That would put the wattage at 396 watts, I've read a Phoenix 14K on an M80 should be around 310 watts. All I'm saying is what I read on the Apex.

I just did the same thing with my dual ballast. I shut everything else off to see what it was drawing and I got 6.2 amps. I always thought ballasts would be more consistent. Maybe this topic deserves its own thread?

Very interesting. I have another controller, maybe tomorrow I'll test it out and see what it reads.

It's a 4-year old thread I don't see the harm lol...

True, it is old but the amazing thing is there is not a whole bunch of discussions around it online. Sanjay Joshi seems to be the only one that has done any extensive research, he has published some really good articles. If you check other forums, there is mention of it but they don't go anywhere. I guess it's not as cool as the new LED trend, but overdriving MH bulbs with magnetic ballasts is interesting nonetheless.

In the case of some bulbs such as the radiums I run they fire to spec on hqi ballasts and aren't actually over driven. Not exactly going green using these ballasts but I love the output

hmmm.. I was wondering why I saw a subscribed post I didn't remember reciently LOL

a M80 ballast (true magnetic M80) which is only made by Advance transformers (north american company) should be pulling around 400 watts with a 250 watt SE bulb a little less with a DE bulb, at 310 watts I would say they put a M80 starter and capacitor on a pulse start ballast and used that. will be a little lower output this way (well a fair bit actualy) I am not saying thats what they did but I have seen that done. the other thing I saw once was a european ballast converted to NA voltage (easy to do) this gives different out put as they are not a HQI ballast but are simular.

Steve

Not to mention Philips doesn't produce them anymore. Really makes me wonder what those new aquamedics have inside them.

Might be time to pull out the screwdriver! Actually the newest AM ballast is the reflex cube, they are magnetic and manufactured in the USA but I don't know who makes them for AM. The one I am using is the Oceanballast dual 250.

From what I have been reading on RC it seems like the Bluewave 7 or Hamilton ballasts are the only way to get this true M80 ballast (PFO is out of business but worth a mention I guess), please correct me if I'm wrong.

Sunlight Supply no longer make the BlueWave ballasts. I think there might be a few vendors with some Hamiltons kicking around but I looked high and low and found no PFO or SLS. I paid a very pretty penny as a last-ditch effort to obtain one when a grow store in the US seemed to have a BlueWave. After paying a fortune to have the thing shipped here I was later notified they haven't got any and was refunded. Buying used if you can find them is pretty much the only option. I was considering the cube ballasts but was hesitant as I wanted a genuine M80. I've now got 5 x M80 just in case lol. I plan to use 4 over the big tank.