Digital HPS ballast going out?

Question about digital ballasts. I've been running a 600w hps digital ballast for about 5 years now, and i'm starting to wonder if i'm still getting the same light output as when the ballast was new. Bulb is an Eye Hortilux 600 hps and it's about 3 months old only running on 12/12. I'm just not sure i'm getting the same light output i used to, kind of looks a little dimmer. I could just be high. Can't remember the ballast brand, got it from HTG in a basic setup.

When a digital ballast goes is it a gradual thing with slowly decreasing light output or is it a sudden event and your shit just doesn't work anymore?

I do have a traditional style 1000w ballast, but i can't remember how old the bulb is (probably at least 6 months, also an Eye Hortilux) and i have a bit of a hard time keeping temps down in my 4'x3'x6'tall box with the 1K.

thanks for the help. I'll probably be in the market for some new lighting equipment soonish as i am finally building a bigger box.

Digital ballasts aren't supposed to degrade, no, but bulbs obviously will. A digital ballast fails when internal components/circuitry do and it probably just wouldn't function at all. It probably also has a fuse, you could check that to see if it's going. The only way you'll be able to tell light output for sure is a light meter.

Magnetic/core and coil ballasts on the other hand do degrade and produce less light and more heat. Unlike with digital ballasts though you can replace the capacitor/components in a magnetic ballast.

thanks for the info. That's what i figured. Probably should look into a light meter to confirm crazy or just high.

Electronic (digital) ballasts like everything else electronic these days either are on or off pretty much. They work or they dont. Everything is so integrated that if something fails you get no bulb turning on. Cheap flatscreen tv's are notorious for this. Something goes....you got no television. In the olden days tv's would flicker,.lose sound,color etc. before they went kapoot. Not now. Old coil core ballast are kind of similar. Capacitors were easy to replace.