. I saw 10 of them returned in six months at the shop I worked at. Never one Nanolux or Energystation.

We never moved a lot of the Solis Tek ballasts, but they work great and the one guy I know that runs them likes them.

I run ballasts with fans and just keep them in a clean area. I thinking about throwing them in a box with a booster fan pulling air out of said box and a furnace filter as the intake.

Either way, if a sealed ballast does ever fail, its junk to me. If one with a fan goes I can bust out the multimeter and see if its worth fixing.

To each their own, and whatnot.

(Please only use UL listed equipment. Especially if you grow in the house your family sleeps in.)

I would have to agree with Jordan293, I have a couple 400w lumateks there coming upto the 4 year mark. Never missed a beat, I wouldn't have any problems recommending them. Not to mention they carry a 5 year warranty.

And what's this shit your spreading that there not ul listed, nothing but lies.........