# lumatek or quantum E-ballast



## desert fox (Jun 24, 2009)

I went to the hydro store today to make some upgrades. I was talking with the guys and lumatek is supposed to release a dimmable ballast similar to to the quantum. They hand out free catalogs an I turn to page 11 of "Urban Gardener" issue 005 June/July and there she is in a full page ad!!!!!! 

I have never really jumped on the E-ballast bandwagon. I still like the good old faithful magnetics, but the capability to switch lighting output has me very interested indeed. I guess mainly because it gives me better control. Granted I would still be running at 100% most of the time, but if you should run into an issue with height, heat, or leaving for a long weekend where your girls would be very thirsty. It nice to think that you can control it with the flip of a switch. 

The Lumatek will be available in 400,600, and 1000w. Power settings switch is similar to quantums. Running at 25% 50% 100% and setting called supper lumens supposivly overdriving your bulb at 110%

Quantum only has the 600 and 1000 out right now. They run at 25% 50% and 100% I am sure they will be releasing a 400 soon enough.

Ok now lets discuss or at least make a vote for who is a better company in the E-ballast world.


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## nickbbad (Jun 24, 2009)

Ive heard people complain much more about quantum then lumatek. Quantum has a fan in it which helps keep it cool but from what I have heard has a tendency to break or get loose and rattle loud. Lumatek don't have fans so they are hotter but from what I have heard have less of a chance of breaking down. Just my 2 cents.


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## desert fox (Jun 24, 2009)

you make a good point. If the fan breaks your ballast will over heat. In the picture the lumateks look just like the standard ballast that they make. They just added the dial.


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## kovenant (Aug 11, 2009)

Hi, I'm not a regular here - in fact I signed up just to post to this thread. ICmag is my old stomping ground. Anyway, I too was considering the quantum 1000w ballasts because of their dimmability, and when I typed Lumatek vs Quantum into google, this was the only thread I found on the first page (didnt need to look further once I read this one.)

I'm glad I did. I made me then run a search on the Lumatek dimmable ballasts, just released. I currently use six 600w lumatek's on adjust-a-wings (3600w), and I have been contemplating switching to three 1000w quantums or lumateks (3000w) due to the fact that a 1000w lamp on a large adjust-a-wing is recommended for covering a 5'x7.5' area. I grow soil/coco in pots that fit a 3'x6' tray - and replacing the two 600s that currently supply light to each tray with one 1000 is appealing to me. Infact, I would be using it to cover slightly less area than they recommend (which means more lumens per sq.ft.)

Back to the subject, sorry - wanted to give background. So the result of my 2nd search lead me to lumatek, and information about their new ballasts. One of the appeals of the dimmable ballasts was the ability to dim to 600w and save power consumption during that event (early veg under 600s - cutting down on power bill.)

This is what I read from lumatek about their ballasts:

*Lumatek Electronic Ballasts*







More lumens generated per watt of electricity consumed - Lumatek ballasts have increased efficiency over magnetic ballasts. They lose fewer watts from the power supply to the lamp. This is a power factor of 95%+. The high frequency output results in low power loss
Fast start-up - they reach full brightness quickly
Completely silent
Small compact design
Produce less heat
Cut-off circuitry - cut off when a short is detected. For ultimate safety
Fully interchangeable - Lumatek ballasts can light both HPS and MH bulbs (excluding the 750W which is HPS only)
 *NEW - A dimming knob has been added which will allow them to be set at 50/75/100% (only reduce the amount of light not the power usage). *

So that was an immediate turn off. I then went to the quantum site to see if their ballasts change the power consumption when dimmed... answer in short - I dont believe they do either! This is all that they list about the Quantum 1000s:
*Quantum 1000 Watt Dimmable Electronic Ballast*

Run at 100%, 75% or 50% power
Strike both Metal Halide and High Pressure Sodium Bulbs
Accepts 120v or 240v (Both cords included)
Allows 50 Hertz to 60 Hertz
Runs 15% cooler than other digital ballasts on the market
Has a Power Factor of 99.9%
The most stable output frequency of any ballast
Higher lumen output than magnetic ballasts
Light weight and care free
3 year no hassle warranty!


*Why a Dimmer you ask?*

You have a need for a new HID light for your indoor garden and are overwhelmed with the choices! Maybe your standing in your local Grow Shop or browsing one of the many indoor gardening online retailers and have seen too many ballasts with options youre not familiar with like a dimmer. You ask yourself Why do I need a dimmer on my HID grow lights? There are several uses for a dimming feature that save you both time and money! 
*Removing or Reducing Excessive Heat*, especially on the unusually warm days has been a tricky task to deal with since the inception of indoor gardening! Never again will a 97 degree hot spree send chills down your spine or you in a crazy dash to the local hardware store to find an Air Conditioner only to find they are already out of stock! Simply dim down your Quantum Series Ballast and dramatically reduce heat output by as much as 50%!
*Reducing lumen intensity* and heat output from the bulb gives you instant control when necessary like while working in your grow area or those extra hot days! No longer a need to sweet under the intense heat or work with sunglasses on when around your garden!
*Foliar feeding* your plants has become an unbearable task of every grower that usually must be carried out with the execution of a Swiss watch. Your HID light puts out an immense amount of lumens to replicate the suns natural output. For this reason, Dimming allows for earlier foliar feeding (prior to the usual lights out practice) without the scare of burning your plants as you can rest assured you have reduced the lumen output to a safe, non burning level. Imagine the security and flexibility you will gain knowing you can apply your crucial foliar brew hours prior to lights out!
*Hardening off* cuttings and young plants for transplant has been a burden plaguing our passion for indoor gardening for years. Having to switch from fluorescent to low output HID lighting and then to high output HID lighting is a cumbersome and time consuming practice usually consisting of switching out both ballasts and bulbs or moving plants from one area to another. Imaging the convenience of being able to do this with just the twist of a knob. You can now introduce HID lighting in a gentler, stress free environment gradually increasing light intensity over the period of a few days reducing the risk of burn, wasted time and even worse, SHOCK!
*Regulating light* output to gain ultimate control of plant growth guarantees you a bumper harvest every time, you now have the ability to control light intensity in specific areas of your garden to allow for even plant growth throughout. No more days of asking yourself why you plants are all different sizes, garden looking like a roller coaster? Simply twist the knob and rest assured knowing you have the control!


So, I would really like to know - so I asked. Guess we'll see what they say. Either way, I suppose it's great to have the ability for all the reasons mentioned (even if it doesnt save you money while you have them dimmed.) If the quantum does not save power - then I would have to say that my initial instinct would be to go with the lumateks. They've been great for me.

Sorry so long.


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## OrganicOzarks (Aug 11, 2009)

I have Lumatek, and am happy. The warranty is what has sold me. My last one actually started to pop and smoke one day (you have to keep in mind that everything will one day break) I took it back to the store, and walked out with another one for free. Sold me.


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## fdd2blk (Aug 11, 2009)

i like my lumateks.


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## Teeg420 (Aug 11, 2009)

yea i would stick to the magentic ballasts, they last longer, if its breaks most likley its a capacitor or ignitor so you can fix it easily. If your digi breaks you have to send it in cause its sealed plus your down a ballast unless your shop is cool and will give you a loner. Mags are half the price of digi's. Unless your carrying or setting up a major op like 16+ kw i would stick with the mags. check out the article in max yield where eye maker of hortilux lamps tests out digis vs mags. Said no significant difference. I do like the idea of the adjustable output for hardening clones and foliar feeding.


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## guappy17 (Oct 5, 2010)

i have only lumatek 1000w's and have not had a single problem with them at all. i am putting in 16 more set ups and was thinking about the quantum ballast for the expansion. i am currently running radiant 8inch hoods and thinking about switching to the raptor 8inch but am undecided about the ballast. if anyone is using the quantum over the lumatek, please tell me why you use the quantum (if it's cause it's cooled i run a small 9inch fan over the top of all of my lumateks). i think lumatek will be the choice unless there is some compelling evidence. hopefully this brings this post back to life.


