Lighting poll, brand specific

[ree-fready]

Well it`s been over a year since People out here have been able to use S.A. bulbs on their tanks. I for one will never pay for another as I`ve tried both the 10k and the 14k and found neither to be satisfactory. When you can`t accept the k rating to be correct on a bulb, what good is it? Maybe it would be ok over a fuge or sump if you don`t mind the heat. Comments please.

[StirCrazy]

When you can`t accept the k rating to be correct on a bulb, what good is it? .

and what should a 10K bulb look like? The only ones I haven't seen have a tint of either yellow or green are the AB's and they are a 13K.

at any rate I will be doing a PAR reading on my SA 10K's which should be around a year or just over now to see how they held up.

Steve

[ree-fready]

I thought the 10k would be whiter than my old iwasaki.

[EmilyB]

The only ones I haven't seen have a tint of either yellow or green are the AB's and they are a 13K.


Steve

And I'll just add that they are very yellow/green if run on a standard ballast and not the HQI.

[wayner]

I'm running 10K 400W Venki Bulb on a Blueline Electronic Ballast, they look white to me, I don't see yellow,green purple or orange :smile:

[StirCrazy]

I thought the 10k would be whiter than my old iwasaki.

what wattage bulb and what ballast were you using?

Steve

[ree-fready]

I have both a 250 and a 400 se bulbs on m58 and m59 sylvania ballasts. Maybe they should be run by hqi`s?

[StirCrazy]

I have both a 250 and a 400 se bulbs on m58 and m59 sylvania ballasts. Maybe they should be run by hqi`s?

ya the M58 isn't even a recomended ballast for them, if you know some one with a pulse start try them on that and if you are buying HQI they run nice on that also.

Steve

[ree-fready]

I asked venki before I bought them if these ballasts were ok and he said they were fine. I`ve thought about going hqi`s. Every bulb on an hqi ballast is over driven, yes?

[StirCrazy]

Every bulb on an hqi ballast is over driven, yes?

wrong. just run properly for maximum output with out overdriving for 250's anyways as there is no such thing as a 400 watt HQI

Steve

[ree-fready]

J&L is selling 400 hqi pfo ballasts for $ 389 for a double

[StirCrazy]

J&L is selling 400 hqi pfo ballasts for $ 389 for a double

yup, in the 400's all they are is a Son Agro ballast, which is a High pressure sodium (finaly remembered it isn't a mercury vapour ballast :mrgreen: ) ballast that is actualy a 430 watt ballast.

so what you see here is a 430 watt ballast that is designed for another type of HID lighting that happens to make a 400 watt bulb burn brighter and whiter due to the hoter running temp, with a reasonable impact on bulb life. in the 400 watt HQI you are overdriving the bulb, the 250 which is ture HQI you are not.

Steve

[ree-fready]

Well thats good to know for when I upgrade my ballasts. Thanks