How much more efficient are digital ballasts?

[Douche Nozzle]

Just wondering if it is worth the higher price.

 

[BizNasty]

They arent..trust me I speak from experience and telling many friends I told you so. Its just a fancy gimmick and they fail ALOT more then regular ballasts.

 

[ugzkmk]

i saw it listed on a hydro site as only being like 5%-7% more efficient.

 

[Douche Nozzle]

Yea, they are like $60 more than regular ones at HTG supply. I think I am liking the 400w regular ballast better.

 

[Douche Nozzle]

Anyone own one? Personal opinions? Bumpity.

 

[mindphuk]

They arent..trust me I speak from experience and telling many friends I told you so. Its just a fancy gimmick and they fail ALOT more then regular ballasts.

And what is your evidence for this? Even a small increase in efficiency will make up for any increase in the cost of the ballast over time as the cost of the ballast is insignificant when compared to our biggest expense - electricity. Coil and core (magnetic) ballasts wastes power converting electricity while digital ballasts output 100% of their rated power which can give savings in the range of 20-30% as well as increased lumen output vs. magnetic ballasts, sort of a 2-for-1. Also, the better electronic ballasts offer soft start technology increasing the life of your bulb saving you even more money.
The extra cost of a Lumatek or Galaxy will be recovered very quickly considering the cost of our crop (especially if you shop around).

 

[spiked1]

And you can also run both HPS and MH bulbs with them.

 

[oahugrown]

and there smaller/quiter/less hot than analog. and easily mountable/more stealth.

 

[BizNasty]

Yes, but at the same time they fail and have a less hr life rating then analogs. So if your ballast doesnt even last you, then you have to purchase another one..so yes with the savings that you have got from electricity bill, just put it in a coffee can and use that money to buy a new one. There are analog ballasts that do HPS/MH as well.

 

[smokeybandit22]

And what is your evidence for this? Even a small increase in efficiency will make up for any increase in the cost of the ballast over time as the cost of the ballast is insignificant when compared to our biggest expense - electricity. Coil and core (magnetic) ballasts wastes power converting electricity while digital ballasts output 100% of their rated power which can give savings in the range of 20-30% as well as increased lumen output vs. magnetic ballasts, sort of a 2-for-1. Also, the better electronic ballasts offer soft start technology increasing the life of your bulb saving you even more money.
The extra cost of a Lumatek or Galaxy will be recovered very quickly considering the cost of our crop (especially if you shop around).

very good answer and I agree. proven savings around 18-22%. alot less heat. all bought from HTG supply. and the price diff is not alot.

 

[MountainHigh]

I have been running digital electronic ballast for years. 250w HI, 400w Mogules, 600w mogules, etc. I have never had one fail. If the biggest complaint is that digi ballast fail then i feel good about my purchase. The bulbs fire faster, burn brighter, use less electricity and are silent. Magnetic coil ballast are on the way out, the technology is old. I have both, the mag ballast are collecting dust waiting to be upgraded to a boat anchor. When i go to my local grow shop, they have a back warehouse with product and stuff waiting for repair. The shelves are full of old mag ballast waiting to get sent out for repair. So to say that mag ballast are any more or less likely to fail is just not accurate. Digital ballast technology is not that new. its been around for years. I have had some of my 250w ballast in service for 6 years now running continuiosly....

 

[Douche Nozzle]

I am ordering through HTG and I saw the digitals are only about $200.Thats including the shipping. I think I may go digital just for the brighter light. I have an area thats 3'x2' so it should be plenty of light. Thanks for the info.

 

[MountainHigh]

I am ordering through HTG and I saw the digitals are only about $200.Thats including the shipping. I think I may go digital just for the brighter light. I have an area thats 3'x2' so it should be plenty of light. Thanks for the info.

i think you will like your purchase as long as its not an off brand with a poor warranty. I am not positive, but if my memory serves me (which the short term is terrible ) the lumeteck's have a 5 year warranty.

I found it:

Lumatek 600W 120V HPS Elect Ballast
SKU: LK6120
Weight: 12.2 lbs.
Suggested Retail: $249.95

The market's most popular and best E-ballast has been improved. The Lumatek E-ballast is a performance leader. Powers both metal halide and high-pressure sodium lamps Available in 250, 400, 600, Dual 600, 750, and 1000W as well as generator friendly 400 & 600W.

Up to 20% MORE LUMENS; faster growth, bigger harvests
Unique graduated fin design for more efficient cooling
Completely pre-wired with popular BAREF lamp cord
*3 years full + 2 years warranty
Internal Resin coating protects components for long life
External breaker system protects against power surges
Completely silent

 

[bobilu]

Smaller, quieter, Puts outs very little heat, more efficient and most setups you bye come with both bulbs

 

[mindphuk]

very good answer and I agree. proven savings around 18-22%. alot less heat. all bought from HTG supply. and the price diff is not alot.

Please don't buy the HTG ballast. Stick with Lumatek or Galaxy. If you buy a ballast with a built in fan, it will die. That may be what BizNasty is referring to. Electronic ballasts don't have a short life expectancy but muffin fans do.


Order from http://thegardendepotinc.com/grow-light-ballasts.html He will beat pretty much any price you find.
He has the best price on Lumateks. I got the 600w + Radiant reflector and Iwasaki (Hortilux) for under $400 including shipping. You could do better with a cheaper reflector but I wanted either the Sun Systems 2 or the Radiant due to their light pattern and hinged glass.

 

[CrackerJax]

The new digital technology is an advancement over analog, but if you are just talking about running a few lights..... I wouldn't sweat it either way. The real difference would be felt in a large grow op. My 2 cents anyway... but they are better.



out.

 

[mrduke]

i have a quantum 1000w dig.it has an awsome feature where you can select the out put of either 50 75 or 100 percent. It comes in very handy as an all porpuse from seedling or clone to fully flowered.

 

[mindphuk]

i have a quantum 1000w dig.it has an awsome feature where you can select the out put of either 50 75 or 100 percent. It comes in very handy as an all porpuse from seedling or clone to fully flowered.

I just read about those a few days ago. They sound really nice.

 

[CrackerJax]

i have a quantum 1000w dig.it has an awsome feature where you can select the out put of either 50 75 or 100 percent. It comes in very handy as an all porpuse from seedling or clone to fully flowered.

You can achieve even finer increments by simply installing a dimmer switch between any ballast and the lights.

out.

 

[blueybong]

"Electronic ballasts don't have a short life expectancy but muffin fans do."

I sold electronic components for 22yrs and I'll bet a capacitor/diode/chip/etc will fail before the muffin fan will. Today's component technology is far ahead of what was available just 10yrs ago. Surface mount technology, pick & place machines have almost eliminated the need for the human hand when it comes to assembly, which was the cause of 70% of the failures, IMHO.

I'm using Digital Greenhouse(probably private labeled) from HTG Supply and it has preformed well.