Why do some want high CRI?

coolbreez1 said:

Higher CRI does make it easier to diagnose plant health. It also makes the plants look much more impressive when people that are used to looking at them under HPS take a gander

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I believe it leads to better overall health and resilience and better quality. I'm disappointed I haven't seen it translate into better yields.

ttystikk said:

Right about the same g/w, so slightly less bulb for bulb. Quality is noticeably and consistently better, however. I'd expect the 315W version to yield more per watt due to its digital square wave ballast.

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How about 4 315's over a 5x5 or what about that new "Grow Beast" fixture combining a DE lamp and 2 315's in a single fixture?

OneHitDone said:

How about 4 315's over a 5x5 or what about that new "Grow Beast" fixture combining a DE lamp and 2 315's in a single fixture?

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Since I don't have any of those fixtures or lamps, I'm certainly not the one to say. I'm reporting my own experience, with the lamps I AM using. Keep in mind my 860W CDM lamps must run on an old school magnetic ballast, which seriously limits their efficiency.

ttystikk said:

Since I don't have any of those fixtures or lamps, I'm certainly not the one to say. I'm reporting my own experience, with the lamps I AM using. Keep in mind my 860W CDM lamps must run on an old school magnetic ballast, which seriously limits their efficiency.

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You bring a very important detail that everyone always overlooks when making the "hps killer" claim - exactly which ballast, bulb, and hood are they comparing to?
I've yet to see any legit testing utilizing the Hortilux Platinum ballast

OneHitDone said:

You bring a very important detail that everyone always overlooks when making the "hps killer" claim - exactly which ballast, bulb, and hood are they comparing to?
I've yet to see any legit testing utilizing the Hortilux Platinum ballast

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Well I can tell you it won't be that big a difference if any over other top end electronic ballasts. Why is gavita ahead . The higher frequency is one of the ingredients. Hortilux platinum ballast is square wave low frequency. I'd like to see a test too. To me it fills a gap that is no longer relevant. All modern hps bulbs are made to run on high frequency ballast now. There used to be compatibility problems when the lumiteks first came out. Thing of the past bro.

Stephenj37826 said:

Well I can tell you it won't be that big a difference if any over other top end electronic ballasts. Why is gavita ahead . The higher frequency is one of the ingredients. Hortilux platinum ballast is square wave low frequency. I'd like to see a test too. To me it fills a gap that is no longer relevant. All modern hps bulbs are made to run on high frequency ballast now. There used to be compatibility problems when the lumiteks first came out. Thing of the past bro.

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I know on my green 1000 watt digital galaxy ballast that if I run hortilux 1000w after about 2-3 weeks I'll blow them up. I used to run digilux bulbs with no.problems and that's was maybe a year ago

anzohaze said:

I know on my green 1000 watt digital galaxy ballast that if I run hortilux 1000w after about 2-3 weeks I'll blow them up. I used to run digilux bulbs with no.problems and that's was maybe a year ago

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When was the last time you ran hortilux? They changed there bulbs about a year ago to work with digital ballasts.

Stephenj37826 said:

When was the last time you ran hortilux? The changed there bulbs about a year ago to work with digital ballasts.

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yep. unless the bulbs he's using are still the older ones. don't they say something on the side of the box like e-ballast certified now? i've run horti's in my 600 solis tek for at least a year with no problems

Yes new box says it and the box is pink borders and not mostly white.

Stephenj37826 said:

Well I can tell you it won't be that big a difference if any over other top end electronic ballasts. Why is gavita ahead . The higher frequency is one of the ingredients. Hortilux platinum ballast is square wave low frequency. I'd like to see a test too. To me it fills a gap that is no longer relevant. All modern hps bulbs are made to run on high frequency ballast now. There used to be compatibility problems when the lumiteks first came out. Thing of the past bro.

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And just to fill in an additional detail, don't try to run the 860W CDM lamp on the Platinum ballast; a company tried to make a digital ballast specifically for the 860W bulb and they went out of business. The lamps couldn't take it and had a very high failure rate. Apparently this phenomenon is the explanation for why the 315W CMH isn't any bigger than it is.

OneHitDone said:

You bring a very important detail that everyone always overlooks when making the "hps killer" claim - exactly which ballast, bulb, and hood are they comparing to?
I've yet to see any legit testing utilizing the Hortilux Platinum ballast

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I'll tell you right now that the death knell has already sounded for single ended HPS and MH... and CMH/CDM and DE will only get another few year's reprieve. Their replacement has arrived, become cost competitive and now it's only a matter of time.

