I wanted to talk about Digital Ballasts. Id like peoples opinions, but mainly people who have used them and compared the results.

I am generally a skeptical person when it comes to "the new big thing." Brand new products always have bugs and are generally talked up, not neccessarily providing the "incredible" difference they claimed. So when digital ballasts starting coming out on the market, I believed they were better but I did not see how they could really be THAT much more effecient.

Being the skeptic, no amount of salesman at the local hydro shops could convince me to ditch all my standard equipment that, not that long ago, was the new big thing. So I had to try it for myself and see what all the hoopla was about.

Well...like I was with T5 HO lights (which I also now love), I have been converted. The claim is that a 600 watt digital HPS light can produce 95% the lumens that a standard 1000 watt HPS light can put out, while only using the energy of a 600 watt light and without the heat of a 1000 watt. On the whole, I fully agree with this statement.

I dont get wider node spacing with the 600 digitals, the lumens dont all of a sudden drop off either when far away (penetration seems about the same as normal 1000s), and the heat is far easier to manage. I can touch the glass on my hoods no problem and they are not even cooltubes. Bulbs are cheaper, and they use almost the same (sometimes even less) energy then a normal 600 watt HPS; considerably lower then a 1000 HPS. Enough that over a few cycles, you could be saving hundreds and hundreds of dollars on your energy bill.

About the only claim I do not agree with is the cold ballasts. My ballasts still get very hot and still need to be removed from the grow rooms, but they are whisper quiet with no vibration at all and a quick fireup time. They also have safeguards built-in for power surges or relighting the bulbs to quick. One of the only disadvantages I have found, is that if one breaks (and one has not) then you cant pop it open and replace a capacitator or wiring as easily.

So the next step...if a 600 watt digital is equal to a 1000 watt standard, then what power output does a 750 or 1000 watt digital ballast have? A 400 watt digital is supposed to be around equal to a 650 watt standard...so were talking equivalent of like 1500 watts! At this point, people dont even have solid comparisons to whether this is even beneficial...but I am also a believer that if you can control everything enough, then cannabis can ALWAYS take advantage of more (more light, more nutrients, more oxygen, more co2, etc).

Finally, I have some questions. Would a 750 watt or 1000 watt digital lamp actually put out that many more lumens or do we start dropping off at some point (just cant get that efficient at that level?)? Would these higher lumens and intensity take even better advantage of CO2 then a normal light? Will the digital ballasts last as long as standard? Has anyone else done side by side comparisons? I do not plan on upgrading to 750s or 1000s for a few cycles, but has anyone tried 600s and then upgraded? If you are skeptical, why?

I am using these lights in a couple different rooms, but here is one of the flowering rooms. Ive had digital camera trouble so I have no pics from the last week or 2. Needless to say, they are growing 1.5" a day or more. Almost a foot a week. The lights are around 14" away. A little higher then I want but this gives me the foot print I want. Node spacing is good for me.
Racerx Reviewed by Racerx on . Digital Ballasts...Worth It? I wanted to talk about Digital Ballasts. Id like peoples opinions, but mainly people who have used them and compared the results. I am generally a skeptical person when it comes to "the new big thing." Brand new products always have bugs and are generally talked up, not neccessarily providing the "incredible" difference they claimed. So when digital ballasts starting coming out on the market, I believed they were better but I did not see how they could really be THAT much more Rating: 5