Hi Folks, I want to know if using a 400W dimmable ballast like IPower, or Lumatech, i can switch to 50% out power, and plug in a 250W bulb ? I have over heating problems during summer. On the same thought, could I switch to 75% and use a 250W bulb, even being a little overpowered ? Witch would have more lumens, a 400W bulb at 50% power, or a 250W ballast with a 250W bulb ? I've been searching those comparisons, but couldnt find anything about it. Thank you Guys, Leonardo
Here: Purple Apollo Horticulture 400w Grow Light Dimmable Ballast with Detachable Fins Cool Tube Hood Reflector and Metal Halide(MH) and High Pressure Sodium(HPS) Light Bulbs, 120v Power Cord + Rope Ratchet: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific You won't need to plug in a separate bulb read: Product Features 1- 400 Watt Dimmable Electronic Fan Cooling Ballast; Acceptable input: 110v - 240v. Dimmable Option: 50%, 75% & 100% 1 - HPS Bulb: Lumen - 53,000 & 1 - MH Bulb: Lumen - 36,000 1 - Cool Tube: 24" x 17" x 7" Duct Size: 6" Made of Glass and German Aluminum 1- Pair of Rope Ratchet : Weight Capacity - 150 lbs per pair w/ Improved Metal Internal Gears; One Click at a Time 1 - 24 Hour Timer Controller
[quote name='vostok']Here: Purple Apollo Horticulture 400w Grow Light Dimmable Ballast with Detachable Fins Cool Tube Hood Reflector and Metal Halide(MH) and High Pressure Sodium(HPS) Light Bulbs, 120v Power Cord + Rope Ratchet: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific You won't need to plug in a separate bulb read: Product Features 1- 400 Watt Dimmable Electronic Fan Cooling Ballast; Acceptable input: 110v - 240v. Dimmable Option: 50%, 75% & 100% 1 - HPS Bulb: Lumen - 53,000 & 1 - MH Bulb: Lumen - 36,000 1 - Cool Tube: 24" x 17" x 7" Duct Size: 6" Made of Glass and German Aluminum 1- Pair of Rope Ratchet : Weight Capacity - 150 lbs per pair w/ Improved Metal Internal Gears; One Click at a Time 1 - 24 Hour Timer Controller[/QU Heads up for anyone interested in apollo horticulture brand, it sucks. Cheap chinese crap. Do not waste your time and money on it.
Witch should i go to have more lumens, a 400W bulb at 50% power, or a 250W ballast with a 250W bulb ?
Idea is to keep ya architecture(ideas) open, plants have a habit of growing, so you may chop and change at will, go for the 400w model, that way you got an option to increase wattage if required, non of my 4 Apollos are made in China ..although a cheap price I was suspicious, now happy very happy
LOL, where can you find much of anything not made in China? For prices you can't beat China Inc., and 80-90% of the time everything works OK. You pay a lot for that extra 10-20%... So long as it doesn't catch on fire I can live with that, and killing customers usually isn't good business, unless it takes like 40 years to kill them, aka tobacco companies... GG
Yeah "cheap Chinese crap" doesn't cut it anymore. I got a dollar says none of the ballast companies make their own components, so it mostly comes down to suppliers and the quality of assembly.
That's a good question. Interestingly, LEDs are actually exponentially more efficient and longer lasting when run below their maximum current. I'm looking at the Philips Ceramalux HPS brochure and the 400w bulbs output ~45,000 mean lumens while the 250 is at a shade over 24,000. Assuming the 400's lumens/watt remains constant, the 250 will give you a little more output. The catch is that, like LEDs, the 400's lumens-per-watt probably doesn't stay the same at 50% output. It could be lower or higher. Might warrant more research...
I swear the color is more yellow/red and less "white" at 50% power than at full power, so not sure if the spectrum is the same either. I have a Lumatek 400w ballast, but I'd buy the Apollo if I needed another one. I am also using their Lumatek 400 watt bulb, it claims 60K lumens out of the box. GG
it has a 5 year warranty and iv been using it for a year now no problems. the ballast itself is cooled with a fan which is a plus, it is very cheap only 154$ for mh and hops bulbs @ 600 watts, timer , ratcheting hangars and gull wing reflector. the best value in grow lights by far. 2 negative reviews related to the seller not the actual product on amazon as well as the lowest rating being a 4 besides those 2 outliers. my lux meter measures 85790 lumens for the hps and 61026 lumens for the mh bulbs. the only thing cheaply made is the reflector but that isn't a problem it is very bendable to shape to your liking and is shiny and dimpled to prevent hotspots. overall id give it a perfect score I cant see any reason any other 600 w setup would outperform it other than coming with different bulbs it does exactly what its intended to do and is reliable and the ballast generates approx. 85 degrees farenheit it never gets hot.