Electronic Ballast. Is it really worth it?

GrowinSmoke

GrowinSmoke

Member
I can get this, or I can get a magnetic one.


I know electronic is quieter and more efficient, but is it a $100 difference? I want to have 2 150W HPS's, and 250 bucks for a couple ballasts seems crazy compared to $50. I feel like I have to be missing something. If I got the magnetic ones, I have plenty of material to make a heatsink and enclosure.

Pointers?
 
I can say this.
My digitals allow me to change the output levels.
They also run with almost zero heat.
Switchable to 110v or 220v with only a cord change (I use 220)
Is that worth the difference, you'll have to ask yourself. For me, yes it was.
 
switched from mag coils to quantum 1000ws about a year ago.
my main gripe with mag coils was that you couldn't dim them, they're on/off (pretty much the *reason for the upgrade).
dimmability is nice when
a) you're first introducing young plants to HIDs (from fluoros, say)
b) it's screaming hot out and you need to lower your room temp *somehow
c) you go in to work and you don't have to be sitting under fullblast HIDs for several hours
d) i know control freaks who adjust their lights over the period of a light cycle *every *effing *day to mimic the sunrise/sunset conditions better.

the ballast itself stays waaaaaay cooler even at 100%, and they don't buzz (which mag coils do, esp. over time)

that said, it's relatively 'young' technology and i know lots of growers who are married to their 'tried-and-true' mag coils.

hope this helps
 
GrowinSmoke said:
I can get this, or I can get a magnetic one.


I know electronic is quieter and more efficient, but is it a $100 difference? I want to have 2 150W HPS's, and 250 bucks for a couple ballasts seems crazy compared to $50. I feel like I have to be missing something. If I got the magnetic ones, I have plenty of material to make a heatsink and enclosure.

Pointers?
Click to expand...

Are you limiting yourself to just these items also because with a quick search I was able to find more/better deals on 150w systems.

~~~> http://cgi.ebay.com/HPS-150-Grow-Li...797?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d2c869c05

~~~> http://cgi.ebay.com/150-watt-Sodium...694?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c1761c126
 
You are running a total of 300 watts on those 2 lights, you will not save a noticable amount of electricity with the electronics, and you have no reason to dim. I would go with the old magnetic standby, then when something happens to it years down the line you can fix it rather than have to replace it. Not a whole lot of things will last as long as a magnetic ballast core, may have to replace an ignitor or cap every now and then but the core will last decades.
 
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420God said:
Are you limiting yourself to just these items also because with a quick search I was able to find more/better deals on 150w systems.

~~~> http://cgi.ebay.com/HPS-150-Grow-Li...797?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d2c869c05

~~~> http://cgi.ebay.com/150-watt-Sodium...694?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c1761c126
Click to expand...

Those are good deals. And maybe I would go that route. My wain thought is i want a cooltube and I'm not going to pay for one. So i will be doing a lot of it on my own anyway.
 
You know ther was an article in high times that says digital ballast burn out bulbs twice as fast as magnetic ones. So if your planning on buying the best bulbs on the market, you might wanna keep that in mind. I
 
they seem to run hotter the older they get. the hottest i've ever had (i think, 'cuz i don't go around touching them when i don't have to) was hot enough to give me a first degree burn in about 2 seconds (how hot is that? i don't know...)
mag coils are way cheaper now than they were 15 years ago (ie. before the advent of digis), which to me suggests a supply/demand phenomenon, since i don't think technology that's remained virtually unchanged since the 70s would have gotten that notably cheaper to *produce in that time....
cost-wise, it's good to think of 'worth' over the average lifetime of your ballast. a $200 difference might seem pretty big now but some of the situations the digis have helped me get through have been priceless TO ME (because i like my digis). BUT, the peace of mind of tested-and-true technology and having saved a couple hun off the bat might be priceless to someone else, you know?
 
Beansly said:
You know ther was an article in high times that says digital ballast burn out bulbs twice as fast as magnetic ones. So if your planning on buying the best bulbs on the market, you might wanna keep that in mind. I
Click to expand...
They have digital bulbs now. Digilux is one brand I can think of off the top of my head since I have those. I went with a Phantom electronic ballast with Digilux brand MH and HPS.
 
Beansly said:
You know ther was an article in high times that says digital ballast burn out bulbs twice as fast as magnetic ones. So if your planning on buying the best bulbs on the market, you might wanna keep that in mind. I
Click to expand...

Pretty sure this was a problem with some first gen EBallasts but I dont think its really true anymore.
 
Thanks a lot guys. This forum is a lot more information filled, and receptive than that other, over populated, forum. *cough-GC-cough*

I'm having a hard time seeing how that adapter works. Where is the tube? Do you still have to buy it? My plan was to find a generic glass tube, for a candle or something.

I'm starting to think I might just do magnetic. I have a ton of billet aluminum and sheet metal at my disposal along with a full machine shop so I could make a pretty badass heatsink and enclosure for free with little effort.

How is the volume in comparison to a fan? I suppose I have heard the lights in gyms, but they are big, and there are a lot of them. I have some pretty loud PC fans now (65dB)? but will probably be using a Stanley blower on the next setup.
 
i dont think the newer magnetic ballasts hum that much.

i got a 600 hps, though the guy at the shop said it was halfdigital (lol, he couldnt explain it better and i didnt really care, it looks just like a magnetic one and i didnt find anything online, so i assume it was just salestalk)

doesnt hum, gets a bit hot though, not very. i keep a fan on it and a few old processor heatsinks, just anyways, i got that stuff and it might prolong the life of the ballast.
with the fan and heatsinks it gets barely warm to the touch, like a nicebedwarmer or something.

had some old 150hps´s and they did humm a bit and got alot hotter, kept them on top of old computerpowersupplies (using the metal to lead heat away) and if i didnt position them just right, they would start rattling like crazy and making an awful noise (the powersupplies were bit unstable as platforms lol)

maybe its the age or they make them better today or maybe the 600 just has greater weight and therefore hums less (or a deeper less audible hum? shrug, dont hear nothing on the 600, or the 400w mh (3-4 year old)
 
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