Could I use this?

I was saying if that ballast was as reputible as they are claiming... the bulb I would've scrapped anyway and picked up a 14-20k kelvin. The main concern is you're really paying for that ballast... Is it a good ballast that won't burn up on you fast (like my friend's) and leave you lightless awaiting a replacment ballast? Does it take a special ballast to fire a sodium bulb? or can you just put a mogul 14-20k swap in there? The ballast is the key in this question. I've aways heard "stick with what you know". I use 4 IceCaps and only hadto get one rebuilt after years of use... and I do mean many years.

 

I understand, but judging from the price, I gather that it probably isn't a good ballast. I'll still inquire from the seller though. I highly doubt it's integrity.
Honestly if I were to stick with what I know, I would be stuck using regular fluorescent bulbs lol. I have no knowledge of anything else because no one here in Trinidad sells anything besides regular bulbs...

 

I didn't see mention of the ballast manufacturer in the auction.

 

For some reason, this light sounds to me like it will go on the bum soon after I buy it so I don't think I'm gonna bother with it. Maybe one day I may purchase it just to play around with it

 

Sounds like you're developing good habits already!

 

lol I just don't wanna risk it not being able to use the MH bulb when I buy it. I'll save that risk for when I have extra funds and time on my hands

 

new here, but NOT new to HID lighting....

I don't see HPS in the title, I see 400W Metal Halide.

HTG makes good "economy" gear. It's mainly intended for use in...clandestine gardens?...

There are not many companies that actually manufacture the components of the ballasts. GE, Sylvania, ABB, Westinghouse... and several in China. They're not complicated devices, but quality control would certainly play a factor in overall lifespan and appearance.

What can run up costs is power filtering. A HID light on raw power with no filter will last maybe 1/3rd the life of a bulb in a balanced and filtered ballast, but that would really only apply to illumination lighting, not reef/grow lighting as we need peak output, and that will fall off long before the bulb burns out. (in a warehouse, no one really cares about a 500K shift and a 3% drop in output)

What I am seeing as I research lights is that there are many companies who are building ballasts and hoods to MARKET (key word) to the marine aquarium industry, and most I have seen are 100-150% more than the EXACT same components if purchased from an actual lighting company.

My mother is a botanist and has been using HPS and MH bulbs for years to supplement daylight in the winter months for an herbarium. All the electrical work falls upon me. I have found that some ballasts run hotter, some make a humming noise, some smell like burning rubber for a few days, but all in all a good brand name ballast will last 6-10 years minimum no matter what company build the box around it. Usually the only way to know what components a unit is built around is to open it up, not really an option here. For the price I would suspect an asian origin ballast, which isn't to say it's bad, just suspect.

I would really like to hear from someone who feels they have a "reef specific" design for HID lighting ballasts. I can't imagine what one could do to make a reef HID ballast that would differ from an indoor gardening light.


As for hood/reflectors....I have an opinion, but as I don't know enough about reef lighting yet I'll have to just theorize. Most reflector designs are made to avoid "hot spots" or a lens effect. I would assume a reef has the same requirements there..... but unlike a closet garden or supplemental outdoor lighting we're not trying to spread the light over as large an area. That would make me suspect that a "growers" reflector would probably have too much spread when placed an appropriate distance from the tank, and moving a bulb closer would only result in added heat build up.

On that note, a LOT of research has been done on finding ways to produce HID light without the heat. There are several water and air cooled systems available that can reduce the direct heat output at the bulb 80-90% (it still goes somewhere, just away from the bulbs, in a radiator in another room perhaps).

Anyways.... that's my take so far from what I've seen. Right now I plan to use a Hydrofarms digital ballast, OEM German Al reflectors, and build my own canopy for mounting. All I'll need that's reef specific is the bulbs.

-Doug

p.s. these guys are local to me, but have a great mail order reputation: http://www.ahlgrows.com/lightcomponents.html

 

I have one of these, 400 watt MH light. I went to there site htgsupply.com and bought it. Have had it for around a yr and works great. Dont use the bulb they give you as mine was a 6500k bulb. But other than that i think its a good light for the cost.

If you go to there site you can see that it is a MH ballast not a HPS. On there site they have different kinds of ballast as far as remote to digital, all depends on what you want and was told by them dirrectly they make there own ballast in house ???