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## BizarroOH! (Nov 19, 2010)

My 1000w Quantum just fried itself, last night after owning it for 6 months . I hope my local hydro shop will honor the warranty?! The power cord from the ballast to the wall had visible damage where the power chord plugs into the ballast. Unless they give my a free one I will probably switch to Lumatek, or go back to magnetic. The dimming feature is really nice, but a $400 ballast should last for more than 6 months, right? Next time I am going to look for something that is not made in china.


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## mr.bond (Nov 21, 2010)

Me personally, I freaking love my Quantum 1000w. Probably the best piece of my garden equipment.

In regards to what this person wrote...


nickbbad said:


> Ive heard people complain much more about quantum then lumatek. Quantum has a fan in it which helps keep it cool but from what I have heard has a tendency to break or get loose and rattle loud. Lumatek don't have fans so they are hotter but from what I have heard have less of a chance of breaking down. Just my 2 cents.


... I heard the opposite (that Lumateks break more than Quantums). Plus, the Quantums have a fan that MAY go out, but it does have a 3-year warranty on it. It's a basic 40mm fan. Also, HEAT can be a huge contributing factor when it comes to ballasts breaking down. I would recommend a Quantum over a Lumatek 10 times out of 10. Cheers mate!


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## stems&seeds (Nov 21, 2010)

I run galaxy's and would highly recommend them to anyone. Some I've been running 24hours for the past 8 mos with no issues whatsoever. I am however running them all on 240v power, so they tend to draw less amps and definitely run cooler. I'm confident they will last longer running on 240 as they run so much cooler.
I run a 600, 1000, and 2 x 1500's, never had a problem with any of them. Ran hortilux, ultrasun, solarmax, etc. with no problems.


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## Mountainfarmer (Nov 22, 2010)

i own 3 1000 watt nextgens. I have owned for 1 year and have replaced one already. If you ask me digital ballasts are inherently unreliable. Just read the threads about digi ballasts and it will soon become evident that they are not reliable. If I could do it again I would buy magnetic. Don't get me wrong, they are awesome when they are working, but when they break it sucks. People will say "oh quantum is the best!" "no lumatek is" fact is they all use the same technology. These companies like C.A.P and the likes don't put enough research and development into their product, so us growers are left with mediocre products that are unreliable.


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## BizarroOH! (Nov 22, 2010)

My hydro shop honored the 3 yr warranty of the 1000w quantum. So I now have a working ballast again!


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## puffntuff (Nov 22, 2010)

I'm running the 1500 galaxy with no probs. They are all about the same as long as it's made well


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## pitbull420 (Jan 29, 2011)

I'm in the process of purchasing a new ballast right now and am undecided between Quantum and Lumatek.. I found this site for the Quantum ballasts and light combo http://www.ultralohydro.com/ which offers a 5 year warranty at a great price.. I found the lumatek hear http://www.discount-hydro.com/productdisp.php?pid=435&navid=49 It's a little more for the combo but not much so I guess my question would have to be which is the better ballast for the money... Any help would be appreciated...


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## BoomerBloomer57 (Jan 29, 2011)

Lumateks.

and Raptors!


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## purrrrple (Jan 30, 2011)

Quantum is the way to go brother!! I've used them all Lumatek, Quantum, Galaxy, GGL, Phantom, NextGen. I love my Quantums and won't go back. Paid $250 for 1000w $150 for 600w from a guy in Florida. Lumateks kept frying my bulbs and i've had several over the years go bad on me. Just my 2c. PM me if you want the hookup on Quantums i'll give you the guys info.


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## pitbull420 (Jan 31, 2011)

Yeah I've been hearing alot more negative reviews about the lumatek ballasts then the Quantums... I'll take a lil fan noise over blown bulbs and faulty wiring any day so I think I'll just go with this 600 watt comb Quantum https://www.ultralohydro.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=25


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## wannaquickee (Jan 31, 2011)

lol ive never heard anything bad about lumatek..just next gen. i have first hand xp with both


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## RawBudzski (Jan 31, 2011)

Lumatek hps super lumen switch> makes me feel good


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## pitbull420 (Feb 1, 2011)

I'm just saying from all the research I've done on these two ballast it seems more people have had serious problems with the lumateks then the Quantums.. Anything ranging from bulbs constantly blowing to basllast going out in less then a month to more serious electrical problems...


