150w DE Radium Discontinued?

[MedRed]

I can't find this bulb anywhere. They are out of stock at every online store I've looked at. I'm hoping my LFS is able to source one. Does anyone have any insight into the shortage and/or a place where one can be purchased?

[Mmiller40gt]

Couple results from google

http://www.marineandreef.com/Radium_...p/RSS12168.htm

http://reefersdirect.com/index.php?m...n4113es7cumtq3

http://www.saltytanks.com/content-pr...ment_bulb.html

http://www.tropicalriverandreef.com/...-de-15020.html

http://www.afishybusiness.com/Radium...7_a_7cVUERA150

[ReachTheSky]

I found a few sites that seem to have them:

www.saltwatereddies.com
www.soslightbulbs.com
www.tropicalriverandreef.com

Vivid Aquariums website doesn't mention them being out of stock. You might wanna call them and find out. They're driving distance for us.

[gcarroll]

I really never liked this bulb. It just doen't hat the impact that the 250 and 400 watt do. I recently looked it up on Radiums website and found it is not considered a blue bulb like the 250 and 400 watt versions. It is more like one of their white bulbs.

[MedRed]

Thanks guys! I usually stay away from the smaller reef sites. Some are fishy (pun not intended) or are lax on customer service, ship times, etc. Or they just don't update their sites.

Most of the bigger online places are out (hellolights, Aqua Cave, marinedepot, reefgeek, premium aquatics, Drs Foster and Smith, Bulk Reef Supply, and some others). With that many sites being out, it looks like their is either a supply shortage or the bulb is being discontinued.

Vivid is out as well, but they are seeing if one comes in with the order today.

gcarroll, it's going to be augmenting a 250w Phoenix. I'm not to into a blue, blue look.

[spicytuna]

My LFS had quite a few in stock at a great price $55, but he said they don't sell many as people either don't like the color or don't run the right ballast.

I absolutely love the color, I was in the market for a white bulb and was looking at 10k but there way too yellow. I run royal blue led for actinics and the bulb is ran off a galaxy select a watt ballast. It's a very crisp white with a tint of blue/purple. The corals really stand out under this lighting.

I plan on trying the 150w elos 20k abyss bulb next, as its suppose to be a higher output.

Originally Posted by MedRed

Thanks guys! I usually stay away from the smaller reef sites. Some are fishy (pun not intended) or are lax on customer service, ship times, etc. Or they just don't update their sites.

Most of the bigger online places are out (hellolights, Aqua Cave, marinedepot, reefgeek, premium aquatics, Drs Foster and Smith, Bulk Reef Supply, and some others). With that many sites being out, it looks like their is either a supply shortage or the bulb is being discontinued.

Vivid is out as well, but they are seeing if one comes in with the order today.

gcarroll, it's going to be augmenting a 250w Phoenix. I'm not to into a blue, blue look.

[spicytuna]

Also, despite what everyone says about radiums, that they should be ran off of m80/m81 ballast. I have been speaking with a radium rep and they recommend all there 20k 150w,250w,400w,1000w be run off of gavita electronic ballast. The 250 & 150 models are not available here in the US, only the 400+. The closest thing to a gavita is a lumatek or galaxy ballast that has an ecu to determine how the bulb be driven.

[sirreal63]

Who is the Radium rep?

[kduen]

Originally Posted by sirreal63

Who is the Radium rep?

And If we are using the Lumatek ballast are we supposed to be running it on the HQI mode for the 250's like previously mentioned.

[geaux xman]

my LFS guy had some. I went with the 150W XM 20K DE bulb b/c it was about $20 cheaper.

[MedRed]

Originally Posted by spicytuna

Also, despite what everyone says about radiums, that they should be ran off of m80/m81 ballast. I have been speaking with a radium rep and they recommend all there 20k 150w,250w,400w,1000w be run off of gavita electronic ballast. The 250 & 150 models are not available here in the US, only the 400+. The closest thing to a gavita is a lumatek or galaxy ballast that has an ecu to determine how the bulb be driven.

I was going to use an electronic ballast, but I do have a spare m80 ballast (I don't know why I have so many extra light fixtures hanging around. I had 4 unused mh pendants and their ballasts). So 150w Radiums aren't going to be available in the US anymore? that's a bummer.

[Mmiller40gt]

FWIW the cheapeest place I see is ebay with a 75$ or best offer price

[MedRed]

I really don't want to run the risk of ordering a used, knock off, or broken in shipping bulb. If I can't find this bulb, what's a good alternative?

[sirreal63]

Maybe this will help...

Originally Posted by PaulErik

The older typical Radium 150-watt lamp (HRI-TS 150W/230/B/RX7S), which is still being sold, may have trouble with electronic ballasts. This lamp is not a typical 150-watt lamp. The arc tube (inner bulb) is longer and the rated wattage is actually 160-watts. Some electronic ballasts are known to cause flickering and unreliable lamp starting. The electronic ballasts in the Sunpod have some reported issues with the Radium lamp.

The new Radium 150-watt lamps (HRI-TS 150W/230/B/XLN/RX7S) are different. The new lamps are totally redesigned (lower rated wattage, arc tube is shortened and other changes) and should be fine with electronic ballasts. However the light output is no where near the light output of the older lamp.

