Eye Hortilux vs SunPulse - "High Times" says Hortilux=DEATH

[stubbornstoner013]

I'm back to my original statement, which is:
Hortilux for cornering the market and forcing me to pay retail prices in the future

Anyone have good info on a superior and/or comparable bulb manufacturer out there???

 

[sixstring2112]

digilux 600 hps in my nextgen ballast look waaayyyy brighter side by side than the eye. i ran the eyes for almost a year with no problems but when digilux came out with a 600 watt mh designed for digital ballasts i had to have one, and a couple of there 600 hps.I dont work at the factory but you can see the difference in my dual cooltube when you put them side by side.very interesting thread though.

 

[DoobieBrother]

Okay, so now we have SunPulse saying failures are due to high frequency output (up to 24kHz, according to them) which is still bogus because if a bulb is meant to operate at 60hZ, the ballast makers will make sure the power output is at 60hZ.
Then we have Eye telling us it's all a problem with the ballast makers due to them not conforming to ANSI specifications which the bulb makers have (supposedly) strictly adhered to for decades.
Then the ballast makers say that it's due to the bulb makers using different ignition voltages and that some bulb makers (Eye) might even have drastically reduced the ignition voltage requirements (which would, presumably, fall far outside the specs decreed by ANSI, and therefore they are NOT complying with ANSI specs even while claiming to do so).
So it's it's all a bunch of finger pointing, and no one is to blame.
And, once again, F.U.D. rules the day...

As for what Eye is purportedly doing to plantlightinghydroponics (Eye is the maker, Hortilux is one of their products), that would be a real dick move on their part, if it's true.
I think they better come clean with the truth quick or they will start losing customers.
I don't buy grow supplies online, as I prefer to support local stores (if I need something in an emergency I'm not about to wait for it to come by mail/FedEx/UPS after who knows how long for my order to be packed & shipped), but if Eye is price-fixing, I'll be using my money to buy bulbs from a different bulb maker.
I am one consumer who will vote a big "No way, Jose!" with my wallet if I suspect the allegations are true. (*wouldn't surprise me)

 

[Schmarmpit]

Check out Ushio HPS bulbs. They also have an added blue spectrum but are used with all sorts of digital ballasts without issue.

 

[stubbornstoner013]

digilux 600 hps in my nextgen ballast look waaayyyy brighter side by side than the eye. i ran the eyes for almost a year with no problems but when digilux came out with a 600 watt mh designed for digital ballasts i had to have one, and a couple of there 600 hps.I dont work at the factory but you can see the difference in my dual cooltube when you put them side by side.very interesting thread though.

noticed these just the other day, kinda thought the same thing about the MH, thx for the recomendation

 

[stubbornstoner013]

As for what Eye is purportedly doing to plantlightinghydroponics (Eye is the maker, Hortilux is one of their products), that would be a real dick move on their part, if it's true.
I think they better come clean with the truth quick or they will start losing customers.
I don't buy grow supplies online, as I prefer to support local stores (if I need something in an emergency I'm not about to wait for it to come by mail/FedEx/UPS after who knows how long for my order to be packed & shipped), but if Eye is price-fixing, I'll be using my money to buy bulbs from a different bulb maker.
I am one consumer who will vote a big "No way, Jose!" with my wallet if I suspect the allegations are true. (*wouldn't surprise me)

just go to plantlighting and you'll see. They no longer have most of their Eye Hortilux bulbs b/c once their current inventory runs out no one can supply them w/ more

 

[SSHZ]

After MANY years as a Hortilux lover, I switched about 6 months ago after 2 of my bulbs stopped working with my digi ballasts. I switched off to bulbs made specifically for digi ballasts and they have been fine (and were alot cheaper)........