COB LED really is better and once the word gets out about just how good they are, a growroom designer's job won't include deciding whether to buy LED over HID; it will simply be deciding which LED chips to use and how many to get the desired ratio between up front cost and operating efficiency.

Stephenj37826 said:

Well I can tell you it won't be that big a difference if any over other top end electronic ballasts. Why is gavita ahead . The higher frequency is one of the ingredients. Hortilux platinum ballast is square wave low frequency. I'd like to see a test too. To me it fills a gap that is no longer relevant. All modern hps bulbs are made to run on high frequency ballast now. There used to be compatibility problems when the lumiteks first came out. Thing of the past bro.

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I think there is some real misinformation out there.
I have spoken with hortilux directly and they assure me the Platinum Ballast will even fire all of the DE Lamps currently on the market and the one they are working on.
All of the hps failures of the past came from people not using compatible products and using janky ass low buck chinese ballasts.
I wish there was more buzz around the platinum ballast because I do believe it is a different animal.
With the amount of cash people are dropping around here on DIY LED someone has to have tried one?

OneHitDone said:

I think there is some real misinformation out there.
I have spoken with hortilux directly and they assure me the Platinum Ballast will even fire all of the DE Lamps currently on the market and the one they are working on.
All of the hps failures of the past came from people not using compatible products and using janky ass low buck chinese ballasts.
I wish there was more buzz around the platinum ballast because I do believe it is a different animal.
With the amount of cash people are dropping around here on DIY LED someone has to have tried one?

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Dude. Platinum ballast will improve HPS efficiency by five percent... I'll even give it fifteen. For the extra coin they want for the ballast, it just isn't worth it... even if there wasn't something better waiting in the wings.

COB LED chips can already be up to four TIMES that efficient! Spectrum is better, heat load is less, being another benefit of the efficiency improvement.

Now let's talk maintenance! Cuz with COB LED, there isn't any! No lumen depreciation! No regularly scheduled lamp replacements! no reflector replacements, either!

That pounding noise you hear is the sound of nails being driven into the coffin of HID.

OneHitDone said:

I think there is some real misinformation out there.
I have spoken with hortilux directly and they assure me the Platinum Ballast will even fire all of the DE Lamps currently on the market and the one they are working on.
All of the hps failures of the past came from people not using compatible products and using janky ass low buck chinese ballasts.
I wish there was more buzz around the platinum ballast because I do believe it is a different animal.
With the amount of cash people are dropping around here on DIY LED someone has to have tried one?

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I didn't say it would not fire whatever. I'm saying if it is that damn good they wouldn't be developing a de bulb would they?

Stephenj37826 said:

I didn't say it would not fire whatever. I'm saying if it is that damn good they wouldn't be developing a de bulb would they?

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They're developing a DE lamp because that's what the industry is demanding right now.

They ran the Platinum ballast up the flagpole but no one wanted to bite at the asking price.

Stephenj37826 said:

When was the last time you ran hortilux? They changed there bulbs about a year ago to work with digital ballasts.

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I said prob a year ago

OneHitDone said:

I think there is some real misinformation out there.
I have spoken with hortilux directly and they assure me the Platinum Ballast will even fire all of the DE Lamps currently on the market and the one they are working on.
All of the hps failures of the past came from people not using compatible products and using janky ass low buck chinese ballasts.
I wish there was more buzz around the platinum ballast because I do believe it is a different animal.
With the amount of cash people are dropping around here on DIY LED someone has to have tried one?

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Why don't you buy one and test it yourself instead of looking to others to do so? Since you're the only one who's actually interested in these obscure hid lamps/reflectors/ballasts.

Plants are only interested in delivered photons. Cobs deliver more photons per joule. Nuff said

bicit said:

Why don't you buy one and test it yourself instead of looking to others to do so? Since you're the only one who's actually interested in these obscure hid lamps/reflectors/ballasts.

Plants are only interested in delivered photons. Cobs deliver more photons per joule. Nuff said

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uh oh I agree with bicit ... lol

bicit said:

Why don't you buy one and test it yourself instead of looking to others to do so? Since you're the only one who's actually interested in these obscure hid lamps/reflectors/ballasts.

Plants are only interested in delivered photons. Cobs deliver more photons per joule. Nuff said

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Quite, and this would be enough on its own even without the other advantages.

bicit said:

Why don't you buy one and test it yourself instead of looking to others to do so? Since you're the only one who's actually interested in these obscure hid lamps/reflectors/ballasts.

Plants are only interested in delivered photons. Cobs deliver more photons per joule. Nuff said

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Not just a BS talker here:
In all her glory - money where my mouth is lol

Note the free Super HPS Lamp as well. Helps offset the "cost" of this badboy when compared to other high end ballasts