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## MediMary (Feb 1, 2011)

Quantum. Check my thread where my grow room flooded out. LOL


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## jkmovies (Feb 1, 2011)

pitbull420 said:


> I'm just saying from all the research I've done on these two ballast it seems more people have had serious problems with the lumateks then the Quantums.. Anything ranging from bulbs constantly blowing to basllast going out in less then a month to more serious electrical problems...


Where? I found nothing like that. Do you have a different internet than me?


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## RawBudzski (Feb 1, 2011)

Lumatek is win I am running 2x 600s. never fail and HPS Super Lumen Switch makes you feel warm inside.


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## Rrog (Oct 2, 2011)

I'm going through this decision process right now myself. Any other comments? Both seem to have a strong following, so I imagine you're great with either. I've heard a few places about Lumatek and bulbs, but haven't heard as much in the way of negatives for the Quantum.


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## Total Head (Oct 2, 2011)

i've been using a lumatek for almost 2 years (400w) and i have not had a single issue. i don't even use special "dig ballast bulbs" and my bulb over a year old and still fine (although in need of replacement). i use an eye hortilux super hps bulb. the thing makes no noise at all and i like the fact that it's dimmable and both bulb types can be used. if there is a short circut the unit will shut down for safety. the warranty is very good, also. my bulb warms up fully in about 4 minutes. most people agree that they are also more efficiant with electricity use and lumitek claims the light is more stable. you can use blubs of different wattages in the higher watt units. plus they look cool


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## Rrog (Oct 2, 2011)

Both have fiercely loyal followers. Nice to be able to compare two quality items like this.

Do they both still draw full power even when dimmed?


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## RELIC5150 (Apr 6, 2012)

i have a 1000 watt quantum i got because its the only digi ballast of its kind that uses a safe frequency like 60 hz which is the same as magnetic ballast,plus its a no brainer to know lumatecs fail all the time because they have no built in fan and operate at unsafe hz , also theres a difference between electronic ballast like the ones many people call "digis" even though theyre not, and digital ballast like quantum, the difference is that digital ballast are smart ballast and electronic are not, also because most ballast like lumatek are electro ballast without fans, they can get too hot and fry because they cool using heat sink transfer,instead of transfering heat with a combo of fans and fins ( the fins help cool ballast)they only use fins.also when u "overclock" bulbs with super lumens feature of lumatek u get alot more heat,as far as magnetic ballast theres not much difference between mag and digis except dimming, noise and maybe 30 or 40 watts diff. but with mag ballast u can use many types of bulbs that u cant use on digi. overall im happy with quantum( 3 years ) but im probably going with vho t5s next time i buy or maybe even a mag ballast for half quantum + lamp price. im using water cooled liquid lumens with bubbleponics systems all around,will post pics later.


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## Rrog (Apr 6, 2012)

I have a MicroMole and it's the shit


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## meowth (Apr 6, 2012)

RELIC5150 said:


> i have a 1000 watt quantum i got because its the only digi ballast of its kind that uses a safe frequency like 60 hz which is the same as magnetic ballast,plus its a no brainer to know lumatecs fail all the time because they have no built in fan and operate at unsafe hz , also theres a difference between electronic ballast like the ones many people call "digis" even though theyre not, and digital ballast like quantum, the difference is that digital ballast are smart ballast and electronic are not, also because most ballast like lumatek are electro ballast without fans, they can get too hot and fry because they cool using heat sink transfer,instead of transfering heat with a combo of fans and fins ( the fins help cool ballast)they only use fins.also when u "overclock" bulbs with super lumens feature of lumatek u get alot more heat,as far as magnetic ballast theres not much difference between mag and digis except dimming, noise and maybe 30 or 40 watts diff. but with mag ballast u can use many types of bulbs that u cant use on digi. overall im happy with quantum( 3 years ) but im probably going with vho t5s next time i buy or maybe even a mag ballast for half quantum + lamp price. im using water cooled liquid lumens with bubbleponics systems all around,will post pics later.


Some say fans as moving parts make the ballast more prone to fail.


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## RELIC5150 (Apr 9, 2012)

that is untrue because if it fails it becomes the same as one without fans, its not like it runs fans because its hotter but rather because it protects it from the number one cause of failure in electronics,overheating.also both ballast save electricity when u dim them, all dimmable ballast save electricity when dimmed, i have tested this with a meter.


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## kbo ca (Apr 9, 2012)

I have to drop my two coins here. Just had my lumatek blow a fuse, called the company rep and he said i need to return it and get a new one. If you don't mind sending your ballast back in everytime a fuse blows and having your garden sit in the dark while you wait, then don't worry about it. I will never use another digital ballast in my grow room, they aren't worth the trouble.


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## Sir.Ganga (Apr 10, 2012)

Umm.....Im not sure...


Had Q's did'nt last, cost too much.

Looks GREAT though!

Im back to stay with the Lumies

IMO

Vaper


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## curiositykilledthecat (Apr 19, 2012)

RELIC5150 said:


> that is untrue because if it fails it becomes the same as one without fans, its not like it runs fans because its hotter but rather because it protects it from the number one cause of failure in electronics,overheating.also both ballast save electricity when u dim them, all dimmable ballast save electricity when dimmed, i have tested this with a meter.


Companies don't put extra stuff in - esp things like fans (that are another moving part that fail - most common failure in PCs) - if they don't need it - OR if they're putting it in for backup - in which case they push that redundancy hard in all their ads.

Read them both. From the manufacture site.

Quantum doesn't say "we put in a fan as backup but you don't really need it". They say "we have a fan to help cool it".

Lumatek says (paraphrasing) "with careful design we eliminated the need for a fan thus eliminating a failure point"

So Lumatek has specifically designed cooling - as well as most likely component sizing - to not need a fan to run properly. Quantum has not. And likely everything about the design is dependent on that (smaller MOSFETS, over or less-under driven components, etc).

So you can't just say Quantum with dead fan is just like a Lumatek that never came with one. Such a comparison is just too simplistic.

For another quote about "unsafe hz" that's also not founded in reality. Darn near every electronic power supply, embedded or not, that isn't some old huge wall-wart ,is a switcher, and they all run at very high frequency. 40-100khz. They do that because all of the circuitry is both more efficient and more compact at those frequencies. . On that same line, even car/electronics inverters go 12V -> 145V (usually) and then down convert to the target voltage. These (both, or all) are probably doing just that (common design) and then down converting to bulb voltage not 12V (and leaving it A/C not DC) So if you're worried about safety of switcher frequencies put a tin foil jacket on because you're surrounded by them 

Which is better? I dunno. I just ordered a Lumatek 250 dimmable. Based on exactly this type of discussion - apparently better electronics design by my read of specs. And having often to fight fans in computers know they're a failure point (that type of fan is highly dependent on quality). On the other hand, I have a Vector car Inverter that has a fan. And at 10+ years, it's a noisy one for the first 10 minutes. And it needs to fan to run full load. But it's still OK.

There do also seem to be a lot of truly crappy clones. What's the quote? "Go ghetto and expect ghetto". But for Lumatek and Quantum: by my read and the fiercely loyal followers, both would probably serve you well. The Lumatek at least won't have a fan fail to shut it down (even if temporary may affect your grow). Just don't go ghetto.

I felt (from their docs) Lumatek spent more time and electronics on a better more reliable design. So I went that way.

I'll also note that PCHydro has Lumatek 250W dimmable for $90 which is an outstanding price.


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## Melons4tomatos (Apr 27, 2012)

Found this thread because I wanted to know more about digital ballast...I'm a first time grower..I went to the hydro store on Tuesday. i don't know the in and out about Digital ballast but I went there for a 600w Lumatek.. because of people on "here" advised me on that brand...Anyhow, the store recommend that I don't use Lumatek because of their excessive heat and high failure rate. They did have them in store for people who won't use anything else though. Well instead I left with a 600w Infinite Ballast. This one has a fan in it, comes with 5 years warranty, it's said 99.9 powerfactor, dimmable 600.400.250 on the box. I plug it in today and it's runs cool I guess. So I went to 2 store in LA, one of them didn't have 600w Lumatek and the other recommend I don't use them. 
View attachment 2141231


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## mantiszn (Apr 27, 2012)

The truth of the matter is, people in the hydro store will sell you whatever they make the highest profit margin on
And they will tell you whatever you want to hear to make that sale.