Radium's site...
old 150 (165 watt)
http://www.radium.de/en/products/met...0w230aqxlnrx7s

new 150 (146 watts)
http://www.radium.de/en/products/met...50w230bxlnrx7s

I would suspect that Radium is letting the old stock of 150 Aqua's run down before sending out the new version. What will be interesting is how the new bulb will react to the M81, I suspect it will still burn very white with a reduced life but it is good news for those with 150 watt electronic ballasts.

[DownwardDawg]

Originally Posted by spicytuna

Also, despite what everyone says about radiums, that they should be ran off of m80/m81 ballast. I have been speaking with a radium rep and they recommend all there 20k 150w,250w,400w,1000w be run off of gavita electronic ballast. The 250 & 150 models are not available here in the US, only the 400+. The closest thing to a gavita is a lumatek or galaxy ballast that has an ecu to determine how the bulb be driven.

That's interesting. Everything I've read online, including Sanjay's lighting site, recommends the M80 ballast for the 250watt. I know the electronic ballast makes the light look more blue than the M80 ballast does.

[swcc]

MY LFS has them...may be the same store as spicy tuna... anyways I just got a new bulb myself today...with having the incorrect ballast for a radium(which was suggest to me as not being as blue as the phoenix) I got a 10000K hamilton...this light is stellar...not yellow at all... Now I have sharp crystal clear light...
I hated the phoenix 14000K I had ... it was too blue...
I happen to be running a coralife HQI pendant light(stolen from my biocube HQI for my 60 cube).

[spicytuna]

The reps name is mark snedden

I also noticed the spec differance of the 146 nominal wattage after reading the radium primer thread. I also assume they changed this due to magnetic ballast becoming obsolete. Only makes sense to keep up with the times. The spec sheet I have for the radium 150 is dated 07/09/12, however I assume the bulb I have is the older model. The rep was also not able to verify the manufacture date from any product code I offered him from my radium box

Originally Posted by sirreal63

Maybe this will help...



Radium's site...
old 150 (165 watt)
http://www.radium.de/en/products/met...0w230aqxlnrx7s

new 150 (146 watts)
http://www.radium.de/en/products/met...50w230bxlnrx7s

I would suspect that Radium is letting the old stock of 150 Aqua's run down before sending out the new version. What will be interesting is how the new bulb will react to the M81, I suspect it will still burn very white with a reduced life but it is good news for those with 150 watt electronic ballasts.

[spicytuna]

Hey the bulbs you posted 165w is a 10k and the 146w is the 20k

I will ask the rep if they've changed the bulb, but we all may have just been confused all along.

Originally Posted by sirreal63

Maybe this will help...



Radium's site...
old 150 (165 watt)
http://www.radium.de/en/products/met...0w230aqxlnrx7s

new 150 (146 watts)
http://www.radium.de/en/products/met...50w230bxlnrx7s

I would suspect that Radium is letting the old stock of 150 Aqua's run down before sending out the new version. What will be interesting is how the new bulb will react to the M81, I suspect it will still burn very white with a reduced life but it is good news for those with 150 watt electronic ballasts.

[sirreal63]

It is now listed as a 10K, last time I checked, many months ago, it was just listed as Aqua and Blueish (Blau). The ones I have been running are not 10K, I switched from the Radiums to 10K's and the difference is very noticeable.

I tried to take a pic of one to show the writing on the bulb, didn't work. On the left it says Radium, Made in Germany and on the right it says HRI-TS 150W, Blau p9, and the other one says W3. I don't see the change as a bad thing, but a diminished availability is not a good thing.

[gcarroll]

Originally Posted by sirreal63

Maybe this will help...



Radium's site...
old 150 (165 watt)
http://www.radium.de/en/products/met...0w230aqxlnrx7s

new 150 (146 watts)
http://www.radium.de/en/products/met...50w230bxlnrx7s

I would suspect that Radium is letting the old stock of 150 Aqua's run down before sending out the new version. What will be interesting is how the new bulb will react to the M81, I suspect it will still burn very white with a reduced life but it is good news for those with 150 watt electronic ballasts.

Great info. It just sucks that all along we have been sold the 150 watt Radium marketed as a 20K when even the manufacturer refers to it as a 10K. Nice. Looks like they have heard the complaints and are finally going to make a 20K 150 watt.


MedRed, If you are looking for a crisp white consider the Iwasaki 20K or 50K. The 50K has a strong spike at 420 mn and will make the corals flouresce a tad. The 20K is a PAR monster with a lumen output more than most 250 watt 10K.

[PaulErik]

Radium has always made a 10,000K (Aqua) and a 20,000K (AquaStar / Blue) 150-watt lamp. The 10,000K lamp is not popular in North America. The 10,000K appears very yellow/green. Radium has changed the design on the 150-watt lamps.

New Radium 20,000K (AquaStar / Blue)
Code: HRI-TS 150W/230/B/XLN/RX7S
Article Number: 32418906
Luminous Flux: 3900lm
Lamp Wattage: 146W

Old Radium 20,000K (AquaStar / Blue)
Code: HRI-TS 150W/230/B/RX7S
Article Number: 32412168
Luminous Flux: 5000lm
Lamp Wattage: 160W

[spicytuna]

So is this an old bulb or new?

[sirreal63]

It looks like it will be weaker too. :-( I may have to go ahead and add the third 150 watt over my tank when I get the new Radiums.

[PaulErik]

That could be the new or old one. You need to see if XLN is in the lamp code printed on the glass bulb.

[spicytuna]

No XLN




jack, is this the same as your bulb?