Metal Halide Ballast

[mwilliams]

What is the difference between the Electronic Ballast vs the magnetic ballast for Metal Halide’s?

Also I have been seeing some Metal Halide ballast that have different settings on them going from a 150, 175, 250 to 400 or those okay or they bad?

Has anyone ever used either of these type of ballast before and if so what was your experince with them?

 

[jondamon]

I have used metal halide lighting before.


I used a LUMATEK 600w dimmable ballast. It's a digital ballast rather than magnetic.

Magnetic ballasts work via a coil whereas digital ballasts work in a very similar way to a computer.

Magnetics produce alot more heat than digitals.

Dimmable ballasts give you the opportunity to run at a lower wattage. Alot of manufacturers recommend running the correct lamp for the dimming feature being used due to PAR changes when a bulb is dimmed.

I haven't used these lamps with tanks. I used to have an indoor garden.


Jon

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Generally magnetic ballasts are less efficient and run a lot hotter than electronic ballasts. I've only used electronic ones and was happy with them. The variable watt models are useful if you want to experiment with it but aren't much useful beyond that other than perhaps trying to resell it. Many people are swapping them out for LEDs so you can get a lot of bargains on used MH ballasts and fixtures if you look around a bit.

 

[mwilliams]

Digital ballast is considered to be the electronic ballast?

The ballast that I am looking at I don't think they are considered dimmable.

They have different lamp settings going from 150, 175, 250 to a 400.
I just would like to have one ballast that I could change my setting from say a 175watt lamp to a 250 watt lamp. But if those type ballast is no good and will burn the bulbs up then it would not benefit a person.
Sort of like some of the Mogul SE sockets that says you can put any size bulb in them.

Just trying to save some of that old hard earned green stuff $$$$.

 

[mwilliams]

Generally magnetic ballasts are less efficient and run a lot hotter than electronic ballasts. I've only used electronic ones and was happy with them. The variable watt models are useful if you want to experiment with it but aren't much useful beyond that other than perhaps trying to resell it. Many people are swapping them out for LEDs so you can get a lot of bargains on used MH ballasts and fixtures if you look around a bit.

I have been looking can't find to many MH Ballast right now, along with the reflector & bulbs all that good stuff that goes together.