Who Makes the Best Digital Ballast?

I am seriously considering going with the micromole ballasts on my next upgrade. They are supposed to have the highest [h=3]Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) Units rating which is what your plants absorb. Anyone tried these?[/h]

I don't know what the best is, or how we'd go about defining such an animal in practical terms outside of catastrophic failures. I use a number of Galaxy and Quantum ballasts (1K and 600HPS). I chose them, because they ran SS cordsets without adapters (there weren't many options at the time). I also have a pair of el-cheapo 400HPS ballasts that I got for something like $75 each BNIB. Ran them for ~1.5 years on 18/6 with zero issues. I've been running the bigger lights in the flowering room for years, too. Everything works like it's supposed to. So what's best? Beats me.

From my perspective, I only care about the final product. The bud. Any piece of equipment pays for itself over and over on the first run, so the cost is largely irrelevant if it actually produces. If a digital ballast fails, so what? It's less than $300 for a 1K. That's not even the cost of an ounce at retail. Just replace the thing and go about your business. Magnetic ballasts, OTOH, are a different story.

Simon

The bulb is what produces the PAR, not the ballast. The ballast drives the bulb but it's the type of bulb that determines the PAR. A better ballast may produce more PAR though on the same bulb.

MalcolmMustang said:

I am seriously considering going with the micromole ballasts on my next upgrade. They are supposed to have the highest Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) Units rating which is what your plants absorb. Anyone tried these?

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the galaxy ballast sell the most in my store ive had about 7 dif wattage lumitek ballast be returned to my store the new phantom balast are the shit but i havent sold many of those a lil more exspensive to own if u do choose a electronic ballast make sure ur bulb is e-ballast rated makes a bigg diff

sherriberry said:

i just got word that the new lumatek's can run ceramic metal halides...and that the 600w dimmable ballast can also run 400w bulbsif this is the case, then lumatek is the ONLY digital ballast able to run ceramic metal halides. and they dont have a fan that wears outhope this makes your decision a no brainer

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Can I ask where you got this info? I have 6 lumateks but they are a little older. Would love to try CMH bulb

God I would give my left nut if peoPle were buying ounces for $300! Good bud in Oregon. $150/ounce. Top shelf = $175

legallyflying said:

God I would give my left nut if peoPle were buying ounces for $300! Good bud in Oregon. $150/ounce. Top shelf = $175

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I don't want to take this thread OT, but I wouldn't mind talking about this for a bit and getting some feedback. Is there a thread, already, for growers like us?

Simon

I don't think there is but if you start one, send me a link. I would suspect the usual responses however. I grow kind bud because I'm kind.. "greedy growers", etc etc etc. The medical scene in OR is weird to say the least. There are some very cool people and I am glads to have the program, but there is also allot of patients that want their medicine for free. WTF is free in this life?

a few days ago, i reported all good luck with my 600 galaxy. so i got a switchable 1000w. anyway, a few days ago, i noticed an irratic flickering. then tonight, i went out, and the darn thing was not even on. so i walked over and hit the reset button. back on. wonder whats up? i will have to see if the seller will warrenty it, ether way, ill need a spare. so, now im looking at getting another one. lol. maybe even a mag stye.

Solis-Tek are excellent ballasts--a true high frequency ballast, running at ~84Khz. An online grow shop called growershouse does some useful tests. Their latest one was a PAR comparison between 9 major digital ballasts, and 1 core & coil. All ran a 1000w Hortilux HPS in the same reflector. Measurements were taken at set points on a grid laid out on the floor. The winner: Solis-Tek, which produced about 4% more Par than the no.2 ballast, the Lumatek air cooled, which beat no. 3, the Lumatek non air cooled, and so on. The Phantom was 4th, all the way down to the core & coil. Get this: the Solis-tek produced about 39% more PAR light than the core & coil!!!

Bud

And yet you still have people saying that digital ballasts are bullshit.

You have a link to that info?

I have a solid tek, two of them and the one makes my arc tube vibrate on my 600 lucalux bulbs!!!

Solis-tek are better for 1000w, for 600w Lumatek non air cooled with their bulbs are better then any other 600w. I have a friend who works at a hydro shop and he is constantly trying different bulbs with different ballasts and taking down the numbers.

By far the best is eyes its made in japan not china. I have burned up a few lumatechs and like the galaxies better and the phantom the best.

Just saw a youtube test today http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYcsQgInT8A that included the MicroMole digital ballast along with Solis-Tek, Lumatek and other top brands with the MicroMole coming in first with Solis-Tek coming in second. I'm getting a MicroMole tomorrow as my Lumatek died today after 6 years. If that isn't the right video it should be on the same page.

Just got a 600w Solis Tek, absolutely love it, it's big for a 600w. You can tell it's a high quality product, there are quite a few reviews out there with it in first, or bear the top. I HIGHLY recommend the Solis Tek line

n e body see the nanos 1000 watt that fits into ur hand

I am HIGHLY skeptical off any electronic unit that sucks dust directly into itself. All these super light weight ballasts with built in fans and sub par electronics. They are cheaper for a reason. Dust retains heat and there is plenty of dust and dirt in the air in grow environment.

Cb? Sweet throw back

legallyflying said:

I am HIGHLY skeptical off any electronic unit that sucks dust directly into itself. All these super light weight ballasts with built in fans and sub par electronics. They are cheaper for a reason. Dust retains heat and there is plenty of dust and dirt in the air in grow environment.

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The Solis Tek ballast are completely enclosed, they have a twin peak design for better hear dissipation and more surface area. I have a cheap ipower also from amazon and you can tell just by holding the two in your hands the Solis Tek is of much higher quality, it's about twice as heavy as the ipower and bigger as well. Seems like an extremely solid ballast.

I was refering to the tiny ballasts and air cooled models. I hear great things about the solisteks but I have two 1k solisteks and they vibrate the arc tube on my 600 bulbs! They also whine. Haven't tried them with a 1k bulb yet but they piss me off so far.

All the other ballasts are completely silent (12 of them). And the solisteks sound like this...
Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee