Questions about Lumatek Dimmable Ballasts

ReefTECK · 03/21/2010, 07:16 PM

Yeah, so the dimmable ballast I see has settings for 150, 175, 250, and 400. Is this a "click" set dial to one setting, or a smooth turn dial?

nikon187 · 03/21/2010, 07:38 PM

click dial. those wattages are the only ones the ballast can do. It is selectable

ReefTECK · 03/21/2010, 07:44 PM

can i run a 400 watt bulb at 250watts and maybe get some more blue out of the bulb or not?

pbnj · 03/21/2010, 07:49 PM

I just noticed the Lumatek 250W Dimmable ballast has an 'HQI' setting. Does this mean this ballast can be used to overdrive a Radium bulb?

ReefTECK · 03/21/2010, 07:56 PM

I'm thinking about radiums too, but I wanted to see if I could get the color I wanted out of my 400 XM 20K's by using a dimmable ballast.

Or is the Lumatek dimmable ballast simply so that you can set to 250 and use 250's or go to 400 bulbs and switch the ballast up to 400?

mrbigshot · 03/21/2010, 08:04 PM

its so you can use a 250 bulb at 250 and a 400 at 400. or even a 400w hps.

ReefTECK · 03/21/2010, 08:25 PM

hps?

What is going to give me the desired effect? Do I just need to buy new bulbs?

derek4real · 03/21/2010, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReefTECK

can i run a 400 watt bulb at 250watts and maybe get some more blue out of the bulb or not?

you could, but not suggested, running the bulb below it's recommend specs.

you could put water in your gas tank too but I wouldnt do it.

derek4real · 03/21/2010, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pbnj

I just noticed the Lumatek 250W Dimmable ballast has an 'HQI' setting. Does this mean this ballast can be used to overdrive a Radium bulb?

Yes, you could use the HQI setting to overdrive bulbs if desired.

derek4real · 03/21/2010, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReefTECK

I'm thinking about radiums too, but I wanted to see if I could get the color I wanted out of my 400 XM 20K's by using a dimmable ballast.

Or is the Lumatek dimmable ballast simply so that you can set to 250 and use 250's or go to 400 bulbs and switch the ballast up to 400?

It was made to be a "universal" ballast.

You can use it for DE or SE.
If you using it for SE, you have an option to overdrive.
And you can upgrade to 400W instantly, just buy the bulb.

I dont think there is a bulb this ballast will not drive. (lots of bulbs out there)

03/21/2010, 07:16 PM	#1
ReefTECK Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Iowa City, Iowa Posts: 901	Questions about Lumatek Dimmable Ballasts Yeah, so the dimmable ballast I see has settings for 150, 175, 250, and 400. Is this a "click" set dial to one setting, or a smooth turn dial? __________________ 2013 President of the Greater Iowa Reef Society www.iowareefs.org Current Tank Info: 120 Gallon Tank, 96 DIY LED's on 3 channels, 30gal sump/fuge, 4x2x0.5' & 40gal frag tank, SRO Ca rxr, GSA Kalk rxr, SRO 3000 skmr, Gen-X PCX40 Return, 2xMP40w's, 1xTunze 6101, 140lbs LR, SSB, SPS all the way!

03/21/2010, 07:38 PM	#2
nikon187 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Edmonton Alberta Posts: 4,717	click dial. those wattages are the only ones the ballast can do. It is selectable __________________ ----------------- Current Tanks: New 210 custom 84 x 24 x 24, 60g sump, SWC 250 extreme with bubble blaster 5000, 2 vortech mp40, 2 vortech mp10, 12 T5, Water blaster 5000, warner marine bio pellets, 60g clownfish cube, red carpet anemone with a 25g sump,SRO octopus 1000sss, 250w radium, lumenarc large.

03/21/2010, 07:44 PM	#3
ReefTECK Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Iowa City, Iowa Posts: 901	can i run a 400 watt bulb at 250watts and maybe get some more blue out of the bulb or not? __________________ 2013 President of the Greater Iowa Reef Society www.iowareefs.org Current Tank Info: 120 Gallon Tank, 96 DIY LED's on 3 channels, 30gal sump/fuge, 4x2x0.5' & 40gal frag tank, SRO Ca rxr, GSA Kalk rxr, SRO 3000 skmr, Gen-X PCX40 Return, 2xMP40w's, 1xTunze 6101, 140lbs LR, SSB, SPS all the way!

03/21/2010, 07:56 PM	#5
ReefTECK Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Iowa City, Iowa Posts: 901	I'm thinking about radiums too, but I wanted to see if I could get the color I wanted out of my 400 XM 20K's by using a dimmable ballast. Or is the Lumatek dimmable ballast simply so that you can set to 250 and use 250's or go to 400 bulbs and switch the ballast up to 400? __________________ 2013 President of the Greater Iowa Reef Society www.iowareefs.org Current Tank Info: 120 Gallon Tank, 96 DIY LED's on 3 channels, 30gal sump/fuge, 4x2x0.5' & 40gal frag tank, SRO Ca rxr, GSA Kalk rxr, SRO 3000 skmr, Gen-X PCX40 Return, 2xMP40w's, 1xTunze 6101, 140lbs LR, SSB, SPS all the way!

03/21/2010, 08:25 PM	#7
ReefTECK Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Iowa City, Iowa Posts: 901	hps? What is going to give me the desired effect? Do I just need to buy new bulbs? __________________ 2013 President of the Greater Iowa Reef Society www.iowareefs.org Current Tank Info: 120 Gallon Tank, 96 DIY LED's on 3 channels, 30gal sump/fuge, 4x2x0.5' & 40gal frag tank, SRO Ca rxr, GSA Kalk rxr, SRO 3000 skmr, Gen-X PCX40 Return, 2xMP40w's, 1xTunze 6101, 140lbs LR, SSB, SPS all the way!

03/21/2010, 07:49 PM	#4
pbnj Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 381	I just noticed the Lumatek 250W Dimmable ballast has an 'HQI' setting. Does this mean this ballast can be used to overdrive a Radium bulb?

03/21/2010, 08:04 PM	#6
mrbigshot Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: mn Posts: 387	its so you can use a 250 bulb at 250 and a 400 at 400. or even a 400w hps.