T5 Ballast Questions (Quantum Badboy)

I am going to be getting a Quantum Badboy T5 (more than one), probably an 8 lamp and a 6 lamp. My totally noob question is: do these lights require a ballast? Or are they plug and play. I've never owned a T5.

If yes, which ballast should I get? Quantum makes several. They make 400W, 600W, and 1000W digital ballasts and a 750W electronic ballast. I'm also not sure what the difference is between a digital and electronic ballast?

Nowhere on the ballast information pages is the T5 badboy mentioned. All discussion is about MH and HPS lamps. This is part of why I am so confused. They say to match the wattage of the lamp with an equivalent ballast wattage, which makes sense for HPS and MH lamps but the wattages for T5's add up to weird numbers e.g. for the 6 lamp Quantum Badboy, 6x 54W lamps = 324W. So what do you do for that type of situation?

T5 systems are ready to go out of the box. HTG Supply makes and sells slim star brand T5HO systems that are identical to the Quantam in every aspect including preformance for far less money. You should check these out before spending your money.

I started using a T5 lighting system for my growing of clones and vegging . It is awsome . Outstanding investment. No need for an outside ballast . Ready to use right out of the box.
For Flowering , I use a 600W HPS by NEXTGEN and that type of lighting uses a ballast. It also requires a lighthood with a mogul socket.
My suggestion , Google or Bing " Hydroponic growing supplies " , load a bowl , and look around. Educate yourself.

All fluorescent lamps require ballasts.

Fluorescent ballasts send an initial jolt of electricity strong enough to arc from one end of the fluorescent tube to the other, anode to cathode, to excite the gases inside.

The UV rays that result from these excited gases are turned into useable light when passing through the phosphers that line the inside of the tube/lamp.

After this "ignition" of the gases inside the tube, the ballast will begin regulating the lamp at a consistent lower voltage.

All metal halide, high pressure sodium, linear fluorescent and compact fluorescent lamps use voltage regulating ballasts.

The wattages you're seeing (400/600/750/1000) are for HID lamps like metal halides and high pressure sodium lamps.

If you're buying this as a fixture it will come with a ballast, even if lamps aren't included, but yes there is a ballast in the equation.

dadio161

I started using a T5 lighting system for my growing of clones and vegging . It is awsome . Outstanding investment. No need for an outside ballast . Ready to use right out of the box.
For Flowering , I use a 600W HPS by NEXTGEN and that type of lighting uses a ballast. It also requires a lighthood with a mogul socket.
My suggestion , Google or Bing " Hydroponic growing supplies " , load a bowl , and look around. Educate yourself.​

Click to expand...

Cool! I kinda figured that the ballast was integrated into the fixture. What was confusing me was that on quantums' website the say, "The Quantum Tri-phosphor bulbs are designed for optimum performance with the Fulham Race Horse ballast. These are tuned for max output with the Bad Boy." So I guess what they meant was that this Fullham ballast is already integrated into the light. I was thinking you had to buy it as an external ballast like a MH or HPS style. I guess not. Thankfully I won't have to spend an extra $200 on a ballast

bigv1976

T5 systems are ready to go out of the box. HTG Supply makes and sells slim star brand T5HO systems that are identical to the Quantam in every aspect including preformance for far less money. You should check these out before spending your money.​

Click to expand...

Thanks bigv1976, I was actually checking into these but I all of the vendors I've looked at seem to list them at about the same price as the Quantum Badboy, even slightly more than the Badboy. I could be looking at the wrong light though, or maybe HTG has raised their prices. Here are two comparative websites:

Quantum Badboys:
http://www.plantlightinghydroponics.com/quantum-t5-badboy-grow-lights-c-321_952.html

HTG Slim Star:
http://www.htgsupply.com/Product-SlimStar-4-Foot-8-Lamp-High-Output-T5-Fluorescent.asp

The 4' 8 lamp Badboy seems to be listed at $189, and the comparable HTG SlimStar is listed at $214. Maybe the SlimStar is the better of the two though? More lumen output possibly?