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12/05/2009, 07:49 PM
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#1 |
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Registered Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Olympia. WA.
Posts: 8,648
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probe start ballast and Radiums
Will a probe start ballast fire a se Radium bulb?
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12/06/2009, 10:03 AM
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#2 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Olympia. WA.
Posts: 8,648
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anyone have a guess?
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12/07/2009, 12:20 PM
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#3 |
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Premium Member
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: North Charleston, SC
Posts: 1,703
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It is a hit or miss with that combination. The lamp may light in the beginning but generally fails and starting becomes unreliable. A probe start ballast does not provide a high enough starting voltage to properly and reliably fire a Radium lamp.
 The Radium lamp is a pulse start type lamp. It only contains two main electrodes. A pulse start type ballast is needed to provide a high starting voltage pulse. The high starting voltage is needed to allow the lamp to strike an arc between the two main electrodes. A probe start lamp has an additional electrode. This is known as an auxiliary, starting and/or probe electrode. This electrode is in close proximity to a main electrode allowing the lamp to start without a high starting voltage. |
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12/07/2009, 06:36 PM
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#4 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Olympia. WA.
Posts: 8,648
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Thank-you PaulErik
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12/07/2009, 07:55 PM
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#5 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Long Island NY
Posts: 5,373
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<--- Almost proof positive the combination does NOT work.
__________________
-Eric |
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01/29/2010, 10:33 AM
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#6 |
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Moved On
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 419
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Mfinn - Looks like we're somewhat in the same boat for MHs. Are your ballasts elec or mag? I'm trying to figure out optimal bulbs for my set up and reading through all the forums has me a little confused on elec/mag and pulse/probe...and then bulbs of course =\
Last edited by supra23; 01/29/2010 at 10:38 AM. Reason: confusion |
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01/29/2010, 06:41 PM
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#7 | |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Olympia. WA.
Posts: 8,648
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Quote:
On my 240 I use 3x 250watt 14k Hamilton powered by IceCap electronic ballasts. Which are , by all accounts close to 12 years old. I love em. On my zoanthid tank I used a 250 watt Radium powered by a PFO HQI ballast for about 4 years. Lately I have been running into zoanthids that don't see to do well in this light. They start out fine but after a couple weeks they don't open. ( just new ones) When I move them to my 240 they open back up. So I thought maybe I should tone down the intensity of the light. I removed the lumenarc reflector and switched to a hellolights.com retro fit kit consisting of a standard ballast, flat reflector and 20k XM bulb. I hate it. I just bought a ARO electronic ballast on ebay and it should be here next week. I'm going back to the Radiums. |
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