 

[probo24]

I'm currently starting Week 4 of Flowering on my 4th grow since I started using a Galaxy 600w electronic ballast.
I use an Eye Hortilux 600w Super HPS for flowering, and a Sunmaster Cool Deluxe mH (600w) for vegging.
I've been running them since October of last year and they're both doing just fine (knock on wood).
I didn't hear about the "problem" of premature bulb failure until after I'd bought the electronic ballast.
In all honesty, I can see why a bulb would fail quickly if it was hit with 22k hertz, but I am skeptical that it is outputting 22k hertz.
I think the electricity is regulated at 22k hertz (evens out spikes & dips), but it has to output at 60 hertz.
I think the 22k hertz claim is bogus.
If someone with an osciliscope would post a vid showing the output herz as they test each electronic ballasts I will change my mind, but the hype that the bulb & ballast manufactures vomit out (whether good hype or bad hype) is mostly B.S..
22k hertz would cause near instant failure of the bulb.
Just because an electronic ballast regulates the electricity at 22k herz doesn't mean it outputs at the same 22k herz.
It would have to bring it back down to output at 60 herz.
I say this not without experience in electronics and electricity, though I have no certifications in either. My dad was a master electrician, and also an electronics wizard from back in the day when it all started up until he retired in 1997 (worked for NCR & IBM as a field technician).
I had studied both fields under his tutelage since I was knee-high to a grasshopper.
So someone show me the osciliscope testing before I believe the B.S. about it outputting at 22k hertz.
I'm not saying that bulbs haven't failed while using electronic ballasts (bulbs will fail when they feel like it, no matter the ballast), I'm just EXTREMELY skeptical that the claim of 22k herz output is true.
Also, I'm not saying that some bulbs are (or are not) designed & built better than others.
Perhaps the newer Sunpulse bulbs have heavier filaments, or more/better gases in the tubes, more metals (sodium, mercury, etc.), or better solders, etc., that may make them have a long life compared to older bulb designs (Eye Hortilux, Sunmaster, GE, Philips, etc.).
Time will tell as to their real world average lifespan.
But I've not had one problem with my Galaxy ballast & the two brands of bulbs I use (and many of us use).

Relax, my old man's a television repair man. He's got this ultimate set of tools.
I can fix it.
Sorry, don't know why but spicoli came to mind.

 

[DoobieBrother]

Relax, my old man's a television repair man. He's got this ultimate set of tools.
I can fix it.
Sorry, don't know why but spicoli came to mind.

Holy crap! I haven't heard that one in a while!
I saw that movie with my best buddy when it first came out in the theaters.
We both got a "Fast Times At Ridgemont High" t-shirt that the theater was giving away to anyone who bought tickets to watch it (was the opening weekend for it).
As for ultimate set of tools, my pops really DID have an ultimate set.
He even offered me the bulk of it when he retired, but I turned it down since my field of expertise is with home computers and not the business machines and mainframes he worked on (lots of specialty tools, and diagnostic equipment).
I do regret not taking him up on the offer, but most of it I would never need to use.
"That's my skull! I'm so wasted!!"

*ironically, my dad was a master mechanic (and was the son of a master blacksmith & mechanic) in the 1950's before changing careers and going to work for NCR in the late 1950's.
I just about went down the same path as they did, and learned all I could from my dad about repairing cars, but decided I didn't want to turn wrenches for a living (emissions controls were limited at the time, and no cars had computers back then, but the writing was on the wall, and I didn't want to have to deal with it.).
So after high school I went to a trade school and learned autobody repair & painting.
Then got into the computer biz later. Just like him.
So if Spicoli had known me, I could've hooked him up with the skills & tools if he had the money for the parts, and Forrest's college bribe would've looked like brand new.
But then his lack of rage might have cost them the football game, so I guess everything works out like it should.

 

[NicFX]

