Electric vs Tar
 

Well, I am thinking about getting a MH. But I don't really know much about the differences in ballast types.. ie, Electric vs Tar. Is one better than the other? Can someone explain this?

Thank You.

I can't explain it but I know that electronic is more efficient. The electronic is cooler and is gentler on your bulbs, IE you're bulbs last longer with electronic. Tar ballasts are heavy and generate alot of heat which to me means wasted energy. The last thing I know is that some bulbs are pulse start meaning they need a Hight voltages pulse of electricity to kind of jump start them where as some are probe start (those bulbs have the stuff built in to do the pulse). If you go electronic you can use any bulb as long as it's rated the same wattage.

Doug

Re: Electric vs Tar
 

go with a Pluse start tar ballat. at canadian utility costs it would take about 10 years to start saving you money. both electric ballast and pluse start start the bulb the same way, but using a normal northamerican ballast will just use open line curent and rely on the probe in the bulb to start the light. pulse start, electric and HQI (real HQI) all use the same method for starting the bulb which is a high voltage low amprage pulsing current. this provides a smoother faster ignition which is easyer on the bulb.

so the only benifit of a electronic ballast is a little bit less power consumption due to less power being given off as heat. but at 0.0055/KWH it will take a long long time for the power savings to offset the extra cost.

oh one other thing is every electronic ballast out there seams to kinda under drive the bulb which mean you are not getting all the possable light you should out of your bulb, where the 250 watt HQI consistantly gives you the highers PAR numbers which also extending the life of the bulb by virtue of running it properly.

Steve

Steve, in regard to this post and my questions about 175 vs 250 you said to go with HQI ballasts... what is an HQI Ballast?

Thanks

Doug

And can you recommend one? ;)

If you are doing it your self then you want an Advance ANSI M80 pn#71A5880

make sure this is the only part number they use and if they can't find it tell them they will have to look in the advance world book not the advance canada.

Steve

A catalog of all the HID ballasts Advance makes... :cool:

http://www.advancetransformer.com/ec...hid_lookup.asp

Plug in ANSI code M80 (250W) or M81 (150W) and you'll find the HQI ballasts that Advance makes. You'll get the part #'s and spec sheets (you'll still have to order the ballast from somewhere but at least you can read up on them).

I'm not 100% certain of this, but I think Advance might be the only maker of HQI tar ballasts. I don't think Venture or the other better known ballasts makers do, but if I'm mistaken maybe someone can point me to some info.

yup Advance is the only HQI ballast maker that I know of as of yesterday :mrgreen:

Steve

Thanks Steve and Tony.

Doug

Just looking at the advanced site and I did the ANSI M80 search, it says the average watts = 290 will that overdrive my 250 bulb?

Doug