Ballast electric or magnetic

slickmin · 05/27/2010, 10:04 AM

Hey Guys

something happened to the ballast that i had last night. for what ever reason it doesnt want to power the bulbs anymore. everytime i turn it on both light flickers then 1 get real bright like its about to explode then shut down.. im not sure what kind of ballast it was i bought off of these guy on cl about 3months ago.
Now i think i might need to replace the ballast becuz i tried another set of lights same thing.

so what ballast should i be going with electric or magnetic

D-Nak · 05/28/2010, 10:24 AM

What kind of bulb are you planning to run? VHO, T5, metal halide -- double or single-ended?

It depends on what you're planning to run -- which lights your using, what color you'd lilke them to produce, etc. Electronic ballasts (like IceCap) tend to power up the bulb at the correct wattage. There are magnetic ballasts that can over-drive a bulb (similar to overclocking a computer) which will allow them to burn brighter.

I have IceCap ballasts for both my VHOs and my halides -- I feel they are reliable and provide great output. But there are tons of good options out there.

If you give us more information about your system, I think more people will chime in and offer suggestions.

moondoggy4 · 05/28/2010, 12:45 PM

I believe that the old school magnetic ballast are not going to be made anymore so they're should be some really good deals out there.

jansenwrasse · 06/01/2010, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moondoggy4

I believe that the old school magnetic ballast are not going to be made anymore so they're should be some really good deals out there.

I would be blown away by this!!!! Very unlikely ,they are very profitable to make and sell. But it would be nice to not have to hoof 6 of these up a scissors lift

HippieSmell · 06/01/2010, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moondoggy4

I believe that the old school magnetic ballast are not going to be made anymore so they're should be some really good deals out there.

Really? I have an M80 ballast for my 250W DE. It's an awesome ballast that properly drives the DE bulbs and has been running for 5 years. Maybe the electronic ballasts are better now.

grigsy · 06/01/2010, 09:11 PM

Moondoggy - thats not true and a very unlikely scenario.

Slickmin, personally, I would recommend if you are using halides, to use magnetic ballasts over electronic.

In my experience, they are much more reliable. Transformers last a long time. Most servicing with those are simply capacitor change but even that is not often at all.

The several electronic MH ballasts I have used crapped out within a year.

+1 Hippiesmell - I also use M80 HQI ballasts. I have a couple that I have been using for about 7 years now. They are great for DE 250 watt bulbs. They always give me better PAR numbers versus electronic ballasts.

For VHOs, electronic ballasts are a great option.

jansenwrasse · 06/01/2010, 09:47 PM

careful with that cap too she is naaaaaaaaasssssssssty and bites really hard

moondoggy4 · 06/01/2010, 11:32 PM

I have a Hamilton dual 175 magnetic ballast and never had a problem with it. I simply wrote what I heard from a Ushio engineer, could be wrong or I miss heard but maybe somebody else knows for sure. Sorry jansenwrasse did not understand.

dano1 · 06/02/2010, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jansenwrasse

careful with that cap too she is naaaaaaaaasssssssssty and bites really hard

quote for truth.

redfishsc · 06/02/2010, 09:28 PM

Speaking from experience, eh? I had to read that thing several times before I realized what he was talking about.

Capacitor. yowza. I imagine that would hurt like hell.

tegee · 06/03/2010, 05:44 AM

Hamilton still makes magnetic ballast M80, etc. I just bought one to fire a 250w Radium. I will buy two more to complete my lighting change out if I like how it fires the Radium.......try calling Hamilton direct. They have been awesome to deal with tech related questions.

HTH

sevendigitcake · 06/03/2010, 07:25 AM

reef geek has magnetic ballasts on clearance right now, the prices are really good. go magnetic(MH)

05/27/2010, 10:04 AM	#1
slickmin Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Atlantic Highlands nj Posts: 155	Ballast electric or magnetic Hey Guys something happened to the ballast that i had last night. for what ever reason it doesnt want to power the bulbs anymore. everytime i turn it on both light flickers then 1 get real bright like its about to explode then shut down.. im not sure what kind of ballast it was i bought off of these guy on cl about 3months ago. Now i think i might need to replace the ballast becuz i tried another set of lights same thing. so what ballast should i be going with electric or magnetic

06/01/2010, 09:47 PM	#7
jansenwrasse Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Irondequoit, New York Posts: 1,042	careful with that cap too she is naaaaaaaaasssssssssty and bites really hard __________________ "Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value." Albert Einstein Current Tank Info: I am allergic to seafood ... yup its that bad epi pen and all so I cant have a tank.

06/02/2010, 09:28 PM	#10
redfishsc Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Wake Forest, NC Posts: 3,696	Speaking from experience, eh? I had to read that thing several times before I realized what he was talking about. Capacitor. yowza. I imagine that would hurt like hell. __________________ "The measure of a life is not its duration but its donation." Corrie Ten Boom “The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins” -- Søren Kierkegaard Current Tank Info: ghetto grad school reef.....11g rimless tank, 36X9X9, lit by Cree and Rebels scobbled together. Stocked mostly with free stuff I got from panhandling my fellow reefers.

06/03/2010, 05:44 AM	#11
tegee Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: NY Posts: 831	Hamilton still makes magnetic ballast M80, etc. I just bought one to fire a 250w Radium. I will buy two more to complete my lighting change out if I like how it fires the Radium.......try calling Hamilton direct. They have been awesome to deal with tech related questions. HTH __________________ 180-gl. SPS Miracles Tank 60" x 24" x 29". Lighting is Old School...(3) 250w MH Radiums using M80 ballasts w/ VHO Actinics (2) EcoTech MP60's, 75-gl. Sump, Kalk Reactor, MRC CalRx, Hurricone Skimmer

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05/28/2010, 10:24 AM	#2
D-Nak Registered Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 5,797	What kind of bulb are you planning to run? VHO, T5, metal halide -- double or single-ended? It depends on what you're planning to run -- which lights your using, what color you'd lilke them to produce, etc. Electronic ballasts (like IceCap) tend to power up the bulb at the correct wattage. There are magnetic ballasts that can over-drive a bulb (similar to overclocking a computer) which will allow them to burn brighter. I have IceCap ballasts for both my VHOs and my halides -- I feel they are reliable and provide great output. But there are tons of good options out there. If you give us more information about your system, I think more people will chime in and offer suggestions.

05/28/2010, 12:45 PM	#3
moondoggy4 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: menifee So cal Posts: 11,042	I believe that the old school magnetic ballast are not going to be made anymore so they're should be some really good deals out there.

06/01/2010, 09:11 PM	#6
grigsy Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Santa Cruz, CA Posts: 2,307	Moondoggy - thats not true and a very unlikely scenario. Slickmin, personally, I would recommend if you are using halides, to use magnetic ballasts over electronic. In my experience, they are much more reliable. Transformers last a long time. Most servicing with those are simply capacitor change but even that is not often at all. The several electronic MH ballasts I have used crapped out within a year. +1 Hippiesmell - I also use M80 HQI ballasts. I have a couple that I have been using for about 7 years now. They are great for DE 250 watt bulbs. They always give me better PAR numbers versus electronic ballasts. For VHOs, electronic ballasts are a great option.

06/01/2010, 11:32 PM	#8
moondoggy4 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: menifee So cal Posts: 11,042	I have a Hamilton dual 175 magnetic ballast and never had a problem with it. I simply wrote what I heard from a Ushio engineer, could be wrong or I miss heard but maybe somebody else knows for sure. Sorry jansenwrasse did not understand.

06/03/2010, 07:25 AM	#12
sevendigitcake Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 452	reef geek has magnetic ballasts on clearance right now, the prices are really good. go magnetic(MH)