tar vs electronic?
 

:confused: :eek:

Just wondering what the advantages of an electronic MH ballast is over a tar ballast would be.

I'm assuming it's just more flexibility with bulb choice and less power consumption?

Re: tar vs electronic?
 

as far as I am concerned non. the only thing electronics do is run cooler and use less energy, but this is at a cost. On average an electronic ballast will only deliver 360 watts to a 400 watt bulb so basicly it underdrives the bulb. this applies for the 250 watt ballast also.

If you are going 250 watt and you buy a M80 (HQI) ballast you will be able to run any 250 watt bulb out there.

Steve

http://www.jlaquatics.com/cgi-bin/sh...gno=pfo-bh252q

is an hqi ballast an m80 by default? and are hqi bulbs all double end or single end as well?

and will a pulse start ballast fry a probe start bulb? or are they fine? I know a pulse start bulb won't run on a probe start ballast

yes

both
and no :mrgreen:

so M80 is the ANSI designation for a 250 watt HQI ballast. and you can get HQI bulbs in both DE and SE versions. Most European bulbs we use, Radium, AB, Ushio are real HQI bulbs but the AB and Ushio have been modified for North American use by the addition of a Probe start. The still preform better on a HQI ballast.

A pulse start will start probe bulbs easier than a probe start ballast will and this will increase bulb length as the pulse starting is easier on the bulb.

Steve

cool, thanks for you help :mrgreen: