Quote Originally Posted by vanduction
Bubbas what temperature do you think would be best for generic chinese induction lamps?

Right now the temperature probes are inside the heating thermostat, but out of curiosity I will put them on top of the shades and see what they register.
Aside from the differences in manufacturing of these fixtures, drivers, couplings and lamps, and they are substantial, I'll address the general operational values of induction EFDL systems, not the self ballasted, screw in style internal electrode styles of induction;

higher wattage, 250+, induction lamps are used inside freezers because they can operate in ambient conditions as low as 40 Deg F (-40 Deg C). While the lower wattages need to be a minimum starting temperature of -13 Deg F/ -25 Deg C. The temperatures in the grow environment do not impact lumen output. I completely agree with the relector point for a different reason in that that the reflector design is extremely important to overall lumen distribution and qty of photons measured at the canopy.

For your future reference, but not likely to be seen in these environments, would be the maximum temperature ranges for the Driver housing temperature should never exceed 149 Deg. F (65 Deg C). Thus to maximize system life, ambient temperature of the driver should be kept as low as possible.

Lamp: temperature of the lamp mounting base of the induction core should never exceed 212 Deg F (100 Deg C). Amalgam tip: temperature must be within the range of 131 Deg F to 257 Deg F 9 (55 Deg C to 125 Deg C) for optimal light output.

On the lower wattage screw in style internal electrode induction lamps most of the failures with these lamps we see from base up installation of the lamps mounted inside a reflector that traps the heat inside the base driver.

On the higher wattage EFDL it's usually fixture design, lack of heat sinks and the fixture having an IP65 rating which is designed for outdoor applications, such as tunnels, where any surface heat is quickly evacuated from the surface of the fixture. In a grow room the glass is trapping the heat and lamp/driver failure with the hours these fixtures are running do not allow for adequate ventilation and inevitably result in premature failure.

Best of luck on this grow and I hope this information helps.