Amount of wattage? - Page 3

Delphinus · #21 08-21-2003, 04:52 PM

Actually, it's not that bad, really. Step back for a second. What kind of bulb are you interested in running? Then figure out what ballast you're interested in. If money isn't an object, then get the nice ones. Price wise the electronics are the most expensive by far (probably about twice as much as anything else), then the pulse starts, and then the probe starts can be found for pretty cheap usually.

It's not like you can't run a bulb designed to run on a pulse-start ballast on a probe start ballast (I run 2 175W Ushios using M57 ballasts I paid $30 each for 4 years ago!) but it IS better to match bulbs to preferred ballasts. You might encounter problems with starting, or premature bulb aging, stuff like that. I suppose worst-case scenario the bulb won't light at all but I've not encountered that.

Aquattro · #22 08-21-2003, 04:52 PM

Have you decided on bulb type?

Wilty · #23 08-21-2003, 05:05 PM

Bulbs are made of glass right?
I was clearly working the under the assumption that any 250w ballast would run any 250w MH. I think that maybe I'll use the ballast I got from the back (ballasts run the lights in a welding shop) and trial and error to see if I can get bulbs to run on it. Returning the bulbs if they don't light up. I'm going to get the specs on the ballast I have, spoken with the manufacturer and I'll be able to compare against others.

Yet again, I thought a bulb was a bulb and the only difference was the K rating. oooo head hurting so much. oK, I need to do more research and this is a really hard topic to research, manufacturers all swear their's are best lol I know what I'm doing this weekend hahah

Delphinus · #24 08-21-2003, 05:22 PM

What kind of bulbs are they? What brand, kelvin, etc. ?

Wilty · #25 08-21-2003, 06:24 PM

OK! I understand now!!!!!

I was working backward since I can get the ballast cheap and I am hoping to match a bulb to the ballast. The ballast runs M59 I believe, off memory. I don't have bulbs yet, just ballasts and I haven't wired them yet. I may find I can't get bulbs for the ballast. I found out the bulbs the supplier sells with this ballast are 4700K Phillips. So. . . not so hot

I will see what the LFS has in the way of bulbs to give me an idea.

Wilty · #26 08-21-2003, 06:44 PM

I finally found what I was looking for. The ballast i have and the Iwasaki bulbs are the same M rating, therefore I'm good to go. Is there a lot of difference between bulb manufacturers? When making a 250W 6500K MH aren't you using the same gases?

oh wait, I know the answer will be no, and my head will hurt again hahahah I LOVE lighting lol

I woudn't worry so much if this isn't for my prize tank.

Aquattro · #27 08-21-2003, 09:06 PM

Some bulbs, say 400w, use M59. Other 400s use M135. Some prefer using the Son Agro. Iwasaki bulbs work best on a hybrid ballast (HPS). 250w bulbs can use the M58 or M80, depending on the bulb. Does your bulb have an internal ignitor? If not, you'll need a pulse start ballast. Or maybe you'll decide you need electronic. How's the head?

StirCrazy · #28 08-22-2003, 01:00 AM

oh now where do I start. Don't worry about Tony hacking on me it is all frendly banter... I hope

anyways the best way to go about it is to pick your bulb or style of bulb then match it to a proper ballast.

you part about a european ballast overdriving a bulb is wrong. a euopen ballast will operate a europen bulb properly. bulb like AB, BLV, Ushio and a couple other fall into this catagory. while some of these bulbs have been modifyed with the addition of starter probes in the bulbs, to facilitate starting with non starter equiped ballast, they still operate more corectly on a ballast that closely matches the voltage, current ect specs of the proper ballast. as it sits right now the 250 watt HQI is a proper match for europen bulbs but in the 400 watt arena there is not a proper match to my knowlage as of yet. there for some have chosen to use a son agro style ballast to slightly overdrive the 400 watt bulb which replicats the same output as using a euoropean ballast.

head hurt yet?

you can ask your friend about it but what I have found is most lighting contractors in north america know nothing about euro type ballast or how they run.. except to say "they won't work here" or "you want a what ballast" I have been luckey and found a lighing dealer that would actualy listen to me for more than 5 minuits with out trying to just be polite befor they tell me to hit the skids. after a couple days I finaly got it throught to him as to what I was looking for and why and bam he found me what I wanted.

any questions just ask away and I will do my best to answer, I think lighting has become the passion of this hobby for me and not nessasarly by choice but now I have growen to love it and I even catch my self reading stuff laitly that would put most people to sleep

if only I had more money I could set up a test facility....

Tony that was suposed to be No visual sign of needing to be changed yet, I fixed that.

Steve

Delphinus · #29 08-22-2003, 01:23 AM

Clearly it's the keyboard's fault, really ...

That or like I said it's my monitor. One or the other .... either way I'm sure we can pin the blame on technology ..

Wilty · #30 08-22-2003, 04:18 AM

I like how the head thing has caught on. lol

I'm home so I could look at the ballasts. I'll give you the run down of what has happened and you'll understand why I'm going about this ass backward. I bought 175w ballasts with bulbs cheap from work. The bulbs just kinda came with the pkg. The bulbs are no good for the tank being 4700K So I have ballasts I am hoping to use. BUT NOW! I'm home and the numbers on the ballast mean something. They will run M59 Bulbs, So I think I'm going to run with 175w MH above the tank for now at least maybe in a year upgrade to 250w (I know 175 is low) But I have the ballasts and they can't go back. So now I need to find 175w 6500K M59 Bulbs.

IF I can't find M59 175W bulbs, I can buy 250W M58 ballasts from work. And I saw those bulbs just today (Iwasaki)