I have been a big fan of eye's 1000w super blue mixed spectrum bulbs for a while now and my plants are big fans too. I have noticed a few differences using a mixed spectrum in flowering with a nicer/quicker ripening with no loss in weight. The plants Seem to get a bit frostier and more colorful under these bulbs. The indicas really seem to like it. Especially kush strains. I recently set up a growroom for a friend with 6kw on 2 LightRail5 movers. The bulbs are in 6" cool tubes and running on phantom 1000w dimmable ballasts plugged into a cap 8 light controller on 240v. The bulbs were 2 super hps and 4 super blue. I figured that the dual spectrum bulbs would like the phantom ballasts because of the delay/warm up feature that lets the lamps cool off for 15 minutes in case the power trips. (like any metal halide, the super blue bulbs cannot do a hot restart). I was wrong. We blew out all of the dual spectrum bulbs in the first month. We exchanged them for 2 more super hps and 2 of the eye blue daylight mh bulbs and have not had any problems since albiet it has only been 3 months since. I have also killed a dual spectrum bulb in a galaxy ballast in about 10 hours. The super blue bulbs are great but they definitely do not like to run on digital ballasts. The blue daylight bulbs are great and i have not had a problem running them on digital ballasts but they are large and require an 8"+ fixture if you want to air cool them. They barely fit in a 6" cool tube. I have not had any problems running super hps bulbs on digital ballasts. I have tried ushio bulbs as well and have not had any problems but they don't really seem to last any longer than the super hps.

I think that the mixed spectrum sun pulse bulbs are interesting because i have seen the way the plants respond to the different spectrums of light. I think using their 10k bulb for ripening could possibly produce some nice results but i have not tried it yet. Genetics can definitely make a big difference in what kind of light your plants prefer as well. If you are growing a strain that has been bred indoors under eye hortilux 1000w super hps lights, it will probably grow best under eye hortilux 1000w super hps lights. If you are growing a strain that was bred to grow outdoors under full sun at a certain latitude, it will probably grow best under a spectrum that mimics full sun at that latitude

 

[FootClan]

I use hortulix on a quantum ballast and so far have had no problems with my bulbs....

 

[stubbornstoner013]

One more month and my first hortilux super hps turns a year old on a lumatek digital ballast

 

[sk'mo]

The problem is 'acoustic resonance'.

Here is a .pdf from EYE. >link<

I think whether or not they use ANSI, the ballast manufacturers need to set some standards so lamp manufacturers can address the problem.

 

[blindbaby]

today, actually, i went and picked up two new bubs. one 1000, one 600. based on my experiences with the eye, and ushio, which i think are good bulbs, i went back to my original choice, before these two. SUNMASTER. i think this light reporduces more "late autumn" orange spectrum. after i got the newer ushio, i tried using this on first half of flower, swapping out for the sunmaster for the last half. the ushio seems to bring out more final stretch, at least for me, and my streins...and, oddly, the sumaster is also more pleasant for me to be around, too. and yes. i was high. lol!!! on my 8 tube t-5, i use 6 6500k, and two 2700k. what a nice orange light my room will have starting in two hours. i paid 123.00, for both i got, with free ship one big one, and under 6. for the small one. so. i thought not a bad price. wish i had a light meter, so i could see the degredation of the lamps, therefor get the most out of each one. the exps, i have stated, are just mine. and are not intended to assume you have different ones. i think every single enviroment is different. none of us do it the same! except, hopefully, the pleasure of working with this neat plant!!

 

[timbo666]

i am using eye hortilux 1000w w/ a digi greenhouse ballast and have had no problems.

 

[SSHZ]

HTG Supply sells an "in-house" digital bulb which I have been using now exclusively for the last 6 crops- both the 600 watter and the 1000 watter. They are VERY reasonably priced, very heavy duty, come with a 1 year warranty, and start at 150,000 lumens. I replace mine every 3 crops (instead of 4 with the Hortilux). Best series of bulbs I've used considering the price and have never had a burn out or problem with them.....

 

[Fonzarelli]

HT went on to promote SunPulse as innovators in the field for being the first to design specific digital bulbs and supposedly they're the only ones w/ their new specific spectrum technology (they have 3K, 4K, 6.4K, and even 10k, 14k 20k). Supposedly, a combination of the first four spectrums (4 different bulbs on a light spinner) is a much closer replication of sunlight than ever achieved.

I know this post is old BUT I gotta get this Sunpulse "closest spectrum to the sun" idea out of grower's minds forever.

This is such a horrible claim it makes me want to puke. First off, Sunpulse lamps are MH and as basic of MH as any MH. When they say it is a 3k lamp vs a 4k lamp it means there is more 590 and 610nm wavelength in them than the 6.4k and 10k.

