What is the most reliable ballast to get?
- Thread starter
- #2
Thank you for the recommendation! Man There are so many options.
Lord Hydros
New Member
From my heavily immersed experience between electronic and good old magnetic ballasts....
Magnetic ballasts are the most reliable. You only need to replace the capacitor every so often (once every 18 months is probably overkill). Ask any electrician (preferably an industrial troubleshooter) and they will always tell you to not bother with electronic ballasts. For the life of me, I could never understand why anybody would want to dim ( or take away from) their lighting.
I've had 3 electronic ballasts crap out (600 watt) while the other 3 magnetic did not. Side by side all the electronic ones failed next to the magnetic. That was many years ago before I figured out that you cannot position an electronic ballast too far from the lamp socket. That means the only way to not worry about an electronic ballast crapping out unexpectedly is to have it give unwanted heat to your grow room. I can put a magnetic ballast 20 feet away (or much more) from the lamp and not worry about a thing.
Magnetic ballasts are the most reliable. You only need to replace the capacitor every so often (once every 18 months is probably overkill). Ask any electrician (preferably an industrial troubleshooter) and they will always tell you to not bother with electronic ballasts. For the life of me, I could never understand why anybody would want to dim ( or take away from) their lighting.
I've had 3 electronic ballasts crap out (600 watt) while the other 3 magnetic did not. Side by side all the electronic ones failed next to the magnetic. That was many years ago before I figured out that you cannot position an electronic ballast too far from the lamp socket. That means the only way to not worry about an electronic ballast crapping out unexpectedly is to have it give unwanted heat to your grow room. I can put a magnetic ballast 20 feet away (or much more) from the lamp and not worry about a thing.
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
I like Lumatek. They are the most high tech digital ballasts that I have found, and I own 3 of them.
I will also say that I hate magnetic ballasts, for multiple reasons. They are electrically noisy. They do not produce a consistent output. They can not tune to your particular bulb's dynamics. They shorten the life of any bulb. They hum. They get hot.
My lumeteks are very efficient, electronically silent, produce light at 2400 hz vs 60 hz, therefore NO flicker. They can run either MH or HPS, with no adjustments needed. Oh, they also have a nice long warranty. They do not hum. They do not get hot.
I will never go back to magnetic... and as a Ham Radio operator, I demand electrically silent lighting. I got state of the art, because I know what I needed. Did you know that Lumatek's are also guaranteed not to be able to be sniffed out by RF sniffers?
I will also say that I hate magnetic ballasts, for multiple reasons. They are electrically noisy. They do not produce a consistent output. They can not tune to your particular bulb's dynamics. They shorten the life of any bulb. They hum. They get hot.
My lumeteks are very efficient, electronically silent, produce light at 2400 hz vs 60 hz, therefore NO flicker. They can run either MH or HPS, with no adjustments needed. Oh, they also have a nice long warranty. They do not hum. They do not get hot.
I will never go back to magnetic... and as a Ham Radio operator, I demand electrically silent lighting. I got state of the art, because I know what I needed. Did you know that Lumatek's are also guaranteed not to be able to be sniffed out by RF sniffers?