Fans are great for cooling, but like it has been mentioned, what happens when that fan stops spinning? 5 year warranty? Great but what is going to illuminate your garden whilst organising a replacement.

also that 5 year is the standard 3 year full 2 year prorated




Melons4tomatos said:


> Found this thread because I wanted to know more about digital ballast...I'm a first time grower..I went to the hydro store on Tuesday. i don't know the in and out about Digital ballast but I went there for a 600w Lumatek.. because of people on "here" advised me on that brand...Anyhow, the store recommend that I don't use Lumatek because of their excessive heat and high failure rate. They did have them in store for people who won't use anything else though. Well instead I left with a 600w Infinite Ballast. This one has a fan in it, comes with 5 years warranty, it's said 99.9 powerfactor, dimmable 600.400.250 on the box. I plug it in today and it's runs cool I guess. So I went to 2 store in LA, one of them didn't have 600w Lumatek and the other recommend I don't use them.
> View attachment 2141231


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## Rrog (Apr 27, 2012)

mantiszn said:


> The truth of the matter is, people in the hydro store will sell you whatever they make the highest profit margin on
> And they will tell you whatever you want to hear to make that sale.


True. This sums up the whole grow industry, sad to say. We'd all be growing in soil if it were not for this.


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## Sencha (Apr 27, 2012)

The new Lumatek 1000s have fans now. Totally new design, check it out.


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## somedude247 (Apr 27, 2012)

Just a side-note Im not sure anyone has touched on, but I noticed with my dimmable ballast (600w Quantum-but Lumatek is awesome also) that the color spectrums of the bulbs change with each setting and saw significant decrease in plant response and not much decrease in heat with lower settings. If youre not running 100%, you dont know what colors you light is producing. My Digilux MH turns orangeish when dimmed and my plants didnt like it, even moving the light closer. Just what Ive noticed anyways.


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## BLVDog (Jul 6, 2014)

anyone used this Ice-Pack-Ballast-Fan-for-600w-1000w-Ballasts? kinda seems like the company knows there product has aflaw and made this to help


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## bravedave (Jul 7, 2014)

somedude247 said:


> Just a side-note Im not sure anyone has touched on, but I noticed with my dimmable ballast (600w Quantum-but Lumatek is awesome also) that the color spectrums of the bulbs change with each setting and saw significant decrease in plant response and not much decrease in heat with lower settings. If youre not running 100%, you dont know what colors you light is producing. My Digilux MH turns orangeish when dimmed and my plants didnt like it, even moving the light closer. Just what Ive noticed anyways.


I was under the impression that if you are going to run it dimmed you should not be running the same bulb. In other words, if you have a 600w Quantum running at 75% you should have a 400w bulb. Not so?


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## Red1966 (Jul 7, 2014)

It may be slightly better. Growers House did a test with 1000w bulbs at super lumen, 100% and 4 more lower settings. (They had a ballast with 6 different settings!) The spectrum output remained almost exactly the same regardless of the dimming level. Efficiency dropped slightly the more they dimmed. Not enough to make a big difference, so maybe not enough to make it worth buying multiple bulbs. They didn't address effect on lifespan. Some here claim it does shorten lifespan, but I suspect they're just assuming it does. I imagine it makes some difference, but data isn't available. Why obsess over it if it makes almost no difference? That said, I have 400w and 600w bulbs instead of just dimming the 600w. I can't see the difference, but somedude247 says he can. Now that I reread this, I see it isn't helpful at all. I'll shut up now.


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## auswolf (Jul 7, 2014)

I did a test on a 430w hps bulb dimmed to 250w, also tested a 250w hps as a comparison. One picture shows 430 and 430 dimmed, the other is 430 and 250w bulbs.
Edit the 250w and 430w bulbs are different manufactures.


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## Cap'n Jack (Jul 7, 2014)

google "lumateck sucks"

Go with either Nanolux or the energy station "e-ballast" (known as the "iphone ballast" on the west coast.) if you want bang for bux


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## Cap'n Jack (Jul 7, 2014)

"super lumens" is junk.


