eletric vs digital

[darealbrain]

whats the diff between the two?do one put out more lumens than the other?

[the image reaper]

if you're asking about 'digital' and 'magnetic' ballasts, the difference is about a hundred bucks :D ... just kidding ... the old magnetic ballasts are rugged, reliable, and withstand electrical fluctuations well ... the newer digital ballasts are more efficient, and use a bit less electricity, while putting out a slight amount of additional light, supposedly ... but, they are also more sensitive to electrical fluctuations, and can fry easier ... personally, I choose reliability over efficiency, in the matter of ballasts ... :smokin:

[darealbrain]

yeah thats what i was talking about.i got the 600 watt digital growbright mh/hps system.i had a hps bulb explode the second day in 12/12.they did replace the bulb free of charge,but i was left wondering why it did that.is this something that happens with digital systems,and how can i prevent this from happening again?

[Dutch Pimp]

In reading forums since 2005...it seems the 600 watt digital ballasts and bulbs are the MOST troublesome. 400 and 1000 watt systems not so bad. Plus the 600 watt bulb selection is very small, compare to other sizes....that's because industrial users ..prefer 400 and 1000 watts.

There are a LOT of 'Made in China' digital ballasts/bulbs on the market/internet...that ain't worth a damn...beware.

Magnetic ballasts are UL rated...very reliable...with an average life span of ten years for ballasts made in USA/Canada.

Magnetic ballasts-60Hrz
Digital ballasts-240Hrz...they drive the bulbs harder.

[the image reaper]

hopefully, you are using a lamp enclosure that has a tempered glass plate, for protection ... a lamp (particularly a metal halide) can get an almost-invisible hairline crack, still lights up OK, but emits dangerous UV-rays, can really screw up your eyes, etc. ... :(

[darealbrain]

so are the digital ones a thing for the future or are they just not good?also i need a little help on my other thread under 600w digital.thanks for explaining things for me i thought i was doing something by getting the digital,i guess i was fing up lol

[Dutch Pimp]

If I was going to buy a digital ballast...I would buy a Quantum. Check out the link...you can lower the Hertz (Hz)

Digitals are getting better...their almost there...:thumbsup:

:thumbsup:...http://boards.cannabis.com/indoor-lighting/169212-quantum-series-lighting-balasts.html

[darealbrain]

do you know anything about the growbright s106 ballast?

[darealbrain]

i started a new grow as i got 5 oz off my last ww.i have been reading just about every forum on this site and learned alot.i have 15 clones now and only lost 2 and it was my very first time triing it.the people on here really know what they are talking about and how to teach others.i have been running my 600 on for 2 hours off 2 hours and i wanted to know if this would mess things up by stressing the plants.

[the image reaper]

the newer digital ballasts are more efficient, use a bit less electricity, and produce a slightly brighter light ... BUT, the old, heavy, magnetic ballasts will handle electrical fluctuations, with no harm ... if you ever experience power outages, or dimming, flickering lights, where you live, you don't want a digital ballast ... :smokin:

[ditdotter]

I have a couple of 600 watt digital ballest that I purchased last summer from Htg. One of the ballest has been using the same bulb since January without any problems, no filckering or reduction in the amount of light emission. The other one blew a bulb out the first day it was in operation, which I had never seen a magnetic do in all my time of growing. Thought it must have been a bad bulb or the fact that it was a cheaper bulb I placed in the hood to check the operation of the system. I never knew that they had a history of blowing 600 watt bulbs. They seem to operate just fine with more expensive brand bulbs like Sunmaster. No problems with them so far as I can tell. I will tell you a digital ballest runs cooler than a magnetic one.

[darealbrain]

do you have the same one i have?and did they replace it?they replaced mine with a different bulb and i havent had anymore problems.

[ditdotter]

Yeah, they replaced the bulb that blow out with the same one that came standard with the unit. I haven't had a problem since then with exploding bulbs with either digital ballest. So far I happen to be pleased with the product. I don't know what they may be like in 2 or 3 years down the road.

[Rubberbubbler]

I am not trying to advertise for them but I have herd good things about NEXTGEN Ballasts. They say it produces 30% more light and you can have the ballast up to 65' away from the bulb