Ballast Question

Just wondering if you can buy any ballast as long as you match the wattage of the bulb!

I currently have a dual 250w PFO ballast running 2 - 250W Metal Halides.

Can I just buy any ballast as long as its dual and 250w?

Are there any out there you recommend? The one I have is huge and just wondering if there are smaller more energy efficient ones that I should get, then I can keep this one as a backup...just in case!

Thanks!

 

If you have pulse start bulbs, you need a pulse start ballast. If you have probe start bulbs, you need a probe start ballast. Electronic ballasts are more efficient than magnetic ballasts.

 

I just bought the Coral Vue 250W 20000K...how do I tell what kind of start they are?

Also do you know the best/reasonable site out there for buying a nice ballast?

 

BTW, I wasn't clear previously. If you're getting a tar/magnetic ballast, you have to match probe/pulse start. Electronic ballasts will fire both types.

Dual ballasts are quite large no matter what brand. It's hard to escape it. PFO's are very nice ballasts.....particularly the electronic ones.

Are your bulbs HQI or are they moguls?

 

They are moguls...
Do you think the bulbs i ordered will work with the ballast?

There are currently 2 - 250 w Iwasaki's in there now....I hate the color.

 

Hard to say....Coralvue voids the warranty if you put those bulbs on a HQI magnetic ballast. Coral Vue Home Page

I think the easiest thing to do is to google your current ballast as PFO makes both types.

 

the model on my ballast is PFO HQ2 250 MH
I think I am in trouble here.
Maybe I should call PFO tomorrow and find out what bulbs are compatible....unless anyone here knows of a list of bulbs I can use.
250w

 

XM, phoenix, ushio, blueline, Geismann, South Pacific Sunlight, coralvue reeflux, hamilton, Radium, and icecap.

The best of this group include: Ushio, South Pacific Sunlight, phoenix, and possibly XM... Radium for a super blue look

 

HQI is not an interchangeable term for Double ended (DE), HQI can be either SE or DE, but many folks have thought that HQI =DE. Unfortunately, this is not so.

Now for TAR m58 ballasts, I run those on my XM10,000k SE250's, and while it works, they are more yellow than they would be if driven by a regular m58 magnetic, or an electronic ballast.

 

So will the bulbs I just ordered work?
The Coral Vue 250W 20000K?