SA bulb review (part 1, color comparasons)
 

Well I figured I had better get something going on the review but I am making a new jig for measuring PAR in my tank in able to assure that my sensor is in the exact same place each time. For this reason i have split this review into two parts, first the photo and personal impressions of the color, and the second part will be the actual PAR comparasons.

for equipment I am using magnetinc ANSI M80 HQI ballast with an ignightor to bulb lenght of 3 feet. for the pictures the first bulb listed will be on the left side of the pic. because I only have a 3 foot long tank there is a lot of blending in the middle but if you look you can still see the diffeeences.

the first picture is a tank shot with two SA10K bulbs and two 36" VHO actinics
http://members.shaw.ca/islandaquatic...10kactinic.jpg

and this is without the actinics
http://members.shaw.ca/islandaquatic...SA10kSA10k.jpg

this picture is comparing a two year old AB 250 watt bulb against the SA 10K bulb with no actinic (remember the AB's have over 7000 hours on them)
http://members.shaw.ca/islandaquatic...AB10kSA10k.jpg

same set up with actinic
http://members.shaw.ca/islandaquatic...10kactinic.jpg

personaly I found the 7000+ hour old AB to be about the same color and intensity as the 300 hour old SA10K's

here we see the SA14K and a SA10K with no actinic
http://members.shaw.ca/islandaquatic...SA14kSA10k.jpg

same bulbs with actinic
http://members.shaw.ca/islandaquatic...10kActinic.jpg

I was very suprised at the amount of blue in the 14K bulbs and I even e-mailed venkiw to see if this was a defective batch.. I would say they should be labeled as 19K's compard to other 20K bulbs I have seen which will be even more evadent when compared to the 20K bulbs

here are the SA20K and a SA10K with no actinic
http://members.shaw.ca/islandaquatic...SA20kSA10k.jpg

and same with actinic
http://members.shaw.ca/islandaquatic...10kActinic.jpg

and finaly the SA20K and a SA14K with no actinics
http://members.shaw.ca/islandaquatic...SA20kSA14k.jpg

and with actinic
http://members.shaw.ca/islandaquatic...14kActinic.jpg

So there is the side by side comparasons. in my personal opinion I am not impressed with the color of the 10K's as every Ushio I have seen is whiter then the SA10Ks, BUT for the price they are a deal. if they were priced at 100.00 I would concider the Ushio bulbs myself. Also if you are going to MH for your first time the SA10k bulb would probably satisfy you.

The 14K bulbs strike me as way to blue for 14K. I have put them back on to burn them for another 1 or 2 hundred hours to make sure the initial shif is complete but I think it is. they are almost as blue as a radium and way way more blue than a new AB that has a actual color temp of "13and change"K so to me 14K should only be slightly (read barly noticably) more blue than an AB

as for the 20K's I am most impressed with them out of any of the SA bulbs, it has the color of the radium with a tiny more "vilot" in its make up causeing a little more of the colors in the tank to "pop" out. the only question I will have with it is the actual PAR levels and I will find them out in part 2.

Steve

I would have to concure that what sells and will sell the SA bulbs is the price. :smile:

Great thread Steve. Lots of work put into it.

:cool: Thanks Steve!
I am always impressed with the ammount of effort you put into your lighting research!

Look foreward to part 2 :cool:

I have to say "thanks" as well. i am always impressed with the amount of effort you put into your presentations and projects, Steve. Whenever I need to research anything lighting-related, i'm quick to search your username.

Good job!
:biggrin:

Thanks alot Steve!!! Its really great that you have given our customers a chance to see the bulbs in action before purchasing, it lets folks know if one of our bulbs is right for them....
Greatly appreciated, keep up the good work!!!

Thanks: Kyle

Nice!

I want 20K bulbs next! those rock :)

Where's the part 2 ??????

Nice job Steve!

I'm not sure that I understand the comment about the 14k bulb though. It seemed in picture 1 using this bulb on the left and picture 2 assuming that the 20k bulb is now on the left side that there was a substantial difference in colors, am I seeing this wrong?

I would tend to agree with your thought about newcomers to halides liking these bulbs. Last year when I started to build my new canopy with halides, the pricing just about killed me, and had I had to pay for Ushio bulbs above everything else I would have not built the system. I thn found my venture bulbs for $51USD ea. These have been more than suitable and look great to my untrained eyes. I would say that SA bulbs offer the same opportunity for people on a budget to get into halides. Then after the first year or so when they have recouped some of their funds and they desire to experiment with more expensive bulbs they have that opportunity.

Thanks again, and looking forward to your continued analysis since I am starting my next bulb hunt!

Rob

working on now should have it up tonight.

Steve