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## Cap'n Jack (Jul 7, 2014)

Lumatek isnt even UL listed. Those pieces of shit fail about 30% of the time within a year.


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## jordan293 (Jul 7, 2014)

Cap'n Jack said:


> Lumatek isnt even UL listed. Those pieces of shit fail about 30% of the time within a year.


iv had 3 400 watt dimmable lumateks for over 3 years now and they all work fine none have burnt out themselves or burnt out bulbs i find them to be very reliable


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## jijiandfarmgang (Jul 7, 2014)

I prefer Gavita , then Solis tek. Both a sealed design.

Had many digital ballasts, never had one fail. Of course I upgraded over the years and sold older ones. 

I must of rocked a half dozen apollos for 2 years....

- Jiji


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## jijiandfarmgang (Jul 7, 2014)

auswolf said:


> I did a test on a 430w hps bulb dimmed to 250w, also tested a 250w hps as a comparison. One picture shows 430 and 430 dimmed, the other is 430 and 250w bulbs.
> Edit the 250w and 430w bulbs are different manufactures.
> View attachment 3197910
> View attachment 3197911


Why can't more people be like you?

- Jiji


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## bravedave (Jul 8, 2014)

Red1966 said:


> It may be slightly better. Growers House did a test with 1000w bulbs at super lumen, 100% and 4 more lower settings. (They had a ballast with 6 different settings!) The spectrum output remained almost exactly the same regardless of the dimming level. Efficiency dropped slightly the more they dimmed. Not enough to make a big difference, so maybe not enough to make it worth buying multiple bulbs. They didn't address effect on lifespan. Some here claim it does shorten lifespan, but I suspect they're just assuming it does. I imagine it makes some difference, but data isn't available. Why obsess over it if it makes almost no difference? That said, I have 400w and 600w bulbs instead of just dimming the 600w. I can't see the difference, but somedude247 says he can. Now that I reread this, I see it isn't helpful at all. I'll shut up now.


Thanks. No obsession. If I have a 600, I am running at 600 and wishing I had a 1000 so the dimming is not particularly important to me.


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## Red1966 (Jul 8, 2014)

I'm wishing for 2x AT600s that didn't weigh 70 lbs and cost $2000(with a discount) each. My ballasts put out 600w, 400w, and 300w. Where am I going to get a 300w bulb?


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## Red1966 (Jul 8, 2014)

jijiandfarmgang said:


> I prefer Gavita , then Solis tek. Both a sealed design.
> 
> Had many digital ballasts, never had one fail. Of course I upgraded over the years and sold older ones.
> 
> ...


Sealed is the way to go. Fans fail and then the ballast overheats.


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## Cap'n Jack (Jul 8, 2014)

300watt setting is just to run a 400w bulb dimmed.


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## Cap'n Jack (Jul 8, 2014)

jordan293 said:


> iv had 3 400 watt dimmable lumateks for over 3 years now and they all work fine none have burnt out themselves or burnt out bulbs i find them to be very reliable


Congrats, you are in the minority. I saw 10 of them returned in six months at the shop I worked at. Never one Nanolux or Energystation.

We never moved a lot of the Solis Tek ballasts, but they work great and the one guy I know that runs them likes them.

I run ballasts with fans and just keep them in a clean area. I thinking about throwing them in a box with a booster fan pulling air out of said box and a furnace filter as the intake.

Either way, if a sealed ballast does ever fail, its junk to me. If one with a fan goes I can bust out the multimeter and see if its worth fixing.

To each their own, and whatnot. 

(Please only use UL listed equipment. Especially if you grow in the house your family sleeps in.)


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## auswolf (Jul 8, 2014)

Cap'n Jack said:


> Congrats, you are in the minority. I saw 10 of them returned in six months at the shop I worked at. Never one Nanolux or Energystation.
> 
> We never moved a lot of the Solis Tek ballasts, but they work great and the one guy I know that runs them likes them.
> 
> ...


I would have to agree with Jordan293, I have a couple 400w lumateks there coming upto the 4 year mark. Never missed a beat, I wouldn't have any problems recommending them. Not to mention they carry a 5 year warranty.

And what's this shit your spreading that there not ul listed, nothing but lies.........


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