Digital Ballest suck!!!

rzza

Well-Known Member
well ya know magnetics also will fire up mh and hps, there is a switch. they are called switchable and its more common than the other nowadays.

see my needs are different. that is cost effectiveness. noise doesnt matter, heat doesnt matter cause the damn cord is so long i can put the fuckers in the neighbors house. lol

so yeah i would upgrade if it was better quality light output AND cheaper monthly. not just for the extra light. not yet.
 

infinitescrog

Active Member
They allow you to fire up a regular MH bulb, not a conversion bulb? Didn't know that, but again I only know about magnetics from magazines, forum posts, etc.
 

CaptainCAVEMAN

Well-Known Member
The 2011 march issue number 422 of high times had an article about how ballast manufacturers did not communicate the fact thet they were making digital ballasts to the bulb manufacturers until after they had a high number of bulb failures due to the fact that a digital ballast operate at a much higher frequency than a magnetic ballast. Taht is why the market is now being flooded with bulbs that are 'digital' ready.

My complaint with the digital ballast is not in its reliability but rather in its inability to operate the higher end full spectrum bulbs I want to burn.

Different strokes for different folks.
 

rzza

Well-Known Member
The 2011 march issue number 422 of high times had an article about how ballast manufacturers did not communicate the fact thet they were making digital ballasts to the bulb manufacturers until after they had a high number of bulb failures due to the fact that a digital ballast operate at a much higher frequency than a magnetic ballast. Taht is why the market is now being flooded with bulbs that are 'digital' ready.

My complaint with the digital ballast is not in its reliability but rather in its inability to operate the higher end full spectrum bulbs I want to burn.

Different strokes for different folks.
what bulbs are ya talkin about? i currently use generic bulbs and want to upgrade.
 

infinitescrog

Active Member
The 2011 march issue number 422 of high times had an article about how ballast manufacturers did not communicate the fact thet they were making digital ballasts to the bulb manufacturers until after they had a high number of bulb failures due to the fact that a digital ballast operate at a much higher frequency than a magnetic ballast. Taht is why the market is now being flooded with bulbs that are 'digital' ready.

My complaint with the digital ballast is not in its reliability but rather in its inability to operate the higher end full spectrum bulbs I want to burn.


Different strokes for different folks.
Wouldn't they now allow you to burn the higher end bulbs if they are "digital ready" allowing you to upgrade now? I'm sure I come across as someone trying to make you switch to digital and I assure you I am not, I'm just curious.

The lamps that I burn are just regular 600w they don't say anything about digital, but they work just fine. (I'm not using EYE or whatever other "high end" manufacturer you are referring to)
 

infinitescrog

Active Member
Yes it's the added spectrum of blue light that costs more I guess, Light that we see with our eye as white is actually all the colors of the rainbow together. And different bulbs are higher in certain parts of the light spectrum. An average HPS is shown by that first link, whereas a MH would but very high in the blue spectrum.
 

CaptainCAVEMAN

Well-Known Member
I used to use the Ushio dual-arc bulbs but problems with the ballast/bulb combo led me to be frustrated with them. When I used themI was trying to save money. After the problems I said screw a few extra bucks and went for the good ones. So far so good.
100_2240.jpgHere's the spectrum for a standard metal halide from EYE Hortilux


100_2241.jpgHere is the EYE Hortilux Blue
 

CaptainCAVEMAN

Well-Known Member
Yea that's a lot of cash but I had 2 400watt MH lamps and needed to replace them which would have cost almost as much anyway. and now it is easier to stake/trellis them because the light is up higher. And man it's fraking beautiful bright crisp blue!
 

hellraizer30

Rebel From The North
Yea that's a lot of cash but I had 2 400watt MH lamps and needed to replace them which would have cost almost as much anyway. and now it is easier to stake/trellis them because the light is up higher. And man it's fraking beautiful bright crisp blue!
ive used the super blues before, now I run multible 600s to spread out light more for a larger area.
not sure what brand I saw but it was a dual ark bulb that had the same lummins and color range
for 100$ basicly the same dam bulb
 

CaptainCAVEMAN

Well-Known Member
Thats a good price if that info is true. I run a light mover to spead out the light. Please post the brand that has a similar spectrum with the samne lumens.
 
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