All MH have a lot of blue, green and yellow wave bands in them. So by combining all 4 spectrums of 3k, 4k, 5k and 6.4k all a grower is getting is MORE of those three wavelengths. MH will NEVER replicate the sun because of the lack of deep red and far red in its spectrum. Sunpulse IS JUNK marketed in a pretty box. The Hortilux Blue 6.4k in 400w is the one lamp (same as Iwasaki aquarium 400w MH) that closely replicates the sun's spectrum but it still doesn't have the deep red and far red that sunlight does and never will.

I have use SunPulse lamps for veg and flower and they are inferior to HPS because of the lack of RED wavelengths in the spectrum. The whole spinner idea and mixing the different Kelvin ratings is a TOTAL crock of shit and SunPulse should be ashamed for ever making such a bullshit claim.

The hydro/gardening cannabis scene is very tainted by propaganda at every angle you look at it.

Hortilux is still the best HPS lamp out there and the only spectrum that beats it would be a 400w hortilux blue combined with 250w HPS and 4 of the Kessil Red H150 ALL combined for a total of 778w. This spectrum would almost 100% match the sun's spectrum. So just stick to the 1000w HPS by Hortilux and get on with growing. If you are inclined to add some LED to complete the spectrum I say GO FOR IT!

 

[dbkick]

I know this post is old BUT I gotta get this Sunpulse "closest spectrum to the sun" idea out of grower's minds forever.

This is such a horrible claim it makes me want to puke. First off, Sunpulse lamps are MH and as basic of MH as any MH. When they say it is a 3k lamp vs a 4k lamp it means there is more 590 and 610nm wavelength in them than the 6.4k and 10k.

All MH have a lot of blue, green and yellow wave bands in them. So by combining all 4 spectrums of 3k, 4k, 5k and 6.4k all a grower is getting is MORE of those three wavelengths. MH will NEVER replicate the sun because of the lack of deep red and far red in its spectrum. Sunpulse IS JUNK marketed in a pretty box. The Hortilux Blue 6.4k in 400w is the one lamp (same as Iwasaki aquarium 400w MH) that closely replicates the sun's spectrum but it still doesn't have the deep red and far red that sunlight does and never will.

I have use SunPulse lamps for veg and flower and they are inferior to HPS because of the lack of RED wavelengths in the spectrum. The whole spinner idea and mixing the different Kelvin ratings is a TOTAL crock of shit and SunPulse should be ashamed for ever making such a bullshit claim.

The hydro/gardening cannabis scene is very tainted by propaganda at every angle you look at it.

Hortilux is still the best HPS lamp out there and the only spectrum that beats it would be a 400w hortilux blue combined with 250w HPS and 4 of the Kessil Red H150 ALL combined for a total of 778w. This spectrum would almost 100% match the sun's spectrum. So just stick to the 1000w HPS by Hortilux and get on with growing. If you are inclined to add some LED to complete the spectrum I say GO FOR IT!

no wonder those guys at sunpulse seem so pissed off when you contact them. so if what you're saying is true then I guess staying away from a solis-tek 4 k lamp is a good plan eh?
my plan is a lot like your dream lighting scheme up above, but I'm going to run a 1kw Hortilux blue and solis-tek 600 watt on a lightrail. chances are I'll add a little red with some various led panels here and there. then again maybe I'll run the blue and a 1kw super hps on the rail.
so what's your advice on solis-tek?

 

[Fonzarelli]

no wonder those guys at sunpulse seem so pissed off when you contact them. so if what you're saying is true then I guess staying away from a solis-tek 4 k lamp is a good plan eh?
my plan is a lot like your dream lighting scheme up above, but I'm going to run a 1kw Hortilux blue and solis-tek 600 watt on a lightrail. chances are I'll add a little red with some various led panels here and there. then again maybe I'll run the blue and a 1kw super hps on the rail.
so what's your advice on solis-tek?

I'm not quite sure what you are asking. Solis-tek makes ballasts right? If you are looking for a good MH to run on an E ballast try Hamilton-Technology 6.4k and their true 10k. Best German tech out there.

 

[dbkick]

they also have a line of lamps made just for their ballasts. here's the 4k and 6k MH....