[quote="StirCrazy"].

That is exactly the way I recall it. When the bulbs were first promoted it was advertised that they would run on Any ballast. I certainly found that not to be true. Now it is being said that only electronic pulse start ballasts are Proper. Also last I looked at my atlas, China was not in Europe. Here's a nice quote. Unfortunately I can't remember who first said it.

"Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive :rolleyes:

Kyle, can you please offer a list of ballasts that will NOT work with these bulbs? I know several people tha thave bought these as replacement bulbs for their PFO system, and they were not aware of this new ballast requirement. Many people have standard ballasts for their 175w systems, and if these bulbs don't work, you need to tell us that.

hey kyle will a Hamilton M57 175 watt ballast run them at all?
i've tried Ushio on the ballast and it wont start at all

He's already stated that a M57 is not the proper ballast. Seems you need a pulse start or E-ballast. M57 is the same ballast in the PFO cases.

I specificly asked venki if his bulbs would run on m 58 and m59 ballasts for 250 and 4oow and the answer was they`ll work fine. They ran fairly white for a while, about 300 hrs. then they went yellow. :sad: :mad:

Darin, how did SA handle that? Refund? Replacement?

I never went back on them, just thought I learned a lesson.

I wish SA had a satisfaction guarantee.. I would have sent all 6 bulbs back. I am still going to do the PAR readings.. I am not expecting much though..

Steve

I'm lucky! I got to test the 400w 20k for free. I just gave them back when I was done. Fairly bright on the Son Agro, but too blue. On the M59, they were slightly more intense than my actinics.

Kyle this is a direct quote from Venkiw

"They have been tested on TAR and HQI ballast and they work fine."

another thing I noticed is that the bulbs were available for sale long be for the 175watt electronic ballasts were, if they were designed to run on a pulse start electronic ballast (are you sure you didn't mean to just say "electronic ballast") then why would you not sell the bulb first.

but I see the point by saying they need a electronic ballast you will increase your product sales even though electronic ballast will burn the bulbs with less PAR (unless you now are going to tell me the electronic ballasts you are selling have been specially redesigned to put out full power and not the same design as every other energy saving electronic ballast.

Steve